UHS Model United Nations (MUN) participated in the 71st Annual Berkeley MUN Conference from 2-5 March 2023 at UC Berkeley. A total of 18 delegates competed against high schools from around the world in 14 committees ranging in topic from television show simulations to present-day issues like drugs and crime.

Delegates brought home numerous awards, with junior Kerry Zhang and sophomore Bruno Rodriguez Diaz being awarded the title of Best Delegate. Additionally, seniors David Chen, Tracy Le, Kevin Yang, Anton Andricioaei, Arjun Chaturvedi, juniors Julia Murdock, and Daichi Hiraoka, and sophomores Joshua Hsi and Christopher Burke received at least one award at the conference.

“I had never travelled with just . . . people my age before, and going on the trip with two to three close friends that weekend was a blast,” sophomore Shuba Senthilkumar said.

The UHS MUN Club participates in a student-run version of the United Nations, an international diplomatic body. Delegates each represent a country,  or, in the context of some committees, a character, and work with other students to find solutions on given topics. 

Berkeley MUN (BMUN) is the oldest high school MUN competition to still be active. Ultimately, when reflecting upon the weekend of policy and debate, many delegates found their experiences with fellow students, even outside of the competition itself, to be the most rewarding part of the experience.

“The best part has to be the night before conferences when everyone is calling, working to finish everything and [making] sure they’re all prepped for completion,” Murdock said. “It can definitely get a little chaotic, but that’s ultimately what makes it so much fun.”

Although the competition and award recognition is a large part of the draw to clubs like MUN, the opportunity to make friends plays an even larger role in why many stay. As one of the most prestigious and long-established high school conferences, BMUN is often viewed through the lens of awards and individual achievements, but equally a part of it is the memories made with fellow students, including the late nights preparing for the next day’s competition in a hotel hallway.

“We were all preparing for the day after,” Senthilkumar said. “Then someone started throwing sour patch watermelon and it dissolved into chaos – sour patch watermelon everywhere [and] so much laughter.”

BMUN is one of the experiences that stuck with her most in high school, according to Senthilkumar. The conference provided lessons during and outside of the competition, which delegates continued to apply after its conclusion.

“My experience as a delegate helped me when chairing at UHS MUN [conferences] because I’m already familiar with committee procedure which helped me run the committee smoothly,” Hiraoka said. “Outside of MUN, being a delegate has helped me most through the increase in confidence.”

All members worked diligently to hone their public speaking, research and writing skills for the opportunity to be a part of the delegation sent to BMUN, with select delegates putting in many additional hours of preparation for the conference itself.

“Missing a day of class can be challenging, but because everyone else on the trip was in the same boat, we worked together and got things done pretty efficiently,” Murdock said. “Everyone at school was really understanding, wishing us luck at the competition and saying congratulations once we got back.”

Because of the time and dedication required, participating in competitive extracurriculars like MUN can be challenging to balance with academics, social interactions and other commitments students may have.

“I’ve always found that the key to managing everything is just doing what you really enjoy,” Murdock said. “Of course, you won’t enjoy every class at school, but for me, the extracurriculars seem less like boring work and more like fun.”

This sentiment is reflected throughout the club, which for many students has become a hobby for which they are truly passionate.

“MUN is a really valuable experience because it provides an outlet for you to really improve your public speaking, teamwork and writing skills while learning about different global issues,” Murdock said. “Whether it’s social, political or environmental, through MUN I’ve been able to see the world and global interactions in a new way.”

A full list of the awards can be found below, courtesy of the UHS MUN Club.

Research:

Kevin Yang & Anton Andricioaei – Food And Agriculture Organization

Joshua Hsi & Christopher Burke – UN Environmental Programme

Tracy Le – International Court Of Justice

Bruno Rodriguez Diaz – French-Algerian War Crisis, Algeria Committee

Commendation:

Kevin Yang & Anton Andricioaei – Food And Agriculture Organization

Arjun Chaturvedi & Daichi Hiraoka – General Assembly, 23rd Session

Joshua Hsi & Christopher Burke – UN Environmental Programme

Tracy Le – International Court Of Justice

Outstanding:

David Chen – Qing Grand Council Crisis

Julia Murdock – US Senate

Best Delegate:

Kerry Zhang – French-Algerian War Crisis, France Committee

Bruno Rodriguez Diaz – French-Algerian War Crisis, Algeria Committee