The LJMS Model UN club is one of a kind. Its members call it team-building and fun. I think of it as diplomatic and orderly while still being enjoyable—nevertheless, the county plans on destroying it.
Model UN is where kids meet together and simulate committees and debate topics, such as UN meetings. The chair decides on a topic, and each person is given or chooses a country or person to represent. The topics can be anything, from how to solve climate change to cartoon characters trying to escape a box. You raise motions and points which can help solve problems. Here are some more on MUN things to know:
Some important things to know about MUN
- There are things called Moderated and Unmoderated Caucuses.
- Moderated Caucuses (Mods) are when you formally debate your opinions on the current topic.
- Unmoderated Caucuses (Unmods) are when you don’t have to be as formal and can talk to those who think like you.
- You ask for things to happen using Points and Motions.
- You ask for a 5-minute unmod or a 6:45 mod, meaning the whole Mod lasts 6 minutes, but each person only gets 45 seconds to speak.
- Points:
- Point of Inquiry is when you need to clarify something.
- Point of Order is when you believe the chair might have done something wrong procedure-wise.
- Point of Personal Privilege is when you need to use the bathroom or water, etc.
- You ask for these motions and points by raising your placard and waiting to be called on. Raising your placard conveys that you have something to say.
- When the chair (or the leader of the committee) says ‘Decorum,’ it means to be quiet and listen to what the chair has to say.
- When at an actual conference, you need to wear Western business attire, which is blazers, ties, dress shoes, etc.
- At most conferences, you need to write a position paper to say what side you’ll take for the debates. WMIDMUN was a learning conference, so there was no position paper needed and no awards other than a certificate that said you attended.
The county’s plans
Unfortunately, Fairfax County plans to shut down all after-school programs next year due to budget dilemmas. The LJMS Model UN club is an after-school one, so it’ll be gone too. The Journalism class of Luther Jackson, though, wants to keep after school, and so we decided to choose some clubs to share, in hopes that this will inspire you to petition the county.
RELATED STORIES:
https://munuc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Printable-Parli-Pro-Infographic.pdf
https://www.tru.ca/arts/news/model-un/information.html
https://news.nau.edu/how-model-un-expanded-my-worldview/
TAKE ACTION:
You can join Model UN clubs near you. There might be one at your local school or community center. Here is the MUN guide from the UN website.