THE D E L E G A T E 2 0 2 4 I S S U E 1
CONTENTS & EDITORS NOTES
Cover design
Jakob Morrissey
Meet the press team
Press team
Incoming students interviews
Random students we found
Meet the student officers Student officers
Teacher Interviews Teachers
Fake news: All you need to know
Jamie McDowall
What constitutes a war crime?
Jakob Morrissey
Game night review
Jamie McDowall
Best outfits of the day
Random fashonistas
Good news for once!
Elena Buckingham
Hello MUN intenational conference 2024! We are happy to welcome you to the first edition of The Delegate this year! In this issue you’ll get to meet us, the press team (at least those of us who sent in our sentences), as well as some incoming students, student officers, long-suffering teachers, as well as getting a couple of prime examples of the kind of quality journalism you will come to expect over the next few days. Lots of hard-hitting questions were asked in he last 24 hours, thank you for all who humoured us. Holly we are sorry we couldn’t fit you in.
- Elspeth Gardiner & Katja Windle
Notice: Someone needs to help Mr Tanner, we don’t know what is going on with him and neither does he.
MEET THE TEAM
Elena Buckingham
Hi! I’m Elena and I am a part of the press team. My main roles include writing and editing articles for the daily delegate issues, but I also sometimes go around and pester people by asking for interviews. I think that there would have to be three pigeons in my house before I got suspicious that someone was placing them there because 1 I can get behind, 2 and they’re just best friends but three seems a little too intentional to be coincidental…
Jakob Morrissey
Hello. I am a long-time user of blue ink (GCSEs were a nightmare) and I’m not allowed fire in my room, so I don’t have a favourite candle smell. I would need to find at least 6 pigeons in my house before I became suspicious, especially because no one has keys to my house. Younger me would be absolutely horrified at who I am now. And yes, I still have the blanket in that photo.
Katja F Windle
Hey, I’m the co-head of press. On seeing any amount of pigeons in my house, I would have no thoughts or particular suspicions and quickly accept my new pigeon overlords.
Jamie McDowall
Hi everyone, my name is Jamie. I am a journalist for the press team, my main job is writing articles to be published in issues of the delegate like this. I like singing and acting in my free time and I have a dog called Rocky.
Elspeth Gardiner
Hey, I’m Elspeth. I’m the other head of press. Not that anyone asked but my favourite candle smell is something citrusy like grapefruit and I think I would suspect foul play only after 12 pigeons.
Emily Walker
Yuzu Suzuki
Saki Yamaguchi
Nanaka Omori
Hidehisa Ebihara
Minori Nishimoto
Ryo Otani
Tarika Castillo
Izan Meabe
INCOMING STUDENT INTERVIEWS
Ollie Bennet
EW: What’s your best pick up line?
OB: Have you got a map because I am lost in your eyes
EW: How many pigeons would there need to be in your house to suspect that someone was planting them there?
OB: Uhm, ooh, I’d say like, probably like a good like 30
EB: THIRTY??
OB: Otherwise I’m confident they are just flying in, it’s fine
EB: What, and 30 is the point where you go hmm
OB: 29 and you’re fine, don’t even stress it
EB: And 30 your like someone’s planting these here?
OB: Exactly, spot on!
Frankfurt International
EG: What school are you guys from?
ALL: Frankfurt International
EG: What are your roles within the conference?
Moa: I’m chair for SOCHUM 2
Sophia: I’m in SOCHUM 2 as Mexico
Jessica: I’m part of the ICJ as a judge
Sofia + Velma: We’re chairing
EG: Any brutal first impressions?
ALL: [Chorus of justified complaints about the rain]
‘How do you guys live through this?’
‘Why does the rain go in different directions??’
EG: How many pigeons would you need to find in your house before you thought someone was putting them there?
[pigeon-ful discussions in the crowd]
J: You’re doing too much if you’re putting pigeons in my house
M: I have some suspicious neighbours
Bishop Thomas grant school
EG: Just state your names, which school you’re from, and what your roles are
I: My name is Ines Costa, we’re from Bishop Thomas Grant School, I’m the delegate of Nauru
O: My name is Olivia-Jane, and I’m the delegate of Nauru
E: My name’s Eseosa and I’m the delegate of India
EG: What are your breakfast foods?
O: At this point I’m just eating a crisp before school
EG: One crisp??? Right... How many eggs do you think you could hold in one hand?
O: I have a big hand, so I would say seven
EG: How many pigeons would you have to find in your house before you thought someone was putting them there?
O: One. I would go crazy just with one I: I would say three
O: A bird flew into my house the other day, and my mum thought a spirit brought it. So... one.
EB: What’s your name?
H: It’s Håvard, which is basically the Norwegian version of Howard
EB: What school are you from?
H: Ås VGS
EB: Lovely!
EB: Who are you representing and what is your role here?
H: I am a chair for DISECTUM
EB: How many eggs do you think you could hold in one hand?
H: How many eggs? Oooh good question... Hmm... I would say reliably like 5 before spilling them
EB: Five is crazy
H: I mean i could put 4 in my palm and then hypothetically balance a 5th on top...How big are the eggs?
EB: I’d say like chicken size... like yay big [gives accurate visual of a chicken’s egg]
H: Yeah id say confidently 5
EB: How many pigeons would you have to find in your house before you thought someone was planting them there?
H: One, I think... oh well actually... mmm... probably like 3 because 1 is weird, 2 is suspicious and 3... at that poiunt somethings up...
Håvard
MEET THE STUDENT OFFICERS
Ella Redman & Lara Davis
LD&ER: We’re heads of media, we oversee the entire media team and other fun stuff.
EG: What is an outrageous pick-up line you’ve heard?
ER: When the queen died, someone from my old school texted me and said, ‘everyone’s talking about how they’ve lost the queen, but no one is talking about how I lost my queen’
EG: I actually kind of respect the play.
ER: No, blocked.
EG: How many eggs do you think you could hold?
KW: In one hand?
ER: I’m gonna be confident and say four.
LD: I feel like four or five might be pushing it.
EG: How many pigeons do you have to find in your house before you suspect fowl play?
ER: [deep sigh, heavy consideration] About five, recently there’s been millions of dead flies in my room and at about five I started getting suspicious.
LD: None, the pigeons would want to come and see me because I’m such a star.
EG: What would younger you think of current you?
LD: I think younger me would think I was insanely cool as a theatre kid, but three years ago I would be like, oh my god that person is legit insane, because I was a bit of an emo. Who remembers the emo phase?
KW: I remember the emo phase!
[crowd chaos ensues, with Katja exposing Lara for the next hot minute]
EG: Why would you open that question up to the crowd?
Media boys: [Running off into the sunset]
LD: [sentimentally] Look at my team go. I’m so proud of them.
KW: What is your role?
EP: I’m President of Security Council, and I basically oversee the debates of the permanent 5 members of the UN and then another 10, that are non permanent.
KW: Do you prefer blue or black ink?
EP: Blue. I prefer my handwriting more with it. [general noises of agreement from press team]
DV: Black. It’s more classy. [boos and jeers from the press team]
DV: Blue ink just gives me little kid vibes. [further boos and jeers from the press team]
KW: How many eggs do you think you could fit in one hand?
EP: Probably 4.
DV: 3.
Press team: ooooooooooo
KW: How many pigeons do you need to find in your house before you begin to suspect fowl play?
EG: You gotta think about it because you gotta think nest.
EP: probably two.
EG: 2?!
DV: 6
EG: What’s your favourite candle smell?
EP: oooooooooooooo [extended debate ensues]
EP: citrus and florals
DV: Amber wood.
EG (with feeling): Wow. Ok. Black ink and amber wood.
Doris Vucinic and Emma Portman
Rohan Phillpot
EW EB: Do you prefer using blue ink or black ink?
RP: Ooh hard one. Black ink. At the moment, [unimportant yap] that sounds really weird BUT *laughs*
W EB: Just a little bit.
RP: Uh but the only ones I have are black and black seems more professional
EW EB: How many pigeons would need to be in your house for you to suspect somebody was planting them there?
RP: One. I don’t know about you but I’ve ever had a pigeon in my house nor do I want one
EW EB: My aunt had one fly down her chimney
Zoe Spellings and Uliana Tolkolova
EW: What are your roles?
Z+U (in sync – mildly scary): We are both PGA’s, president of general assembly
EW: And what’s your best pick up line?
Z+U: *Inaudible cackling*
EW: What’s your favourite piece of stationary?
UT: A pencil..
ZS: I like a good thick biro pen
EW: A good thick biro pen? Okay.
UT: A sharp pencil with a rubber on top then if we’re going specific
EW: How many pigeons would there need to be in your house to suspect that someone was planting them?
[Unimportant yap]
ZS: I would never, ever, ever let a pigeon enter my house
Jasmine Rihal and Finlay Fowler
JR FF: We are heads of secretariat
EG: Blue or black ink?
JR: Black. Its just more professional, I think. I used blue ink when I was in junior school.
FF: I’m a blue pen person.
EG: She just called you a junior school child. Have you got any comments on that?
FF: Uhh its fine.
EG: What is a pick-up line that you have heard?
JR: Someone responded to my snap story with ‘oh your nails look good’, it was simple, but it started a conversation.
FF: You just want the world to know your nails look good.
EG: How many eggs do you think you could hold in one hand?
FF: [without hesitating] four.
JR: I think I could do five, I could like balance them on my nails.
EG: What would younger you think of you now?
FF: You said you’d be taller.
EG: That’s actually really funny.
Tahnee: First time you’ve been called funny.
KW: BRUTAL.
TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Mr Tanner
KW: Hey Sir, what is your role at the conference?
Mr T: I’m about to find out, but frankly, although I’ve been here for many, many, years I’ve never truly found out. Could you help me?
EG: What’s your favourite candle smell?
Mr T: I really like incense and when they are swinging it around me, even better.
EG: Everyday breakfast food?
Mr T: My everyday breakfast is not my everyday breakfast, in other words, what I have everyday is not what I want every day. What I want every day is a Kipper. A Kipper.
EG: How many eggs do you think you could hold in one hand?
Mr T: Why would anyone want to hold eggs in one hand when you’ve got two hands?
KW: Okay how many eggs do you think you could hold in two hands?
Mr T: What I would do is put them in a basket.
EG: Okay scenario, someone tells you: ‘Right, you’ve got to put as many eggs in you two hands as possible because we don’t have any baskets and we need to get them to this disclosed location really quickly, but you need to take as many as possible and you cant make multiple trips because the world is about to end’, How many eggs can you hold in two hands?
Mr T: That is a ridiculously long question. Given that it was an infinite question, it must be 47.
[Editor’s note: That makes an estimate of about 23 eggs for one hand]
EG: How many pigeons would you have to find before you would think right, someone is putting them there?
Mr T: That is a really weird question, because you must have been in my house, my house is absolutely riddled with pigeons and I don’t…know…why. Could you send someone out round to help please?
EG: What one word would you use to describe yourself now?
Mr T: A shovel.
EG: What is your role within the conference?
C: I am the director of MUN so I make sure everything runs smoothly and that everyone is having a good time and is enjoying their experience with us.
EG: What is your favourite part about MUN?
C: Welcoming people from all around the world really as we are very fortunate to have many schools coming from different countries but also from other schools in the UK. Just the whole having people get together like this for a few days its uh quite fantastic.
EG: What is something that you’re most excited for?
C: Uh well to get everything started and uh see people in action in the committees and in general assembly as well and just in general seeing people have a good time.
EG: How many eggs do you think you could hold in one hand – there may or may not be follow-up to this
C: I suppose 3
EG: How many pigeons would you need to find in your house before you thought right, someone is putting them here?
C: Uh 1
EG: 1? What if you accidentally left your window open or there was a nest?
C: One is already one too many, and I do not like pigeons so if the window was not open I would definitely think someone had put it there.
EG: What would younger you think of you now?
C: Oooh that’s a good question. I don’t know, I suppose quite pleased with what I have done and what I have achieved?
EG: That’s amazing thank you so much for humouring us!
“Legend of the Media Department”
EG: What is your current role? Do you even have one?
LOTMD: Unofficially I think helper, but officially it’s legend of the media department. That’s what’s on my contract.
EG: What is your go-to breakfast food?
LOTMD: Crumpets with nutella... [approving noises from press team]
LOTMD: or if I’m being healthy porridge with banana and some honey. But I’ve probably had that once in the last two months.
[understanding noises from the press team]
EG: Best/favourite/funny/terrible pickup line?
LOTMD: I’m really good at guessing birthdays. Is yours the tenth of October? Cause you’re a ten out of ten.
[Cheers from press team]
EG: How many eggs do you think you can hold in one hand?
LOTMD: 6?
EG: Like medium, free-range eggs?
LOTMD: 11 and a half.
KW: How many pigeons do you have to find in your house before you suspect fowl play?
LOTMD: 7. Cause realistically, if you’ve got a window open and one gets in you could have like 4 more right there.
EG: Blue or black ink?
LOTMD: All my contracts for legend of the media department are in light blue ink.
LD: Who is calling him the legend of the media department?
KW: Himself.
FAKE NEWS: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
What is fake news and how can I avoid it?
Fake news comes from stories that may have been misunderstood, simply are not true. Fake news can come in two main forms:
Deliberate fake news. Where people spread untrue stories on purpose, often to gain attention or create a certain reaction. In these situations, the writers of the articles or stories know that they are untrue. Other cases are when stories are slightly untrue, this may be because journalists or bloggers are exaggerating a story to make it more interesting or appealing to read. These cases may also come from stories that have been changed as they have been passed between people
How can we spot fake news?
Key things to look out for:
Has the article been reported on multiple networks? Is the article from a reliable source, for example, BBC?
Does the story seem realistic?
Does the web address look realistic, for instance, .com.co.uk instead of .com?
Have you heard the story elsewhere maybe on the radio?
Why is fake news dangerous?
When found out, fake news can create a distrust in the media. This leads people to not have belief in the stories published. In serious cases, fake news can spark anger from radical groups which may further lead to protests and violence. A key example of this is the recent protests in Southport over illegal immigration. This spread of disinformation can easily lead to an echo chamber in which there is a complete dystopia.
SPACE FILLING PIGEON
WHAT CONSTITUTES A WAR CRIME?
A war crime is committed when a violation of the laws of war is enacted. These are usually prosecuted on an individual level, where a person or group of people is seen as responsible for the actions of a country. There is no period of limitations for these crimes – there is no set time period for when someone needs to be prosecuted after committing a war crime.
War crimes fall into four groups:
War Crimes
These are violations of the laws or customs of war. Slave labour, murder, and ill-treatment of civilians in an occupied territory; killing hostages or prisoners of war; torture; and greater destruction than what is considered necessary all fall into this category. In 1950, during the Korean War, the North Korean Army massacred 700-900 doctors, wounded soldiers, civilian patients, and nurses in the Seoul National University Hospital by shooting or burning them. This was deemed a mass murder of civilians.
Crimes against peace
The planning or initiation of waging war in violation of international treaties. One example of this would be the Nuremberg Trials, where Nazi leaders were trialled between 1945-1946. They were also prosecuted for other war crimes, such as crimes against humanity. 199 defendants stood trial, 161 were convicted, and 37 were sentenced to death.
This is considered one of the most severe crimes (and is technically considered part of crimes against humanity). It is a crime under international law. It requires an intent to destroy, usually on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality. Killing members of the group, removing children from their parents, severely harming or mutilating members, or reducing quality of life for members are all considered part of a genocide. Past genocides include the Holocaust, which murdered 6 million Jews and millions of other people such as Romas, Poles, and political prisoners, and the Rwanda 1994 genocide which killed 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus.
Crimes against humanity
This involves any offences or atrocities committed against civilian populations either before or during a war.
Actions such as murder; mass sexual assault and enslavement; deportations; forced slave labour; and persecutions as a result of political, religious, or racial grounds.
In 2019, the UN accused Israeli troops of potentially having committed crimes against humanity, after 189 Palestinians were killed during Gaza protests.
- Jakob Morrissey
GAME NIGHT REVIEW
On Friday evening the Royal Russell MUN Media team put together a fantastic evening of games for students and staff to enjoy. The evening began with a Royal Russell edition of Beat The Chasers, where Secretary General Johan Prinsloo teamed up with Committee Chair Rohan Philpot to answer MUN related questions against Mr Hutchinson (Scrumpy’s dad), Ms Tovey (Pocket Rocket), Mr Powell (The Unit) and Miss Calvet (The Guillotine). This high tension show ultimately ended with the chasers taking the win, what a great start to the evening!
The next addition to the evening was the Lip Sync Battle hosted by Ella Redman and Aleksei Vorontsov where contestants Rayhan and Thea went head-tohead to build as much audience excitement as possible. Rayhan lip-synced the extremely crowd pleasing 24 carrot magic by Bruno mars and Thea lip-synced hot to go by Chappell Roan. By the end, it was very clear by the audience majority that Rayhan was the winner. Well done to everyone who took part!
The evening came to an end with a hilarious version of Taskmaster presented by Lara Davis and Holly Seymour with Ella Redman, Mr Davies and Mr Phillipson competing against each other to score the greatest number of points. The first task was to impress Lara with an item of the contestant’s choice, Mr Davies took the win with his gavel, representing the authority that Lara holds. Next the contestants had to build the tallest possible tower in 8 minutes… only using marshmallows and pasta. Mr Davies’ unique idea of stacking layers caused the tower to collapse with a similar idea from Ella. In this round it was Mr Phillipson who took the lead.
Other rounds included completing a variety of outdoor tasks and Lara guessing voices.
Ultimately, the Royal Russell Taskmaster ended with a victory from Mr Phillipson.
Thank you to all that took part with a special thanks to the media team for entertaining us!!
- Jamie McDowall
BEST OUTFITS OF THE DAY
GOOD NEWS
Is green the new black? Sustainable fashion show set to begin!
For Jennifer Droguett, Colombian-Chilean designer and founder of the London-based Anciela couture label, other people’s mistakes are creative and unique opportunities. Droguett suggests that prioritising sustainability is the only way forward in the fashion industry. Furthermore, the growing community of likeminded individuals at every stage, from activists to makers and journalists, are becoming increasingly aware of the sense of urgency and willingness to do something to further the movement of green and unique fashion. The mission to inspire positive change in the mainstream fashion industry by interconnecting pop culture and sustainable fashion has begun!
Baby beavers born in urban London for the first time in over 400 years
In London in October 2023, a family of five Eurasian beavers was first released at Paradise Fields. Following a special licence being granted by Natural England, the beavers were later relocated from wild populations in Scotland by experts at the Beaver’s Trust. This project was the first of its kind within the UK, with the beavers being reintroduced into a natural and municipal setting on a site that is fully open to the public. Within eight months, the beaver family had settled in, built lodges, dams and new waterways. Since then, new kits have emerged in the Cairngorms in Scotland, Canterbury in Kent and on the Wallington Estate in Northumberland following subsequent restoration projects. The London mayor has further voiced his support of these ongoing
Bank is set to be the biggest offshore wind farm on the planet after its completion in 2026, following its first test producing electricity this week spinning 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Yorkshire, with each turn of its blades generating enough clean energy to power the average home for two days. The wind farm is the first of 277, with the project eventually aiming to produce 3.6 gigawatts of power, which is enough to power 6 million homes a year, further delivering annual an emissions savings equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road. Experts have stated that this project is a “landmark moment” and that the project “is exactly how we
The world’s largest offshore wind farm powered up Dogger