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UWC MUN 2018 - An experience, to say the least.

Wow. Thats really all I can say about my latest MUN experience. It would be an understatement to say that the Model UN conference I attended from Wednesday to Friday was completely different than my past MUN experiences. This conference provided me with some excellent ideas of how to better run my project, as well as some things I will strive to avoid. Without further ado, let’s get on with the analysis of this roller coaster conference. I always think its important to start on a positive note, so let’s focus on the debate and committee itself. I was representing Sweden in the Security Council, and we were discussing the South China Sea Dispute. I was ecstatic to learn this, as I have debated on the issue before and had a fair amount of background knowledge. That being said, I still had plenty to learn, and having a neutral, wealthy Northern European country actually turned out to be quite the challenge. This was largely due to the heavy polarization taken by my committee right out of the gate - China was dug in on keeping its territory, and the US, UK, and the Netherlands were steadfast on enforcing international law, with other countries choosing sides and exchanging jabs. It was in the first 15 minutes of the first session that I realized representing Sweden was going to take a heck of a lot more than kissing up to everyone (It worked the first time). I ended up backing China early on in the session, as the delegate was reasonable (or so I thought), experienced, and was making a far better, more peaceful argument than the US and Co. After 2 days of constant debate, heated exchanges, a crisis involving the Chinese invasion of the Philippines, and being forced off of my own position paper (it ended up helping me), the UWC MUN had come to an end. I was awarded 2 place or “Outstanding Delegate”, and the chair said he was extremely pleased with my overall performance, especially the speech I gave on peace and responsibility in the final hours of the debate. Once again, I had learned more information in two days than I thought possible. I learned how to regulate my emotions and remain respectful, I learned how to remain objective, and I learned that the mechanics of the Security Council are largely broken. All in all, the conference itself was high energy and high intensity, and allowed me to truly demonstrate my skill and hours of practice. 

^The Award Ceremony and Presentation 

^A tense moment during which I was berating the delegate of Kazakhstan (Within reason of course).

The Winners, but let’s all be honest the conference was a victory for every delegate!

Of course, like anything, the conference also had its downsides, and let me tell you there were more than a few at the United World College MUN. To start us off, the word “informal” does not even being to describe this conference. the sleeping arrangements had all the delegates from outside the college housed in a single, co-ed space with structurally-weak bunk beds about 3 feet apart. There was a small bathroom, no AC, and whole lot of mosquitoes. The housing made US Army barracks in Afghanistan look like the Ritz. I have a weird, OCD thing about sleeping and where I put my stuff, so I’m sure you can imagine the trouble I had with 90 complete strangers about 5 feet away from me. MUN typically keeps delegates operate unless in conference, making this sleeping arrangement odd to say the least. Additionally, the behavior of the chairs was inexperienced, awkward, and oftentimes bordered on inappropriate. From Icebreaker activities discussing personal activities (and sex/drugs) to a blatant lack of knowledge of procedure, the UWC chairs did not represent their school in a very good light. While the conference and spending time with my classmates was certainly enjoyable, these blatantly obvious violations in MUN structure and courtesy painted and ugly light on the organizers and chairs.

^A candid shot of our MUN barracks-camp-combination accommodations.

All in all, this was an experience that helped me better understand what to do and most certainly what not to do when running an MUN conference. At the very least I have to ensure that all delegates are not sleeping in the same room. What a weekend!

#awildtwodays

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The Environment and Our Community - Does MUN really help?

That is truly the question - Am I really helping or is this just another way to pass that oh so dreaded IB program we’ve all come to love (and hate) so much. Well I’ll tell you this for sure; There are much easier projects I could’ve chosen that would’ve still lasted this whole time and I know this because I think about it every time I’m 460 words and three granola bars into a 900 word journal entry. But there’s a reason I chose to do model United Nations as my CAS project and it wasn’t just to sit back and laugh while watching 25 of my classmates duke it out in the riveting ring of debate (ok maybe a little bit). MUN is arguably one of the most helpful school activities I’ve ever participated in, and I know for sure that it changed my life in a variety of different ways. MUN is a program through which you can improve your heart, your mind, your speech, and maybe have your mind changed (it happens less often than you’d think). That’s actually our first benefit of MUN on the list. What is one of the largest problems we have today with the environmental issues? Put quite simply a bunch of old, stuck up white dudes are highly opposed to having their minds changed, and this makes any form of debate incredibly difficult. Can you imagine what would come out of a civilized, open-minded debate where everyone just sat down together and talked? I mean seriously, I would say one of the most valuable skills I learned in Model United Nations was when to shut up. It would be a much different world if everyone learned to just sit down and listen instead of instantly denying any points we didn't agree with. Students who learn this skill in MUN an move on to become senators and governors could undoubtedly change the way we look at our environment through amicable, productive debates. MUN also contributes the the overall debate on climate change by teaching another valuable debate skill - the art of patience. Debates on important topics can often last several 10-12 hour days (not including breaks) and often prove to be extremely strenuous. If you’ve ever watched a group of people become very heated over a 45 minute debate, just imagine those same people in a 12 hour debate. The result is exhausting no doubt, but you’ll find that a lot gets done and people undoubtedly learn a lot about patience.

The official schedule for my second conference - What a blast!

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The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday - San Clemente meets IB

My impossible started off as a loose declaration to run three times a week. It was through this running that I hoped to clear my mind, become more fit, and increase my athletic ability. I didn’t have a plan, and I guess you could say I just assumed I would start running and from there everything would play out. Anyways around the corner came the fourth week of IB, and I had run exactly 0 times. Not only had I not run, but I was frustrated, tired, and confused with just about everything. IB felt like it was beating me down, throwing everything it had at me in an effort to break me. Not only that but I was struggling socially, trying to figure out where I stood. It was around then that I began watching all sorts of movies about the US Navy SEALs, and I unknowingly initiated the adoption of a very valuable new mindset. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, and Land) are considered to be one of the most dangerous, most adaptable, and overall toughest special forces units on earth. They are derived from the Navy UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) of WWII and are deployed all over the globe in a variety of combat settings. SEALs are also inhumanely athletic, mentally tough, and interestingly enough extremely comedic. It was through my obsession with the whole SEAL idea that I discovered a mindset that not only helped me run, but helped me achieve so much more.

One of the most well known aspects of becoming a SEAL is the three-phase boot camp that they must attend in order to officially graduate as a Frogman (a common nickname for a SEAL). This boot camp consists of inhuman amounts of running and conditioning along with constant mental and physical harassment from the notoriously vicious drill instructors. Students are subjected to tests included having to swim across an Olympic pool with their hands and legs tied together (otherwise known as supervised drowning). They are also subjected to the famous (or should I say infamous) Hell Week. Hell Week is a week of less than 5 hours of sleep (total) where recruits have to run everywhere (including to and from meals) carrying their boats, have to spend up to 15 hours in the frigid Tijuana Sloughs, and are literally pushed to the physical and mental limit of the human body. It is a well known fact that if a recruit has made it to Wednesday of Hell Week he is likely going to pass the SEAL training. The question that many ask is simple; How the heck do you do it? And in truth there isn’t really an answer. But what there is is a mindset, a SEAL mindset, and it is this mindset that has allowed me to pursue my impossible.

SEAL’s complete an evolution involving pulling boats across jagged rocks in the cold California waters.

I watched SEAL motivation videos, watched SEAL movies, and I read 30 minutes a day of a book called The Operator, which is the autobiography of the SEAL who killed Osama Bin Laden. This book amazes me not only because of the intense, gripping, and harrowing tasks undertaken by the narrator, but because of his humorous attitude that is maintained throughout the book. 

The mindset is simple: I can do it. A challenge is nothing more than an opportunity to grow and prove yourself. There will be tough times, times when everything seems lost, and it is your actions in these times that define you. Don’t take things weeks at a time, take it one little bit at a time; A challenge completed is a victory, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. The only easy day was yesterday. Hoo YAH! 

It is this mindset that allows me to wake up at 4:30 every morning and work out, and it is this mindset that allows me to maintain a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances. Of course I only began this routine a week ago, but I have already learned so much about perseverance and just keeping on keeping on. A distinctive example comes to mind when I think about this: Last Wednesday I was running and I got to the point where all I wanted to do was walk. I was tired, my feet were killing me, and I still had so far to go. So I said to myself make it past that sign and you can walk. Once I had passed that sign I said lets make it past that tree, and then you can rest. This went on for about two minutes before I realized I had reached my gate. I didn’t walk once. 

Everyone has told us that IB = death. We’ve been told that IB is impossible, that IB is horrible, and that we won’t make it. But if theres one thing I know for sure it’s that I will make it. I will get through Spanish, through global politics, through math, through everything and I will make it. You see that’s the SEAL mantra. Even when everything is telling you to quit, when things are only getting worse and hope seems lost, you must continue.

I may never be a SEAL, but I will earn my trident every day. I will support my classmates as best I can, and above all I will never give up, for that is the Navy way. A SEAL in a motivational video I was watching once said that the only way to break a man is to make him quit or kill him, and although it’s dramatic I believe that I cannot be broken. After all, if its bad, the best way to make it not bad is to simply do more of it. HOOYAH!

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Communication - The Key to, well... Everything.

So here we are, the 4th week of IB. It’s been almost a month since we kicked off this whole shebang, and I must say CAS has been working out brilliantly. It’s been a combination of hard work, self management, and of course, communication. But who do I have to communicate with? This is a solo project right? Well, the interesting thing Ive learned about CAS is that even though Ive chosen to do my own project individually, a large part of it still centers around communication. I have to coordinate with teachers, keep Ms. Amy informed, and generate interest among students to get them excited and energized. This week I chose to focus on communicating with teachers, specifically the Chirripo administration. After some excessive peer review by our all time favorite Lionel, I had molded my draft email to the administration from last week into a comprehensive, engaging opening to dialogue surrounding my project, expected dates, logistics, etc. It felt excellent to finally send the email, as it was one step closer to finalizing the dates for my entire project. I’ve realized that large part of success in CAS is finding the ability to appreciate the little victories; A finalized email may not seem like much right off the bat, but it is instrumental in getting the ball rolling for this project. Anyways, come Sunday Ms. Kerry had written me a very positive response, with a few clarifying questions and suggestions in order to get everything lined up wth the school schedule.

Overall, I believe that I used this opportunity to communicate my message very well. I was professional, concise, and positive which, as you can clearly see, paid off in the form of a schedule confirmation! I think the only thing I might’ve changed was including a bit more about my mission statement and goals I general, as the email did sound a bit light in terms of depth and sentiment. Regardless, I’m sure these coming weeks will be filled with more productive conversations and chances for me to truly demonstrate what this project means to me.

A question that I’ve already received numerous times is how will I be different from previous Model United Nations projects? The simple answer is immersion. Through my seminars and International Celebration Night fundraiser, I will educate the La Paz community and really just get them excited about this upcoming conference. I still distinctly remember kids from last year, on the day of the conference, coming up to me and asking “wait, what does MUN stand for again?” Now thats not to say that I thought any lesser of them, I just now better understand the lack of information given to these students prior to the big day. My goal is quite simply to avoid this kind of mass confusion, therefore streamlining the debate process and hopefully yielding more comprehensive results. Of course, Victoria’s project was phenomenal, and I know I’ve said it before but she has helped me so much its difficult to put into words. Getting to participate in Victoria’s conference both motivated and educated me on MUN, as I saw how passionate students were and how much everyone enjoyed that day. I also saw the impact Victoria’s closing speech and award ceremony had, and I am hoping to replicate that same strong sense of accomplishment and pride among the student body. Overall, my style of communication will be very similar to Victoria’s, just more active among the student body in terms of motivation and interest.

IB and CAS are no walk in the park, but so far I’m running strong and I look forward to the coming challenges! All they are is a chance to further prove myself.

[munlpcr]

Into the Storm - IB and CAS

Wow. All I can say is wow. It has been almost two weeks since we began the shool year as Juniors in the IB program that we had heard so much about. I must say, while there have certainly been some sizable challenges (as expected), I’m really doing pretty well. It turns out that when you stay as organized as possible and spread large tasks out over the course of the week things are much more manageable, who'd a thunk it? Anyways, I have gotten off on a pretty good start which is certainly half the battle. Additionally my CAS Gantt chart has provide me with a plan accurate down to the week, which is so incredibly helpful it’s difficult to put into words. I have so far managed to maintain my smart goal as I am getting good exercise and saving quality time for relaxation. I took today to really get a good, solid start on CAS. I have not only managed to reduce my budget by nearly 400$ (including die cast lapel pins for every delegate) and I have also included the link or place of purchase for every item on my spread sheet to ensure ease when ordering. I am proud to say that with a finalized budget this project feels significantly more manageable. Below is a screenshot of the finalized total as well as a link to the spreadsheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WjjQy8FMNO6RXtc4qKzCLH4MnCXvKVS-Seh0MDB8e3M/edit?usp=sharing

I have also taken another large step in my project, which was drafting an email to the entire Chirripo admin concerning my proposed dates, as well as the goal of my project. Of course, it is only a rough draft and has not been sent, but it is certainly encouraging to have made some really tangible progress in my project. All of this progress cane attributed in no small way to the CAS Gantt chart that we made during the first week of business HL. It has not only provided a visual aide as opposed to a simple To-Do list, but it also shows how spread out my tasks are, which is incredibly helpful when I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed. All in all, if I can continue this pace CAS might just prove to be a bit of fun!

Here is my email rough draft

All in all, I would say I am certainly managing. Granted, we are in the outer bands of the IB storm, but this is no doubt a good sign for this year. Another factor that has helped a ton with IB is surprisingly enough the US Navy SEAL’s and Marines mindset. They are truly prepared for and capable of doing almost anything, and the video we watched with the retired Navy SEAL has given me strength and motivation. I have even ordered a Navy SEAL flag to hang on my wall! Although IB isn’t nearly as bad as Coronado, waking up to a Marine Corp chant and making my bed always helps me start off on the right foot! The only easy day was yesterday! Hoo-Rah!

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LPMUN 1 Gantt Chart

Here it is, ladies and gents. This is the 7ish months of my CAS project planned to the T (and beautifully color coded if I do say so myself). It’s been quite the journey so far, and I’m excited to see where it leads. Below is the link to my Gantt chart, which is spaced out by week to provide a completely accurate plan. There is space for any adjustments necessary, as well as a complete list of project task. Thank you!

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cctdruaMnlZws3NHmkNPFqKLDoUFtxS_npEQ9x0q6XI/edit?usp=sharing

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What does it mean to be CAS (Cont’d)

Aaaaaandddd we’re back! After just a short commercial break (and a delicious bowl of cereal at 1 in the afternoon) we get to break down more of the true meaning about CAS. I don’t know about you, but this is starting to smell a little spiritual. We’ve covered C (Creativity) which leads us to our next category in this wonderful stream, activity. Now, per the IB definition, an activity project is one that involves a change, either mental or physical (such as learning a new sport or overcoming a fear). At first glance, MUN doesn’t come close to either of those categories. I mean seriously, it’s not like you're running around for an entire conference (although that would be very entertaining), so it’s not a sport. And you’re not really overcoming any fears... Right? Wrong. Let me tell you a story about a time where MUN helped me overcome one of my greatest fears that many people all around the world share. Public speaking. Let’s set the scene. It was a cool November in North Florida, and big MUN conference was taking place at the University of Florida (Go gators!). As I marched up the brick steps, holding my little purple binder and pens, I’ll never forget the feeling of being a little kid in a dress up suit, like I was in awe of all the confident, experienced looking older delegates around me. I was a freshman in high school, about to begin my first ever Model United Nations conference. I had my position paper, a whole into speech, nearly 30 pages of research (I might’ve broke my printer) and yet I’ve never been more nervous in my life. This nervousness increased by the power of ten when I walked into a 200 person conference room, complete with microphones and stadium-seating. Keep in mind I'm a nervous sweater and I was wearing a 3 piece suit jacket included. I felt like I might throw up. Anyways, fast forward thirty minutes, and I finally raised my hand to speak. Marching down to the podium I could feel everyone staring at me, and I kid you not I felt like I was walking to my own execution. I got up to the podium, and, surprisingly enough, I gave a measured, respectable speech, and it was in that moment that I learned a valuable lesson in public speaking. It’s not about being completely confident, it’s about making the audience think you’re confident, thus making your speech look professional and very impressive. Through MUN I hope to not only conquer some of my own fears, such as publicly speaking in Spanish, but also to help students overcome fear and teach them valuable skills about research and critical analysis.

^Not the exact room I was in, however it gives you a clear idea of how seriously MUN was taken at UF

Finally, we have the last category of CAS, Service. This category is one of the most heavily emphasized at La Paz, and it creates the basis for 99% of student projects as we are heavily encouraged to give back to the community, either school-wise or beyond. For me, this category was certainly the main one represented by my project. I will be focusing, for now, on the La Paz school community, educating students and parents alike on MUN and Global Politics/Awareness. I've discussed the main benefits of my project many times in terms of how it will help our community, but there is one that I believe I’ve failed to really touch on. One thing I think is key for a community is unity. Model UN unites the student body by having them face a single issue together, coming up with a collective solution through peaceful, professional debate, and just all having fun in general. This will be my service to our community. I will make it my goal to ensure that students are educated, informed, and unified! 

This will be my final journal entry until the beginning of school (t-minus four days, god help us all) and I want to leave on the note that I am ready for anything. Bring it on IB, Sam Hanson is coming to play ball. To end on a quote, although it’s a bit dramatic it certainly makes me feel better about IB.

“And so fate whispers to the warrior, You cannot withstand the storm. The warrior whisper’s back I am the storm.”

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What does it mean to be CAS?

Contrary to popular belief, CAS does not mean extended procrastination coupled with aggressive last minute planning. As a sophomore with many junior/senior friends I was able to get a firsthand look into the wonderful world of CAS. And, while the projects were all incredible, I certainly noticed a few which had been held off until the last possible moment or randomly handed to someone midway through the year. My goal this year is to redefine the way I look at CAS and IB. My goal is to be prepared for anything and everything, just like good ol’ Bear Grylls says.

But how does that in any way relate to the meaning of CAS? Is this simply another one of you tangent like digressions with no discernible connection to the main theme/title of this entry? No, unlike most of my other journal entries, this new mindset has a clear connection to my title. In order to truly understand something, one must first decipher its base purpose and meaning. In the case of people, one must understand a person’s greatest fear (Which, if CAS was a person, would be dashingly handsome and named Sam Hanson). Anyhoo, today we will get a special double entry analysis of the CAS categories (Creativity, Activity, and Service) and how they relate to my project.

First of today we have Creativity, which, although it sounds fairly simple, leaves a lot unanswered in terms of what it actually encompasses (a gray area, if you will). For me, creativity in CAS is twofold. The first part of creativity that comes along with a CAS project is really just figuring out what the heck your going to do for the next 18 months of your life. Creativity lies in finding a daring project, one that pushes the boundaries and most importantly hasn’t been done before. While this project may be similar to others in the past, its clear it’s never been done before. That category, ladies and gents, is where my project lies. Has MUN been done before? Certainly. Was it basically the reason you did your project as MUN? *Ehem* Um, well, possibly. So then how is yours any different?  The answer: Because it’s being done by Samuel Novak Hanson. Just kidding (that answer sounds a bit cocky oops). My project is different because my aim is not simply a single conference where students are left confused about what the heck is actually going on. My CAS project consists of an entire educational course leading up to a conference, informing students about all of MUN’s wonderful intricacies before casting them into the world of international politics and debate. My project aims to solve the issue of a naive audience while building on the enjoyment that was so clearly present among the student body with the last MUN school conference. The second part of Creativity in CAS is more related to the process of CAS itself. This is about finding creative solutions to the problems us students are faced with. MUN is a wonderful representation of this, as the whole goal of a conference is to find a solution to a very, very complicated issue. Believe me, nothing has ever put my creative juices to the test more than the topic issue of Women, Peace, and Hunger. It was nuts. This problem solving is very important in terms of  making it through the year without having a true mental breakdown. 

In short, creativity is a large part of both creation and problem solving within CAS, and in truth of La Paz itself. Stay tuned for my next blog, which will cover activity and service (it’s even more exciting than it sounds).

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CAS Rough Plan

Now that we’ve gotten our big ol’ summer reflection out of the way, its time to talk business. So fix your collar, take a sip of ridiculously over-caffeinated coffee (because what’s business without it) and be prepared for the best Creative Activity Service Rough Draft Plan/Timeline you’ve ever read!

First off we have the obvious question of -wait for it- funds. My current budget is set are 1,000 USD. Now, following a conference and review with Miss Amy Jacobs that is certainly subject to change, however it does bring into context the sheer scale of this project. Currently, I have to main revenue streams through which I plan on procuring these funds; the first is through online donations. I will create a digital announcement that will include a description of MUN, my mission statement, the benefits of MUN, and a few other factoids. At the bottom will be a link to a GoFundMe, allowing parents to donate money. This announcement will (hopefully) be posted on parents of La Paz, as well as my parents’ personal FB accounts. My hope is that this will allow to me begin passively fundraising early-on in the year, something that will be crucial in terms of timing for the actual main conference. My second, and what I consider my more “active” source of revenue comes in the form of the first annual International Celebration Night: Pot Luck and Fundraiser! This amazing night will be chalk full of world trivia, signature international dishes, music, games, and more! This night will not only allow parents to see the true scope of our project firsthand, but it will also unite the community in an educational, mind-opening experience. Finally, this night will provide an excellent opportunity to inform the parents about the United Nations, how it works, and why I’ve chosen to use it as inspiration for my CAS project. Now, my goal is to make this night available to the entire community, therefore the only fee will be an entry fee. It will cost $5 or 3,000 CRC per person, which will get you unlimited access to games, food, and trivia (prizes!). I’m also considering doing something where if you bring in a dish or dessert you can wave the entry fee entirely, which would hopefully motivate families to come and enjoy. Logistically, this night is set to be quite the challenge, however we will break that down as we move along.

Now that we’ve gotten the lovely topic of money out of the way, I feel the next, most important topic is that of a timeline. Of course, right now it is impossible for me to create an accurate-to-the-minute, day by day plan, however I can at least give you a rough idea of when I expect things to go down. School starts on the 3rd of September (Boy oh boy!). My current plan gives me September and October to prepare for seminars, finalize the budget, and adjust to the new school year in general. Then, in the first or second week of November, I will host my first seminar, which will include trivia as well as a general introduction to the UN, MUN, my hopes and expectations, and some beginner’s tips. December holds Winter Break (which I’m already waiting for) so obviously the only research done then will be by students on their own time. The second seminar, which will provide delegate information, strategies, etc. will be hosted the second week of January. The following week will (hopefully) be International Celebration Night, making January quite an action packed month. The third and final seminar will be held after spring break, and will cover procedures and rules for an MUN conference, as well as provide me an opportunity to inform students of the committees/countries they have been selected to represent. In May, I will have a few Q&A sessions for students to ask for specific advice on their countries and/or issues. The actual conference will take place the second week of June, which will give me time afterwards to reflect/digest the information I’ve gathered and observed. My hope is that this conference takes place on Thursday and Friday, although I know that will take some serious convincing teacher-wise. Phew! So there you have it. My master plan, all laid out, ready, set, and going. I don't anticipate this being easy, however I feel much more confident with a plan and a budget, and I am both ready and prepared for the challenges ahead! Maximum Effort!

*All dates subject to change

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And We’re Back! Summer Reflection

Boy oh boy is it good to be back! This summer has been absolutely incredible, no to mention one of the busiest I’ve had in a long time. Although it’s only been 6 weeks since the end of the 2017-2018 school year, it feels more like a lifetime and I have certainly learned some valuable lessons that I think will undoubtedly help me tackle this upcoming school year. My summer began with a week where I was able to unwind, relax, and say goodbye to my sophomore year. I was also able to reflect on last year and decide what I’d like to change/keep the same. While the majority of this reflection consisted of personal goals (such as eating healthier) there were certainly a few school-related that I feel are worthy of sharing. The main one, which I feel will be most challenging, is that I will start planning much farther ahead in hopes of avoiding leaving assignments till the last minute. Lets say I have a big presentation coming up (did someone say AOA?); now last year I waited until the night before to practice/memorize my presentation. Was it a complete disaster? Not at all. But it was certainly a very stressful experience, one that I am not eager to repeat. Therefore, instead of preparing a day before, I’ll prepare a week before. This will greatly lower my stress levels, as well as better prepare me for college. Procrastination is undoubtedly one of my largest challenges to overcome this year, but hey, you know what they say, challenges are just opportunities in disguise. Lord knows this year is going to bring a heck of a lot of Opportunities. Lots, and lots of opportunities. Anyhoo, following that week, I flew to the beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, where I attended Camp Carolina, a place where I had what I can only call a revelation about IB. This was my seventh year at camp, and its difficult to express with words how much I love it. This year I was a Second-Year Counselor Assistant (I know, fancy). This basically meant that while retaining my status as a minor and still participating in fun activities and trips, I was also paid to work. I did everything from cleaning/setting up camp meals to watching kids when their counselors went on leave. We also took part in multiple days of community service in the form of trail maintenance (News flash: Hornets don’t like being smacked with a pickaxe). Although it was rarely easy, these jobs at camp gave me my first taste of a formal job, and taught me that no educational program on this planet can be more difficult than trying to wrangle an entire cabin full of hyper-energetic 10-year-olds hellbent on playing the worlds most complicated game of hide and seek. Not a single one. A big part of the CA program is team building and bonding. You have to spend 3 weeks straight with a group of around 14 kids your age and four counselors. You will work with them, laugh with them, and overall experience some pretty personal moments. Therefore, in order to fast track the team building, all the CA’S undertake a 2 day 24 mile hike on the terrifically challenging Art Loeb Trail. And let me tell you, walking for 10 hours straight through difficult uphills and pouring rain teaches you a lot about yourself. Its also an excellent character builder, and I will attribute much of the change in my following revelation to that hike. So what did I learn? What has camp taught me in preparation for these upcoming months? To tell you accurately, we’ll start at the beginning. Prior to Cabin Duty (watching kids) my head counselor showed us some training videos about leadership, conflict-resolution, etc. Most of these looked straight out of the 80′s, complete with bad hair, terrible camera quality, and acting that made Sharknado 4 look like a Steven Speilberg film. But one of these videos stuck out, and boy did it strike me. The link to the full video is below 

https://youtu.be/U6OoCaGsz94

(I would highly recommend watching it before moving on). But after watching this Navy SEAL speak about his training and the Make Your Bed method, I realized that this attitude perfectly applies to IB. And so, my newfound approach to IB is that nothing is impossible. I can do it. The world is full of sharks, and all of them want to keep you from completing that swim. So, to draw from our favorite kids flick - Just keep Swimming! (Hoo Rah)!

P.S. - Below are a few pictures from camp, as well as a few depicting some of the arduous training Navy SEALS endure!

One of our lovely camp dances!

Who doesn't love Capture the Flag and Kitty face paint?

Just one gorgeous view featured on the 24 mile Art Loeb Trail

A scene taken from SEAL Training - Hell Week is a week with 5 days of zero sleep coupled with incredibly challenging physical workouts

P.P.S - Stay tuned, as next week’s installment with include an all-new CAS plan. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

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Balance: The Secret Key to CAS and IB

Now, one big question that comes along with IB and CAS is what will the following two years really be like? Because so far, let me tell you, it sounds lie it’s gonna fall somewhere between the Navy SEAL boot camp and an episode of The Walking Dead. I’m talking full on Sucksville USA, absolute grind, burn yourself out kind of thing. But is that really what IB is about? Should I just prepare to batten down the hatches and pray to whatever gods I believe in come September 2, 2018? Personally I would say no. Although it is a heavy workload, the creator of IB did not intend to ruin the lives of every single student he touched. Instead, I believe that IB is more of a test. A test of balance. Are you able to manage school, personal health, and a social life simultaneously, just as you will one day have to do when you live on your own? That is why we are given this course, to prepare us for the college and the our life ahead. So, on the theme of balance, this blog post will begin with a general plan and total amount for my rough, primary budget, and will end with an in-depth run through of one of my favorite, creative ways to stay balanced.

First off we have our budget. Now a budget is not simply a total of all the costs required for your project; a budget is essentially the first physical step into beginning a CAS project. It allows for you to create a plan for fundraisers as well as seek out any sponsors/donors. The budget I will be doing today will focus on 3 informational seminars, two fundraisers, and the first official LPMUN intra-school conference. Let’s get started with the seminars; These seminars will be in the form of powerpoint presentations with additional audience interaction. I had originally planned to hand out physical information packets as well, however in the interest of environmental sustainability I will instead provide a digital one that students (and parents) can print out. This means that the only cost I will have will be the prizes students can win by answering questions correctly at the end of each seminar. These prizes will consist of items us students consider more valuable than gold such as a) 3 packs of IceBreaker Gum b) a new pack of mechanical pencils c) a brand new school store shirt and many more. The rest of the budget will consist of the costs of the World Night Fundraiser as well as my first conference. I could go more into detail on those, however that would be a waste of time as you will be able to both access and view my spreadsheet below. Saving time is a huge factor in balance!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WjjQy8FMNO6RXtc4qKzCLH4MnCXvKVS-Seh0MDB8e3M/edit?usp=sharing

So, ladies and gentlemen, to quote FBI agent Adam Frawley; That, as they say, is that.But what about the other stuff? The fun, creative stuff? (Not that making a budget wasn’t an absolute blast). Well let me show you.

Ever since I was little, I’ve always thought in stories. At any one time, I have 20 something stories running around in my brain, many in completely different worlds with a wide variety of characters and plots. Of course it wasn’t until recently that I though to myself “Wow, some of these might be worth writing”. And so, with the firm encouragement of a very good friend of mine, I began writing, and I now have 5 books in the making. These books vary from the story of a high school kid who starts his own religion, to a group’s trek through the prehistoric jungles, to a compilation of random ideas and experiences from my personal life. Below is a screenshot of my first book, as well as links to all of them. Enjoy! (Constructive Criticism is always welcome).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e0wXDr9Po96XXbS3_s2wMWIH2LZ9gzSaxJfgZwS3jzI/edit?usp=sharing

Book 1^

https://docs.google.com/document/d/157bRh2dB5VgZgq7bsGDaxHwXrmw044yG6oKgelYbN8k/edit?usp=sharing

Book 2^

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13C-sD8mGflGGTThX2DfVvc64s6JpgNNqUZaqUFjUPAc/edit?usp=sharing

Book 3^

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QmbkUnvXulKInJsdxwz85GFXp55mZCfAts3moqiaarI/edit?usp=sharing

Book 4^

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HczZP6VOtrc1Yful_yi9rssHykNNpO2q3cjbNGBQxak/edit?usp=sharing

Book 5^

This has been an amazing first step in my CAS project, and I am very happy to have completed my budget! Today we’ll end with a quote, and although it is not related in any way to this blog post, I really like it. When famous bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he frankly replied “Because that’s where the money is.”

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And We’re Back!

It’s been almost 5 whole weeks since this CAS thing got kicked into gear, and I’ve got to say Tumblr is actually starting to grow on me. I mean after all who doesn’t love long, semi-rambling posts about Model UN interspersed by obscure book quotes and pictures? But that’s not why I’m here today. No, I’m here to discuss two factors of CAS that are extremely important and cannot be ignored. 

The first of these topics is something we haven’t really touched on in this blog; the ethics of Model UN. Now I know you're probably thinking how in the world could a small-scale MUN conference have negative ethical impacts? Trust me, it’s much more common than you think. Opinion in Model UN is a funny thing. Ideally, your arguments and statements should have absolutely nothing to do with your opinion, only the opinion of your given country. However, in the heat of debate this can be extremely hard to remember, and its those moments that lead to hurt egos and negative feelings, not to mention the occasional screaming match (those are really no fun for anyone). This is why for my pre-conference workshops, I will be putting a very strong emphasis on the actual etiquette of debate and collaboration within MUN. It sounds fairly simple, but learning to control emotions such as anxiety, fear (of public speaking), anger, and passion is a life skill that takes years to master, which is one of the things that makes being a politician so gosh-darn difficult. By teaching our student body about etiquette and respect, not only will my conferences be  much more effective conferences, but future debates both in class and out of it will be far more educational, professional, and respectful. But does respect in debate really fall under ethical considerations? The answer is a big fat y-e-s. This project is designed to promote peace; if all I do is generate tension and negative feelings among the student body, then my project will most definitely be unethical and quite frankly pointless.

The second topic we’ll be discussing is a bit different; how exactly am I planning on making seminars about MUN etiquette interesting to a bunch of highly energetic high school kids? Well the answer is relatively simple. I plan on using humor and very plain, straightforward language. I will constantly ask the audience engaging questions, allowing them to lead the presentation instead of me. I’ve found that when kids are able to ask about what they’re interested in, they actually pay attention. 

In conclusion, although this blog did not follow the exact prompt, I feel like I was able to touch on some very important ethical issues and concerns, especially in todays ever-evolving, international world. I am very pleased with my progress on this task so far, and I can’t wait to bless La Paz with the gift of Model UN! 

P.S.- Below is a quote from Kofi Annan, previous Secretary General of the United Nations and a man for whom I have worlds of respect.

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And So It Begins

Its been nearly 3 weeks since we first started seriously thinking about CAS and all that it entitled, and I’m excited to say that I think I’m ready to take this thing on. CAS in itself is not an impossible task by any means, but it forces you to confront and overcome personal obstacles associated with work ethics and motivation, as well as sharpen and reflect upon your already established strengths. CAS is a way to hone your determination, skills, and passion before you're thrown into the real life world, the deep end; and fortunately, thanks to CAS, you'll know how to swim (or at the very least tread water). And so, to officially start the show, welcome to my MUN CAS project and the three main things I’ll be doing to get started.

1. Research: The key part to any successful project is research, research, research! The more you know about you're topic the more effectively you'll be able to manage time and produce results. Organizing an actual MUN conference may sound like a one day half page plan, but in reality it is a very complex process. I must decide on a leadership structure, a committee schedule, topics, chairs, etc. Fortunately, I had the privilege of participating in the Inter-MUN conference of graduate Victoria Obando, therefore I’ll already have an idea of the most effective manner of organization. One unique factor that makes a La Paz conference just a tad more complicated is the factor of a bilingual student body. This means that there needs to be conferences in both English and Spanish, as well as topic guides, fluent chairs (people who lead the conference), etc. My plan for this step is very simple, I will basically use my research to formulate a plan based on what needs to be done and when, that way I can effectively form an agenda and I will not be caught unprepared. There are plenty of online resources for organizing and running a small scale MUN conference (pictured below), and I will also seek advice through the form of email from a variety of professionals in the field, including Michael Doyle, a man who (among many other things), served as special advisor to UN General Secretary Kofi Annan and has shared dinner with the Obamas. I’ve reached out to Victoria for her research and council, and I will email Mr. Doyle while I continue to carry out online research.

Featured above are just a few of the many sites I have begun consulting for this lovely, high-maintenance high-reward project of mine.

2. Basic Outline: As you all know, starting CAS in 10th grade is an excellent way to get a head start on whatever project you choose, however it does not mean that you are expected to have an exact plan complete with dates, times, and monetary amounts within the first 5 weeks. I tried this, and let me tell you that it does not work. Does not. No, just no. I felt a surge of anxiety because I felt unprepared and behind, which, despite the fact that that thought is extremely illogical, greatly affected my initial motivation for this project. Hence why I;’ve made my second step to, by this Friday, write out a basic outline of my car project, that includes rough conference dates, rough workshop dates, and an idea of when I need to order name tags, (paper) plaques, an award (A surprise for now!). In order to do this I’ll email Victoria about how ling ordering delivery took her, and I will also speak to teachers to see if they have any preferred dates. Overall, a basic outline will be an extremely effective step in initiating this beast of a project.

3. Basic Budget: My third and final step is a bit complicated, but fortunately I feel like the title gives a pretty solid explanation; think budget, but basic! Ok, ok,  relax, I’ll go into a bit more detail if my audience insists so. Essentially, this budget will include raw costs of the first conference in order to give me an idea of just how many fundraisers I’ll have to organize for this thing to work. Some general fundraiser ideas include an MUN trivia night, a 3 v 3 basketball tournament, and a raffle. My plan is to have this budget outline done by Wednesday of next week, as I will have to use aspects from steps 1 and 2 to get a realistic look at prices and logistics.

Now I know that all of this sure seems like a heck of a lot, and the simple question is how do I make sure I actually follow through? In my opinion, the best way to make sure something gets done is to do it as soon as possible without hesitation. This is the method I use for both Spanish homework and journal entries, and I know that personally it is extremely effective!

In general, I am extremely excited for this opportunity, and I feel ready to take this challenge head on. I have already begun researching and emailing, and I’ve learned that by setting dates for small goals you can remain motivated while feeling accomplished and prepared. This project is just getting started, and I hope you all are ready for a long ride of obscure movie referees, subtle complaining, sarcasm, and of course Model UN discussion every Sunday night. Thank you for reading and we’ll see you next week!

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Why am I doing this?

Contrary to how the title sounded, this blog post is not an exhaustion-driven reflection on why I’ve decided to take on a project that makes the Odyssey look like a walk in the park. No, this post is something else entirely; a simple(ish) explanation of why Im doing this CAS project and why Ive chosen MUN as my subject. 

The official purpose statement of my project is as follows: The purpose of my project is to educate students in grades 9-11 about current world issues, political functions, and UN policy through interesting, interactive debate and collaboration.

I really want my community to have the experience that I did. I want at least a few kids to walk out of these seminars and conferences and go “Wow, that was amazing, exhausting, but amazing.” I also want to help educate my peers about current world issues and happenings. Now this sounds like to could easily be taught in a classroom, but I can promise you that a situation studied in MUN will stick in your head for much longer than those taught in a classroom. I also want to help break the La Paz community school bubble. Now I know that sounds like a bad thing so let me clear it up. La Paz is a school based upon peace, and that means peaceful approaches to conflict. The United Nations is based upon that exact same principle, and it’s entire purpose. However, in life, there will be conflicts that you cannot resolve with words. There will at some point come a situation in which you are forced to defend yourself and your honor, and it is is that situation that I feel La Paz and the UN differ. At La Paz, any form of physical contact is highly frowned upon, even in cases where self defense is evident. The UN, however, along with MUN, teach a student how to critically evaluate a situation to decide what needs to be done and express that solution in a comprehensive, professional resolution. In my opinion, La Paz tends to shy away (likely no ton purpose), from the reality that our world is a very violent place with shootings and war and bombings at every corner. MUN helps students achieve this realization in a reliable, non-frightening manner, thus breaking the bubble. I hope that by breaking this bubble and at the same time providing the community with an educational, entertaining experience I will be able to teach valuable life skills and ignite a revolution of thought at our school.

An image taken from The Syrian Civil War.

UN Peacekeepers or “Blue Helmets” from Chile, responsible for maintaining security within Haiti.

Honestly, my main obstacle in this project so far is anxiety. Put simply, I have no idea how Im going to successfully complete this project while simultaneously maintaining good grades in other IB courses and a balanced life at home. I’m sure that once I’ve written my budget and overall plan much of this anxiety will dissipate, however for now it is no doubt my biggest obstacle. My second obstacle and perhaps less simple is the feeling that no one at this school really cares about MUN. It is a well known stereotype that kids my age tend to be selfish, and there has not been a whole lot of interest at my school surrounding global politics.  

All in all, my goal is to increase the sense of worldliness in our community. We tend to get so wrapped up in our own lives (which is completely normal), that we don’t even notice the things happening all around us, from that kid fighting for “Freedom” in Afghanistan to the Civil war in Syria. Of course, in order to do this, I have to overcome some personal obstacles and figure out how the heck I’m going to make it through CAS and IB. To quote some movie that I don’t know the name of, “Boys, life’s about to get real interesting.” 

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EARTH University - An Otherworldly Experience

I’d like to start this off by just saying thank you to every single student, staff member, professor, and administrator who helped and educated me (not to mention tolerated my whining about the brutal jungle weather) throughout my journey at Earth University. Throughout this trip I met students from literally every corner of the Earth, and almost all of them made the effort to make me feel welcome and help me adjust to a very new and in many cases unfamiliar environment. This of course made my stay a lot easier (especially when I thought I had to wait in line for juice), and it made me remember my first days at La Paz, when I was a kid from a small beach town in the US moving to a whole different country. I also had the chance  to hear some of the most awe-inspiring, unbelievable life stories that were deeply personal, and I am forever thankful to those who shared their intimate details with us. We certainly asked a lot of questions and we tried to help students learn English during a workshop, and I am very grateful to the students for keeping up good attitudes and an open mind. Obviously those students will see this post (my blog is pretty much world famous), but either way the trip made me appreciate the diversity of our backgrounds, and the way in which even complete strangers can find a common ground. I would also like to thank Memphis the Two-Toed Sloth for his warm disposition and very photogenic good looks!

Of course this trip was also an amazing learning experience that few students are fortunate enough to receive, and I would go as far as to say that this trip changed my perspective on life in general. One thing that keeps coming to mind ironically has nothing to do with farming, but instead of something Blake told us following his hectic and in many ways tragic life story. Many of us (myself included) were in tears when Blake stopped talking and looked at us. “Don’t cry,” he said. “Be happy, I am here with you now. Look how far I’ve come. There’s no reason to be sad.” This resonated with me on a deep level, and I learned that while those of us who are more privileged tend to pity or empathize people like Blake, we should instead be happy for them and celebrate how far they’ve come. Blake was an easy-going, approachable guy with a gorgeous, ever-present smile who helped me learn a very valuable lesson that evening. But no need to worry, I did learn an enormous amount of information about agriculture, domestic animals, and other sustainable practices. My favorite tidbit was how EARTH students used fish in a hydroponics system. At first they appeared to be purely aesthetic, however I quickly learned that not only did the fish provide a vast amount of nutrients for the plants, but the plants cleaned the water for the fish at the same time, removing harmful components such as ammonia that could otherwise build up and become lethal. These students had managed to create a cheap, effective hydroponics system based off a symbiotic relationship that has been present on this earth since the early years of evolution.

One of the best parts of this trip in my opinion was the chance to work on the organic farm with EARTH students. Dag and I found ourselves in the compost section, tasked with moving heaping, steaming piles of leaf matter from one tarp to the next using nothing but pitchforks (or trientes en Español, which sounds way cooler in my opinion), shovels and our own bare hands. The student who led us through this process did not share her name in the whole 4 hours we worked together, nor did she ask for ours, however we all worked together seamlessly. We were complete strangers from totally different backgrounds, different education, and different upbringings and yet she was nothing but nice, smiling patiently as I struggled to move leaves with the shovel and always quick to give us tips on how to make the work easier. In my opinion, that’s really what collaborative work is all about. The ability to set aside differences in language and opinion in order to focus on the task at hand and make work more enjoyable for everyone. Make no mistake, shoveling piles of semi-wet steaming jungle matter in humid, 98 degree heat is no fun, however having a student mentor made it significantly more enjoyable.

In terms of my CAS project, La Paz Model UN, this trip gave me a whole new, very personal perspective on how international crises can affect such as the Rwandan Genocide can affect individuals and families. I will also apply what I learned about how new agriculture techniques can conserve space and resources to hopefully help fight global hunger to my MUN workshops as part of an example resolution. In general, this trip has truly given me a new perspective of work ad education, as well as a variety of ideas as to how I can improve my science and CAS projects this year as well as in 11th and 12th grade. I was also able to have a blast while improving my ever-graceful river jump!

#Ipromiseimhavingfun

All smiles for EARTH!

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Motivation/Aspirations/ Strengths - Jumping into the Deep End

Every morning, I wake up and one of the very first things I do is I check the news. Some of its positive; the royal wedding, a new avengers movie; and yet the majority of the headlines glare with negativity. These headlines talk about issues such as an ongoing war in Syria, a refugee crisis worldwide, the ever-growing nuclear threat of North Korea, etc. Without context, it often seems like our world is falling apart in front of us, and this is a truly depressing revelation, one that I struggled with greatly in the beginning of my freshman year. Donald Trump had been elected president, and with that chaos ensued that made it nearly impossible to tell fact from fiction, much less nail down an accurate account of just exactly what the heck was going on. Then I discovered Model UN, and although it sounds cheesy, it truly changed my life forever. For the first time, I could actually discuss political issues with a group of intelligent, reasonable people. Opinions, backgrounds, prejudice, none of it mattered. Not only that, but I got the opportunity to try to solve the crises in an official, impressive way, and that was a very, very special feeling. Plus I got to wear a (dashing) new suit! So I guess you could say that Model United Nations is very important to me, and I want to spread that and help more people understand our very complicated, delicate political world.

I have a wide variety of goals in life, but one that I am particularly focused on right now is graduating from college. Of course, it’s not just about graduating for me, as I want to truly enjoy college, and I would like to major in something that truly interests and motivates me. This brings me to my next long term goal, which is to earn a degree in international law, political science, and psychology, as well as international relations. I believe that these are lively, fascinating topics that will provide wonderful career opportunities in my future, such as U.S. ambassador to the UN Security Council. My third and much closer goal is to actually start on my CAS project, which will consist of at least two MUN conferences, as well as a variety of informational presentations and workshops to help students understand and better prepare for the conferences. I can learn a great deal from previous CAS-MUN’s, especially the one earlier this year. Although it was clear that all students had an absolute blast (myself included), students were practically clueless as too how MUN actually worked, as well as what was expected of them. In these next years I hope to build on what I have learned and create a truly inclusive, immersive Model UN experience.

To tell the truth I have a very interesting work style. I typically do my best work with a strong due date, not too much pressure, but a deadline that will ensure I’m honest with myself in regards to workload and time. I also flourish when I have a rock solid plan in place, one complete with dates and specific tasks. I’ve found that I am a string person with people skills in general. I enjoy public speaking, especially with topics that interest me, and I am pretty good at explaining things to people in general, whether it’s MUN or math class. Over the years I’ve learned incredibly effective methods of public speaking, speech preparing, and arguing (I can be a bit stubborn).

Provided below is a) a plaque from my first MUN, conference, followed by b) a lovely group picture from the La Paz 2017 Conference, where I was lucky enough to take home Best Delegate. C) is a link to a resolution I helped create while on the NATO Committee during the FHSMUN 38 conference.

a)

b)

c) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ysN5IFjQVBT3X5XvqIgnGh_7oN4fDHZvUjC-tmpG_e4/edit?usp=sharing