Model United Nations (MUN) is a Carlmont club where diplomacy and debate come together as students engage in global matters and experiences that expand their leadership abilities and negotiation skills.
At Carlmont, students can participate in clubs ranging from simple hobbies to competitive state teams. MUN has been a club for over five years, where students recreate international cooperation in debating both politically relevant and fictitious issues.
“I was inspired to join this club, particularly because of my interest in current events and world affairs,” said Krish Hirani, the current treasurer of MUN.
The members of MUN are ambitious students aiming to enhance their extracurricular portfolios while illustrating their diverse interests and supporting their curiosity about the world and contributing to its betterment.
“The United Nations is the governing body that deals with issues to help civilians and people in need,” Hirani said. “The Model United Nations is just like that but in practice form for students.”
Within the club, the MUN club officer team carries unique responsibilities to ensure the club’s efficiency. These roles include a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and social media manager.
“In Model UN, there’s a lot of preparation work that goes into it going up to the conference date,” said Emily Muscolina, the current president of MUN. “Some of these tasks include raising funds, organizing attendees, emailing the directors, navigating transportation, and our roles for the conference.”
Conferences are events where MUN members act as delegates representing different countries, immersing themselves in simulated discussions over global issues.
“We debate issues and pass resolutions. Winning awards is often the driving factor to why people attend,” Hirani said.
Last Saturday, Carlmont’s MUN attended a conference at UC Berkeley.
“I just participated in my first meeting conference at Bear MUN this past weekend. Discussing a water crisis Committee was an incredible experience,” said Ryan Kung, the social media manager for MUN.
Students in MUN have witnessed a significant boost in confidence in public speaking and leadership.
Model United Nations has taught me critical public speaking skills, as well as being able to compromise and respectfully debate with others.
— Emily Muscolina, MUN President
“Model UN has honestly made it more comfortable for me to express myself due to the uniquely uncomfortable situation that we are put in,” Hirani said.
According to Kung, one of the club’s long-term goals is to have at least 30 members by the end of winter break. As current members prepare for upcoming conferences in room C12, they’re eager to expand the audience and generate interest.
“I started as an introverted freshman, but I learned how to express myself in debate and I’ve even been able to take my public speaking skills to other community events,” Muscolina said. “As the president, I wanted to bring that to others.”
