Volume 2 Issue 1 - 28th April 2012
Communities and Chairs.
Conference Preparation
Fun and Games
The opening ceremony of ACAMUN 2012 started with speeches from Mrs. Kasandra Battioni, Jisu Yun, SIS Principal Philipia Curtis, and Mr. Irwin Stein. Mr. Stein is the founder of five MUN conferences including Cairo (CAMUN), South Africa, (SAMUN), Beijing (BEIMUN), Panama (PANAMUN), and Tai Wan (TAIMUN). He is currently the director of Nansha College Preparatory Academy where they plan to incorporate MUN into the school curriculum. Mr. Stein is a major figure for MUN worldwide. “It worked so well in one place,” he recalled, “that every place I went asked, ‘Hey could you do that here?’” After his speech on technology and its role in solving the world’s problems we discussed why is MUN important? Mr. Stein thoughtfully answered, “I think the most important reason for MUN is it gives [students] opportunity to share ideas, exchange ideas with one another. We talk about it all the time, but it’s truly meaningful.” He believes that “[MUN] provides a setting, that [allows for] opportunities for people to feel comfortable.” But still the question remains, how does having mock debates here benefit the students and the world beyond the classroom? “I think what really comes out of the MUN experience for young people, is awareness; a conscience for young people for these kinds of issues that they take forward to university and their adult lives.” Mr. Stein replied. Every student here today is a part of something bigger; you are all leaders of tomorrow. Keep this in mind as you go through this MUN experience.. Reported by Renata Serio
General Assembly The General Assembly is a compilation of important issues; Human Rights, Security, etc. In this conference they will discuss combating international terrorism and universal access to primary education. It is chaired by Deanna Pistono and Ji Ho Son. Ji Ho is “looking forward to lots of focused and meaningful debate.” ECOSOC ECOSOC discusses social, cultural and environmental issues. In this conference, they will focus on the global job crisis and preservation of cultural heritage sites. The chairs are Helena Kao and Ye Eun Kim. Ye Eun is “looking forward to seeing students who are younger than [her] work together to learn about these issues and come up with solutions and thinking critically.” Environment The Environment Committee discusses issues that affect the environment. In this conference, they will discuss the issues of resource depletion and animal extinction. The chairs are Christina Lee and Jung Mok Lee. Christina said, “I’m looking forward to active participation of the middle school delegates.” Security Council The Security Council mainly discusses military and security issues. In this conference they will discuss the situation in Somalia and the nuclear situation in Iran. The chairs for this committee are Ryan Chu and Julie Kim. Julie is “looking for all Reported By: Andy Woo
Importance of MUN From the moment you take roll call, to the moment you vote, your voice counts. You will find solutions to real world problems which affect people every day. At ACAMUN you can share your ideas, critique others, and create amazing resolutions.
Mr. Thomas Galvez, a teacher at SIS and a major contributor and supporter of Model United Nations for 12 years, has sent students to THIMUN, BEIMUN and our very own ACAMUN. Mr. Galvez stated that being in MUN helps students develop vital skills that they can use throughout their lives, such as collaboration, and communication skills.
Mrs. Victoria Robins has been a MUN advisor for 17 years and participated in MUN in all throughout high school, she has witnessed students transform from their experiences. She has recalled how MUN has helped students become more confident and look toward the future. “I love engaging in debate with MUN students because of their passion and idealism about how they play a role in making the work a better place.” Reported by Renata Serio Page 2
Dedication, Devotion, and Commitment MUN is an intense commitment for everyone involved; it requires devotion to be able to work on all the aspects. Teacher advisors have to organize all the students including the delegates, volunteers, and chairs. Each student has his/her own responsibilities for making this conference the best possi-
Delegates Each of the 74 delegates for the 2012 ACAMUN have been working hard in order to prepare themselves for this conference. Starting in February, they learned about their country and how MUN works. The delegates wrote position papers to get a better understanding of their country’s views. The paper was the product of hours of research. When Katya Mueller, from Discovery College Hong Kong, was asked about the most challenging part of the preparation, she answered “the research because [she] has always had trouble researching.”
The delegates worked on writing resolutions for each of their issues so that when they met, they were able to merge clauses to become a part of the solution. After getting the basic information for the issues, the delegates started to practice debating. These practice debates helped stu-
Chairs The chairs have volunteered their time to not only be the chairs during the conference, but also to help the delegates prepare after school. Each chair also had to become an expert on an issue. This allowed for them to help the delegates with any questions they may have had. Helena Kao, a co-chair for ECOSOC, thought, “It was challenging to make sure all the delegates were fully prepared for the conference because there were so many school breaks.” During the conference the chairs are responsible for all of the delegates’ questions. Reported By: Saige Huiet Page 3
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Identify more than five delegates, and you can get a surprise treat! Just locate a member of the Press Team Page 4
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