By: Timothy Moon

   Public speaking is a very difficult skill to master. The idea of standing in front of a crowd of 100 or even 10 people can be frightening to many, but not to diplomats. They have to manage relations, negotiate agreements, and protect national interests for their government. A diplomat is what students will portray in Model UN [United Nations]. Students participating in this club get to step into the shoes of diplomats and simulate real life scenarios of the UN’s parliamentary procedure. Consisting of majority and minority rights, equal participation, orderly processes, and full debates, the club enables students to work and refine a diverse set of skills.

   “I was a very bad public speaker; I had crazy stage fright. Just from doing [Model UN] all over the years, I got better at it,” junior Dharmik Bhavani explained. 

   Standing up in a committee, articulating and discussing ideas builds students’ public speaking. That topic that a member was passionate about but afraid to voice, suddenly after coming to a few meetings, the student shares their passions in front of the whole crowd. Students do not have to be alone either.

   “Come to a SIM (simulation). That is what it is all about. The delegation is given a problem, then they must all work together to create a compromise the majority agree with. When delegation is given a problem, then they must all work together to create a compromise the majority agree with,” club supervisor Ms. Richards explained. 

   A large part of Model UN is its emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. During bloc formation, delegates with similar interests would gather to discuss policies and form blocs to build and support ideas. During joint problem solving, delegates often would find common ground even in the most competitive scenarios to create shared solutions. Throughout the conferences, teamwork becomes more evident when passionately debating about AI regulations or regional conflicts.

   “It is a wide network. Conferences at other schools and throughout the state and nation allow you to meet other people and network with executives. Such as at Ridge MUNC, we have the county executive speak,” junior Justin Zissu mentioned. 

   Ridge’s MUNC is their very own conference where schools in the county come together to simulate a given problem. Apart from simulating within the school, the club’s reach extends far beyond school walls with a wide network of conferences. Holding events at Centennial, Hebron, and even throughout the state serves as a wonderful opportunity to meet and connect with people. The conferences themselves are very significant events; an example of one that is held yearly is NAIMUN. NAIMUN is the largest student-run conference with over 3,300 delegates, 42 committees, and over 250 Georgetown students staffing the event. The students of Marriotts Ridge participated in this event just last month and won many awards. Something special about this event is that it spans over multiple days, and spending a whole week away, many gain friendships that they may have looked past initially. Although the discussions are serious, debating whether super powers should be legal to the complex realities of labor rights in a rapidly evolving industry, there is also a human element that brings everyone together.

   Model UN meets primarily on Fridays for its simulations, along with additional workshops held on varying days such as Mondays or Tuesdays, and all important updates are communicated though the GroupMe and school announcements to keep the members well-informed. It is a very flexible schedule, focused around educating its members and preparing them for the conferences. That paired with the club’s very inclusive environment ensures that every student has the opportunity to participate and speak about topics that they are passionate about.