A combination of politics, research, and public speaking, Model United Nations (MUN) has a competitive aspect for everyone. MUN is an academic club meant to simulate the workings of the real United Nations. Students are assigned a country by their MUN officers for which they act as delegates at an MUN conference. A few weeks before each conference, students compile a research paper that identifies their assigned nation’s position on specific social, political, and economic issues.

“I have been in MUN for three years now,” senior Kylie Ning says, “It’s a great way to research and learn more about international politics while also meeting new people and gaining public speaking skills.”

MUN is a great club for students interested politics because it provides ideal opportunities for real-life practice. Model UN is not only for people interested in politics but also anyone who wants to learn more about the types of government and social systems of different nations and the ways in which they interact with and influence each other.

“MUN is very educational because [students] must research about global issues around the world like Zika virus or the Global Debt Crisis,” Kylie says.

MUN also provides a unique learning environment that revolves around student participation and interaction. It forces students to consider new perspectives as well as different approaches and solutions to certain global issues.

“It allows students to work on research, debate, and writing skills, things that they aren’t exactly able to do in class,” senior Jenny Zhang says.

MUN also works to connect Central students to students from many other Little Rock schools, as well as students from outside of Little Rock and even Arkansas. One of the purposes of MUN is to connect student delegates from different schools, so that together, they can create resolutions for the mock global crisis.

“My favorite part of MUN is getting to meet a lot of new people from other schools,” Kylie says, “I have actually made friends with people from PA through MUN.”

Model UN is a great club for anyone who wants to learn about the government, international relations, or global issues in a hands-on learning environment. Regardless of one’s interest, Model UN provides a helpful introduction into the workings of the global affairs.