By Joani Gillam
News Editor
And Angelina Volucci
Staff Writer
Mira Costa Model United Nations has begun making preparations for the coming school year.
On April 20, Costa Model United Nations advisors Wayne Knutson and Robert Timberlake announced the secretariat for next year’s Los Angeles Invitational Model United Nations conference. The novice conference, which is planned by Costa MUN, will be held in December 2012.
“This year, we are adding a technological element to the conference,” Knutson said. “We want to incorporate smart phones, Google Docs, and more to bring MUN to the 21st century.”
Juniors Braden Currey and Taylor Lewis will be next year’s secretary generals, and juniors Adam Gerard, Kristin Gulino and Hannah James will hold under secretary general positions. These five, and six other incoming juniors and seniors, will comprise the full secretariat for LAIMUN 2012.
“I think this year’s LAIMUN secretariat is a strong, accomplished and diverse group of people,” Currey said. “Taylor and I are looking forward to doing everything we can to make LAIMUN XVIII the best yet.”
Eighty-five freshmen will try out to be in the advanced class next year on May 1. The tryout, which will be a full mock debate, will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Costa.
“For these tryouts, not only do you have to research, write position papers, write dockets and make laminates, you have to truly understand your topic,” freshman Emma Zimmerman said. “I plan on using my creativity to get far in the debate.”
Forty-five Costa students will also travel to the University of California, Davis to participate in the Davis MUN High School Conference from May 18-20. Sophomores and juniors from the advanced MUN classes were given the chance to sign up in March, and some freshmen were also invited to attend.
“Being invited to an advanced travel conference as a freshman is humbling and intimidating,” freshman Maggie Hackney said. “I’ve been researching the current and past events of my topic to prepare.”
On top of all the recent excitement within the program, Bestdelegate.com recently ranked Mira Costa MUN as the second-best program in the nation. This is a step up for Costa MUN, which was slated at fifth in the same ranking last fall, despite ranking first in previous years.
“Obviously, we don’t rely on a website to validate our accomplishments,” Currey said. “However, it’s hard not to want to repeat that number-one.”
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