WELCOME TO VMUNC III!

SECRETARY GENERAL WELCOME LETTER

Dear honorable VMUNC Faculty and esteemed Delegates, 

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you to the third annual Vista Model UN Conference (VMUNC III) this October 30th, 2021. Unfortunately due to the unprecedented COVID 19 pandemic, VMUNC will once again be held online through the Gatherly platform. 

VMUNC has been held annually by the Vista Model UN Club for the past 2 years. We aspire to give newer delegates a way to grasp the ropes of Parliamentary Procedure in a less formal and stressful environment, while modeling how larger conferences operate. Delegates can experience writing position papers, giving speeches in formal caucus, developing ideas with other delegates, and create solutions to real world problems in the perspective of different nations. At our conference, we also offer crisis committees for delegates to experience roleplaying a character, learning to change their perspective, and write crisis directives and resolutions. Our experienced chairs always offer plenty of feedback for delegates, so they may take what they learned from this experience and apply it to bigger conferences in the future. For older delegates, VMUNC serves as a way for them to be models for their lesser experienced peers and have fun at a less formal conference. 

Our conference offers 2 different committees: a) a General Assembly Committee (Israel-Palestine Conflict), and b) a Joint Crisis Committee (DC and Marvel Heroes vs Villains). Over the summer, the VMUNC staff worked endlessly to create detailed background guides for the delegates to follow. The Crisis staff even created their own plot and timeline for the delegates to debate on and model within their conference. 

As for me, I’ve been a member of our Vista Model UN Club since my freshman year and I am now a senior and the Vice President of the club! I have also been part of the VMUNC staff since the very first VMUNC! I love Model UN because of its ability to expose young people to real world problems and how the United Nations combats these issues. I’ve also learned how to have productive discourse and come to agreements between conflicting sides. I planned this year’s VMUNC so that other delegates may experience these beneficial aspects of Model UN as well! Outside of MUN, I work at a plant microbiology lab and do graphic design for a multitude of youth oriented organizations! I also love videogames, specifically Genshin Impact, and watching anime! 

Lastly, I would like to thank my amazing VMUNC staff for working so hard this summer to create a fruitful and valuable VMUNC experience for the delegates! I would also like to thank my Under Secretary General, Priya Patel, for creating our amazing website. I also thank Anika Mukker, our VMUN club’s President, for guiding me along the way and helping out with everything. Lastly, I thank the past years’ Secretary Generals, Ethan Bray (VMUNC I) and Neel Trivedi (VMUNC 1.5), for teaching me everything I know about Model UN and the basics of planning a conference! 

I look forward to welcoming you all this October!

Sincerely,

Shaina Rahman