Bunche Hall was transformed into a center of foreign policy
debate Veteran’s Day weekend, as hundreds of high school
students in formal attire arrived to attend the 14th annual UCLA
Model United Nations Conference.
The conference, which is staffed by 67 UCLA undergraduate
volunteers, serves to train high school students from all over
California on global affairs and to expose them to UCLA’s
campus.
“Despite the formal setting, MUN is a fun
environment,” said Iris Park, a second-year political science
student. “The kids get an opportunity to be informed on world
events and practice their public speaking.”
The Model United Nations is a club at high schools across the
nation which periodically convenes to simulate the activities of
the United Nations.
The mock U.N. meetings included the Security Council, the United
Nations Children’s Fund, and the U.N.’s legal body. In
these meetings, students debated issues ranging from global warming
to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
UCLA volunteers developed the content of the issues to be
discussed and students voted on mock resolutions.
In addition to the United Nations, the students mimicked several
other world bodies such as the European Union and the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
Students also simulated the meetings of some defunct bodies,
such as the Council of the League of Nations circa 1940, which
tackled Germany’s World War II invasion of Poland.
“(UCLA MUN) gives the students awareness beyond just the
United Nations,” said Mandeep Chela, a first-year
anthropology student.
The schedule consisted of mock U.N. meetings Friday through
Sunday, with UCLA undergraduates giving the students feedback
afterward. There was also a dance held Saturday night in De Neve
Plaza.
A new development for UCLA’s MUN this year is an outreach
program to the Los Angeles Unified School District. The program
will waive fees for the school district and work toward recruiting
students, said Cindy Fang, UCLA MUN president. A representative
from the school district was present to observe the event, she
added.
While most of the students read off well-prepared speeches and
notes, there were also crisis simulations that required quick
thinking.
These simulations, based on the foreign policy cabinets of China
and India, consisted of UCLA volunteers developing hypothetical
scenarios every 20 minutes for the students to debate.
“One scenario we developed was a fictional trade dispute
involving Chinese troops infringing on Indian territory,”
said Shebli Mehrazarin, a third-year biochemistry student and
secretary general for MUN, adding that the crisis simulations
exposed students to real-world diplomatic debates.
Several parents also attended the conference to show support for
their children.
“Everyone here has worked so hard and stayed up late to
prepare for their roles,” said Annabelle Tamula, a mother
from Cerritos. “The conference mixes both educational
discipline and social activities, creating a positive environment
for our children.”