This article was provided by the Secretariat of the Washington International Relations Conference.
It’s 3 p.m. on the longest day of debate and you are one roll-call vote away from moving onto the next topic. The only thing that is on your mind is when the next break will be and if the delegate dance will be any fun. You can feel yourself losing steam and the holes in your research are becoming clearer. It’s becoming harder to participate because there is only so much stimulation from the same debate about the same issue. You’re tired and all you want in that moment is your big, comfortable bed in a hotel that feels like it’s a million miles away.
Delegates caucus at WIRC 2013
Ask any high school delegate and they have probably shared a few of these feelings during debate. This is a very common experience at three and four-day conferences and chairs can only do so much to keep every delegate focused and engaged. Although for most conferences this is a challenge, for the Washington International Relations Conference (WIRC), hosted by American University in Washington D.C., this has been an opportunity to provide delegates with a unique experience.
American University’s Washington International Relations Conference (WIRC) is a three-day long Model United Nations conference that features fourteen different committees, seven different interactive debate sessions, Saturday seminars, and a variety of other MUN-related programming. By using the myriad of resources Washington D.C. and American University have to offer, WIRC’s staff members have created a conference that is both unique and specialized to fit delegate’s needs.
Delegates in committee at WIRC
The fourteen committees that WIRC offers range from novice general assemblies all the way to advanced joint-crisis committees. Each committee features its own Saturday seminar that is tailored to the topics the committee is discussing and it is lead by experts from all over D.C. This allows delegates to not only learn more about the intricacies of their committee and the issues they are discussing but it also gives them a chance to regain steam and confidence in order to participate more as they head back into debate. Through one on one communication with experts, delegates are able to realize the true impact of the issues they are debating. These seminars only add to WIRC’s commitment of providing delegates various opportunities to learn more about Model UN and it gives them the chance to grow as a delegate. By combining stimulating debate, interesting seminars, and unique committees, WIRC hopes to provide delegates with the most fun and engaging experience of their MUN careers.
WIRC takes place from March 27th-29th, 2015. For more information, visit their website.
