Bright Changes to MUN

After school on September 5, students who were new to Model United Nations (MUN), gathered in Mr. Parker’s room to learn about the basic procedures and the background of MUN. One of the students who attended the meeting, Junior Sophia Lopukhin, explains, “it was surely a busy day. I learned a lot, and we started working on our introductory speeches immediately. It was challenging to grasp and comprehend all the new information, but I’m sure MUN can help me achieve some of my personal goals.” She continues, “I’m usually a shy and quiet person in unfamiliar situations; through MUN conferences, I want to open up as a person, gain more confidence, and learn about cultures around the world, especially more about Asia.”

MUN is an educational club where students learn about diplomacy, global relations, and the United Nations. To join MUN, students are required to write applications for screening. The best applicants become delegates, and they meet every Tuesday to prepare for their upcoming MUN conference. They research their assigned topics, write draft resolutions, debate, and vote on the best resolutions for the improvement of the world. After two months of thorough preparation, they finally go to their conference to debate with other students who have also prepared extensively. MUN offers great opportunities to not only learn about diplomacy, but also to socialize with people from all over the world.

Official meetings for SEOMUN will begin on October 10, in Mr. Parker’s room. This year, AISG will be attending two MUN conferences as usual, but there are big changes, which excite many AISG students. Until now, AISG attended SEOMUN in South Korea and BEIMUN in Beijing. However, unlike its name, SEOMUN conferences were not held in Seoul, but in Il-San, a city located 316 km from the capital. Going to Beijing was simply less anticipated by students, since many students at AISG have already been to Beijing before.

So, what makes this year’s MUN conferences more attractive and exciting? First, BEIMUN has been replaced with UNISMUN which takes place in Hanoi, Vietnam. There is less chance for students living in Guangzhou to visit Hanoi than Beijing, so many students are excited to go to Hanoi for their MUN conference. Additionally, the location of SEOMUN conference has changed from Il-san to Seoul. Even better, this year’s SEOMUN conference takes place in the COEX Convention Center at Gangnam, one of the most bustling, flourishing areas in South Korea.