Shawnigan Model United Nations: Hogwart’s Nerd Fest

Like swirling stampedes of East African wildebeests, the myriads delegates began spilling into Shawnigan Lake School like a bubbling tsunami of effervesce and conversation. Snappily dressed students arrived from places far and wide such as the rival grounds of Brentwood College, or the foreign lands of Pacific Christian School. Each and every student was filled with almost as much excitement as a young, 6 year old Jordan Reymer [Representative delegate of the British Columbian Government for this conference] running down his carpeted staircase on Christmas morning.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the opening night of Raid Berandal [that already happened and it was legendary], nor is it the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Island Olympics [lame in comparison to Gareth Evan’s sequel Raid Berandal]. No, this is something more than that. Something that requires diplomacy, conviction, and long pants. This is Shawinigan Model United Nations. Throughout the course of these hectically action-packed two days, the throngs of students from participating schools were cordoned off into different sections, or “beats,” to help resolve particular issues such as poverty in the developing world or governmental jurisdictional power disputes. Using persuasive diction and polished speaking skills, the 46 Brentwood delegates were constantly on their feet, ready to express their opinions or debate against other points that they may have viewed as lesser. Impressively, three Brentwood students were also on staff at this event: Sameer R, Whittall ‘14, Director UNDP, Tyler Pickford, Rogers ‘15, SOCHUM Chair, and Kevin Dada, Whittall ‘15 HoC Director. This is a remarkable achievement by these three gentlemen, and they performed admirably at their given posts. This is Model United Nations. Rhetoric will flourish, and hopefully, with the strong minds and will of the seemingly innumerable students present, truly inventive resolutions will be made.  Although this may be only an exercise, it is a fantastic illustration of the intellectual expansion in young minds. It is a genuinely glorious privilege to have this education. Because of the various economic advantages that our Western world has, it is our prerogative as citizens to do more than just understand. To be responsible is to be in action, and albeit in a model setting, to get students up and running and thinking about world issues and international conflicts is what makes the Model United Nations such a great idea. After the end of the explosion of excitement that was SHAWMUN, resolutions were passed, parliaments reformed, and disputes settled. Brentwood’s participants in this Model United Nations should be more than pleased with their performances, and a select few managed to receive awards such as Zeeshawn A, Ellis ’15 & Kimmi G, Hope ’15 receiving an honourable mentions, and Maria F, Allard ‘15, winning best position paper. All three deserve a well-earned pat on the back. ShawMUN was a huge success, and will, without a doubt, be participated in again for years to come. Brentwood’s debate team would like to thank Shawnigan for their hosting excellence, and our debate coaches for this fun and engaging opportunity. Namaste. Toby CH, Privett ‘15