Meredith Arndt was a staffer at National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) in March 2016. She currently attends the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Wallace: How would you describe Model United Nations to someone unfamiliar with it?
Arndt: Model UN is where we simulate the problem solving process used at the United Nations. Schools who sign up for these simulations are assigned a committee and a country to research and represent. Students come to these conference and collaborate with other countries that have both similar and different interests regarding certain topics, and they work together to develop solutions to pertinent issues across the globe.
Wallace: What got you into MUN?
Arndt: Originally, I got into MUN because a friend had forced me to come to a meeting with him my freshman year. After attending W&M’s high school conference, I was hooked. I ended up becoming a Secretary General for our team, and then I started a Model UN conference and MUN teams in the Hampton roads area at the middle school area. Now it’s almost my life.
Wallace: What made you want to staff NHSMUN?
Arndt: Since our MUN team was largely Class of 2015, we were trying to find a bigger conference to suffice as a congratulatory trip for all the hard work we had put in over the past few years. We chose NHSMUN because it is the largest single-location conference in the world with over 3,800 delegates from across the world—Italy, Venezuela and even Kuwait. Out of my four years participating in Model UN, it was easily the best Model UN conference I had been to in my life. The sincere approach to education and fostering passion in students across the world got me hooked. I had an amazing director for UNESCO that encouraged me to apply, so I did. Also, what’s not to love about getting to do closing ceremonies at the actual United Nations General Assembly Hall in NYC?
Wallace: What position did you hold at the conference?
Arndt: Staff consists of the IMUNA board, SG and DG, the Senior Staff, Directors and Assistant Directors. The IMUNA board is a group of past Senior Staff members who both “adult” and volunteer for the NGO to help advise the DG and SG, and help move NHSMUN improve for the future. The SG and DG are chosen at the end of each conference; and then the process begins for senior staff. On Senior Staff we have an Exec Board comprised of a Director of Security, Conference Director, the SG and DG, Chief of External Relations and Chief of Staff. Then, under the DG, we have all of the USGs for each “organ,” or committee groupings that are responsible for guiding the development of substantive programming.
Then, directors are chosen, and each director is required to write a background guide for their committee and help edit Update Papers that are written by the assistant directors.
All freshman who apply for staff apply as Assistant Administrative Directors or Assistant Substantive Directors. The “Admin” branch is in charge of all the behind-the-scenes of the planning process, while the substantive branch is everything dealing with development of the committees. As an Assistant Substantive Director for the Historical Security Council in the “Specials Organ,” I was tasked with writing an Update Paper on the Salvadoran Civil War and on the Angolan Civil War. I was also tasked with developing crisis materials with my Director, as our committee as a Midnight Crisis simulation intertwined with our conference.
Wallace: What did staffing the actual conference entail?
Arndt: After the staff is completely chosen in mid-July, we work remotely from our respective colleges across the world and coordinate through the use of email, social media and Skype. The entirety of staff, except for Assistant Directors, go to a four-day director and Senior Staff workshop called “IMUNAty” in the summer where they get to know each other prior to the staffing year in a more intimate way. After writing background guides, “Paper Pass” (senior staff members edit the background guides before they are added to the NHSMUN website in November), and the Assistant Director’s “Update Papers,” we head to the New York City Hilton Midtown four days before the conference begins for staff training and bonding.
Prior to staffing the conference, we went through Hilton’s hotel procedures, last-minute position paper editing, committee planning and so on to get ready for the big day.
During the conference, all staff members are required to take part in security shifts (honestly one of the best parts of staffing) outside of their position’s requirements. It’s truly a team effort, and everyone always puts in 110 percent to make this week happen.
Wallace: Did delegates seem to enjoy themselves at the conference?
Arndt: Absolutely. What makes this conference special is that while it is highly competitive, the students don’t receive awards—they’re participating in committee because they love the process of the research, debate and collaboration that comes with Model UN committees. This year was the largest conference yet, with around 4,000 students, over 450 faculty advisers and over 20 nations representing countries other than the United States. Our Service Learning Project was with UNICEF, and the opening speaker was Samantha Power, our current Ambassador to the United Nations. Students had the chance to ask her questions at opening ceremonies about a wide variety of issues, ranging from North Korean food insecurity to advice about a life in international politics. Apart from opening ceremonies, delegates had the best and brightest staff that NHSMUN has ever seen, and the delegate dance was possibly the hottest party in New York that evening. Finally, nothing beats closing ceremonies at the actual United Nations Headquarters, so it’s safe to say that delegates had an amazing week doing MUN in New York City.
The conference was a major success, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2017. For 2017, the organization has gotten so huge that we have split NHSMUN into two sessions to accommodate the number of schools wishing to attend.
