i’m thirteen and have topped all the debates i’ve participated in. this year i’ve decided to go to my first mun. i’m in a vacation and can’t research and i’m having a panic attack. do you have any tips on mun that you have learned in your experience or just smth first-time candidates should know.
I’m so glad you’ve decided to try out MUN! I think it’s truly an amazing experience and hope you have fun!
Debate skills are good for MUN, it really helps with your speeches/presentation, as well as your confidence. The real thing that I’ve had to add on top of my debate tournament persona is COMMUNICATION. It’s really important in non-specialized committees, where the aim isn’t really to convince people of your position, but to work together with like minded people on a cohesive solution to the problem.
So when I did my first MUN conference, it was kind of a mess because my delegation was woefully underprepared. Here’s what I’d want to have known:
1. Notes! Notes are so important! First of all, you build a bloc. Ideally you want to be the magnetic one approached by other people, mutual you may have to do some approaching yourself. You want to be an indispensable member of your bloc, not an add on. Write notes to people you think have similar ideas and seem like they would make good partners.
2. The best way to become an important bloc member is by contributing a lot of ideas. You want the resolution to reflect your contribution.
3. Putting in a lot of effort into the position paper really helps you know what you’re doing.
4. There are typically two kinds of really good delegates; the ones with giant research binders that really know their stuff and have great ideas, and the charismatic ones that people gravitate towards that are great at facilitating communication. You don’t necessarily have to fit in one of those boxes, but have a game plan for how you’ll contribute to the committee and interact with allies.
5. Try to be nice to everyone, even the bitches and the fuckboys. MUN circuits feel like a small world sometimes and you never know when you’ll see them again or have to work under/with them in the future. Sorryyyy
6. If you’re feeling nervous about speaking, the best thing to do is just jump in before you convince yourself not to. Raise your placard every time the dais asks for names for the secondary speakers list. When you go up, say anything you’ve ever wanted to add to the discussion: new ideas, comments, questions, anything. Just sound confident and assured.
7. Remember to talk regularly, even if you get caught up in resolution writing and notes.
8. For non-specialized, remembering to avoid first person pronouns and remembering to yield your time to the chair is important.
9. It’s good to keep the background guide, the conference schedule, any contact numbers, sample resolutions, your position paper, and a list of resolution clause words in your research binder.
10. Idk what ROP is like where you live bc it realllllly differs across regions, but read it over and ask questions to your fellow mun kids before the conference so you don’t get lost
Message me with any more specific questions! Happy MUNning
