(17, NJ, USA) Uliyana - Ivy League Model UN

If you do not know what Model UN is, it is where high school students simulate world diplomacy with more passion and debate than actual world leaders. It's the only place where getting a resolution passed feels like winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Policy. Now, rewinding to my first time at the Model UN conference in 2023. I was the least prepared in the room, terrified of talking in front of kids who seemed lightyears ahead in intelligence. So, I made a pact with myself: research, learn, and do everything humanly possible to own it the next year. You know the drill. Fast forward to my most recent conference at an ivy league (Model UN conference). You'd think Ivy Leaguers could spell "assemblies" right on the background guide, but nope, "ASSMEBLIES!!!" But to the point of most Model UN conferences – sounding like you know your stuff instead of actually knowing it, is the ticket to winning Best Delegate. I did my research on Private Military Security Companies (PMSC), or at least enough to have a basic idea of them. Yet, in the committee, hardly anyone knew that PMSCs get government contracts – a basic fact for discussing the ethics around them. I was shocked, and frustrated when a girl won Best Delegate with solutions that already existed in governments. This made me question if the chairs knew about the topic that was being discussed. Because, really, why would they let her win if the essence of Model UN is about “research and trying to find new innovative solutions?” Turns out Model UN is more about speaking with urgency, confidence, and emotion rather than providing a logical framework for problem-solving. And that is the real secret of Model UN success. But, in the grander scheme of politics and the real-world struggle against corruption, my Model UN experience reflects the unsettling reality that appearances often trump substance. Just as in the conference where confidence outweighed factual accuracy, politics often prioritize charisma over concrete solutions. The disconnect between knowing and sounding like you know, evident in my committee's lack of concrete research, draws parallels to the gaps in knowledge and ethical considerations within actual political decision-making. Which truly underscores the importance of cultivating a culture where informed, innovative solutions are valued over mere rhetoric in the pursuit of a more effective and ethical political landscape.