UCBMUNC '05
Still catching up here -- this is the official post about UC Berkeley Model UN Conference 2005 (UCBMUNC '05), which took place last weekend.
> I was the representative of the United States in SPD (Special Political and Decolonization, or as listed on the official UCBMUNC webpage, "Special ... and Deloconization"). UCBMUNC likes to call SPD "SpecPol," which has lead to some serious debates about the proper shortening. SPD integrates all the parts of the name though, and are you really going to go with the terminology of people that call it the Deloconization committe??
SPD traditionally discusses territorial conflicts, which is why I like it. Unlike the humanitarian committees where everyone can get along, compromise is necessary when territorial claims are being disputed. And you know I hate it when everyone gets along! But no really, when one needs to negotiate and compromise it makes for a more interesting experience. Traditionally SPD talks about specific territorial conflicts, like Kashmir, the Spratley Islands, etc. Traditionally at UCBMUNC, however, they talk about thing like landmines (last year), or, our two present topics, Legal Aspects of Outer Space and International Food Aid. Because.. space is a territorial issue? The Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space wasn't doing a good enough job anyway? UCBMUNC staff used a ouji board to choose topics?
I think my Chairperson was a hick who didn't like me because I have a mohawk. Seriously. I know everyone always feels like they're getting called on less than everyone else but I'm pretty sure I was called on significantly less than everyone else. Someone else described the chair as "someone who would be fun to have a drink with.. but useless for anything else." All in all I would have to say I think he was the worst chairperson I've ever had... and thats including the twenty or so conferences I went to while still in HS.
Speaking of HS though, two people from my MUN team at MVHS were in my committee, Raoul Haek (now at UCSB) and Joey Hanzich (now at Berkeley). So that was good times. Raoul was hardly in committee, but Joey won an award.
Best speech all weekend had to be Djibouti, on outer space: "Djibouti considers Djibouti to extend above and below Djibouti, and we are very concerned about anything being inserting into Djbibouti. We believe the resolution currently being discussed is an excuse to ease things into Djibouti ... we would like to see a resolution with more protection, so things can be safely inserted into Djibouti for mutual pleasure..."
DPRK (North Korea) also authored a resolution suggesting an asteroid be diverted and intentionally crashed into the United States. I of course expressed my concern at this and urged them to at the very least crash it into Florida.
Otherwise there were 37 of us from UC Davis. In years past we literally would have put all these people in two rooms, but we're apparently moving up in the world and had like five or six rooms. Nevertheless, a major activity was still attemptign to kill or conspire against eachother -- a game of "assassins" was ongoing where people attempted to kill their targets with stickers when no one was looking (Janet Rossi killed me incidently). Other people had other plans to exercise during the weekend however, as Shemek explains: "PrzemekP: well, it was part of my alienate Gena plan, part of Rosie's avoid Loren plan" ("amazonjedimaster: loren was hitting on roise? / PrzemekP: no, he's weird"). Still others spent their time trying to jock the "fly honeys" (or "fly man-honeys").
At some point I think someone misheard me saying something and thought I said I was going to give Raoul blue-balls. When asked for an explanation I explained that "its not gay if you don't finish." O=
The infamous Team Dinner occured at Chevys. While waiting for food there I took most of the pictures I took over the weekend.
Of our 37 people, I was the only one to receive an award. Also of note, UCBMUNC awarded the "golden bear" award to Stanford, the symbolism of which does not bode well for Berkeley.
Related
UCBMUNC '05: PICTURES
UCBMUNC '04: Official Entry
UCBMUNC '03: Official Entry
Previously on Emosnail
Two Years Ago Today: Kristy Comes Over for the First Time