MUNSA XXVI Conference

Miriam Barba, Staff Reporter

Model United Nations San Antonio, or more commonly known as MUNSA, is crucial to the ISA Community. This year’s MUNSA XXVI theme was Ignite. According to the MUNSA website,“The theme of MUNSA XXVI: Ignite welcomes the conference into a reawakened eagerness with the return of a campus-based assembly.” The conference started Jan. 6 and lasted till Jan. 7, hosting close to 1,000 people in person. There are twelve secretariat members who run and plan MUNSA, making it the biggest student-run Model United Nations in the Western Hemisphere. 

Typically the conference is held at Trinity University, ISA’s sister school, but this year, due to COVID-19, took place at the Legacy of Educational Excellence High School for the first time. The MUNSA Secretariat members wanted to use as many LEE resources to give back thanks for using the campus. Because of this, The LEE Culinary team provided lunch for all members in attendance for both days. MUNSA also used areas, like the MPR and PAC, for committee rooms. 

All ISA students take part in the conference every year. The Freshmen are Press Secretaries and report what happens in each committee room. The Sophomores are delegates in the conference. Junior and Senior year it becomes more flexible with what positions students can have, with choices between staff, chairs, or secretariat.

The secretariat members get chosen in the spring and work diligently from the spring till the winter on the next MUNSA conference. Each position works on certain tasks such as training the staff or teaching the underclassmen. Secretary General, Eva Rangel (12) said, “The ways future leaders ignited crucial global conversations and encouraged delegates to continue to create space for each other.” Opening up these types of policial conversions to teens is crucial. 

The team is made up of twelve senior, 12th graders, Secretariat members and one to two sponsors. There is a thorough process to become a Secretariat member. The under-Secretary General of External Affairs, Alexandra Kazen(12) says, “MUNSA gives students the opportunity to take more leadership roles when teens do not get lots of opportunities like this.” With dozens of applicants, it gives students a competitive edge to be on the Sec. team. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the last class to attend MUNSA at Trinity University was the class of 2020.  “Showing younger classes how MUNSA works is essential to continue the MUNSA Legacy,” said Carter McManus (12). MUNSA has been a part of the ISA community for twenty-six of the twenty-seven years of ISA’s existence. This shows how much the students and community want to keep MUNSA running at ISA. 

Students from Texas, Mexico, and surrounding states come to San Antonio for the annual conference. This year, Sec. members introduced a Hybrid style conference due to COVID-19. Last year’s conference was fully virtual and delegates enjoyed still participating and being COVID-19 safe. Hopefully, delegates can see more of hybrid style conferences in the future.