Over 500 high school students attended the 2011 Cerritos Model United Nations Novice Conference this past Saturday. Led by advisors Bill Mustard and Jason Watanabe, the conference takes place on campus at Cerritos High School, and it’s a training ground for many first-time delegates, mostly freshmen and sophomores.
Cerritos was one of the first conferences I attended as a delegate. Walking from classroom to classroom, I was reminded of how fortunate Southern California is to have so many local, high school-run 1-day and 2-day conferences, especially novice conferences like Cerritos’ and last week’s SOCOMUN. The classroom setting provides a welcoming environment for first-time MUNers, less intimidating than a university lecture hall or hotel ballroom, and committee sizes that average between 30 to 40 students make it possible for everyone to participate. 1-day and 2-day conferences means it’s easier to fit into a busy student’s schedule, as well as less logistics work for advisors. And with at least one conference taking place every month during the schoolyear, Southern California MUNers get plenty of chances to attend conferences and rack up experience.
Check out this video of the conference by advisor Jason Watanabe, and check out the pictures after the jump!
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- Smaller committees in a classroom setting makes it easier for students to learn Model UN
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- Malaysia reviews her speech before being called next on the speaker’s list
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- Oman takes notes while listening to other speakers
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- The 3rd Committee of the General Assembly — Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian — is called by its initials, “S-C-H,” in Southern California and “SOCHUM” (pronounced “sock-hoom”) on the East Coast
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- Closing ceremonies took place in the Cerritos High School gym
