2020 Issue 2
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THE VIGIL ISSUE 2 2020 TABLE Maps—3 CAMPUS OF RoMUNnce in the air—4 MAP CONTENTS The Importance of MUN—5 Daily Reports—6 january eighteenth, CISSMUN in Action—8 twenty-twenty Power Over the People—10 YYou, Yes You, Can Get Into College—11 CISSMUN in Action—12 Neither Nor—14 PUDONG STAFF MAP Editors-in-Chief Head Photographer Photographers Evelyn Shi Claire Chen Ethan Koh Jenny Fu Taha Noon Emilie Zhang Layout Staff Ziv Liu Ethan Chin Nika Sedighi Layout Editor Daniel Wan Lena He Staff Writers Anna Jin Steven Yeh Kelly Kim Editor Yin Yin Htwe Sulynn Yeh Hayley Szymanek Joey Lin Thiri Yadanar San Henie Zhang Isabella Zumbolo Tommy Song Assistant Editor Alan Deutsch page 2 page 3 roMUNce in the air CISSMUN To: _________________________ From: _________________________ CISSMUN To: _________________________ From: _________________________ CISSMUN To: _________________________ From: _________________________ CISSMUN CISSMUN To: _________________________ To: _________________________ From: _________________________ From: _________________________ CISSMUN To: _________________________ From: _________________________ by Hayley Szymanek and Evelyn Shi page 4 The Importance of MUN By: Hayley Szymanek Despite this being an MUN conference, not many people seem to have an overly positive opinion of the UN. Going around the conference and asking how people felt about the UN, most dele- gates stammered or gave half-hearted comments about the idea being better than the execution. CISSMUN attendee Alan Deutsch sighed and muttered, “obligatory.” If we, the people who choose to participate in a UN simulation, don’t even have a favorable view of the UN, then what’s the point? What’s the point of MUN if we can’t even agree that the UN is important? The value of MUN is not in the Model of the United Nations. It is in the act itself, the collaboration, the re- search, and the discussion. We live in an increasingly undiplomatic age. Being “petty” has become a trend. “Cancelling” is practically contagious because of the rush of self-righteousness that comes from ruining the life of someone “problematic.” As countries wage nuclear war threats on Twitter, it has never been more important that we have a tradition of teaching our youth how to work together to envision the world they want to create. We get the chance to sit down and talk in a (mostly) judgement-free space. It’s a necessary tradition to set. Even if none of us grow up to actually represent countries, making the decision to choose communication over “roasting” each other will change the world. MUN also teaches us to do the research. When people shout their opinions without having the knowledge to back it up, you get things like President Donald Trump suggesting on Twitter that we use “flying water tankers” on the Notre Dame Cathedral - uninformed advice which would have collapsed what was left of the building if put into practice. MUN not only teaches us about global issues we otherwise wouldn’t have considered, but how to get into the habit of consulting facts and evaluating realistic solutions before acting. Then we can take the solutions we’ve re- searched and talk to one another as humans with equal stake. We have the tools to thoughtfully discuss, debate, and improve solutions instead of sticking to empty guns made of opinions. If we set the standard of understanding each other as humans and the problem as it affects us all, we set the standard of putting each other before petty grudges. We set the standard of compromise. MUN is mostly benign as a simulation for the UN, but it’s important for the questions it compels us to ask ourselves. What would we do to change the world if only we had the power? What will we do once we have the power? We begin to look beyond the “I” of it all. We work until it starts to come together, even if it takes the whole conference. We meet. We talk. We grow. page 5 page Human Rights Council The Human Rights Council is full of excitement, with the the with excitement, of full is Council HumanThe Rights General Assembly 3 merging. and lobbying of process the beginning delegates The chairs of General Assembly 3 seemed impressed with the the with impressed seemed 3 Assembly General of chairs The the about say to lot a had committee the of chairs The readiness of their delegates, stating that “everyone seems to know to seems “everyone that stating delegates, their of readiness (one speeches opening the to food the from far, so conference what they’re doing.” One of the chairs, with six years of MUN of years six with chairs, the Oneof doing.” they’re what committee their of state the to sentence) single a only was under his belt, also claimed that his experience has aged him like like him aged has experience his that claimed also belt, his under When humanrights”). for DPRKeveryone’s no so (“there’s “fine wine” for his position. The chairs and delegates have have delegates and chairs The position. his for wine” “fine occurred, had funny or interesting anything whether asked discovered that the most popular topics in their committee seem committee their in topics popular most the that discovered Australia, of delegate the at shouted chairs deputy the oof one to be technology and genetic engineering, with one delegate even even delegate one with engineering, genetic and technology be to funny.” “something say and up stand to him ordering bringing up the possibility of creating a Genetic Engineering Engineering Genetic a creating oof possibility the up bringing actual an by interrupted was delegate the However, Committee for future MUN conferences. MUN conferences. future for Committee a tell to proceeded who room, the of back the at Australian story of her being attacked by some kind of animal at a a at animal of kind some by attacked being her of story nature reserve. reserve. nature United Nations Commission on United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Science and Technology All three chairs in the United Nations Commission on the the on Commission Nations United the in chairs three All time. first the for paperless going manycommittees of one UCoST is Status of Women are all first-timers. The original chair of of chair original The first-timers. all Women of are Status how referencing admins, the of one mused prepared,” aren’t “People their committee attends school in Manila and was prevented prevented was and Manila in school attends committee their to expected not manyhad which was, software paperless the complicated from attending CISSMUN due to the recent volcano eruption eruption volcano recent CISSMUNthe to due attending from and admins, room—delegates, the in everyone fact, In confusing. so be in the region. Although they insisted that the real action action real the that insisted they Although region. the in The software. paperless of idea the about say to lot a had alike, chairs hasn’t yet begun, both chairs and admins seemed excited for for excited seemed admins and chairs both begun, yet hasn’t software the up setting experience, his from that, said president committee’s the next day when the debates will begin. The chairs chairs The begin. will debates the when day next the very eventually and “efficient” both is paperless going but while, a takes predicted conflict over their first topic (child marriage) which which marriage) (child topic first their over conflict prpredicted but system, new the by confused mostly seemed delegates The “seamless.” “seamles currently is planning to have two resolutions. With one of the the of one With resolutions. two have to planning is currently amendments. long writing hated they because excited were they that stated groups consisting of more religious countries and the other of of other the and countries religious more of consisting groups more secular nations, an interesting debate definitely seems to to seems definitely debate interesting an nations, secular more be on the horizon. horizon. the on be Economic and Social Council United Nations Despite the kind and quiet appearance of the ECOSOC delegates, ECOSOC the of delegates, appearance quiet and kind the Despite Peacebuilding Commission the chairs have reported a possible mutiny. The committee does seem does committee The mutiny. possible a reported have chairs the Besides your standard opening speeches, lobbying, and merging, the the merging, and lobbying, speeches, opening standard your Besides to have some troublemaking delegates; during their interview, the the interview, their during delegates; troublemaking some have to chairs of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission struggled to to struggled Commission Peacebuilding Nations United the of chairs chairs of the committee were interrupted by a pair of earnest, earnest, of pair a by interrupted were committee the of chairs recall any details of the afternoon. However, one of the chairs chairs the of one However, afternoon. the of details any recall comical delegates claiming they had evidence to “overrule” the the “overrule” to evidence had they claiming delegates comical remembered a particular opening speech by a delegate that had stuck stuck had that delegate a by speech opening particular a remembered chairs. The committee’s chair laughed and told the delegates to to delegates the told and laughed chair committee’s The chairs. with her. Apparently, the delegate had ended their speech with “I “I with speech their ended had delegate the Apparently, her. with return to their lobbying groups. Apparently, this had occurred no less less no occurred had this Apparently, groups. lobbying their to return probably will block you on Snapchat, XOXO.” The chairs implied that that implied XOXO.” chairs The Snapchat, on you block will probably than four times.