By Morgan Thaler
Staff Writer
In its last conference of the year at Claremont McKenna Model United Nations I on April 14, Mira Costa’s MUN team won the Best Large Delegation award.
According to Costa MUN advisor Robert Timberlake, this conference was designed for less-experienced underclassmen, and it attempts to better the skills of novice MUN students. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors were welcome to debate in the intermediate-level conference. This was the first Claremont McKenna High School MUN conference.
“Considering it was McKenna’s first time hosting, the conference went really well,” sophomore Tiffany Ford said. “It was a learning conference for our delegates and their staff. Our goal was to train the people who will be helping the team win in the future.”
For many freshmen, McKenna MUN I was their first official debate. Some of these freshmen received their first awards in an official conference, and a total of six Costa students won Best Delegate or “gaveled.”
“It was an incredible experience debating in my first conference,” freshman Jeff Burr said. “Since it was my first debate, I was absolutely shocked when I was awarded Best Delegate. I can’t wait to improve my skills in the future, and I know I will remember my first debate for many years to come.”
The conference gave interested freshmen the opportunity to experience the challenges and obstacles a debate outside the classroom presents, according to MUN teacher’s assistant senior Ryanne Martucci. For beginners, the conference was a helpful indicator on whether or not they will pursue MUN next year at Costa.
“Debating at Claremont McKenna was a great experience for everyone that went,” junior Frankie Jarrault said. “Everyone improved so much, and we had a lot of fun debating other schools. In the end, awards went the way we expected, and we all became much closer as a team.”
The four senior MUN teachers’ assistants also accompanied the delegates to Claremont McKenna. According to Martucci, they helped the younger students understand the more experienced style of debate and gave advice when necessary.
“For the staff’s first time running a conference, I think it went overall really well,” Martucci said. “The freshmen took every opportunity they had to speak, and they grew throughout the entire weekend.”
McKenna MUN was also the last debate of the school year.
“This conference shows the promise the freshman class presents to the program,” sophomore Maggie Hackney said. “It was also a great opportunity to try out new things and prepare for our larger debates coming up in the next few years. With the performance we had at McKenna, our program undoubtedly has a very bright future.”
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