BullsMUN hosted a weekend conference in the Marshall Student Center, expanding opportunities to local high schools. ORACLE PHOTO / NICOLE DURAN

USF’s Model United Nations team hosted a conference on Oct. 10-11, opening more committees for high school students during their BullsMUN IV event.

The two-day conference drew 360 delegates representing 20 high schools, marking continued growth for a program that has hosted more than 500 students across its previous three iterations, according to the BullsMUN official website.

Model United Nations, commonly referred to as Model UN, is an academic simulation of the United Nations and other international decision-making bodies, according to the University of Montana’s Model UN guide. 

During conferences, students step into the roles of diplomats, policymakers and fictional figures to research global issues, deliver formal speeches, build coalitions and draft policy resolutions through parliamentary debate.

At USF, the Model UN student organization counts 361 members and six executive officers, hosting weekly general meetings to help students strengthen their public speaking, writing and critical thinking skills while raising awareness of global affairs, according to the club’s BullsConnect page.

BullsMUN IV was organized by the club’s Secretariat, led by Secretary-General Janessa Wright, a senior finance major and president of USF Model UN, and Director-General Max Merchant, a sophomore economics major.

Related: USF employees bring careers and college experience into local classrooms 

Wright said planning for the massive event began immediately after BullsMUN III ended last year, requiring late-night shopping runs and months of preparation from the USF Model UN student staff.

The event allows the university’s team to share their collegiate debate experience with younger delegates in a professional setting.

According to the BullsMUN committees page, the conference features three main styles of debate: General Assembly, specialized or hybrid committees, and crisis committees. 

“We love to put college students in a place where they can do Model UN, and high schoolers in this formal atmosphere,” Wright said.

When deciding on the conference’s varied topics, the team looked for engaging scenarios that would challenge the visiting students.

“We choose committees by if they’re interesting, if they can form a good argument, [and] if they have substance,” Wright said.

The conference also offers optional committee workshops to help first-time delegates learn parliamentary procedure and strategy before stepping into debate, according to the BullsMUN website.

For Wright, hosting the weekend was a full-circle moment. She participated in Model UN during high school, traveling to a conference at Harvard University, and said her favorite part of BullsMUN IV was interacting with the high schoolers and giving them that same opportunity locally.

Merchant shared a similar sentiment about providing high-level debate experiences for students.

“We did one in Boston University last year, and it was great to get people to be able to experience things like that,” Merchant said.

For high school delegates who might be nervous about public speaking or the intense environment of committee sessions, Wright offered a simple piece of advice.

“If you’re intimidated by Model UN, do it [while] scared,” Wright said.