Model United Nations, otherwise known as Model UN or MUN, is an extracurricular that many middle school, high school, and college students around the world participate in. Modeling the procedure and environment of an actual United Nations committee, students engage in research, writing, public speaking, debate, teamwork, and leadership demonstrations. In MUN, students represent the views of different countries and collaborate with other students to achieve an all-encompassing resolution that solves current global problems.

At Village, the MUN club meets every Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon where the club’s 36 members come to learn, bond, and practice with their teammates, preparing each other for the four conferences the club attends annually.

To join, one has to try out by writing a position paper and speaking a minute-long opening statement both on a given topic assigned  the start of the school year.

“Once I turned 13, it [Model UN] became even better,” senior Ritika Saligram, Secretary General of the club who has been doing Model UN since the age of ten and started traveling for internatinal confrences at 13, said. “My first conference was in St. Petersburg with 3000 [other] kids, and I was pretty much forced to take an active role in committee and come out of my shell if I wanted to be successful [within the committee].”

Saligram has been doing Model UN for 7 years and has attended twenty-one conferences in five different countries, and she believes it to be one of the most valuable parts of her life to date.

“It has taught me global awareness, collaboration, respect for other perspectives, and how to be a leader,” Saligram said. “I think that MUN is honestly one of the best things anyone could get into, no matter what they’re interested in doing [further on in life], because it teaches life skills that will serve you well beyond high school.”

Saligram believes that Model UN has taught her how to be a leader, she’s learned that leadership is about lifting up the people around you – the success of others becomes your success. “You find joy in that and it’s really liberating.” Saligram said.

“I think of [us] more of a family to be honest. Everyone is so dedicated, which is what allows us to be successful, that and the friendly competitiveness.” senior Pranav Chunduru, Director of MUN Initiatives for the club, said. “I started [MUN] freshman year. I really had no clue what to expect. I was honestly really nervous because many of the members seemed pretty intimidating. I remember shivering as I forced the last lines of my tryout speech.”

Along the years, Chunduru has become more and more attached to Model UN. He loves meeting new people and being forced to think in different angles.

“It does a lot for your awareness and allows you to empathize and encourage different viewpoints,” Chunduru said. “I’ve been able to develop into an encouraging leader. I have learned how to effectively communicate and persuade people which will always help me in the real world. There is something both frightening and exhilarating [about] being shoved into a room of 90 people you don’t know. So many perspectives, so many experiences. I have learned a lot from each and every connection I have made through MUN.”

Saligram believes that Model UN has taught her how to be a leader, she’s learned that leadership is about lifting up the people around you – the success of others becomes your success. “You find joy in that and it’s really liberating.” Saligram said.

As seniors, both are going to miss the sense of home and friendships the club creates.

“It makes me so happy to share what I know with the team and to watch them grow into incredible delegates,” Saligram said. “We feel like a family.”

For anyone interested in Model UN, the best advice these two can give you is to do it, and don’t be afraid to try it out.

“I know it can seem intimidating, but at the end of the day, we are just people trying to learn more about the world around us while having  fun doing it,” Chunduru said. “I guarantee you will love it. There is something in Model UN for everyone.”