Interview with Deputy Secretary General Helen Lee

Helen Lee is the vivacious and meticulous Deputy Secretary General of YMUN 2012. She is the driving force behind a number of YMUN's new features, such as this very blog, and has participated in YMUN 2011 as the delegate of France in the Security Council. She is a freshman at Yonsei University's  Political Science and International Studies Department.

1.  Why MUN?
Good question. I started MUN in 10th grade, but only as this one-time fling. Back then, I was an extreme overachiever with multiple honor and AP classes and three other time-consuming extracurriculars. I knew well enough that I was on the brink of collapse, so my commitment to MUN was only halfhearted. In fact, MUN was on the top of my list to jettison the moment I showed signs of cracking, but my very first MUN exposure –as the delegate of Italy in BEIMUN’s Security Council – got me hooked. The fervent debate, the impassioned speeches, the occasional analogies and the eloquence spurting out from left and right –it was hook, line and sinker. Love at first sight.

2. What do you find most difficult about MUN?
Diplomacy. I’m notorious for my brutal honesty. When I read a horrendous resolution, I want to call it horrendous, but that’s not how MUN works. You have to play nice in order to muster votes for your resolution and receive a nice superlative on the very last day. The word “diplomacy” itself implies sensitivity to and dexterity with other people’s emotions, but I fail miserably in that department. For me, candor is an absolute virtue – even in its most unpalatable proportions. I find it difficult to bottle in the nastier bits.

3. What is your role as Deputy Secretary General?
The Secretary General runs the conference. I help her run it. The big part of my job leading up to YMUN consisted of training our talented YMUN chairs. I have great faith in their overall competence because I’ve badgered them with numerous training sessions and disciplinary talks. During the conference, you’ll be able to find me at the Approval Panel or sitting in on one of the committee sessions. You should also be able to spot me walking down the hall with my way-cool walkie-talkie.

4. What makes YMUN special?
Definitely the bonds. YMUN’s extremely professional, but still has this friendly and inclusive feel to it. I’ve found most Korean MUNs to be snobby and exclusive, but that runs counter to the spirit of MUN. MUN is about congregating different, at times even antithetical people in order to navigate common ground, but what I saw at most Korean MUNs was acquainted delegates, usually from the same prestigious foreign language high schools, forming exclusive cliques and hogging the podium spotlight. YMUN, however, accommodates for delegates both new and experienced. This inclusive atmosphere fosters greater intimacy and intermingling between the different delegates, and the bonds forged during the conference really add up to something special.

5. Do you have any last words of advice for the participants?
If you’re too intimidated to start out at the podium, wait until a delegate calls for a moderated caucus. Try speaking from your seat and let your confidence build. If that’s too nerve-racking, make your voice heard during an unmoderated caucus and gain confidence from there. Don’t be too disheartened if your first day at YMUN fails to meet your expectations. There’s always the second day and the third. No one starts off as an MUN genius, so give yourself time and patience.

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