Every year, the Model United Nations (MUN) club at NC spends the year preparing for their annual conference, which simulates the experience of attending an actual United Nations conference. However, the pressure to not only succeed, but maintain the legacy of success can easily overwhelm members both new and old. The March 23-24 conference will take place at Kennesaw State University, with NC representing Poland, South Korea, Egypt, and Portugal while tackling various international crises.

“Students are going to be representing countries and attempting to solve world problems. Students will learn that this requires negotiation and compromise to develop good solutions,” head sponsor of Model UN Dr. Pamela Roach said.

Club members will engage in a simulation of an actual UN conference, including a discussion on current world topics, act as and debate with fellow delegates, and even propose and write resolutions to pressing conflicts. To successfully come off as professional, students need to exhibit all the skills real life Ambassadors and Representatives to the United Nations possess.

“Students need to research positions of countries, learn parliamentary procedure, like the rules of debate, and write position papers,” sponsor Mrs. Galloway said.

While all this preparation may seem strenuous, a method behind this madness does exist: a desire to once again prove themselves among rival schools.

“Whoever takes the cup is seen as the overall best in the Spring conference. They’ll engrave your school name and country [on the cup]. They’ll replace it eventually, but until then, all the rivals will have to see it, so they’re pretty envious,” Dr. Roach said.

Considering the effort that comes with preparing for such a monumental event, it stands to reason this would overwhelm the students, especially considering the pressure to succeed. While the new members of the club certainly feel the stress on their shoulders, this anxiety feels almost commonplace among student leaders, which allows them to help new members ease in.

“It’s always stressful dealing with logistics, but it pays off. I think it’s really important to prepare well because it sets an example for the less experienced members of the club,” MUN student leader senior Juliana Isbitts said.

However, there remains one aspect of preparation which serves to stress Model UN delegates both new and old.

“I would just say as a student leader, the planning is different for us because we have to make sure everyone is doing what they have to do. If I had to give one piece of advice, it’d be to use your time properly because it’s a lot of research, and it can catch up on you quickly,” student leader and junior Spencer Paige said.

Despite the preparation and yearning for another plaque, the team understands that just one trophy cannot replicate the prize of knowledge.

“I don’t measure success by awards. I measure success by students learning about diplomacy, and its limitations and success. I want to see students understand the policy making process. Conflict is inherent, no matter whether it’s in local or international government,” Dr. Roach said.