The first committee session of CCPCJ
(Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice) - I was the wide eyed
"new girl", breathlessly taking in my surroundings, whispering to
myself (don't mess up, don't mess up, don't mess up) and fidgeting through the
first hour. I knew what to do, but I was just too nervous to actually try. Even
though I did put my name on the general speakers list I felt as though my
participation was nil.
Twenty four hours later- I was
issuing a statement, finding possible solutions to a problem, taking notes and
had stopped reminding myself not to mess up. My confidence had improved tenfold. I was comfortable and at ease.
PWSMUN was one of the most exciting
experiences of my life. You had to be quick on our feet, logical and eloquent,
while keeping in mind facts and statistics. Over the three days I spent at
Aravali, not only did I have fun, but also grew as a person.
Yes, we did have to work hard. I can
remember the late night sessions, cramming facts, bookmarking pages and taking
notes that could help me for the next session, and going over them time and
time again. The frustration at looking at those one hundred and eighty page
long PDF files for a sentence or two of crucial information. Repeatedly
practicing my speech in my head and thinking it sounded stupid and that someone
would burst out laughing. And finally remembering that this wasn’t just any
other debate- that I would have to strictly adhere to certain rules and procedures.
And honestly? It was worth it- every bit of it.
And it most definitely wasn’t all
work and no play- most of my memories associated with my first MUN is and
always shall remain the laughter and the partying. Joining the hullabaloo that
followed when the chair cracked a joke, eating the most ridiculous snacks in
the oddest sequence at the most atrocious hours (considering the time we had to
wake up) and giggling with the two other girls I shared a room with. One of my
favorites is definitely laughing over those viral videos and giving a whole new
angle to ROFL. Wait- shouldn’t that be changed to KOTFL (Kneeling On the Floor
Laughing)? I’m pretty sure a bunch of us here had a hilarious flashback.
And then there was a social.
Scrounging whatever makeup we had and applying it in front of the mirror in my
room because “it makes us look thin”, and smiling broadly at the result.
Gushing over each other’s dresses and shoes, and finally dancing like there was
no tomorrow at the party, not caring who saw us or what they thought. Screaming
the songs as we danced and booing wherever the music stopped- it truly was one
of the best nights of my life.
So when I look back, ten or twenty or
thirty or even fifty years from now, I am never going to regret turning in that
first essay. Because if I hadn’t I would’ve missed out on a whole lot of
experiences and memories that I couldn’t have encountered anywhere else- or
with anyone else for that matter. And do I plan to go for more of these MUNs?
Yes. I most definitely do.
Supriya Ganesh
Form 9
Form 9
