Category: Tuesday (Nov.19)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Written by: Ella Hirmsato 

Edited by: Aastha Gokani

Photographs by: Zara Yap

The date is the 19th of November 2019, the day has finally come- the first day of the annual THIMUN Singapore conference. Each and every delegate, chair, admin and press member is full of excitement as they walk towards the SALT centre and they see the array of multicoloured objects impressively stacked to perfection- the THIMUN water bottles. One may think that these are simply “just water bottles” but this is far from the truth. 

It is important to appreciate the environmental benefits of the THIMUN water bottles. We buy about 1 million single use plastic bottles every minute. These bottles contribute to 80 percent of microplastic pollution. But fear no more, as now we are defying this trend by using the reusable THIMUN water bottles. We can all grip our water bottles tight with pride and comfort knowing we are playing our part in ensuring a sustainable future for a planet suffocating in single-use plastic.

Furthermore, there is a certain beauty behind how participants choose the colour of their water bottles— whether neon pink, sea blue, or lavender. When asked to justify their choice, participants like Jade Henry (MUNITY reporter, Lycée Français de Singapour) explained that she just had to get her blue water bottle the moment she saw it. The water bottles to Henry are a way of expressing herself, and by choosing the blue one, she shows that she is different and strives to be unique. But sometimes this choice doesn’t go to such a philosophical extent. Ella Lamdan (delegation of Chile in HRC,  Lycée Français de Singapour) explained that red was a “cool color,” and that she already got the blue and purple ones from the past years at THIMUN Singapore. 

Evidently these are not “just water bottles” but rather an opportunity for participants to be unique and promote a sustainable future.

• 

• 

The directors of MUN are very excited for this year’s THIMUN Singapore conference. The annual gathering of delegates and chairs brings together a wide range of personas. From China to France, pupils, and teachers from all around the world travel to the Lion City to participate in this highly esteemed conference.

The directors believe that THIMUN Singapore offers new opportunities and experiences to all of its participants. The director of Harrow International School Hong Kong states that, “I hope that by participating in the conference [the students] will be more confident, perhaps participating in something bigger in the future.” This is an expectation set by many directors, and has been encouraged onto their students, in light of them having to present why they agree or disagree to a certain point or amendment to the rest of the room. When asked why they brought their students to this specific conference, a common answer from the directors was the hope that they will network for the future, as seen from the director of Jakarta Intercultural school. She stated, “I want them all coming out of it having made some new connections, some new friends.”  Another common expectation set by the directors is the hope that it will reinforce their virtues, such as kindness and respect. The director of the British School of Manila said that “Hopefully it reinforces the value that they bring; like working with other people in a civilized fashion”. 

As shown from all of these examples, directors from schools around the world see THIMUN not as a competition, but rather as a place where you can learn from your mistakes and acquire a variety of different skills. 

• 

• 

Written by: Joey Lin

Edited by: Priyanka Krishna

The THIMUN meme page became a tradition since 2015, and has amused admins, delegates, and chairs alike throughout the lengthy conference for years. On the Instagram account, “thimunadmeme.xv,” admins and delegates share memes about the conference as well as those from their daily life. While admins have access to the account at all times, delegates typically check the page during lunch, allowing them to meet people with the same taste in memes. As of now, the account has 229 followers, but only 6 posts. That number is likely to increase when THIMUN participants take a break from their toil tonight.

Justin Jen (Admin director of the General Assembly, Hwa Chong Institution) and Joel Lim (Head of Secretariat, Hwa Chong Institution) commended the meme page as a source of delight in the otherwise stressful day for admins. However, the directors would be relieved to know that memes do not distract the participants from their responsibilities. As they were checking out memes on their phones, Jen and Lim quickly responded to a call on the walkie talkie, proving that although the memes may be absorbing, the admins always let their responsibilities come first.

Anngu Chang (delegate of China of SC, Pacific American School), one of the contributors of the meme page, remarked that the memes “keep MUN light-hearted and fun,” introduce delegates to others with similar interests, and provide topics worth talking about. “You can also check out what’s for lunch today,” Chang said, pointing at pictures of lunch posted on the account. 
Followers of the account can message the account with the meme they want to post and the account will display it on the page promptly. Everyone is allowed to follow the Instagram page “thimunadmeme.xv,” so show your support and appreciation for humor!

Written by: Ping Tsai

Edited by: Hyoree Kim

Before resolutions could be debated upon, delegates must lobby with one another: a stage that requires delegates to diplomatically reach out to and negotiate with other delegates. 

During lobbying, delegates merge their carefully-crafted clauses with those of other delegates. Yet, not all delegates would share the same stance on their interested issues. For example, Aidan Michaud’s (Delegate of Ecuador, GA6, Jakarta Intercultural School) bloc saw a number of delegates who eagerly expounded on the significance of their clauses, which conflicted with one another. Nevertheless, his bloc was “successful in its endeavor” to tackle the question of the long-lasting conflict regarding Diaoyutai Islands. Michaud also communicated his ambitions to be the leader of his committee’s debate, as he “wanted to become the main submitter” for his lobbying bloc. Seeing other delegates who are equally zealous about the committee issues, Michaud feels pumped to proceed to debate.

Ellen Ryoo (Delegate of Qatar, GA3, International Bilingual School in Hsinchu) remarked about HRC delegates’ intense passion for MUN, as many of them sought after the leadership position of their lobbying groups: “There was a group with two delegates who both want the main submitter position very badly, and the chairs had to come over to stop them from ‘fighting.’” Having witnessed how much the delegates of HRC coveted the main submitter position, an act that showcased delegates’ passion for debating, Ryoo looks forward to listening to novel ideas generated by those heated discussions.

Building onto Ryoo’s point about the love for debating THIMUN delegates share, Brandon Hsu (Delegate of Cambodia, GA1, Pacific American School) expressed that he was expecting delegates to be “peacefully discussing different issues” during lobbying. However, he realized that for a group to put together a highly debatable resolution, it wouldn’t be surprising if “delegates are having a major disagreement” over what aspect of the issue should their resolution aim to solve and how the issue should be resolved. 

Transitioning from lobbying to debating, delegates of THIMUN Singapore await their resolutions to be passed with an overwhelming majority.