1. What is MUN?  Forensics (public speaking, not dead bodies)  Debate  Mock Trial  History  Theater  Creative Writing

2. Other Model Things  Plastic Kits?  Only if you count the time and effort involved.  There is very little glue-sniffing.  Congress?  Yes, except better—would you rather be Carl Levin or Djibouti?

3. The Basics  “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” —Sun Tzu  Preparation is Key!  So is a classy suit. I substituted a straight- razor shave tonight because I am awesome.

4. Knowledge of the Enemy  Enemy is a figure of speech. Other delegates will not try to fight you.  However, you should be prepared to debate them on equal terms.  You must know…  …who the principal players in the topic are.  …the history and policies of the principal actors.  …as much as you can about the state of world affairs as it affects your topic.

5. Self-Knowledge  What is your nation’s history…  …of action on the topic?  …with the other nations in the room?  …of involvement in international affairs?  Where you’ve been determines where you’ll go!  Don’t be afraid to try something new; just remember that the future proceeds from the past.

6. Knowledge of Terrain  Terrain is the committee room—the “battlefield.”  It’s important to have a good feel for what others in the room are doing, saying, and thinking.  Don’t get too detached from what’s going on around you!  If you stop paying attention, you will find yourself in a corner with no friends.

7. The Objective  Proactively Leverage Your Synergies  This means that the committee will work towards a solution that actively uses the best aspects of all nations involved.  When this happens, it is a “miracle.”  Committees tend to remove quality, not promote it.  Your job is to make sure that as much of your policy as possible is implemented in the final solution.