A Shout Out to Southern California's MUN Advisors: How This 20-Year Teacher Got Started in Model United Nations (John Remmell, Part 1)

What is global citizenship? In this episode of the Model United Nations podcast, Ryan concludes his interview with Felix Knoebel (@FelixKnoebel), a MUN Mentor at Best Delegate's Model United Nations Institute and the former Head Delegate of Cornell's Model UN Team. Ryan and Felix discuss the concept of global citizenship and its importance in today's interconnected world. Global citizenship is about having knowledge of global issues, skills for communicating and understanding different perspectives, and values and behaviors that help to make the world a better place. Ryan also shares how Best Delegate became a Certified B Corp in order to be a business example of global citizenship. The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

In this episode, Ryan continues his interview with Felix Knoebel (@FelixKnoebel), a MUN Mentor at Best Delegate's Model United Nations Institute and the former Head Delegate of Cornell's Model UN Team. Ryan and Felix discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion at Model UN conferences. They examine Model UN's past as a privileged activity, where students and schools with financial means could travel to multi-day, hotel-based Model UN conferences, but also the progress that's been made to make Model UN more accessible to more students at lower cost. Felix dives into how modern-day MUN conferences are striving to be more inclusive and create safe spaces for students, but how there's still much more work to do. Join us as we explore this crucial issue and learn about the exciting progress being made towards a more diverse and equitable Model UN community. The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

Felix Knoebel (@FelixKnoebel) is a 23-year old from Sarasota, FL, who's been involved in Model UN for 10+ years, including serving as Head Delegate of Cornell's Model UN Team and Secretary-General of the Cornell International Affairs Conference. Felix is also one of the most fun and engaging Mentors we've had at Best Delegate's Model United Nations Institute! In this episode, we talk about how Felix got started in Model UN as a high school freshman and overcame his fear of public speaking. We also discuss how Model UN sometimes gets compared to Dungeon & Dragons because they're both role-playing activities. We talk about the similarities and differences between MUN and D&D, and what students can learn from stepping into someone else's shoes. The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

Caucusing, lobbying, informal consultations -- what's the difference? Well, it depends on where you do Model United Nations: the United States, Europe, or the real United Nations. Ryan concludes his interview with John Remmell, the MUN Director at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, by discussing: The different styles of Model UN around the world How Model UN differs from the real UN A conference that Best Delegate helped organize with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime The Simpsons Model UN episode! The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

Most Model UN conferences in the United States give out awards. Most MUN conferences internationally do not. In SoCal's competitive high school MUN circuit, students receive extra credit for winning awards. Should we have awards in Model United Nations? In this episode, Ryan continues his interview with John Remmell, the MUN Director at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, by debating the hotly contested subject of whether we should have awards in Model United Nations. ### The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

In this episode, Ryan continues his interview with John Remmell (@munsm), the MUN Director at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. Ryan and John talk about SOCOMUN, Santa Margarita's one-day MUN conference every September that is attended by 1,400+ students a year. SOCOMUN is the first MUN conference of the year -- and their first MUN conference, period -- for many students in Southern California. Ryan also asks John why he continues to be an MUN Advisor, after 26 years. John shares some of his favorite stories about students who've been through Santa Margarita's MUN program, and the lasting impact that MUN has left on them years later. ### The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

John Remmell (@munsm) is a social studies teacher and the MUN Director at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County, California. They host SOCOMUN every September, which is the first MUN conference of the year for many students in Southern California -- including Ryan! It was the first MUN conference he attended over 20 years ago as a high school freshman growing up in SoCal. In this episode, Ryan and John talk about Southern California MUN: its intensity, competitiveness, and impact. They give a "shout out" to many of the MUN Advisors over the years who have shaped MUN in this part of the country: Lynn Aase, Laurie Elowe, Linda Levine, Bob Timberlake, and others (sorry we didn't have enough airtime to recognize everyone!). And John shares how he got started as a MUN advisor, and his own MUN journey, from not knowing anything about Model United Nations, to the present day, where he leads one of the biggest MUN programs in the world. The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

In this episode, Ryan concludes his interview with Georgina (Geo) by discussing gender imbalances at Model UN conferences. Geo shares her experience going into committees with way more boys than girls, especially military-themed committees, and the challenges she encounters. Ryan and Geo describe what MUN conferences are doing to be more inclusive. ### The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

In this episode, Georgina (Geo) shares her experiences teaching Model UN after she graduates from Georgetown University. She teaches Model UN in India with a company called Worldview Education and their "MUN for India" initiative. Afterwards, Geo joins the Peace Corps, where she's stationed in Thailand and starts teaching Model UN to local students there -- until the 2020 covid pandemic begins, and she promptly returns stateside. But Geo joins the team at Best Delegate, and her energy and enthusiasm for Model UN quickly makes her one of our most beloved MUN Mentors. Today, Geo is studying to be a teacher at New York University. ### The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com

Georgina Kenchington, affectionately known by her students as "Geo," is a 26-year old from New York City who has participated in Model UN for over 12 years. She graduated from Georgetown University, where she was Head Delegate. She's currently studying international education at New York University. And she's a Mentor for Best Delegate's Model United Nations Institute. In this episode, Ryan asks Geo how she got started in Model UN, and why MUN is the reason she attended Georgetown University. She attended Georgetown's high school Model UN conference, NAIMUN, which is how she first learned about the university. Making friends with NAIMUN chairs and staffers is what made her believe that Georgetown was the right school for her. Geo wrote about Model UN and international relations in her college application and personal essays. She would go on to attend Georgetown and lead their Model UN program. If you're curious about how Model UN helps students get into college, this is a great episode for finding out how! ### The Model United Nations Podcast is brought to you by Best Delegate -- we make it easy to learn Model UN! Start your MUN journey today at learnmodelun.com