You’re on your way to the “Everest”; on the way, you notice the long carpet in

the lobby, the sculpture in the middle of the staircase—and most notably, the names of the various rooms. In maneuvering around the World Forum Convention Centre, you travel from the world’s continents to its oceans, rivers, and mountains. Yet one might stop and ask oneself: Why are the outside walls at the entrance so colorful? Why is there a rug in the foyer with all the continents on it? Why is it called the World Fo-rum? MUNITY sat down with the World Forum Convention Cen-tre’s General Manager, Mr. Michiel Middendorf, who explained the history of the WFCC, as well as the stories behind the different as-pects of the building.

The World Forum Convention Centre was established in 1968— the year of the first THIMUN con-ference. The General Manager di-rectly remarks upon this intimate bond THIMUN and the WFCC share and adds that: “WFCC is very proud to host THIMUN.” The WFCC aims to host ambitious international conferences, hence their slogan “Events that shape the world.” According to Mr. Mid-dendorf, it is quite logical that THIMUN is held at the WFCC because of the center’s history of hosting conferences with the aim of resolving world issues. Fur-thermore, the General Manager explains that THIMUN is an ideal way to start a new year for them, as it serves as a general rehearsal for the “real deal.” However, this certainly does not mean that they do not appreciate THIMUN’s im-pact on world affairs. In fact, the General Manager affirms that THIMUN may be the most fun conference to host in the centre, as it is an opportunity for the leaders of tomorrow to engage themselves in international politics.

In terms of the building, the General Manager comments that the building is something of a chameleon— the interior changes continuously from event to event: furniture is swapped, switched, removed and added for every specific conference held. Staff can customize the Conference Center of each group’s preference. For THIMUN, furniture is removed from the centre in order to accom-modate all the delegates. Yet there

are many aspects which remain unchanged, such as the sculpture on the central staircase. Made by Jan Verschoor, a Dutch sculptor, the artifact undoubtedly catches one’s eye when walking up the grand staircase. The colorful tiled wall right next to the entrance of the building, however, is an origi-nal from Karel Appel, a famous Dutch artist. Moreover, the Con-ference Centre’s staff dubbed the rug in the main lobby as “the long-est rug of the world.” The Confer-ence Center usually removes the rug when hosting THIMUN, so as to facilitate all the delegates. Un-fortunately, due to the rug’s incon-veniences, it will most likely be re-moved for following conferences.

WFCC is continuously being renovated on the interior, both in and out of sight of the Conference Center visitors. However, during the next two or three years, the conference center will undergo a series of more extensive renova-tions, as well as an expansion. The General Manager affirms that this large scale renovation is imperative if the center is to continue hosting such large-scale events. In terms of Novotel, the hotel in which many delegates reside throughout the duration of the conference, Mr. Middendorf explains that building the facility was indeed a necessary step in order to host all of the con-ference attendees.

As the WFCC is a Conference

Center of such high standards, one might wonder whether anyone fa-mous has walked these halls. In fact, last year Hilary Clinton was here for a conference; she might even have been sitting in the same chair you are sitting in right now. You could also be sitting in the same chair United States Presi-dent Barack Obama will be sitting in March 2014, when the Nuclear Security Summit will be held in the Conference Centre. And if it’s not your chair Obama will be sit-ting in, one of the other 53 heads of state visiting the summit might do so instead. In addition to such large-scale events, the Conference Center hosts the OPCW General Assembly every year, and every other year it hosts the General As-sembly of the International Crimi-nal Court, which is also located in The Hague. The General Man-ager explains that the Conference Center works closely with the City of The Hague to maintain their status as the ‘Legal Capital of the World’: hosting such events is the Conference Center’s aim, as well as the aim of the city of The Hague.

Have you ever wondered why you were sitting in a room called Mississippi? Or a room called Volga or Pacific? These names are inextricably linked to the Confer-ence Center’s slogan and name. In order to host international events, all the components that make up the planet should be present in the

building: the oceans in the base-ment; all seven continents on the ground floor; on the first floor the rivers; and in order to reach the world’s mountains, one must climb many steep staircases to reach the top of the building. All the compo-nents that make up the world are represented in the World Forum. Yet, one may ask: Why the Missis-sippi and not the Hudson River? The General Manager clarifies this question by stating that they simply used the largest and most important rivers, mountains and oceans. In certain rooms the dé-cor reflects the room’s name. For instance, in “Europe,” pictures of wheat cover the walls, symbolizing the wheat production in Europe. Moreover, in the “Antarctica” the walls are clad with photographs of ice.

Not only does Mr. Midden-dorf like THIMUN for what goes on behind the scenes, but he also truly believes in THIMUN’s power to make a positive impact on the world. Next time you are in a room, look at the name, the walls, the carpet. Next time you walk the carpet in the foyer, tread lightly and cherish the moment, for it may be the last time you see it. When sitting in your chair, re-member that this may be the chair Barack Obama sits on in March 2014— it may become famous.

h naftemunporikihttp://www.thimun.org/

Opening speaches cOnt’d

Cont’d in Page 2

the art, the nerves, and the Memorable Moments of the Opening speeches

As roll call came to an end on Tuesday, Adam Umemoto, the president of the General Assem-

bly, made a few announcements, cleared up some rules, and then called for the first seven countries by alphabetical or-der to give their opening speeches to the General Assembly.

Nervous energy was definitely pre-sent in the moments before the open-ing of the GA Plenary Session 2013. The World Forum Theatre was filled with delegates anxiously awaiting their turn to walk up on stage and give their speeches. Christina Ocampo, a delegate of Australia from the Zurich Interna-tional School, explained her feelings mere minutes before her speech, stat-ing: “I am excited and nervous all at the same time—which makes me really jittery.” Ocampo was not alone in her nerves; Jack Espe, a student from Zu-rich International School and a delegate for Bahrain, said, “I can’t think straight right now; I am so nervous.” This over-whelming rush of nerves is understand-able, considering that delegates must get up and speak in front of nearly 200 other delegates. This year, there are 124 ambassadors giving speeches for their re-spective countries.

T H E H A G U E I N T E R N A T I O N A L M O D E L U N I T E D N A T I O N SWednesday, January 30th 2013 / 1,00 € Issue 03 / 2013

Building Bridges

{2 # pOliticshOw is the internet

influencing pOlitics

Within the Walls of the World forum

Tomas Clarkson, British School in the Netherlands

Michiel de Jong Gymnasium Haganum

{7 {10

Zeina Abu-HijlehACS AmmanGabriella CiemnyZurich International SchoolKatelin QuanbeckBrussels American School

Despite all these ten-sions, the speeches went well overall. Unfortunate-ly, only three representa-tives from each delega-tion are allowed into the theater to watch the open-ing speeches. Therefore, MUNITY decided to give a rundown of some of the most memorable speeches for all of those who were not present.

The first speech was given by Afghanistan. Since it was the first, many delegates had high expec-tations. Alas, there were some who might have felt a bit disappointed, as the speech didn’t mention much other than the fact that Afghanistan is the first country in alphabetical order, and that the major-

ity of its people believe in “Allah”. But perhaps some of the delegates warmed to the speech and appre-ciated its conciseness. Af-ter Afghanistan’s succinct start, Albania, Andorra, Angola, and Armenia took the stage, delivering their own heartfelt speeches. The ambassador from An-gola, in particular, deliv-ered a line in his speech that resonated with many:

“Without energy, without sustainability, no country, no government can ever hope to solve any of the other issues that we will debate this week.” A striking statement from Belize concerning the re-moval of unexploded or-dinance took a similarly grave tone: “We will not be

able to create a sustainable future without cleaning up the debris of the past.” Ar-menia’s ambassador took a lighter approach with his closing remark, borrowed from Spiderman: “Because after all, with great power comes great responsibil-ity…”

While it seems that some delegates avoid the podium like the plague—such as the ambassador of Bhutan, who kept his speech to a mere sen-tence—many delegates threw themselves into the experience of speak-ing, experimenting with famous quotes, various techniques, and styles of speaking. One notable example of this was the ambassador of Cambo-

dia. He seemed intent on promoting his “marvelous nation” and the country’s “political bastions.” He made use of some rather flamboyant language, causing his speech to be a point of smirks and chuck-les throughout the World Forum Theater.

In addition to styles, diction, puns, and quotes for ambassadors to design their speeches with, many looked into their coun-try’s stance on the theme of the conference. Energy and sustainability wove its way in and out of the ma-jority of delegates’ speech-es, but the speeches also touched upon the most important issues for their countries and how the del-egation stood in reference to each. “It wasn’t really hard to work the issues that our country was most concerned with into our speeches once we’d done the research,” said Maya-Elena Beckley, a delegate from Croatia from the Brussels American School. “The only tricky part was determining which issue was most important to put into a speech.”

The procedure of the opening speeches aside, how the speeches were received is also important to consider. After all, be-cause many did not make

it into the World Forum Theater, there is probably some curiosity about this aspect. After speaking with some delegates, MU-NITY received myriad re-sponses such as that from Romane Prigent, a student from AIS Bucharest and a delegate of Barbados who expressed her feelings about opening speeches by stating: “I hope they are succinct in their speeches-it lasts long enough as it is.” We got the impression that many thought-open-ing speeches could get a bit “long-winded” after awhile, which is under-standable. 124 speeches, even at a minute long, can start to drag on, unless a delegate is intensely en-gaged. However, not all agreed--Seo-Yeon Lim, a student from the Ameri-can School of Las Palmas, expressed her excitement by stating, “It is going to be awesome-I can’t wait to hear some of the speeches, and I hope there will be some funny ones.”

Overall, there is no question that the open-ing speeches were a suc-cess. Tuesday morning undoubtedly stands as an encouraging beginning for the 45th annual session of THIMUN.

The Art, the Nerves, and the Memorable Moments of the Opening Speeches Cont’d

Silly Rabbit... Charms are for Delegates!

Some view lucky charms as nonsense, as immature trinkets

that mean nothing at all, while others are complete-ly dependent on their spe-cial lucky charms and dare not catechize the valid-ity of them. Lucky charms are responsible for getting people through impor-tant speeches or intense debates. Lucky charms calm the nerves and pro-vide a sense of comfort. To some, they are even a part of a culture or tradi-tion. Lucky charms range from a special necklace to a simple stretch before a big speech. However, whatever the charm may be, one characteristic they all share in common is that they boost the confidence of those using them.

Giving opening and

closing speeches and speaking in favor of or against amendments can raise anyone’s nerves, as he or she is required to get up in front of a large crowd. With that being said, many students here at THIMUN have been using their lucky charms this week. For Fleur De Braaf, her Tiffany heart necklace brings good luck. She explained that she will choose whether or not to wear the necklace on any normal day, but when she has an impor-tant event, she has to wear the necklace. Venessa Meng is wearing a lucky charm this week as well. She says she has “a flower and I wear it every day in my hair.” Meng isn’t sure exactly why she wears it every day, but she said she couldn’t imagine not wearing the flower. Ale-jandrina Anarz wears a lucky ponytail holder on

her wrist when she has any important event. She explained her reason by stating that she is “not very superstitious, but it is a custom.” Juan Auid-res Mesias also has a good luck charm. He said, “I check my tie.” In order for him to not turn really red or embarrassed, he checks to make sure his tie is okay before giving a big speech. For Tina Legesse, wearing a ring is her lucky charm. She needs to wear a ring in order to feel calm and confident, stating, “I need something tangible so I don’t freak out; I put it under to podium so no one sees it.” Sinan Hic-donme was once taught a little trick by a teacher that turned into his lucky charm. He stated that he is “not superstitious, but I do always open/stretch my arms before a speech be-cause my teacher told me it boosts your testosterone

levels.” Such charms are believed to bring these students luck. Whether they will or not is un-certain; however, they all make these students feel a little more relaxed and confident.

Lucky charms or su-perstitions are also part of certain cultures. Looking back in history, we can see that even the Ancient Egyptians believed in lucky charms. They would bury their dead in coffins with trinkets and jew-els because they believed this practice would con-firm a happy afterlife for their dead. Melina Taquis expressed how supersti-tious Greeks are. She ex-plained that when she was younger she would wear a small charm with an eye on it because it was said to protect you from the “evil eye”. She no longer wears this charm as she forgot it one time when she had

an important event, and it ended up being fine. Since then she feels as if it isn’t necessary for her to wear it all the time. In many sit-uations, like Taquis’s case, lucky charms change over time as one gets older and more mature. Nonetheless, Conor Rooney chooses his charms in a different way. He stated that “it chang-es-if something brings me luck, I will use it. But when it stops bringing me luck, then I switch to something else.”

A lucky charm or su-perstition may be silly or ridiculous to some. However, for the person using it, it is what helps them achieve success. It calms the person down and brings to the surface a sense of comfort and con-fidence that would other-wise go unnoticed.

2 FEATURES Wednesday, January 30th 2013 H NAFTEMUNPORIKI

EDITORS IN CHIEFM a r i a n a D o m i n g u e s C a r l u c c i A m e r i c a n I n t . S c h o o lVi c k y L i uJ o h n B u r r o u g h s S c h o o l

TEXT EDITORSS u h Y o u n g C h o i , M o n t ‘ K i a r a I n t . S c h o o lN o r a S t a i , A m e r i c a n S c h o o l o f P a r i sC h a r l o t t e S m i t h , A C S H i l -l i n g d o n

REPORTERSZ e i n a A b u - H i j l e h , A C S A m m a nM a i a A l f a r o , B a l b o a A c a -d e m yJ a c k B l e t h r o a d , J o h n B u r -r o u g h s S c h o o lG a b r i e l l a C i e m n y , Z u r i c h I n t . S c h o o lM i c h e l d e J o n g , G y m n a s i -u m H a g a n u mM e g a n J o h n s , G r a n g e S c h o o l sA n t o i n e L e b r u n , I n t . S c h o o l T h e H a g u eN i c o l e L e s t e r , B r i t i s h S c h o o l i n t h e N e t h e r l a n d sT i f f a n y M a u t h , A m e r i c a n S c h o o l o f P a r i sK a t e l i n Q u a n b e c k , B r u s -s e l s A m e r i c a n S c h o o lT h o m a s R o s o s c h a n s k y , A C S H i l l i n g d o nA n n a S o e r , L y c e e F r a n c a i s V i n c e n t v . G o g hE l l e n S m i t h , G r a n g e S c h o o l sA l i c e T o w , E l l e s m e r e C o l -l e g eI r e n e Y u , P a c i f i c A m e r i -c a n S c h o o l

LAYOUTN o a h L e h r e c k e , J o h n F . K e n n e d y S c h o o l B e r l i nV i c t o r i a P a i r e t , I n t . S c h o o l B r u s s e l sT y l e r P a y n e , I n t . S c h o o l B e i j i n gJ a m e s R o h , I n t . S c h o o l B e i j i n g

PHOTOGRAPHYT a m a r a B a t a s k i , A m e r i c a n S c h o o l o f K u w a i tT o m a s C l a r k s o n , B r i t i s h S c h o o l i n t h e N e t h e r l a n d sD a n i e l C o l e , D w i g h t L o n -d o n S c h o o lC h r i s t i n a L e n n a r t z , J o h n F . K e n n e d y S c h o o l B e r l i n

Gabriella CiemnyZurich International School

TEAM MUNITY

Tomas Clarkson, British School in the Netherlands

George Samander, Greece, International

School of Curacao

My funniest THIMUN experience was the proposal in the general as-

sembly on the last day {last year]

“

Jack Blethroad, MUNITY, John

Burroughs School

I was ordering buffalo wings and chips, and was asked by the server if I wanted ketchup

with the chips. I gave her a weird look and said ‘Ew,no!’ Then, she clarified that she meant

fries and the entire table laughed at me.

“

THIMUN. We’ve all sac-rificed so much for it.

Every single one of us is missing a whole week of school, trying to catch up with work in our free time, piecing together any reso-lutions we haven’t finished yet and making sure our policy statements sound of-ficial. On top of that, most of us are sleep deprived, jet lagged or just worn out. But how much do we really put in jeopardy? And why do we put so much at stake?

Before THIMUN even began, delegates were jug-gling homework with pre-paratory work for the week, trying to make sure every-thing would go successfully and their resolutions would be passed. Delegate Carolina

Nygren, from the American School of The Hague rep-resenting Pakistan, seemed to deal with the extra work fine, saying “If you are or-ganized, you are okay.” Some have even suffered the lack of sleep but re-mained optimistic through the whole situation. Brandy Oliver, a delegate for Gabon belonging to the American High school, told MUNITY, “It meant some all-nighters, but it’s fine.”

For many, THIMUN has come at the worst time pos-sible. Representing Mongo-lia, Carmen and Barbara from the American School of Madrid told the press team, “We are missing a couple of exams.” Carmen said, “We have a lot of work to catch up on… I have exams, a project, an internal assess-ment… “ Zaki Gulamani, a delegate for the United Arab

Emirates from the British School of Paris, could only explain the workload with one word, “brutal”. For some, it gets even worse; Su-shmit Ray from the Interna-tional School of Eindhoven sighed and stated, “For IB Higher Level Math I’ll have to catch up on a whole chap-ter.” Knowing the difficulty of Higher Level Math in the IB, I personally offered Sushmit a hug. However for others, it’s not the end of the world as they could not have possibly chosen a better week to leave their school. For the International School of The Hague’s Thomas Litan, representing CEN-SAD, he explained, “It’s the week after test week so we’re all recovering; we’re all just waiting for the marks to come in and just going over tests.” Luckily for some delegates, Thomas’ situation

is strikingly similar to theirs, which allows them to work more on their resolutions, enjoy making new friends and hanging out with their own school at night.

So why go through all this inconvenience when there is so much to catch up on the next week? When asked why THIMUN was so important to the delegates, the answers were pretty obvious. Anthony Whit-field, a tall representative of Senegal with dreadlocks from the Heidelburg High School, said that this week was “more important than school, but less important than girls.” Although it may sound controversial, there are many delegates who agree with Anthony, as THIMUN may have its workload, but meeting new people and creating connec-tions is equally as important

of an experience. Sofia Fol-gado, from the International School of Valencia, a del-egate for El Salvador, said THIMUN was “something different we need to expe-rience.” Equally important, many delegates are partak-ing in THIMUN in order to attain school credits. Daniel Jesus Aagaard Soto, a Euro-pean Union delegate from Herlufshom, Skole said he participated for the IB re-quired CAS hours.

And yet, the sacrifice does not end. In the case of the International School of Eindhoven’s representa-tives of Ghana, the trip to The Hague was only a two hour train ride, contrasting to Belgian delegation’s Al-exandra Cain, from Park Tu-dor School, eight hour plane ride with an additional cou-ple of hours on a bus. Whilst some had to watch a movie

to make time pass by on the train, others are probably recovering from intense jet-lag.

THIMUN is infamous for its notorious demands of work, time and effort to please its system, forcing delegates to get through many different assignments, debates and a persistent working attitude to ful-fill their duties. However, there is a reason people suf-fer from “Post-THIMUN depression.” As mentioned before, the experience of enjoying nightlife and mak-ing new connections seems to be incredibly rewarding. Therefore, the countless hours, several resolution re-writes and loss of precious sleep are definitely worth it.

Chairs are undoubt-edly an essential part of THIMUN. They

recognize delegates to take the floor, discipline those who speak out of place, se-lect resolutions to be dis-cussed, and ensure that the conference runs smoothly and democratically. Given the difference of their role in comparison to that of a delegate, it seems natural that the structure of their day would be different as well. From chair to chair, the schedule changes, but there are still some aspects of their days that remain the same.

The life of a chair is challenging to say the least. Their day begins early with

a briefing at 08:15. After the second day of the con-ference, the tolerance of this early start seems to be wearing thin, evidenced by Marc Bertandias of the En-vironment Committee, who complained that THIMUN begins “way too early”. The chairs then wait for the ar-rival of the delegates, who should appear by 9:00, but are late from time to time. When the students do ap-pear, the chairs begin a pro-cess of silently surveying them, discussing amongst themselves who the best looking delegate in the room is, or which delegate seems the most likely to cause them trouble. How-ever, these judgements do not really affect the dynam-ics of the room, as it is the chairs’ job to ensure that the

debate flows well and fairly, and therefore they cannot decide who is allowed to speak based upon these pre-conceptions.

With these observa-tions in mind, the chairs begin their job of directing the committees; helping to shape the line of debate and the mood of the room. Many chairs will make some con-cessions to humor, allowing some jokes; but most would argue that the best approach to chairing is to be balanced. Maintaining control is im-portant to gain the respect of the delegates, however, it is also necessary to be ami-able and approachable. This balance is best articulated by Laurent Hooimeijer of the Security Council, who compares the chair’s role to that of a father - “strict

when it needs to be strict, but in general open and al-ways trying to help in what-ever way I can”.

Opening speeches are a time when chairs can sit back and enjoy an enthusi-astic performance from the delegates, but the period also provides a chance for a snack. For many chairs, snacking during the day is vital to keep them go-ing throughout the long THIMUN hours, especially given the fact that lunch is often very rushed. Whilst chairs are allocated the same eating times as delegates, it is more common for chairs to spend their lunch hour checking resolutions, scan-ning notes for anything that needs to be answered quickly, and cleaning up the mess left behind in the con-

ference rooms. Therefore, lunch for a chair normally involves eating quickly and then rushing back to the conference room to greet the delegates. Chairs, who are less lucky, are some-times forced to sacrifice their lunch. As Natalie Hongchoy from the Envi-ronment Committee put it, the lack of lunch is “why the chairs are so skinny”.

Once the delegates start to debate, chairs listen care-fully to ward against any inappropriate comments. Chairs also need to pay at-tention to make sure that if anyone asks them a ques-tion, they are able to answer the question properly. In general, an attentive chair contributes towards a better conference for all. Mainly, however, chairs believe that

a relaxed approach to chair-ing is often the best method, or as Cemre Paskoy, chair of the Fifth Committee, ar-ticulates, chairs must make sure that delegates “have a fun time”. It is important to the chairs that they do not dominate the conference and that they instead allow the delegates to “make the debate”.

For the chairs, the day at THIMUN not only starts earlier with a debriefing, it also ends later with another debriefing. At 18:15, the chairs are some of the last people to leave the World Forum, heading home to get some rest, so that they can rise again tomorrow to chair another day.

A Day in the Life of a Chair

Thomas RososchanskyACS Hillingdon

FEATURES 3What was your

funniest THIMUN experience?

H NAFTEMUNPORIKI Wednesday, January 30th 2013

Benefits Gained Outweigh Sacrifices Endured

Ellen SmithGrange Schools

Looking at Things From the Chair’s Chair

My funniest THIMUN experience was in 2012 when I was an expert on the Advisory Panel and a few of the other experts danced to LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy

And I Know It” on the last day of the conference.

“

Suh Young Choi, Text Editor of MUNITY,

Mont’ Kiara International School

Global Warming: The Reason You’re Wearing a Coat

Ready to face the bitter cold, you stuff your suitcase full of warm

boots and jackets. You’ve just heard the Daily Mail’s report on the 5000 schools that have been shut down in Britain due to extreme cold, the 1000 flights un-able to reach their des-tinations in the snow, the hundreds of lives lost throughout the merciless winter months— all due to this winter’s brutally low temperatures. What some call “The Big Freeze” is consuming our news channels and consequently makes it easy to scoff at the global warming theory. As you walk into the World Forum for this year’s THI-MUN conference with your mind set on the en-vironment-focused theme, this might have occurred to you once or twice. Could scientists be wrong about global warming?

In fact, the cold might provide further evidence that it is happening. The Independent reports that after analyzing the Arctic’s hottest areas during the summer, a scientist named Vladimir Petoukhov and his team concluded that, absurdly, the temperature in some of the Arctic’s ice-

free regions could be the source of these shockingly low temperatures. How can heat cause cold? According to Petoukhov, it’s all about wind patterns: now that sections of the ice cap that encases the ocean are gone, the water’s heat dissipates

into the freezing cold at-mosphere. This creates high pressure, and the clockwise winds that sweep down into the Polar Regions carry cold wind towards Europe and the British Isles. As a result, we are forced to pack on more layers.

Despite these findings, future winters will most likely be warmer, too. Dec-ades from now, the polar airs’ circulating cold will not be enough to counter the ef-fect of greenhouse gases. “So it’s a transient phenome-non,” says Stefan Rahmstorf,

a German oceanographer and climatologist. “In the long run, global warming wins out.”

Even if you are not convinced by these find-ings, it is undeniable that one small change—one di-version from the regular

pattern— is not enough to disprove the masses of evi-dence supporting manmade climate change. The Times describes thinking other-wise as a “danger for us all.” The world is giving us mixed signals, and though it might be frustrating and confus-

ing, we must not let natu-ral fluctuations distract us from the seriousness of the consequences of our ac-tions. As the Intergovern-mental Panel of Climate Change assures, “Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is un-equivocal.”

While environmental issues may seem abstract and intangible, they are quite real and immedi-ate. Without an earth on which we can live, con-cerns about unemploy-ment and corruption will be of little, to no impor-tance. That being said, the environment could easily be considered one of the most important issues the world faces today, and is undoubtedly deserving of being the focus of the THIMUN 2013 Confer-ence. Don’t let the cold throw you off! Acknowl-edge the importance of is-sues discussed at this con-ference, even when the world seems to be freez-ing, rather than warming.

Delegates of a Feather Flock Together

Clique— what is a clique? It’s an exclu-sive group of people

who find themselves drawn together by some obscure reason. We are all aware of the infamous, stereotypi-cal cliques that form dur-ing our academic careers; after all, it’s because of the stereotypes each individual belonged to that their high school years are often so memorable. Even long af-ter graduating the recollec-tions live on, engraved in

the brains of alumni—who will undoubtedly look back on the unique experience of being in a clique.

Yes, unique—because no one experience is identi-cal to the other. Each group compiles different episodes of friendship. You might have been a jock, a cheer-leader, Prep, or a Goth. Maybe you were a partier, a nerd, or a rich kid. Perhaps you found yourself to be an athlete, tomboy, a theater kid, or a band geek at heart. Every clique thrives on days packed with action, com-edy, drama, and emotions.

But as the saying goes, ‘birds of a feather flock together.’ So sharing a common inter-est with others leads to this ‘social segregation,’ despite shared motives for fun-filled days and lives. That being the case, are there cliques present at THIMUN? See-ing as it is a mock-UN event, cliques should be based on policy. After all, essentially, the action depends on the position of countries in real-ity.

However, this does not seem to be the case. As Ben Portsmouth of Disarmament Committee 1 expressed,

“there are many different reasons behind the groups that form during THIMUN.” For one, there is the prominent idea of leader and fol-lower: the sheep theory. There are those who take initiative, bringing del-egates together

and taking hold of the sit-uation—‘the shepherds.’ Mallika Bhandari from En-vironmental Commission 1 observed, “up till now, the delegation from Australia has proved to be incredibly strong”. As Nick Young, a delegate from Australia in the Disarmament Commit-tee 2, confirmed, “We just enjoy debating and, more importantly, we are willing to get involved.” Delegates taking the lead seem to be a key factor in the forma-tion of groups here at THI-MUN, not to mention it significantly increases their chances of main-submitting.

On the other hand, each group is comprised of the quiet followers—a complex part of the group on many levels, according to Portsmouth. “There are those who never explain their opinion, yet still vote against a resolution or an amendment. And then there are the quiet people who rarely speak even though they have so much to say.”

Nonetheless, as Bhandari points out, “some of the so-called ‘quiet people’ are here as a learning experience.” Because of this, they do not have the same incentive to be a main-submitter, and take on a less-prominent role in the clique.

Then, there are those who come to THIMUN fueled by zeal. They relish the challenge to become a main-submitter, sometimes almost to the point of fanati-cism. Such delegates con-gregate, but the overflow of passion often splits the group.

Without a doubt, the tense atmosphere that sometimes permeates in the conference must be allevi-ated. Therefore, as Ports-mouth rightly states, “MUN needs comic relief.” Maybe that’s the reason for all the talk of the Norwegian del-egation? The humorists of the conference, the Norwe-gian delegates have acquired a reputation of being funny and rather entertaining. In

addition to filling each com-mittee with laughter, they are reputed to represent their assigned country with utmost accuracy.

In the end, when it comes to groups at THI-MUN the deciding factor is a country’s aims, political po-sitions, and foreign policies. Nonetheless, at this point factors such as attitude, ap-pearance, and character are arguably just as important. Chandler Sterling, a delegate in General Assembly 1 from the American School of Par-is, clarified, “because we’re not professionals, we often judge on personality rather than purely ideas.” This point is elucidated in the groups formed during the conference and through the process of main-submitting. That being so, it is evident that while we are set in this adult environment and seem to be solving world issues, as students, we lack experience and still have much to learn before we reach such a level of professionalism.

4 FEATURES Wednesday, January 30th 2013 H NAFTEMUNPORIKI

Maia AlfaroBalboa Academy

Tiffany MauthAmerican School of Paris

Tamara Bastaki, American School of Kuwait

Do your research, be well prepared, and be confident!

“

Chnning Yang, Jordan, Shanghai Foreign Language School

Be open to talk to people you don’t know.

“

Alexander Jordan, Germany, International

School of Brussels

Tamara Bastaki, American School of Kuwait

On Monday, THI-MUN got off to a hectic but produc-

tive start. Delegates in the Special Conference began their hard work on the is-sue of shale gas and sus-tainable energy— writing resolutions on the issue of economic growth with en-vironmental stewardship in mind. The process com-menced with intense lob-bying. The delegate from Nepal described it as “tiring and strenuous, but proved to be fruitful and gratify-ing.” Some of the diligent delegates even chose to stay behind during the opening ceremony to finish their resolutions. One top resolu-tion boasted over 60 co-sub-mitters, which, according to the delegate of France, was “by far the highest” they had ever seen. Also notable was the resolution submitted by the delegates of Switzerland and South Africa, which had over 50 co-submitters. They pointed out that the key to their success was their abil-ity and willingness to nego-tiate and network with oth-ers.

The majority of the Spe-cial Conference resolutions were written on shale gas and its effects. Shale gas is a type of natural gas that is formed from being trapped within shale formations. Shale is a fine-grained, clas-tic sedimentary rock com-posed of mud consisting of a mix of flakes of clay min-erals and tiny fragments

(silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. Shale gas is pri-marily found in the United States and is of serious inter-est to chemical and energy companies. Its potential has not been fully utilized in the past because the technology required to do so had not yet been developed. Now, it is the job of THIMUN del-egates to write resolutions to address securing equitable access to these resources for all countries.

According to the del-egate of Yemen, no one in the Special Conference is entirely against the use of shale gas as a resource in the future. However, the undecided group has di-vided themselves into two competing resolutions. Ac-cording to several delegates, the spilt occurred because not all member states were able to come to an agree-ment. Interestingly, multi-ple delegates have pointed out that the two resolutions are extremely similar, if not the same in what they are trying to accomplish. The difference lies in the way lobbying is organized. The main submitter for Special Conference Commission 1’s resolution seemed to be con-sisting of articles from one sole delegate, while the sec-ond group seems to have in-corporated a wider range of ideas into their resolution, and is more willing to com-promise. Due to the nature of these two groups which were formerly united, many delegates are saying that it will be interesting to see the two groups debate later on

in the conference. Although most of the

resolutions were on the topic of shale gas, other del-egates wrote about differ-ent yet related topics. The delegate of France, for in-stance, researched the topic of sustainable energy and its relation to another vital is-sue: job creation. France’s allies and co-submitters, as well as a few other MEDCs, will also be debating this topic. The development of sustainable energy is not only essential long-term for the environment, but it also has great potential to create

many new jobs in utilized in the future. The promise of job creation will play a key role in how much developed countries invest in sustain-able energy in the future.

On Tuesday, these del-egates were treated to a key-note speech by Dr. Haelsig, from Flvor Company, on the importance of sustainability. In direct correspondence to their resolutions, Dr. Hael-sig chose to focus his presen-tation of different forms of energy such as shale gas. He opened with the statement “Sustainability is engineered technology. Sustainability

is necessary.” He made it abundantly clear that the presentation was his own, and not forced upon him by his employer.

Throughout the speech, Dr. Haelsig demonstrated his knowledge of science, business and government, and how the three can coex-ist and work together. To or-ganize his ideas, he present-ed three main pillars of his sustainability philosophy: economic growth, environ-mental stewardship, and social progress (in the form of education). He believes that these will motivate and inspire people to be more aware and conscious about energy use. It was driven home that persistence is es-sential to long-term change, which is facilitated by or-ganizations like Greenpeace and the Green Party.

Dr. Haelsig succeeded in not only identifying the problem, but in present-ing specific and practical solutions. For instance, he encourages building manu-als for architects and con-struction workers. These help guide in the building of airports, railroads, and factories, and ensure that things are being done in a sustainable manner and that specific regulations are met. Moreover, he asserted that “the right to pollute costs money.” This means that no tax breaks will be given to companies that do not com-ply with government regu-lations and meet specific targets. Here, he pointed out that while more sustainable technology is more costly now, over time businesses

who invest will save money due to steadily rising energy costs. That being said, he hopes that companies will use profits to continue in-vesting in green technology.

Dr. Haelsig also did a thorough job in explaining the future of sustainable en-ergy. He began by empha-sizing the need to reduce CO2. Shale gas, readily available in the U.S., could reduce greenhouse gasses by 3% compared to regular oil. Although it may seem small, every improvement can make a difference. How-ever, sustainable energy cannot work for the masses unless it is affordable. He noted the ability of chemi-cal engineers to advance green technology and ulti-mately lower prices, even though they were the ones who originally “brought us into this mess.”

He concluded by en-couraging his audience of THIMUN delegates to con-tinue their leadership. “I don’t envy you,” he said with some hesitation, “but I admire your hard work.” On a positive note, he men-tioned how much progress has already been made and the potential for future gen-erations if they continue to be educated. His admittedly bold closing remark was that it doesn’t matter if peo-ple caused climate change. Whether human activity or simply weather patterns are, he asserted that because it is happening, we cannot choose to ignore its effects on our “one planet earth.”

Special Conference Talks Sustainability

Dr. Haelsig succeeded in not only identifying the problem,

but in presenting specific and practical solutions.

CONFERENCE NEWS 5What tip would you give to new

THIMUN delegates?

Be open minded and try to accept ideas that rebel yours. These delegations/people come from everywhere so a lot of them will have perspectives opposing yours. Re-

spect and accept them.

H NAFTEMUNPORIKI Wednesday, January 30th “

Jack BlethroadJohn Burroughs School

THIMUN Loosens its Tie

Tuesday was a messy day; no one was sure where to be or what

to do. Most delegates were “on break” throughout the day, and could be found walking around the build-ing. Few chairs were in their rooms, and most could not be found. Outside the Press Room, numerous main and co-submitters were sit-ting on benches and talking while waiting to be called on by the approval panel. In general, most of those roam-ing the hallways were from the General Assembly com-mities on Tuesday, while on Monday they were from other forums, such as the Environmental Commission

and the Disarmament Com-mission. THIMUN is arguably quite different this year: last year, the chairs kept delegates on a tighter leash and delegates would spend hours debat-ing resolutions— begging for a lunch break on the second day of the confer-ence. This year, however, it seems as if the delegates were pleading for the de-bates to commence. As the day progressed, the chairs attempted to gather the del-egates back to their respec-tive rooms in order to start debating. “I have a break until 13:00,” said Aya Bsei-so after being let out for a break at 10, “I don’t know what to do until then.” Hamza Bilbeisi, a wandering delegate from GA2, thought

it would be a good idea to watch the opening speeches in the World Forum Theater so that he would have some-thing to do during lobby-ing time. In GA5, delegates were socializing out of bore-dom.

Two delegates from ECOSOC, Abby Balfour and Emily Butka, representing the Philippines, came to the conclusion that the chairs were stalling because they “ran into printer problems”

or something of the sort. According to them, Tues-day was a very “laid back” day where people were put-ting “the finishing touches” on their resolutions. Del-egates were mostly “hang-ing out” and trying to fill in “empty time” because there was “more time this year to lobby” and they weren’t too sure why. In ECOSOC as well as most other com-missions, delegates started debating resolutions signifi-

cantly after lunch. Tuesday was unprofessional, if any-thing, even though every-one was dressed for a profes-sional day. Many delegates are now looking at the pos-sibility of pursuing a differ-ent position in next year’s THIMUN conference after being unimpressed with the role of a delegate. Mehraan Keval, a delegate who was quite disappointed by the day’s slow start, claimed that he would switch to MUNI-

TY next year if this mayhem continued. Whether it be a chair, photographer, admin, or even the president, there are many positions that a delegate can apply for.

As for Tuesday, the con-ference has taken a bumpy start. Nevertheless, it seems as if the delegates still have high hopes and look for-ward to better organized and more productive days throughout the rest of the week.

Zeina Abu-HijlehACS Amman

Christina Lennartz, J.F.K School Berlin

Tamara Bastaki, MUNITY, American

School of Kuwait

Christina Lennartz, J.F.K School Berlin

6 PHOTOS - DELEGATES AT THEIR BESTGeorge Samander,

Greece, International School of Curacao

My funniest THIMUN ex-perience was the proposal

in the general assembly on the last day [last year].

Suh Young Choi, MUNITY, Mont’ Kiara

International School

My funniest THIMUN experience was in 2012 when I was an expert on the Advisory

Panel and a few of the other experts danced to LM-FAO’s “I’m Sexy And I Know It” on the last day of the conference.

Wednesday, January 30th 2013 H NAFTEMUNPORIKI “

DELEGATES AT THEIR BEST - PHOTOS 7What was your

funniest THIMUN experience?

I was ordering buffalo wings and chips, and was asked by the server if I wanted ketchup with the chips. I gave her a weird look and said ‘Ew,no!’ Then, she clari-

fied that she meant fries and the entire table laughed at me.”

H NAFTEMUNPORIKI Wednesday, January 30th 2013 “

Jack Blethroad, MUNITY, John Burroughs School

MUNITY photographers

‘Flag’nificent Nations

Did you know the stripes in the Uru-guayan flag repre-

sent the nine original de-partments of Uruguay? Or

that the colors of Kuwait’s represent their deeds in white, their battlefields in black, their meadows in green and the blood spilled in red? I’m sure you MUST know the Union Jack flag represents the union of Eng-land as the red cross, Scot-

land as the white and blue background and Northern Ireland as the red diagonal cross. Whilst some countries may have obvious meanings, such as the American and Brazilian flag having stars to represent each of their states, flags of countries all over the world contain meanings and history which are quite vague to the world of common knowledge. There are many delegates who may understand their country’s policies, stances on issues and alliances, but when it comes down to the country’s struggles through-out history, this may be seen as obsolete knowledge for the delegates. The meaning behind flags contains the values of a country and what these countries fought for. In regard of that, MUNITY has also asked some of the delegates what their flags mean to see if they truly know their country.

Many countries’ flags tend to represent their strength, whether it’s on the battlefield or in their independency. Nepal’s sun and moon symbol stands for the idea that the coun-try will last while the sun and moon remain, which in plain English means they will live on forever. Though the incomplete shape of the flag symbolizes the moun-tainous topography of Ne-pal, some also believe it rep-resents how Nepal will be victorious forever, as well as

representing their two ma-jor religions, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Other countries also fo-cus on the beauty of their lands and views rather than solely concentrating on their power and conquests in war. The Japanese flag’s red circle represents the sun, also believed to be the rising sun which comes up over the Japanese islands and guides the people towards their destiny. Brazil’s stars may represent the states of the country, but originally, the stars were also chosen by the creators of the Re-publican flag to represent the constellations sighted above Rio De Janeiro at 8:15 A.M. on the 15th of Novem-ber, 1889.

Some delegates were considerate of the impor-tance behind their country. Stefanos Mantzarlis, ambas-sador of Mauritania from the 3rd Lyceum of Kifissia, told us the flag of Mauritania’s star and crescent represent their religious belief, as their official name is the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Eri-trea delegate Zachary Tyler Evarts, from Lakenheath High School, explained how Eritrea’s flag’s appearance was influenced from the flags of many other Afri-can flags, which share some similarity. This, according to Evarts, is done “much like colonies of the United King-dom”, who share the Union Jack in their flag.

Although some del-egates were not completely sure of the country’s flag it-self, they would sway from the history of the country and concentrate more on former leaders, such as Shan Wei Chew from the Hwa

Chong Institution, a rep-resentative of DPR Korea, who solely focused on the former leader Kim Jong-Il and the current leader Kim Jong-Un.

Many delegates faced the hard hitting truth that they hadn’t completely done all of their homework. The Ecuadorian flag is a beauti-ful flag which contains red for courage, blue for free-dom and Yellow to remind the Federation of Greater Columbia. Delegates who focused more on their stanc-es, such as Fernanda Arujo, from the International Col-lege of Spain, who was asked if she knew anything about flag of the country she rep-resents answered “no”. She did, however, gladly remind the press team that the flag “has a badge in the middle”.

Furthermore, delegates Rebecca, Danielle and Mol-ly from St. Andrews in Ire-land, believed their country of Azerbaijan had the color red for how significant the country was and the color green for their care of the environment. Unfortunate-ly for these three delegates, the red actually stands for the progress of establish-ing a modern state and the development of democracy and the green strip shows the country’s relation to the Islamic religion. Interest-ingly though, the pale blue strip also signifies their Tur-kic Heritage. Nice try, guys.

A flag is a powerful sym-bol for its country. Not only does it present the country’s historic and aesthetic appre-ciation for their land, but it also returns to their foun-dations and the values held whilst establishing their proud nation. Benjamin Ru-fin, from the International School of Fontainebleau, told MUNITY the orange in his delegation’s country, Ar-menia, stood for their land and also the courage of the workers. Inside the flag of a country, one may find what is truly important to that na-tion, which may shape their policy statements and stanc-es a little more for the next conference. So next time you think about your dele-gation’s country, remember, you may find something in the flag!

UN versus MUN: How much does the “M” matter?

As delegates arrived at The Hague yes-terday morning, the

overwhelming atmosphere of the World Forum really lived up to their expecta-tions. Delegates were ready to announce their resolu-tions and hopefully gain many signatures. However, was their expectation of act-ing as a politician for five days really met? In a lot of ways, the UN and MUN are very similar, as you’d expect since the MUN is a model of the UN.

But despite the simi-larities of both conferences, there are some distinct dif-ferences between THIMUN and the real deal. In the MUN, delegations may sign any resolution that sounds interesting to them or any that will benefit their own delegation. However in

the actual UN, if a resolu-tion were to be announced in a conference, leaders of different countries would spend more time evaluat-ing the probable impacts on their country’s economy or employment if they were to sign a resolution.

In MUN, regardless of size, countries have an equal right to share their ideas with other delegations. Yet in the UN, more powerful and more economically de-veloped countries retain a more influential role in the conference. In THIMUN, even though it is likely that every delegation will want the most powerful coun-tries’ signatures on their resolution, LEDCs or less accepted countries are able to gain the same amount of popularity as any of the Big Twenty. MUNITY went to investigate how these “less powerful” countries man-aged to be recognized by

their THIMUN committees.When MUNITY en-

tered the Disarmament Commission, a confident young woman represent-ing the delegation of Cy-prus from Branksome Hall in Canada who wished to remain unnamed was out-lining her resolution. She showed strength in her tone, power in her voice and her applause showed that the delegates had some interest in what she had said. However, would this happen in the real UN? Does the delegation of Cyprus in THIMUN really reflect the Country of Cyprus in the UN? In reality, Cyprus is not a very powerful coun-try, with a small army and barely any influence in the world. They are dependent on the economically weak country of Greece. Taking this into account, how can Cyprus realistically have any influence over different

committees, especially in the Disarmament Commis-sion? However, at THIMUN Cyprus seems to have this influence, as the Cyprus del-egate confidently told MU-NITY that, “Cyprus deserves their place in the Disarma-ment Commission because they have had lots of expe-rience in conflicts in history and have a desire for peace. I believe if any country, no matter how small it is, fights for what they long for and truly believe in, then people will listen to them”.

In the General Assem-bly, a young man from Sin-gapore representing the del-egation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), showed ea-gerness and spirit in his speech to his committee. The whole assembly cheered as he finished. However, due to its strict restrictions on human rights and other is-sues, North Korea is not one

of the most popular coun-tries in the world. So why would the countries around the world cheer a country who limit the people’s free-dom? The delegate of the DPRK told MUNITY, “In the real world, North Korea is very aggressive and many countries feel threatened by such an intimidating coun-try. However in THIMUN, I think I try a more rea-sonable approach with the Committee and that seems to appeal to delegates.”

Maybe the strength of

a delegate’s power is based on giving a country a dif-ferent face. If the delegate representing the threaten-ing nation of North Korea managed to fascinate the peaceful countries in his as-sembly, does that mean the quiet delegation of Cyprus would persuade powerful countries in the Disarma-ment Commission to sign their resolution? In actu-ality, how well does The Hague International Model United Nations model the United Nations?

8 FEATURES

Thomas RososchanskyACS Hillingdon

Alice TowEllesmere College

Many countries’

flags tend to repre-sent their strength, whether it’s on the battlefield or in their independ-ency.

Christina Lennartz, J.F.K School Berlin

Tamara Bastaki, American School of Kuwait

Wednesday, January 30th 2013 H NAFTEMUNPORIKI

The amount of people involved in such a large and famous conference

caught my attention.

“

Federico Toro, Mongolia, American

School of Madrid

What pushed me to be involved in THIMUN is that it is a great opportunity to learn, to think globally, to improve

leadership skills, to get to know new people from all over the world, and most of all, just to have fun.

“ Chaekyung, China, John F. Kennedy School

#Politics

OPINION 9What pushed you

to get invoved with THIMUN?

As a citizen of Shanghai, the Hague is always appealing to us because of its diversity in culture, splendid city view and gorgeous architecture. Thus, we came to THI-

MUN, not only to experience an international forum but also to know further about European culture and make friends of different cultures, nationalities, and interests.”

H NAFTEMUNPORIKI Wednesday, January 30th 2013

We live in a culture of consumerism. More than ever, people all

over the world are expecting to claim their ‘fair share’ of the copi-ous amount of popular products on the market. From phones with GPS navigation, to cars with heated steering wheels, we are bombarded by countless unnecessary features and made to believe that we need them. Particularly in the technol-ogy industry, consumers are often made to feel that they cannot keep up with the constant stream of new or updated gadgets. As soon as the latest electronics are purchased, a newer and “better” one seems to be available within the next month. Often, this situation is in-tentionally created by the compa-nies that design and manufacture goods. In this case, the product is designed to become obsolete rela-tively soon after being purchased. The shorter the lifecycle of a prod-uct, the faster it needs to be re-placed with a new one, effectively accelerating the company’s rev-enue gains. The solution to this prob-lem may seem simple, but this is far from true. Unfortunately, it makes more business sense for manufacturers to be unsustainable. A faster replacement rate guaran-tees a steady stream of income, and lowering prices drives volume in sales. However, the corporations are not the ones taking the hit for these low prices. Workers in coun-tries with few regulations and little oversight are paying the price. Ad-ditionally, this causes an incredible environmental toll. According to ABC news, 16 out of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are found in China, where there is an extremely high concentration of factories and traditionally more relaxed pollu-tion standards. But what the average con-sumer does not keep in mind when reaching for the latest gadget at the lowest price is how that deal came to be. If they knew the damage they were inadvertently and in-directly perpetuating, would they still have the same desire for the products they want? One would certainly hope that the alarming prevalence of bronchitis, pneumo-nia, lung cancer and lead poisoning

in industrial cities’ children would be enough motivation for peo-ple to change their buying habits. However, in reality most people simply do not have to see the ef-fects of this culture of consumer-ism. This unfortunately keeps the cycle flowing. Until more people face the environmental devasta-tion firsthand, things are unlikely to change. What really needs to transform is our culture. Not only are relentless advertisements bom-barding us with images of people happily enjoying products we’re supposed to want, but material goods are marketed as a measure of progress and success. In rapidly developing countries like India and Brazil, for example, sales of passenger vehi-cles have been growing exponen-tially in the past decade. In the United States, the size of the aver-age home has more than doubled since the 1950s. It seems that the consensus worldwide is that flashy is fabulous, and bigger is better. Here’s a refreshing idea: less is more. If people took the time to consider what they really need, not just what they have been trained to want, they would most likely reconsider their priorities. Simply trying to repair broken electronics, or making an effort to buy used goods or products made with recycled materials is a great place for everyone to start. Or, from a humanitarian point of view, consider the impact of what you buy has on real people and their everyday lives; even if they do happen to live somewhere across the world. Factories provide essential jobs to millions of people globally, but they will not contin-ue to operate irresponsibly if there were more conscious consumers and closer government oversight. Although the rapid ad-vancement of technology we have seen over the past few decades has allowed humans to do things that have never been achievable before, it has also caused more environ-mental harm than ever thought possible. The best way to help is to be an informed and empowered consumer. Don’t feel guilty about the problem, take responsibility for the solution.

The “Con” in Consumerism

“

Megan JohnsGrange Schools

Jack BlethroadJohn Burroughs School

Picture by Tamara Bastaki, American School of Kuwait

As a result of many technical advancements

and innovations that have transformed how individuals commu-nicate, an abundance of information is now available to everyone. The Internet is a grow-ing influence on politics and the way we elect our leaders--the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, is an avid Twitter user and the re-election photo of the US president, Barack Obama, is the most re-Tweeted photo in histo-ry. But just how much is the internet influenc-ing politics? E x t e n s i v e social networking through sites such as Facebook and Twitter has played key roles in the online political outreach of successful candidates. President Obama exemplifies this phenomenon--he was able to contact with voters through the use of such sites. Through Twitter and other so-cial networking sites, politicians are able to broadcast important messages in a matter of seconds. By using these sites as a campaign tool, the gap between a poli-tician and his people can be reduced. Twitter has also recently started selling political adver-tisements. Because of this, politicians are able to pay for ‘Promoted Advertising,’ which their followers will be able to read on the Twitter timeline. Hav-ing a Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter profile often significantly improves a candidate’s images in the eyes of many voters, especially in the eyes of the youth. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, it seems that people often measure a person’s rel-evance and importance by how “connected” they are to the digital and internet world. However, we

must not forget that it is equally as impor-tant to note that this increasingly easy-to-access information can harm a candidate’s im-age as much as it can improve it. The internet is completely uncen-sored, which makes the common opinionated debate between users via social networking possible. Opposing par-ties seeking to damage an opponent’s reputa-tion may use an embar-rassing photo or quote which has been taken out of context. Some-times even whole web-sites can be dedicated to a particular politician, in an attempt to insti-gate his or her downfall. Therefore, the internet can be used as a dan-gerous source of am-munition. Furthermore, the lack of control over what is put on the in-ternet means that such messages can be distrib-uted quickly and effec-tively. Let’s not forget that the information supplied by social net-working websites has also played an important role during modern-day activism. An important instance of this was the Arab Spring, which started on December 18th, 2010. In Arab countries, many activ-ists who played crucial

roles in the Arab Spring used social networking as a key tool for their critique of acts com-mitted by their govern-ment. In countries like Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt, plans for protests and uprisings were or-ganized through social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter. “We use Facebook to schedule the protests,” announced an Arab Spring activist from Egypt, “and [we use] Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world.”Due to these social media websites, the rebels were capable of sharing an immense amount of uncensored and accurate informa-tion. With this ability, Arab Spring activists were not only able to overthrow powerful dictatorships, but were also able to help Arab ci-vilians become aware of the underground activ-ism that existed in the area. Social networking was essential to break down the psychological barrier of fear; it helped many to connect, relate, and share information across the world. An important question that needs to be addressed is whether the internet is actually bringing the world to-gether. At their best, sites such as Facebook

allow people to connect with people from all over the world, making it possible for everyone to feel part of the world as a whole, rather than an individual person living in an individual country. Facebook has recently launched its new hub called ‘Peace on Facebook’ that hopes to provide a space for dialogue and conflict resolution. It will hope-fully better equip peo-ple to deal with a more diverse society by ex-posing them to a wider range of opinions. How-ever, in spite of this, it is important to note that the time spent looking at a computer screen is time lacking in face to face contact with an-other human being, something that is also important for creating connections between people. It is somewhat fright-ening that even though the internet was not in public use before 1995, it has managed to domi-nate the lives of politi-cians and civilians alike. However, the reality is that technical advance-ment and innovation is sure to keep on evolv-ing, and the world of politics and the world as a whole will continue to evolve with it.

Even at THIMUN, the internet has an impact on Politics.

Tomas Clarkson,British School in the Netherlands

Qing Zhu andXiao Chang Yang,Jordan,Shanghai Foreign Language School

Anna SoerLycee Francais V. v. Gogh

I was born in Zambia on the 6th of June, 1995. Ever since I was three

years old, I have never stopped traveling. Traveling is my passion: from the cul-tural exchange with others, to challenging yourself to explore new countries and opening your eyes to new cultures. I have lived in Zam-bia, Vietnam, Laos, Macedo-nia, Slovakia, France, and the Netherlands. I am not of just one culture—I am not purely African, nor European, nor Asian. I am a mix of all of these cultures put together into one human being. This characteristic makes me aware of the fact that everybody is different, and everyone is interest-ing. Being different is some-thing to be proud of: there’s no shame in liking a lesser-known artist or dressing dif-ferently. Don’t blend in with others, stand out. The pride in being different is some-thing I’ve learned from my foreign, no matter how hard you try, you are always going

to look physically different than others around you. So there’s no point in trying to blend in, you’re not going to. Moving to the Netherlands ten years ago was a truly thrilling experi-ence; it was the first time I moved to a European coun-try. I was eight years old at the time and was completely unfamiliar with European culture. Even though I did not make friends for many years and was treated like an outcast initially, I still loved to meet new people in this city. This was the begin-ning of my awakening to the world. I needed to become familiar with other people to become familiar with the world. I believe we live in a world where appearance is over-emphasized; we are defined by how we present ourselves in public. To all out there who feel isolated, have no shame in being different. The ones who are different are the ones who have the courage to stand out. They are the future of this world. To everyone who this applies to, have no shame to be your-

self, have no shame to stand out, have no shame to speak out, have no shame to dress differently. Be proud to be different. I have the courage to stand out, to proudly say who I am. I am open-minded, short, half-blind, round, fe-male, gay, and proud. Trave-ling and meeting new people taught me to be proud. I am proud to be who I am and I will never conform to please others. When you admit who you are, it does not matter if others begin to hate you. You will find people that will love

you for who you are-- no matter what. Isn’t that the most rewarding thing in life? Being loved for simply being you? At THIMUN, I am overwhelmingly impressed by the number of people present. But after recover-ing from my little shock, I saw THIMUN as a miniature world: a world where eve-ryone converges into one group—a group where your differences are celebrated, world where you are not judged for wearing a hijab,

being black, being white, be-ing Asian, being fat, or being skinny. You are judged not on these traits but rather on your thoughts. This THI-MUN world, for me, is the perfect world: appearances don’t matter, and you are free to be who you want to be. To all of you at-tending this conference, learn from the experience. At the end of THIMUN, re-turn home as a person who is proud to be who he or she is, someone unashamed to say out loud his or her thoughts. To all delegates, admins, chairs, directors, press mem-bers, presidents, deputies, Secretariat members… I am proud of you, no matter what you look like or what you think. I am proud of you be-cause you exist, because you are one person in this gigan-tic, boiling mess of a world. You had the guts to stand out and take part in this prestig-ious event of THIMUN, so live it as much as you can. I’ve never been a happy-go-lucky person. Previously, I was not happy with my appearance. I was

not happy at all. But all of that changed when I finally accepted myself as I was and stopped wishing to be some-one else. It is hard to tell everybody who you are and then watch them be disap-pointed by who you are. It is hard to do, but it is also nec-essary for you to grow. Your existence is about growing, changing, and embarking to the future. I understand that. I understand that I need to stop whining about my life and being unhappy. I real-ized that I do have friends and people that care for me—people who supported me throughout my strug-gle. One of these people is my true friend and I want to thank her for being with me, always. For all participants of this conference, think about yourself and your sur-roundings. Cherish the new friends you make this week, but don’t forget to cherish those who are true to you. And above all, cherish your-self. Seize the day--seize your life. And enjoy it.

Dutch ya know about this?

Irene YuPacific American School

When one thinks of The Netherlands, bicycles, tulips,

clogs, and windmills come to mind. Most of us know that “Netherlands” means “Low lands”, and that Dutch people are the tallest in the world. But did you know that carrots used to be white, yellow, black, purple or red? The fact that the vast majority of carrots we now see are orange is due to a Dutch botanist who hybridized the carrot in honor of William of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spain in the 16th century. Today, orange is still the official color of the Nether-lands and a sign of patriotism. Want to eat breakfast the Dutch way? Back at the ho-tel buffet, you may have noticed the sprinkles next to the toasts. The Dutch love these sprinkles on their bread. The sprinkles are called “hagelslag” and they come in a variety of flavors. A notable brand De Ruijter is ru-mored to be the best.

Another interesting food fact about the Dutch is that they will only eat one hot meal a day. If you arrive at a Dutch friend’s house, they will ask, “Have you eaten some-thing hot already?” Breakfast usually consists of breads and cheese while lunch consists of sandwiches, tuna, and her-ring. Dinner is usually the hot meal of the day. Some people say that it has to do with Dutch people’s sternness, since eating hot food is expensive. Another saying is their hardworking na-ture and that eating a hot lunch takes too much time away from work. No one really knows why things are the way they are; it just became an unwritten rule for the Dutch. As you walk to the con-ference every morning, watch out for the bicycles. Holland has at least 15,000 km of specially-designated “fietspaden” (bike paths) all over the country, and pedestrians are not supposed to walk on them. When you hear a bell, move over. The bikes do not stop for people! The Dutch are mostly

conservative and see family as the foundation of the social structure. Families tend to be small, often with only one or two children. Relatively, few women work outside the house full-time, with less than ten percent of women are employed full-time. Women in Netherlands like the way things are and they spend their leisure time playing sports, gar-dening, and taking care of their children. The Netherland’s gov-ernment is a constitutional monarchy, which is a form of government in which the monarch acts as the head of state with the guidelines of a constitution. Other countries with a constitutional monar-chy include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, and United Kingdom. Hopefully this gives you a little sense of what Neth-erlands and the Dutch culture is like. Reading about it is sim-ply not enough so make sure you experience it yourself dur-ing your stay here!

Building Bridges: One in Seven Billion

10 CULTUREJake Fruchter,

Philippines,John Burroughs School

Have fun and don’t take things personally.Malou Den Dekker,

Ukraine,Int. School Brussels

The best advice I was ever given at THIMUN

is that messing up when speaking is better by far than not speaking at all.

Wednesday, January 30th 2013 H NAFTEMUNPORIKI“

A billion is a million times a million. A thousand times a million is a miljard.University is (normally, and excluding graduate study) three years long. The houses in Amsterdam are entirely built on piles.The Netherlands’ highest point is 323 meters high and is therefore called a “mountain.” About 30% of all Dutch babies are born at home.When your plane arrives at Schipol, it lands 4.5 metres below sea level.

Welcome WelkomGood morning! Goedemorgen!How are you? Hoe gaat het met je?I’m fine, thanks! Het gaat goed met me, dank je!See you later! Tot later!Thank you Dank je/ DankjewelYou’re welcome! Graag gedaan/ AlsjeblieftExcuse me! (to pass by) Mag ik er even langs? / SorryWhere is the (bathroom/pharmacy)? Waar is de (badkam er/ apotheek)?

Little Fun Facts

Dutch Phrases

Asking why carrots are orange is like asking why the sky is blue...or is it?

Anna Soer,Lycee Francais Vin-cent van Gogh

Anna Soer, Lycee Francais Vincent v. Gogh

“

Antoine LebrunInt. School the Hague

Amidst the busy days at THIMUN, health is of-ten an issue that is over-

looked. After two days in the bone-chilling Dutch weather, many become sick and do not take proper action to get better. That being said, it is common for THIMUN participants to remain ill throughout the entirety of the conference, some even bring their illnesses home. In order to remain healthy, delegates should take the following tips into ac-count. I had an interview with the nurse of THIMUN, Stefan Ras, he suggested measures THI-MUN participants can take in order to stay healthy during the conference. A sufficient amount of sleep was a big one; everyone works hard during THIMUN and therefore needs the sleep to re-charge. The best way to start the day after is a good night’s sleep. Five days are tough to handle without the amount of sleeping hours required. Stefan Ras ex-plained that around 8 hours of sleep would be ideal and would clearly be noticeable in the con-centration spans of each partici-pant. One may think of coffee as a good source of energy, dur-ing the slow morning hours. Mr. Ras, however, does not agree; “coffee should be taken in lim-ited quantities— and so should alcohol, for that matter. It is best not to consume any alcohol at all; drink water instead”. Health is “more important than drink-ing”, according to Hannah Field, delegate of New Zealand in GA6, from New Canaan High in the US. Furthermore, drinking a lot of water is the key to stay-ing healthy and being friendly throughout the whole day – es-pecially considering the dry air in the Conference Center. Wa-ter is very important for the hu-man body, which composed of approximately 60% water. It is what helps you digest, maintains the temperature of your body, and helps with the circulation of your blood. Eating snacks outside meal times is not very healthy;

Don’t Worry-Be Healthy!

The Lighter Side 11What was the best ad-vice you were given at

THIMUN?

Be prepared to face people that are going to be your enemies but don’t forget that this conference is just for fun, so enjoy it to the maximum! Other people are prob-

ably just as scared as you.

H NAFTEMUNPORIKI Wednesday, January 30th 2013

During debates, do you:a) Rarely speak or contribute, and always forget your official note paper?b) Speak when you feel it is necessary, but do not let the heat of the de-bate get to you?c) Constantly raise your placard to get a word in whenever possible?d) Make valid debating points throughout and contribute with favored amendments?

Do you dress:a) With rule breaking outfits, whether it be short skirts or too casual?b) Comfortable, yet following all regulations?c) Follow rules of clothing, but due to your hectic day end up with un-tucked shirts and messy hair?d) Always maintain a sharp and sophisticated appearance?

When writing amendments, do you:a) Not have a clue what to write?b) Have some good suggestions, but never really push for them to be passed?c) Feel the need to make sure everyone is on board with you and include a large amount of information?d) Create a well structured and valid amendment every time?

What do you look for in the MUNITY newspaper:a) The puzzles on the back page?b) Quirky articles?c) Articles that could benefit you in every way possible?d) Informational articles to broaden your knowledge?

What is your reason for coming to THIMUN?a) For a little break from school.b) For the experience and a chance to meet new people.c) For university or grades.d) For future potential or expanding potential of participants.

In your free time throughout the conference, do you:a) Let loose and have fun?b) Think about upcoming debates, but allow yourself time to relax?c) Constantly work on new amendments for the next day?d) Make notes on valid contributions to debates to come, but also allow time for relaxation?

During lobbying, do you:a) Sit back and let others come to you?b) Make an effort, but take a more relaxed approach?c) Run around like crazy trying to find as many people as you can?d) Confidently approach everyone in a professional manner?

What Kind of Delegate are You?

“ (Mostly C’s- Stressed out Delegate.) The lobbying and debates have built up your stress levels to maximum ca-pacity. You like to take a hands-on approach to everything and make your words heard by everybody.

(Mostly D’s- Stressed out Delegate.) The lobbying and debates have built up your stress levels to maximum ca-pacity. You like to take a hands-on approach to everything and make your words heard by everybody.

(Mostly A’s – Inexperienced Delegate.)Perhaps it’s your first time participating in THIMUN and you are still learning the ropes, but with a little bit of confidence and organization you could change and join the perfect delegates.

(Mostly B’s- Laid back delegate.) You prefer to take a more relaxed approach during THIMUN, yet maintain a professional visage and contribute when you feel it is the right time for YOU.

Nicole LesterBritish School in the Netherlands

Tamara Bastaki, American School of Kuwait

rather, it is important to remain energized throughout the day by eating a nutritious meal. Agathe El Deek, MUN Director for the Advanced Learning Schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, explains that “a good dinner would be soup, with pasta and fruit for dessert.” However, she also cit-ed lunch as the most important meal of the day, because you can eat when you are the most active. However, many differ-ent delegates named breakfast as the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast is the key to a successful day, although breakfast is often skipped due to laziness or the lack of hunger, it is essential for it wakes up the body and warms up the brain. If you are staying near the World Forum, walking would be a great way to start off the day. “Doing lots of sport dur-ing your stay in The Hague” was a health tip from Ms. El Deek. Admin Kim Luijten of the In-

ternational School of the Hague argued that health is “the most important thing in life.” Being healthy undoubtedly leads to happiness, so her tip would be to “stay healthy and participate in a variety of sports in order to have enough energy during the morning hours”. Since you are in Holland, the “country of the bi-cycle,” cycle as much as you can to get those legs working! “Go outside and get some fresh air” stated Mr. Ras. Most delegates remain in the building through-out the entire day; this can cause concentration issues as well as headaches. Health is a key part of the life cycle, because it brings joy to people’s faces and enthu-siasm to our conferences. A per-son who is smiling and happy is a healthy person. As Winston Churchill stated,“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”

Evaluation

Stan Bertherol,Admin,Lycee FrancaisVincent v. Gogh

12 THIMUN’s Lighter Side Wednesday, January 30th 2013 H NAFTEMUNPORIKI

Solutions to yesterday’s issue: Triangle problem: 48

Lines challenge:

http

://dt

jsoft.

com

Spot the 10 differences Sudoku

Maze

ww

w.ib

inew

s.com

A man and his son are in a car crash. The father is killed and the child is taken to hospital gravely in-jured. When he gets there, the surgeon says, ‘I can’t operate on this boy - for he is my son!!!’ How can this possibly be?

Acting on an anony-mous phone call, the police raid a house to arrest a suspected murderer. They don’t know what he looks like but they know his name is John and that he is inside the house. The police bust in on a carpen-ter, a lorry driver, a mechanic and a fire-man all playing poker. Without hesitation or communication of any kind, they im-mediately arrest the fireman. How do they know they’ve got their man?

A man walks into a bar and asks for a drink. The bartender pulls out a gun and points it at him. The man says, “Thank you,” and walks out.

Lateral Thinking

Answer 1: The surgeon cannot operate on her own son; she is his mother.

Answer 2: The fireman is the only man in the room. The rest of the poker players are women.

Answer 3: The man has hiccups; the bar-tender scares them away by pulling a gun.