50p
Nothing But Fun at B-MUN!
As somebody who had never participated in a Model United Nations (MUN) before, it was safe to say that I was nervous when I found out that it would be mandatory for me to engage in B-MUN (Brentwood MUN) on Friday, April 30.
Captain of Public Speaking/MUN, Sean R, Privett ‘21 excitedly announced that he was able to organize an in-person MUN conference at Brentwood in early April. When I joined PS/MUN, I thought that I was joining a class that would only focus on how to refine my art of speaking. I was not aware that the possibility of taking part in any MUNs came with the class. This was evident because when there were opportunities to participate in MUNs, intimidated by the idea, I chose not to. So, when Sean introduced B-MUN to the class, and mentioned that it was mandatory to get involved, I was concerned because I had no idea what I had gotten into.
MUN is an opportunity for students to learn about international relations and how the United Nations works, but the organizers of B-MUN wanted to make the topic more personal, so we were given the prompt to revise and reform Brentwood’s Code of Conduct. There were a variety of positions for students to choose from, such as the directors of different aspects of Brentwood like teaching and learning, admissions, student life, student leaders, houseparents, RFAs, alumni, and more!
During the committee session, students were working together to create a resolution paper that outlined the changes that they were hoping to be made in the Code of Conduct. Those participating had an ulterior motive to debate diplomatically, because the B-MUN website - proudly created by Sean - promised that the resolution paper that passed with the highest majority could be given to Mr Sullivan in hopes of making a real change in the Code of Conduct!
Thankfully, there were many other members of the class who had also never taken part in a MUN before: this year, every MUN that students have attended has been virtual. According to Sean, Ms Cuk & Ms Legassicke were “Delighted to have the chance to provide students with an in-person MUN experience!” Since the only people participating were from the PS/MUN classes, and everyone was masked and seated in cohorts, B-MUN was a huge success.
Prior to this clash of ideas, both classes were graced with plenty of class time to get familiar with Brentwood’s Code of Conduct, choose their position, and prepare their speech. Since it was a well-known fact that many of the delegates would be first-timers, we were given a Delegate Preparation Guide that informed us on the specific details regarding MUN rules of engagement, formatting motions and directives, and a flow chart of how the afternoon would proceed. Sean was the Secretariat, and both Sasha I and Eva K were Co-Chairs. They all worked together to ensure that this Titanic battle of policy ran smoothly.
B-MUN ran through arts on Friday, and by the end of the event, I was excited to have been a part of the committee session! I enjoyed my time, and I know that many of the other students felt the same way! Like me, Neve M, Hope ‘23, recognized that “Everyone had a really good time, and it was really wonderful to have a MUN with [her] peers”. I couldn't agree more!
Emily N, Allard ‘22
Captain of Public Speaking/MUN, Sean R, Privett ‘21 excitedly announced that he was able to organize an in-person MUN conference at Brentwood in early April. When I joined PS/MUN, I thought that I was joining a class that would only focus on how to refine my art of speaking. I was not aware that the possibility of taking part in any MUNs came with the class. This was evident because when there were opportunities to participate in MUNs, intimidated by the idea, I chose not to. So, when Sean introduced B-MUN to the class, and mentioned that it was mandatory to get involved, I was concerned because I had no idea what I had gotten into.
MUN is an opportunity for students to learn about international relations and how the United Nations works, but the organizers of B-MUN wanted to make the topic more personal, so we were given the prompt to revise and reform Brentwood’s Code of Conduct. There were a variety of positions for students to choose from, such as the directors of different aspects of Brentwood like teaching and learning, admissions, student life, student leaders, houseparents, RFAs, alumni, and more!
During the committee session, students were working together to create a resolution paper that outlined the changes that they were hoping to be made in the Code of Conduct. Those participating had an ulterior motive to debate diplomatically, because the B-MUN website - proudly created by Sean - promised that the resolution paper that passed with the highest majority could be given to Mr Sullivan in hopes of making a real change in the Code of Conduct!
Thankfully, there were many other members of the class who had also never taken part in a MUN before: this year, every MUN that students have attended has been virtual. According to Sean, Ms Cuk & Ms Legassicke were “Delighted to have the chance to provide students with an in-person MUN experience!” Since the only people participating were from the PS/MUN classes, and everyone was masked and seated in cohorts, B-MUN was a huge success.
Prior to this clash of ideas, both classes were graced with plenty of class time to get familiar with Brentwood’s Code of Conduct, choose their position, and prepare their speech. Since it was a well-known fact that many of the delegates would be first-timers, we were given a Delegate Preparation Guide that informed us on the specific details regarding MUN rules of engagement, formatting motions and directives, and a flow chart of how the afternoon would proceed. Sean was the Secretariat, and both Sasha I and Eva K were Co-Chairs. They all worked together to ensure that this Titanic battle of policy ran smoothly.
B-MUN ran through arts on Friday, and by the end of the event, I was excited to have been a part of the committee session! I enjoyed my time, and I know that many of the other students felt the same way! Like me, Neve M, Hope ‘23, recognized that “Everyone had a really good time, and it was really wonderful to have a MUN with [her] peers”. I couldn't agree more!
Emily N, Allard ‘22