ROMUNews

     On October 23, Model UN went to the SEMMUNA conference. As a first-time delegate, I must admit that walking into a room filled with strangers from other schools was very intimidating. Soon, however, I realized that this conference is just the place for first-time delegates. Everyone is helpful to those who are learning the ropes. Not surprisingly, about half of the delegates in my committee had never been to a conference before! Because we supported and encouraged each other, I’m confident that every delegate in the room had a good experience and will attend other conferences.
    The conference started with a breakfast where all of the delegates could socialize or go over their positions one last time before the conference officially started. After that, we were treated to a small musical performance and a speech by Senator Papageorge. We finally went to our committees and began debate. I represented Ethiopia in CEDAW. We debated the issue of Women’s Rights in Education. I could tell that many of the delegates were passionate about the topic and about their countries’ positions soon after we started. First, individual delegates began to introduce their countries’ positions and suggest solutions and compromises that their countries would like to see. Soon, an un-moderated caucus was called, and we began to find our allies. Just before lunch, we began to discuss ideas for working papers.
        Of course, the issue at hand was often not the main thing that countries were concerned about. As talk of national sovereignty and religious freedom began, I realized how easily discussion can veer off topic. These issues were somewhat relevant to the main topic, but they quickly got out of hand. Oftentimes, the attempts made by myself and a few other delegates to steer the debate in the right direction were disregarded. Another problem I encountered was that the same ideas were being discussed over and over until every possible way they could be presented was exhausted. The other delegates did not take to new ideas easily, unfortunately.
      Near the end of the day, three working papers had been introduced. In the end, none of them passed. I feel that with a little more time and discussion, we were close enough that we could have easily come to a conclusion. Even so, SEMMUNA was a great and rewarding experience! I met many wonderful people and learned a lot. I am now much more prepared for a longer, more intensive conference. I would advise anyone, especially new delegates, to go to next year’s SEMMUNA conference.
Emma Holcomb

November 20th:PTSA Arts and Crafts Fair. We have a booth there, where we will be selling vintage notebooks for a dollar.

December 4th:Barnes and Noble book fair fundraiser. Downtown Royal Oak. Come to buy books that ROMUN recommends! Sign up with Cody Hoeffel to help out.

December 8th-11th:Great Lakes Invitational Model United Nations conference! Good luck delegates.

December 13th:Noodles Fundraiser. 5-9pm. 25% of profits from that night go to ROMUN. Be sure to print out a flyer, which will be available here shortly (and sent out to those on our e-mail list, as well as posted on our Facebook page).

December 24th:Barnes and Noble gift wrapping fundraiser. Downtown Royal Oak. Be sure to sign up with Cody Hoeffel!

January 13th-16th:University of Michigan Model United Nations Conference. Sign up with Mr. Chisnell!

*Note: All proceeds from fundraisers go towards conference fees and our 2012 trip to Turkey/Greece

You’ve probably shared a class with them. You can’t tell by looking at them, but they’re different. Every couple of months they disappear for several days, shedding their names and identities. They return with murmurs of off-policy Russians and drug possessing Belarusians. No, they didn’t give up their lives to become part-time spies; it’s something much more sinister, much nerdier.

Model United Nations, the means through which nerdy teens can pretend to be nerdy adults; a club where your wildest dreams can come true, if those dreams include arguing North Korea’s nuclear policy amongst pea coat donning teenagers with an affinity for flag pins.

            Essentially, Model UN is debate, not like a presidential debate, but something closer to what you see on C-SPAN. Your goal is to convince your peers that your resolution and your ideas are the most important, while using some of theirs.

             Taking weeks to prepare, delegates immerse themselves in a world they may have never known otherwise. Studying the goals and beliefs of the country they will soon represent, they learn that their typical Western beliefs may be wrong.

If you were Iran, you would never want to remove your nuclear weapons just because the western imperialists (United States) want you to. You would much rather make them remove their weapons first, and then you’d follow suit.

            The club is based on the real United Nations, where nations from Angola to Zimbabwe meet to solve the problems of the world. In Model UN, the final goal is to create a resolution that will get your nation’s goals across with as much support as possible. This support comes in the form of signatories, where a nation puts its name on a resolution signifying that it is confident in the effectiveness of the solution.  Well, that’s the official purpose…

             Being a club composed of teenagers, there are ulterior motives involved. All Model UN delegates can be placed into three categories, each with their own goals: nerd, slacker, bro.

The nerd’s goal is to win the best delegate award, through the garnering of support for their resolution in the form of signatories. The slacker typically comes from a school that offers Model UN as a class, and goes on the trips for the purpose of missing school, while getting credit. The bro’s situation is similar to that of the slacker’s, but they have ambition that the slacker lacks. The bro enters the conference with the purpose of gaining not signatories, but phone numbers.

            These three groups’ goals cause a very interesting dynamic within the committee rooms. While the nerds are getting to business trying to talk about the problem at hand, the bros are in the back, passing obscene notes and saying “Very nice!” (a la Borat) anytime the delegate from Kazakhstan speaks.

            “[At the last conference] the delegate from Belarus was definitely a bro. He spent all of committee sketching pictures and playing tic-tac-toe with the bombshell from Iran” said ROHS senior Emma Green.

            After three days of intense debate, or flirtation in the case of the bro, delegates are given a break in the form of the delegate dance. Most members of the ROHS team opt out of attending the dance, due to elitism, and a small amount of fear.

            For you to understand how disturbing a delegate dance is, you have to imagine the ROHS Homecoming. Now, with that image in mind, remove all the jocks and cool kids. Replace all of them with the type of kid that is followed around all dance and mimicked. And finally, add international politics.

            The last event of the weekend is the award ceremonies. All delegates head into the main hall and sit in anticipation of who will win the awards, well, at least some of the delegates are excited. While the delegates expecting awards listen to every word leaving the Secretary General’s mouth, the bros and slackers use the hour-long ceremonies to take naps and text their new friends from committee.

Ryan Tarr

I joined Model United Nations my first year at Royal Oak High School, as a sophomore. Being a new student was challenging, and finding a group of friends with similar interests seemed impossible. Then someone handed me a ROMUN application. The opportunity to debate international issues, travel, and do humanitarian work was intriguing. And finding a group of witty, intelligent, and friendly people to do it with sealed the deal. Model UN allows me to practice my speaking and debate skills, and has made me more informed about international issues of a legal, political, and social nature.

Kate Kelley

My job is to basically run the logistics for the conference we organize every year, South Eastern Michigan Model United Nations Association (SEMMUNA). I’m also in charge of coordinating activities and communication between the SEMMUNA schools.
I’m a junior, this will be my third year in ROMUN, and I like sports and Harry Potter… ~8) My name is Veronica, but most people call me Roo.
I’m friendly, chat me up if you ever need help with debate or have questions about how the club runs. Also, *marketing warning*, if you are a beginning or inexperienced delegate come to SEMMUNA on October 23rd! It’s a great one day, show-you-the-ropes, warm-up conference!

Hi, I’m Cheyann Wallace (or Sea Kelp. Mostly Sea Kelp.) I like long walks on the beach and snow peas. I am in the tenth grade, and have been on the high school Model U.N. team for a year, and before this I was on the middle school team for three years. 

I am the Under Secretary General of Technology. My job is to keep minutes during our MUNday meetings, manage this newsletter, our Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=27558676274&ref=ts), website and anything else of that sort. If you have any questions or ideas, email me at cheyennewallace95@yahoo.com, write me a note and put it in my mailbox, located in Mr. Chisnell’s room, 105 or come talk to me in person. I promise that I am nice, like the rest of our officers, and will give you a hug if that is what you need.

Thanks for reading!

Aloha all! My name is Kacey Lawniczak and I am ROMUN’s rapporteur. Basically I manage the clubs library of books and host the marvelous banquet at the end of the year. I have been a member, and officer of ROMUN for three years now, and with my loving personality, will help you with anything that you need, whether it is something about debate skills, or a friendly hug.