Pathway to the Gavel

By: Vikram Abraham
University of California at Santa Barbara '13

Let me start off by stating that MUN is not simply an organization that simulates the United Nations in order to foster international resolutions to global crises. MUN is a blunt hammer. A hammer that can hurt you badly if you drop it on your foot, or hurt someone else if used improperly. However, MUN is also a tool that one may use to hack away at nails.

For what purpose, you may ask? That's for the committee to decide. Certain things can only be acquired by being born with them - for example, beauty and wealth. However, everything else is fair game. Confidence, personality, and public-speaking skills included. And here's even better news for you: in order to acquire a gavel, you don't need beauty or wealth! (Although it might help if you want to bribe a chair..) And there's more! Though these skills are required to attain the precious gavel - more valuable than gold - these skills are, here it comes, easily accessible to you through MUN! But wait, all the gavel-winners are always those really cool kids who wear better suits than I do- WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG. You only need three things: confidence, a good personality, and some basic public-speaking skills. That's it. It's as easy as that. I'll be posting more soon to come just for you, my pupil, for this blog will guide you on the path to the gavel! (Hence my cheesy title.) And, if not, you're doing something wrong. Believe me. I thought I was doing something right my freshman year when I went to every single conference I could and didn't even win a Commendation. I gained the three aforementioned skills and, what do you know? I start off my sophomore year with a gavel. So take a deep breath, sit back, and enjoy the rest of the ride, because you're in for a wild, wild, trip.