Interviews

Interview with Rusiko Mumladze, a beginner MUN member

I interviewed Rusiko Mumladze about whats it's like to be a first time delegate for MUN. In this interview one might be able to learn about the pros and cons about doing MUN, and whether it is something that interests them. QSI recently went on a trip to Haarlem, Netherlands for a 3 day conference and it was an unforgettable event for many of the delegates.

Q: How old are you and what grade are you in?

A: I'm 15 and in Secondary 1 (9th grade)
Q: Why does MUN interest you?

A: Debating about different topics and solving major issues is interesting to me, besides I gain more experience in public speaking and have a chance to discuss themes with people from different countries who are interested in the same topic as me

Q: How did the trip benefit you?

A: I gained more experience, learnt how to develop my resolutions and how to work on my speeches. I also understood how to represent my countries better. Plus, sightseeing in Haarlem and Amsterdam was a great pleasure.

Q: What was the most challenging part from the time leading up to the MUN conference?

A: The most challenging part would be writing the resolution because it's hard to come up with specific solutions which would actually be approved and which would also suit the interests of the country you're representing

Q: What was the most challenging part about the conference itself?

A: The most challenging part of the conference was trying to make amendments to other delegates' resolutions because altering someone else's words or even the whole idea and coming up with a better clause needs a lot of work and background knowledge of the subject. Also, proposing about your own amendment  and trying to prove why it is more effective was the hard part.

Q: What was the most memorable part?

A: The most memorable part was when the chair made the delegates who were late dance and sing to the avocado song

Q: How hard is it being a first time delegate and doing a lot of at home work/research?

A: I was totally confused and lost. I had no idea what I was doing and was extremely scared. I wasn't quite sure what was expected from me and even what kind of research I had to do. However, with the help of other delegates I understood what I had to do quite soon. Doing research is not the most exciting part and is truly hard because I had to learn all this information and make sure I could discuss it later. But this really helped me debate well.

Q: Do you plan on continuing MUN?

A: Yes, I would love to do MUN again many more times.

Q: Did you experience anything unexpected during the conference?

A: In fact, I didn't know that there was a gossip box and that late delegates would be "punished."

Q: Was the trip educational as well as cultural?

A: It definitely was. First of all, we met so many students from different nations and interacted with them, besides we had a tour around the city. And well, mostly everything during the sessions was educational. 

Q: What would you say to anyone planning to join MUN in the future?

A: That they would need to make sure they've done their research and are ready to discuss their topic. And probably also that it's a lot of fun.

Q: What was your role at the conference (did you speak often/submit/co-submit a resolution/add amendments)?

A: I didn't submit my resolution as I wanted to see how I could modify it. But I did talk quite a lot - asking questions, debating about other delegates' resolutions, submitting amendments and discussing different clause.
Q: Are you planning to be involved with public speaking when you’re older?

A: I might be involved with it, but I'm not quite sure. MUN was a great experience for improving it though.

Q: How much preparation goes into being a part of this conference/team?

A: The preparation time before the conference was tough with all the work that needed to be done.

Q: Is it always exciting debate or are there some dull moments?
A: Of course there were dull moments of the debate when all of the delegates stopped debating, or the debate itself got boring. However, in my committee, there was always that one delegate that cheers the debate up by bringing up another subject, declaring a war or blaming a country of cooperating ISIS