This weekend, the College of William & Mary hosted one of the largest middle school conferences in the country, WMIDMUN (one of the three it hosts together with WMHSMUN and &MUN). The conference’s 11th session brought together over 700 delegates from around the United States, to debate in committees ranging from Novice General Assemblies such as SPECPOL and WHO to crises for more experienced delegates like the UNSC and a Joint Crisis Committee simulating the Sri Lankan Civil War. Secretary-General Jessie Ede and her secretariat worked hard to bring a quality conference experience that was both fun and educational.
The conference’s delegates benefited greatly from novice committees—experienced William & Mary delegates were able to teach them basics of speeches and resolution writing, as well as delve deeply into important topics like Drone Usage and Women’s Access to Education. The specialized agencies provided real-time simulations of topics like the Iran-Iraq war and less common Model UN topics like the Rhodesian Bush War. The age group of the delegates didn’t stop the staff from innovating as much as at any high-school or collegiate conference—crises were full of professional video updates, while some delegates had the opportunity to participate in experimental general assemblies such as the UNGA 2020.
A member of the WMIDMUN secretariat poses as an Indian ambassador relaying important information to the Sri Lankan government committee.
The INTERPOL committee passes a resolution
Outside committee, delegates had the opportunity to explore historical Colonial Williamsburg, while the conference put on creative social events including a cultural showcase that allowed delegates to learn about traditions and arts from around the world. The conference also worked with the William & Mary International Relations Club’s Service Committee and its official partner Charity: Water to educate delegates about sustainable water use and to raise money for provision of clean water in developing countries.
No matter what the setting, however, the constant theme of the weekend was that stressed by the Secretary-General at the opening ceremonies—that Model UN, while fun, can play a great part in teaching students, offering them new perspectives, and helping them grow.
