By Natasha Randeniya
Online Editor
Costa’s Model United Nations (MUN) hosted the Los Angeles Invitational MUN (LAIMUN) conference on campus from Dec. 3-4.
The 28th-annual LAIMUN conference hosted 850 student-delegates from 19 different middle and high schools throughout Southern California. They discussed various issues, such as the conflict in Ukraine and ocean acidification.
“Being in the secretariat this year, I learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes of the conference, and I thought LAIMUN XXVIII was really successful,” said junior tech legal Kailena Song.
The annual LAIMUN conference is always held at Costa. Each classroom that participated in the conference hosted a debate hosted by students in Costa’s MUN program. According to junior press corps Abby Simmons, the goal of LAIMUN was to create solutions that apply to global problems.
“It was an amazing experience, and I feel so lucky to have been able to share with the whole MUN program,” said senior secretary general Brady Stephens. “It really taught me the importance of teamwork and trusting those around you for a project as big as LAIMUN.”
In the MUN Conference, there were two main committees, the novice committee and the advanced committee. Within the novice committee, there was a general assembly followed by the economic and social council committee (ECOSOC) and a specialized section where students spoke. The advanced committee consisted of a general assembly, specialized section, crisis section and ECOSOC.
“Being secretary general this year was a fantastic experience because of all the people that helped along the way,” said senior Alyssa Lessinger. “It taught me that having a group of people who are so supportive and helpful is truly the most important part of anything.”
Costa’s MUN team has had a productive and successful fall semester, according to Simmons. The team has already participated in William and Mary High School Model United Nations (WMHSMUN) and Berlin Model United Nations (BERMUN).
“I’ve been involved with LAIMUN since 2019,” said senior specialized under secretary general Izzy Hory. “This year I held a new position, and it was super exciting to experience the behind-the-scenes of the conference. I had an amazing time working with everyone and felt that all of our hard work paid off.”
According to Simmons, members of Costa MUN have been planning for the conference since May, as MUN conferences are student-run events. To prepare, delegates wrote topic summaries of matters presently being addressed in the United Nations.
“I really think it is incredible how all of the people in MUN are able to run this student-led conference,” said Simmons. “I really appreciate the amount of leadership we have, and I am so thankful for everyone who participated.”
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