BENGALURU: Schools and colleges might have been in session for a while, but nothing gets the academic spirit flowing like a MUN (Model United Nations). Bethany Junior College showed Bengaluru how it’s done, as they held the city’s first offline MUN which was of the students, by the students, and for the students. Distinguished personalities such as Vani Trilok, principal of Mitra Academy, and Ashok Soota, executive chairman of Happiest Minds Technologies, were in attendance.
Around 240 delegates from over 20 schools in Bengaluru participated, ready to debate away and win the coveted ‘Best Delegate’ title. Students from Class 12, such as Khushi Shetty president of Bethany Junior College, Omkar Mantri cultural coordinator, and Zaid Aslam Sheriff MUN coordinator, brought this event to life. Rasmi M, the faculty coordinator says,
“We wanted this to be entirely done by students because they learnt leadership techniques. This is one of the biggest takeaways because it helps them stand on their feet and think on their feet.” According to principal Robert Khin, the idea behind hosting the event was to make sure students become better organisers, and to aid their holistic learning.
A participant of the MUN and student at Bethany Junior College, Jasmeeth Singh, mentions that MUN is relevant to subjects like political science. With knowledge from MUN, one can understand not only how the world works but also ‘adapt to competitive environments and learn to keep personal opinions aside.’
Zaid Aslam Sheriff, who conceived the idea of organising a MUN at Bethany adds, “The MUN circuit has a lot of rivalries, and it is a very competitive atmosphere, but we were able to establish ourselves through this MUN.”