MUN Won’t Let You In

[by Jiwon L]

“Not everyone will be able to participate in both MUNs, although it would be most ideal.”

A phenomenal number of more than forty applicants during lunch gathered in Room 324 on the 20th of August, a Thursday, to have a brief meeting concerning MUN (Model United Nations) applications.

Model United Nations, as the name suggests, is a creative academic extracurricular activity in which students come together to discuss internationally controversial topics. In a distant and possibly exotic city, students have the opportunity to not only hone their critical thinking and public speaking ability, but also to gain confidence and enhance their social skills.

Despite these potential benefits, MUN was not a very popular After School Activity (ASA) until last year. There were about 20 applicants applying for BEIMUN held in Beijing, and most of those who were present at the first meeting were able to participate.

However, starting from this year, led by Mr. Duncan, ASA MUN decided to add Seoul Model United Nations (SEOMUN) to the list of available MUNs.

The majority of people who were present at the lunch meeting were not returning members but curious, innocent minds seeking some fresh debate and intellectual conversation. For the newcomers, MUN in Seoul might have seemed appealing; maybe it was just as a result of recommendations from the juniors and seniors. The exact cause of the sudden increase in the number of applicants has still not been identified, but the boost itself was evident.

SEOMUN, which is held in late November, is a quarter two ASA that starts in September, and BEIMUN, a quarter three ASA, starts right after the SEOMUN conference. The people who pursue the essence of MUN and the conference itself would often prefer to go to BEIMUN, since it is the third biggest MUN in Asia, while those who want more experience in other countries could try out SEOMUN. Those who simply adore MUN could apply for both.

However, due to a lack of seats, some applicants may not be able to participate in either BEIMUN or SEOMUN. The headquarters of BEIMUN and SEOMUN, located respectively at the International School of Beijing and Korea International School, determine the number of seats of delegates that will be provided for each school by evaluating the degree of participation. Last year, AISG took twenty-three seats at BEIMUN, and although this is not yet certain, it is expected that AISG will take a similar number for the upcoming BEIMUN in March. However, since it is AISG’s first year to participate in SEOMUN, KIS has only ensured twenty seats, although Mr. Duncan is constantly petitioning for more.

As an unsatisfactory but realistic solution, Mr. Duncan has to cut some people from both ASA MUNs. He suggested that the applicants hand in forms with basic information and reasons why they should participate in ASA MUN. He is “trying to give opportunity for most of the people, and the number of seats is limited.” The applicants were asked to check on the application form which MUN they wish to participate in, and the majority of the applicants will most likely be able to participate in only one MUN.

Unfortunately, additional people who want to join MUN will not be able to this year. The current excess demand is already hard to deal with, and the meeting and applications were the only chances for this year’s MUN. Thus, the remaining MUN enthusiasts will have to wait until next year’s admissions.

Thanks to Mr. Duncan’s efforts to add SEOMUN to the AISG ASA list, the future of AISG’s MUN looks more optimistic than ever before. Before the addition of SEOMUN, the accessibility of MUN for our students was extremely low. BEIMUN was the only MUN experience AISG provided, which was evidently not enough. Our school could not self-produce any chair