video created by Davonte Anthony and crew
what is MUNCH XX?
A Model United Nations Conference for 600-700 high-school students from the southeastern United States to INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY, organized over 10 months, held from February 20-23, 2020 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
my role: SECRETARY-GENERAL
As Secretary-General of MUNCH XX, I was in charge of running a conference that has historically invited over 600 high-school students from NC and beyond to UNC’s campus for a weekend of spirited debate. During the preparation period for the conference, I:
Volunteered 20-30+ hours a week on planning, managing, and executing conference details
Directed a 10-person Secretariat to execute the operations/logistics of MUNCH
Operated with a budget of $15,000+ to host the event on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus
Coordinated with local hotels and businesses to promote the conference
Designed original graphics for conference documents
original designs for munch xx committees
The following gallery showcases some of the artwork I created for the 20+ debate committees my Secretariat selected to be a part of the conference. All of these cover pages were made for background guides or preparation briefs for the delegates that would be debating in those respective committees. All designs were composed on Adobe Illustrator.
MUNCHFest!
To create an opportunity for students from different schools to interact with one another outside of their committee rooms, I developed MUNCHFest! This event was a social event for students to eat lunch and mingle with delegates from other schools. They enjoyed music and tables offering information on exciting opportunities at UNC Chapel Hill for future Tar Heels. MUNCHFest! was catered by five restaurants offering different cuisines, and was a successful social event and fun break from debate.
Closing Ceremony Remarks
It’s been a journey, these past 10 months. Working hard on this conference felt like it was wearing me--wearing us--down at some moments. But reflecting back on this weekend, I think I may have been wrong. MUNCH doesn’t wear anyone down. It builds our character and makes us stronger leaders, and then brings us back the next year to do it all again.
I know you are all here for the awards ceremony, but I’ll ask to be selfish for just a few more minutes, so I can thank everyone who has made this weekend a possibility. First and foremost, I would like to thank the advisers. If all of the chaperones and school faculty members would stand up for a moment so we can give you all a well-deserved round of applause.
These unsung heroes take a whole weekend out of their lives and give it to you, so selflessly. They take time away from their family to do this without any payment. I ask that when this conference officially concludes, you pay them with your love and respect, because they deserve all of it.
Next, I want to thank all of you. You all came, and you all conquered. I hope this weekend was everything you wanted it to be, and that you bring the values of clever negotiation and diplomacy back to your schools. For so long, I couldn’t get myself to believe that all of you would actually be here at some point...over 700 delegates sounded like a made-up concept. So, if you don’t mind helping me take a selfie so I can remember this moment.
Next, I want to take a second to thank UNC Global, our department sponsors, Lily Pad Haven, and Dr. Erinn Whitaker, our loving adviser for making this weekend a possibility. MUNCH would not have been a success without your dedication. Thank you.
Finally, I want to thank those that I have come to love more and more over the past year--my friends. I want to thank my Secretariat for sticking with us for as long as they did and completing every task with grace. If I were to do it all again, there isn’t a team of people out there that I think I would pick over any of you all. You make me a better person, and I will be eternally grateful for that. I want to thank the members of the Carolina International Relations Association and everyone who staffed this conference. Let’s give them a huge round of applause!
Additionally, I would be remiss if I didn’t award these honorable recommendations to the two people that made this year one for the books. The two seniors that trusted me time and time again to help be a leader in this organization. My good pal Brent Van Vliet, and my best friend Rosie Tran, whom I will miss seeing everyday once they graduate this semester.
And of course a huge thank you to Erin and Julia. I’ve grown to love you by learning more and more about you every day. We’re absolutely crazy for doing this, but we actually did it! I love you guys and I would absolutely do it all again...but not any time soon cuz I’m exhausted.
Before I leave you all to start the awards ceremony, I want you to take a look around at the friends you’ve made this weekend. It’s sad but you won’t see a lot of them for a while. So as I recite my favorite quote from Joseph Campbell, take a mental photograph of this magical moment and all you’ve accomplished, remembering that the life ahead of you is a vast, exciting unknown.
We have not even to risk the adventure alone for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known… we have only to follow the thread of the hero path. And where we had thought to find an abomination we shall find a God. And where we had thought to slay another we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outwards we shall come to the center of our own existence .And where we had thought to be alone we shall be with all the world.