Page 57 - kaleidoscope

THE ENGLISH SCHOOL MA GA ZINE 2020

WE UNDERESTIMATED THE POPULARITY OF THE
HOTEL LIFT ON THE FIRST DAY, SOMETHING WHICH
RESULTED IN US WAITING FOR EXACTLY 17 MINUTES
FOR IT TO COME. WE ENTERED THE CONFERENCE,
SHORT-WINDED, SLIGHTLY SWEATY, YET, FORTUNATELY,
ON TIME.
Walking in, we were all evidently puzzled by the enormous scale
of the conference. The lobby was buzzing with conversations in
languages stemming from every corner of the world. We were
surrounded by three thousand intelligent, driven and passionate
students but at the same time, three thousand interesting individuals
with diverse cultural, religious and social backgrounds.
I ran up the stairs, stumbled in my conference room and quickly
chose an empty seat at the back of the room. All of the front rows
were occupied by the early birds, that had caught the tram a couple
of hours ago and were already silently yet malevolently preparing
for the downfall of all the other delegations.
The role calling process began, which was done alphabetically. I felt
immensely grateful for our country, Sri Lanka, as being towards the
end of the list, granted me sufficient time to gather enough mental
strength to say ‘present’ on time. Immediately after that, we were
told that the lobbying process had begun, during which you had to
exert your dominance immediately, or else you would be pushed
under the wave of aspiring, ambitious delegates, all convinced that
they will be the main submitters of the resolution, and are ready to THIMUN
do quite anything to gain the ultimate honorable position.
Nonetheless, despite what most delegates will show on the surface
(maintaining a condescending look is a to-go strategy to uphold the Eleni Anayiotou 5Y
status quo), they are just a couple of hard working (yet friendly) 2020
high achievers, so while they might look intimidating, the threat is
not major, really.
While I was initially hesitant on whether I should attempt to
present myself with an aura of preeminence or not, the competitive
atmosphere fueled me to do so. Once you get in the character, it is
rather entertaining and thrilling to put your negotiation, debating
and communication skills to the test.
The unexpectedly balanced dynamic of the group created
unanticipated but wonderful friendships. From being emotionally
overwhelmed by the Anne Frank museum, to eating Dominos and
Ben&Jerry’s laying in the hotel corridors to whining about that
specific person in our committee that we really don’t get along
with, we certainly built an inseparable bond.
All I have to say is, that this adventure was enriching in every
possible aspect. The exposure to the amalgamation of different
cultures and ethnicities puts the world into perspective, the debates
not only enhance your public speaking skills but also make you take
a huge leap out of your comfort zone to make impromptu speeches
in front of 200 people but most importantly, leaves you with
memories and friends you will forever cherish.
All in all, THIMUN is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and although
I do not really abide by ‘Carpe diem’ generally (I’m more of a ‘Carpe activities | thimun
Futurum’ type of person most of the time, but that’s not our point
here), it is rather suitable in this case. At the end of the day, you do
not know what’s going to happen, your resolution might not even get
debated (which was the case for me), so, take the leap, dive in and
speak your mind.

55