Cultural Exchanges and Camaraderie: The Untold Benefits of Model UN

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.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
All right.
So I'm so excited.
This is like a very, veryinaugural episode, in that we
have the very first students tojoin our Husky Huddle podcast.
Thank you so much to Des andRuby to joining us on this
podcast.

(00:24):
Thank you, ladies.
Welcome and tell me a littlebit about yourselves.
Who wants to go first?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Hey, it's.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Ruby and Des, and we're here to tell you a little
bit about Model United NationsAwesome.
First of all, we're here totell you a little bit about
Model United Nations Awesome.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
First of all, we're going to start with our intros.
Des, would you like to go first?

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, so my name is Desiree Muir and I'm a junior in
high school and I want to be anEnglish teacher at Olean High
School when I grow up.
And that's just a little bitabout me.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
My name is Ruby Chihal.
I'm a senior here at Oean andonce I graduate I'm gonna go to
slippery rock university tomajor in congratulations, I love
it.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
So what do you want the world to know about model un
?

Speaker 2 (01:20):
so we've been in model UN for a few years now Two
years and I've been in threeyears.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
We've been to numerous conferences, both big
and small, and I think thatthroughout the conferences we've
learned a lot of valuable lifelessons and we just want
everyone to know that Model UNisn't isn't just an academic
love, but a perspective to seelife through and it really opens
up your mind to a lot ofcurrent issues in the world nice

(01:51):
, such as um.
So recently I debated um in theworld's food program at cornell
university's conference awesomeand we found viable solutions to
end world hunger in placeswhere they don't have
infrastructure for agricultureand stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
That is such a cool, cool experience.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
Nice, you basically get to go through the whole
procedure if you were actuallyin the UN and by the end of it
everyone resolves the issue.
Kind of see how they oftogether and it's just like a
really good time.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, you definitely add those up your public
speaking skills and just likecommunication with other people.
You come in contact with a lotof different people from
different places too, so notonly is that like educational
and cool, but it's like you'realso very like immersed in other
people's lives and howdifferent places like how they

(02:51):
live and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
I profoundly remember sitting in the open ceremony
for a conference and we heard infront of us half of a group of
students were speaking Spanishand then the other half were
speaking French, and I have mywhole high school career I've
been in French, so it was justreally a good opportunity for me

(03:13):
to be able to speak French withpeople who actually come from
countries where they'renationally.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Wow, that's pretty cool and that way you can hear
their inflection and how they'resaying words in another
language and that helps you whenyou're trying to navigate as
well.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
That's great.
I think it's also important,like, especially at the same age
, when politics or like anythingcontroversial comes up, a lot
of people aren't willing tolisten when you're speaking on
opposite sides, but, like duringbut like during conferences,
like you have to like and a lotof time your country doesn't
have the same opinions, like thecountry you're representing

(03:51):
doesn't have your personalopinions, so you have to debate
the other side.
So it's really like a goodopportunity to learn how to
listen to both sides, even ifit's something you don't
necessarily agree with wow andum.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
A lot of these conferences are um overnight
conferences and um being inmodel un, it really just brings
you together with the otherpeople who are in hard to own
and um the people in there.
You just get to know them onsuch deep levels and you like
just sleep in the same bed withthem and you go there's there's

(04:26):
things called delegate dances inmy okay so everyone from all
the committees are invited toattend this dance and then
together we just you know, it'slike the end of the conference
and it's the way to celebrateall the accomplishments we've
made, and it's just a really funopportunity.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
That's great.
So, that's great.
So, for example, if you all areat a Model UN conference, walk
us through what happens.
How do you get selected for aparticular country to debate a
particular position?

(05:03):
Is it stressful?

Speaker 2 (05:07):
Oh, geez A month or two, something a few weeks
before the conference, like theconference reaches out or
something to your advisor andyou get like a list Shout out to
our lovely mom.
Yes, yes, yes, absolutelyabsolutely um, so you get like a

(05:28):
list of the countries and thecommittees and then you can rank
them our advisor like, hasranked them on order of like
which we would want most ofthese, and then it's like a
battle between advisors to getwhich ones you want.
You kind of just put them inand hope you get some good
countries and some goodcommittees and then from there,
like usually based off seniority, they're given out to um the

(05:52):
members of the club.
Um, when you go you'll get allyour.
Well, you have to research,beforehand research and all your
topics.
There's usually like two orthree topics per committee.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
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 isan opening ceremony, and so
usually they have like keynotespeakers and we listen to a lot
of like interesting people,people who have actually been in
the UN and the government andthings like that.

(06:27):
So, um, it's just really greatoverall to be able to hear those
people speak wow and then afterthat?
um, usually you go to your firstcommittee session, and that's
when you start debating, andthen from there it just
progresses.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
All right, so you at least have some time before to
kind of prep and make sure thatyou know the position that you
have to argue.

Speaker 3 (06:52):
There is a special committee.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
In the UN there is a general committee, so that would
be stuff like security, stufflike that, and then there's
specialized, so that would bethe World Food Program, for
example, humanitarian, and thenspecial committees reviews
crisis.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
So there's one in particular it's called ADVO ad
hoc where you don't receive anytopics, any information about
the committee at all wow, wowand you just everybody's there
without knowledge of, like, whatthey're going to be debating
about and they just have to likefigure it out as they go and
some of the other crisis ones,like last year I was in a marvel

(07:35):
um conference crisis committee.
I was in a Marvel conferencepress committee.
Two of our topics were we knewthem so we could research them,
but like it was based on moviesso it wasn't really research.
But then the other one was amystery you don't know until you
get there.
So that sounds stressful.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
It's also fun because nobody knows what they're like.
So, yeah, yeah, wow, okay.
So for our students here andstudents around who are
interested in model un, you allwould give that a definite
support to go forward and learnmore and and do it.

(08:19):
If it's something thatinterests you, we definitely
welcome all members.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
Um this year we had an influx of like eighth grade
members, so we're really happythat our club is continuing,
because ruby's a senior and yeaha lot of our um members are
graduating this year, so theeighth graders are definitely
going to be important keepingthe club going.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
And just I, yeah, I would recommend any younger kid,
any underclassmen that wants tojoin.
Has been thinking about it?
Definitely do it.
It can be very beneficial.
Like in any path you take inlife, I think you can learn
something and have somethinguseful from audio and if you
think like debating itself isscary.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
I used to think that too, but once you just get in
your first conference, youreally like just realize how
like Fun it's, how fun it is andhow it's not really that hard
as long as you just follow theprocedure.
And Ms Rakesh is very good atmaking sure that we are prepared
beforehand and she teaches usall of the correct verbiage.

(09:22):
She's excellent.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yes, she has a job and has a class.
So, as you're going on tocollege and you're becoming a
senior, how do you think ModelUN prepared?

Speaker 2 (09:36):
I mean, I think definitely for especially my
path, you know, going intohistory.
A lot of the conferences I'vedone have been like historical
councils or just researchingpast events, which is like
obviously all about what I'mgoing to be doing with my life,
but beyond that, like being ableto meet new people and interact
with people and just have aworldly view of things, I think

(09:58):
that can be very beneficial,especially going into college.

Speaker 3 (10:01):
Piggybacking off of what she said.
When you go to the conferences,you really network with a lot
of people from schools that arefar away and schools that are
close to here.
And when you go on to otheropportunities or other
conferences, like DECA forexample, those people remember
you and they'll remember ourschool and it's just a prideful

(10:22):
thing.
And for me personally, I feellike Model UN has helped me with
my public speaking skills andwanting to be a teacher.
Obviously, I'm going to have tostand in front of a bunch of
kids.
I'm really grateful for that.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah Well, you both have done amazing on this and
obviously it's a reflection ofhow well you all public speak
and obviously that's beendeveloped through the Model UN
work.
So I think you're showingeverybody what the benefit of
Model UN is here on the HuskyHuddle.

(10:54):
Anyway, I'm so happy that youboth came and you both are on
the episode today, and you'realways welcome to come back and
be on the Husky Huddle anytime.
You can tell us how it servedyou your first year in college,
so you can come on back anytimeand you can tell us, as a senior

(11:17):
, how it has propelled you toeven 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 wantto leave us with?

Speaker 3 (11:34):
Thank you so much for having us.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Awesome.
Well, thank you, and thank youto Mrs Rekus as well for being
the best advisor ever, and Iappreciate you both coming on
Perfect.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
Thank you.