From October 8 to 9, 2021, SISC Model United Nations (MUN) delegates attended the 2021 MUN Locals Conference hosted by the International School of Manila (ISM) through Zoom. MUN Locals is a two-day annual event where students from 13 participating international schools in the Philippines showcase their skills as MUN delegates through debates, conversations, and speeches regarding current world issues. This year’s ISM Locals was highly anticipated and thoroughly participated in by our very own Monarchs.
Hyuk Jin “Richard” Park, Tyrulf Ekberg, Yi Lynn Hwang, and Seorin Park were some of SISC’s delegates in ISM Locals who have given their time to recount their experience attending this conference. These delegates went on to describe their challenges, memories, and successes throughout the inter-school event.
A journey with challenges
Members of SISC’s delegation emphasized that practice and participation were key for being prepared in this conference. They engaged in training sessions that developed necessary MUN skills and researched the topics at hand. Yi Lynn Hwang, a first-time delegate, mentioned that she attempted to be an active speaker during practice and performed thorough country research. Meanwhile, Seorin Park stated that she “attended the scheduled training, which helped me prepare for the ISM Locals conference and become more confident.”
Some SISC MUN Secretariats were also selected to become committee chairs who facilitated conference sessions, such as Tyrulf Ekberg. He said, “It isn’t difficult to prepare for the main conference. I [ensured] that I have activities prepared and [hoped] not to further extend a committee session.”
For Monarch delegates and Secretariat alike, their journey was one with challenges. SISC MUN Director-General Sir Jude Cuntapay remarked, “The two major challenges that the team faced were time to prepare and procedure complications.”
Lynn mentioned that thinking diplomatically on the spot was taxing especially since this was her first conference. Tyrulf found the role of committee chair as exhausting but has no regrets being one. Richard Park, the current Secretary-General of SISC MUN and a chair in ISM Locals, stated that he “really disciplined myself in order to manage my time properly. It’s challenging at first but If you are passionate about what you’re doing, it becomes easier”.
Celebration of triumph
Two days of resolution debating between different international schools had led to SISC bagging the most rewards out of all Locals. According to Sir Jude, “This is the highest number of awards that the SISC MUN received in [an MUN Locals conference]. The awards are not only for the delegates who won them but the award is for the entire SISC MUN community.”
Lynn mentioned that she “didn’t expect any awards but to gain experiences. I was really grateful and surprised for being awarded”.
Seorin stated that “[ISM Locals] was a success. Although I didn't get any awards, I felt that I improved as a delegate. The event was nerve-racking but enjoyable. There were so many things I could enjoy and learn from this year's MUN locals.”
The victories earned in this conference gave hope for an ever-growing SISC MUN community. Secretary-General Park remarked, “To interested future delegates, give it a try. Never deny trying something without fully understanding MUN. It’s more about the sense of trying new things without fear.”
Sir Jude concluded, ”This message is a sign for students to go out of their comfort zone. If you have the time, try it out today and be surprised at how you discover more about yourself.”
The MUN Club is continually looking for new delegates to join the community. The club meets every Thursday from 5:00-6:30 PM. For Inquiries, contact siscmun@southville.edu.ph or Sir Jude Cuntapay via email at jude_cuntapay@southville.edu.ph.
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