Behind-the-Scenes: MUNITY-East Press

By: Annie Park, Korea International School

A day in the life of a press member is nowhere near easy. From 8 in the morning until 4 or 5 in the afternoon, every reporter, layout person, artist and photographer is constantly on his or her feet. The tension that emerges within the pressroom every day is unbelievable – it grows and grows until the prized USB containing eight hours of intense labor by 40 people is placed in the hands of the publisher.
Having started preparation months in advance, the team produces a daily newspaper for all THIMUN-Singapore 2008 participants. “The press, in my opinion, is here to highlight the successes of the conference, to really celebrate the students’ achievements – we’re the historians of MUN,” said Mr. Longbotham, chief advisor for the group.
Although working in the press does not involve hours of lobbying, days of heated debates, placards, speeches or resolutions, the truth is, the members producing the paper are just as much a part of MUN as any of the delegates at this conference. Press advisor, Mr. Parker, expressed, “One thing that really impresses me is that the students all get along. That kind of cooperation is very much the heart of what MUN should be - delegates all over the world coming together and working toward a common cause.”
Considering all of the time, the stress, the effort and the work the students put into creating the paper, it is no surprise that something so impressive as a 16-page newspaper is produced every 24 hours.
The true importance of the press is revealed each morning, when delegates purchase a paper, and show their interest and excitement in seeing themselves and their friends featured in the articles. “In terms of our role in the MUN society, I think that the delegates can sometimes be so focused on their own committee that they don’t know what’s going on in the other committees. By reading the newspaper, they can gain knowledge on many of the other issues – [the press] serves a very valuable purpose because of this,” said Mr. Parker.
The MUNITY-East press truly is a business, and what makes successful is, as Mr. Parker said, that, “The students all get along – people are working with the editors and accepting the editors’ suggestions without any attitude problem … there’s a real sense of professionalism in the atmosphere of the pressroom – every member is very mature and responsible.”
Advisor, Ms. Craig, added, “I think the press gives something that people can take away– a keepsake, a memory that will last even after THIMUN-Singapore 2008 is over.”