By Huang Beihua (20A03A), Corey Koh (20A01B), and Lu Yuxuan (20A01A)
Model UN (MUN)
Do you have that burning desire to fix the world’s issues? Or do you want to see the world burn? Do you want to experience the gruelling tribulations of being a diplomat? Or do you just want to prance about in a suit?
We know you want to. Regardless of whether that “yes” was said audibly in a large crowd of people, or quietly in your heart, HSTA may just be the place for you.
Why do we say so? What do we even do? Well, we are one of the few school clubs across Singapore that specialise in Model United Nations. (Why the complicated name then? Join us, and maybe you can help come up with one in time for next year’s CCA reviews.)
A training ground for future diplomats (lol), MUN is where 40 or so bored intellectually curious teenagers gather for three days and discuss how to resolve some of the most pressing issues facing the world today. What makes it even more interesting is that you will not represent yourself. Rather, you will be the delegate of a particular country, representing that country and fighting tooth and nail for its interests—just like diplomats would in the United Nations. As diplomats, you will use convincing argumentation and silky interpersonal manoeuvring to grapple with the subtleties of international issues and the magnitude of their implications to fight for the interests of your people. Or maybe just your regime.
Exciting, right? But if you find yourself intimidated beneath that excitement, fret not—we’ve all been there. MUN can be a terrifying experience for the uninitiated.
What we do
And that is where we come in. We take in all who are willing to discover the world of wearing fancy suits hardcore diplomacy, and in weekly sessions on Wednesdays, from 2.30pm–5.30pm, we guide our club members in picking up skills ranging from public speaking and negotiation to resolution writing. Regular MUN simulations will also be held to provide a safe environment for budding MUNners to familiarise with the often alien, and certainly terrifying, experience of an actual MUN. No fear even if you know nothing about these world issues—with a group of well-informed seniors and the help of content lectures, you’ll have all the support you need to become a wise scholar of the world!
RMUN
The Singapore MUN circuit’s high academic standards and constantly innovating debate styles have long since been of renown. Indeed, one of our alumni proudly claims it as “the best in the world”: the quality of the conferences in Singapore is applauded not only by local delegates, but also by friends from all across Southeast Asia.
We are proud, then, to say that we have been a part of this community since its earliest days, by organising the annual Raffles Model United Nations (RMUN). With an illustrious history spanning almost three decades, RMUN was Singapore’s first MUN conference and remains a respected bastion of academic rigour and professional conduct. Every member of the CCA is involved in the organization of RMUN—it not only helps us gain experience of the inner workings of MUN, but also gives us the precious opportunity to organise large, inter-school events with close to 400 participants. If that sounds interesting to you, joining us will be a great opportunity to start!
Who should join HSTA
Despite having “History” in its name, taking the subject is not a requirement to join HSTA! Neither, contrary to popular belief, is MUN experience. Many illustrious past members joined HSTA with no experience, and went on to do great things. You can be one of them too!
We are simply looking for intellectually curious individuals who are interested in current affairs, willing to learn, and not afraid to share their opinions. Our trainings are targeted at beginners and battle-scarred veterans alike—there will always be new things to learn about the MUN circuit.
So, if you have a desire for world domination the above traits, do come down to our CCA booth to check us out!