The Husky Huddle

Cultural Exchanges and Camaraderie: The Untold Benefits of Model UN

• Genelle Morris

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Ever wondered how debating global issues can shape your future? Join us on this captivating episode of the Husky Huddle podcast as we sit down with Desi Muir and Ruby Chahal, our first-ever student guests, who share their transformative experiences with Model United Nations (Model UN). Desiree, an aspiring English teacher, and Ruby, who plans to major in Political Science, give us a window into their world—recounting their time at various Model UN conferences, including a spirited debate on world hunger at Cornell University. From cultural exchanges to the camaraderie built during overnight stays and delegate dances, their stories are filled with life lessons and unforgettable moments.

Discover how participating in Model UN has been a game-changer for Desi and Ruby, significantly enhancing their public speaking skills and fueling their career aspirations. Throughout our conversation, they showcase their impressive speaking abilities and underscore the value of this unique experience. We also extend a heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Rakus for her exceptional guidance, and leave an open invitation for Desi and Ruby to return and share updates from their first year in college and beyond. Tune in for this inspiring discussion that highlights the immense benefits of Model UN in shaping the minds and futures of young individuals.

Speaker 1:

All right. So I'm so excited. This is like a very, very inaugural episode, in that we have the very first students to join our Husky Huddle podcast. Thank you so much to Des and Ruby to joining us on this podcast. Thank you, ladies. Welcome and tell me a little bit about yourselves. Who wants to go first?

Speaker 2:

Hey, it's.

Speaker 3:

Ruby and Des, and we're here to tell you a little bit about Model United Nations Awesome. First of all, we're here to tell you a little bit about Model United Nations Awesome.

Speaker 2:

First of all, we're going to start with our intros. Des, would you like to go first?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so my name is Desiree Muir and I'm a junior in high school and I want to be an English teacher at Olean High School when I grow up. And that's just a little bit about me.

Speaker 2:

My name is Ruby Chihal. I'm a senior here at Oean and once I graduate I'm gonna go to slippery rock university to major in congratulations, I love it.

Speaker 1:

So what do you want the world to know about model un?

Speaker 2:

so we've been in model UN for a few years now Two years and I've been in three years.

Speaker 3:

We've been to numerous conferences, both big and small, and I think that throughout the conferences we've learned a lot of valuable life lessons and we just want everyone to know that Model UN isn't isn't just an academic love, but a perspective to see life through and it really opens up your mind to a lot of current issues in the world nice, such as um.

Speaker 3:

So recently I debated um in the world's food program at cornell university's conference awesome and we found viable solutions to end world hunger in places where they don't have infrastructure for agriculture and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

That is such a cool, cool experience.

Speaker 3:

Nice, you basically get to go through the whole procedure if you were actually in the UN and by the end of it everyone resolves the issue. Kind of see how they of together and it's just like a really good time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you definitely add those up your public speaking skills and just like communication with other people. You come in contact with a lot of different people from different places too, so not only is that like educational and cool, but it's like you're also very like immersed in other people's lives and how different places like how they live and stuff like that.

Speaker 3:

I profoundly remember sitting in the open ceremony for a conference and we heard in front of us half of a group of students were speaking Spanish and then the other half were speaking French, and I have my whole high school career I've been in French, so it was just really a good opportunity for me to be able to speak French with people who actually come from countries where they're nationally.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's pretty cool and that way you can hear their inflection and how they're saying words in another language and that helps you when you're trying to navigate as well.

Speaker 2:

That's great. I think it's also important, like, especially at the same age, when politics or like anything controversial comes up, a lot of people aren't willing to listen when you're speaking on opposite sides, but, like during but like during conferences, like you have to like and a lot of time your country doesn't have the same opinions, like the country you're representing doesn't have your personal opinions, so you have to debate the other side. So it's really like a good opportunity to learn how to listen to both sides, even if it's something you don't necessarily agree with wow and um.

Speaker 3:

A lot of these conferences are um overnight conferences and um being in model un, it really just brings you together with the other people who are in hard to own and um the people in there.

Speaker 3:

You just get to know them on such deep levels and you like just sleep in the same bed with them and you go there's there's things called delegate dances in my okay so everyone from all the committees are invited to attend this dance and then together we just you know, it's like the end of the conference and it's the way to celebrate all the accomplishments we've made, and it's just a really fun opportunity.

Speaker 1:

That's great. So, that's great. So, for example, if you all are at a Model UN conference, walk us through what happens. How do you get selected for a particular country to debate a particular position? Is it stressful?

Speaker 2:

Oh, geez A month or two, something a few weeks before the conference, like the conference reaches out or something to your advisor and you get like a list Shout out to our lovely mom.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, yes, absolutely absolutely um, so you get like a list of the countries and the committees and then you can rank them our advisor like, has ranked them on order of like which we would want most of these, and then it's like a battle between advisors to get which ones you want. You kind of just put them in and hope you get some good countries and some good committees and then from there, like usually based off seniority, they're given out to um the members of the club. Um, when you go you'll get all your. Well, you have to research, beforehand research and all your topics. There's usually like two or three topics per committee.

Speaker 3:

You need to do a lot of research and bring your materials and so, basically, when you get there, um, the first thing that will happen is an opening ceremony, and so usually they have like keynote speakers and we listen to a lot of like interesting people, people who have actually been in the UN and the government and things like that. So, um, it's just really great overall to be able to hear those people speak wow and then after that?

Speaker 3:

um, usually you go to your first committee session, and that's when you start debating, and then from there it just progresses.

Speaker 1:

All right, so you at least have some time before to kind of prep and make sure that you know the position that you have to argue.

Speaker 3:

There is a special committee.

Speaker 1:

Oh.

Speaker 3:

In the UN there is a general committee, so that would be stuff like security, stuff like that, and then there's specialized, so that would be the World Food Program, for example, humanitarian, and then special committees reviews crisis.

Speaker 2:

So there's one in particular it's called ADVO ad hoc where you don't receive any topics, any information about the committee at all wow, wow and you just everybody's there without knowledge of, like, what they're going to be debating about and they just have to like figure it out as they go and some of the other crisis ones, like last year I was in a marvel um conference crisis committee. I was in a Marvel conference press committee. Two of our topics were we knew them so we could research them, but like it was based on movies so it wasn't really research. But then the other one was a mystery you don't know until you get there. So that sounds stressful.

Speaker 1:

It's also fun because nobody knows what they're like. So, yeah, yeah, wow, okay. So for our students here and students around who are interested in model un, you all would give that a definite support to go forward and learn more and and do it. If it's something that interests you, we definitely welcome all members.

Speaker 3:

Um this year we had an influx of like eighth grade members, so we're really happy that our club is continuing, because ruby's a senior and yeah a lot of our um members are graduating this year, so the eighth graders are definitely going to be important keeping the club going.

Speaker 2:

And just I, yeah, I would recommend any younger kid, any underclassmen that wants to join. Has been thinking about it? Definitely do it. It can be very beneficial. Like in any path you take in life, I think you can learn something and have something useful from audio and if you think like debating itself is scary.

Speaker 3:

I used to think that too, but once you just get in your first conference, you really like just realize how like Fun it's, how fun it is and how it's not really that hard as long as you just follow the procedure. And Ms Rakesh is very good at making sure that we are prepared beforehand and she teaches us all of the correct verbiage. She's excellent.

Speaker 1:

Yes, she has a job and has a class. So, as you're going on to college and you're becoming a senior, how do you think Model UN prepared?

Speaker 2:

I mean, I think definitely for especially my path, you know, going into history. A lot of the conferences I've done have been like historical councils or just researching past events, which is like obviously all about what I'm going to be doing with my life, but beyond that, like being able to meet new people and interact with people and just have a worldly view of things, I think that can be very beneficial, especially going into college.

Speaker 3:

Piggybacking off of what she said. When you go to the conferences, you really network with a lot of people from schools that are far away and schools that are close to here. And when you go on to other opportunities or other conferences, like DECA for example, those people remember you and they'll remember our school and it's just a prideful thing. And for me personally, I feel like Model UN has helped me with my public speaking skills and wanting to be a teacher. Obviously, I'm going to have to stand in front of a bunch of kids. I'm really grateful for that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah Well, you both have done amazing on this and obviously it's a reflection of how well you all public speak and obviously that's been developed through the Model UN work. So I think you're showing everybody what the benefit of Model UN is here on the Husky Huddle. Anyway, I'm so happy that you both came and you both are on the episode today, and you're always welcome to come back and be on the Husky Huddle anytime. You can tell us how it served you your first year in college, so you can come on back anytime and you can tell us, as a senior, how it has propelled you to even more superstardom as you become a senior. So anytime. Thank you so much, des and Ruby, for coming by and telling us about Model UN. Is there anything that you want to leave us with?

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for having us.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. Well, thank you, and thank you to Mrs Rekus as well for being the best advisor ever, and I appreciate you both coming on Perfect.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.