Despite the pandemic, WIS clubs are putting in 110% effort to find time for virtual meetings and member introductions. WIS’ Model United Nations (MUN) club is no exception. MUN is an upper school club where kids get to simulate a variety of conferences/meetings based on the activities of the United Nations, governments, developmental organizations, and much more. 

The MUN club meets approximately once a month to discuss conference trips and hold training workshops for newer members. WIS’ MUN club often participates in conferences on the East Coast, in places like Charlottesville and New York City. These large conferences attract hundreds of participants from all around the world. 

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and WIS rules on field trips, there will be no in-person MUN conferences this year. But the pandemic has not stopped MUN presidents, Patrick Anders, Marama Diaz-Asper, and myself from trying to deliver a quality MUN experience through online conferences. 

Anders has found it difficult to attract interest from new members in a virtual setting, but remains hopeful that more sign-ups will begin to appear. 

“Our goal at the moment is to attract as much interest from 9th and 10th graders as possible, which has proved to be fairly difficult, but we’re up for the challenge,” Anders said. 

The MUN leaders have recently been eyeing two online conferences for this fall, hosted by Sir Winston Churchill High School and The College of William and Mary. They hope that the conference will attract ninth and 10th graders so that they may gain more experience that will be necessary for the larger travel conferences that will hopefully take place in the 2021-2022 school year. 

By Dean Atassi