Hangzhou International School
West Lake MUN 2011
The Role of the Debate Chairs
Debate chairs have the largest impact on the quality of a conference. Obviously, the way the
debate is managed affects each delegate. However, a debate chair’s biggest influence is felt
in the months leading up to the conference. The issues to be debated at the conference
should be clearly defined. Furthermore, debate chairs must be capable guides when
delegates ask for some direction in their research. Therefore, it is the job of a good debate
chair to research a topic thoroughly and share references with all delegates.
All applicants are expected to meet the following obligations if selected as a debate chair for
West Lake MUN 2011.
1. Conduct background research about potential conference issues and discuss
these issues with the other conference chairs and with some input from the
conference organizers. (Research and discussion will take place on the debate
chair wiki and will commence as soon as the chairs have been selected in July.
All debate chairs are expected to be active participants in this discussion during
July and September.)
2. Working with the other debate chair(s) in your forum, finalize the list of issues
in the forum and publish this list on a conference wiki by the end of July, 2011.
3. Continue to conduct research on these issues during the summer months,
producing a summary page for each issue, complete with links for further
research. (Issue summaries will be published both on the conference wiki and
in the conference handbook.)
4. Foster civil discussion of the issues by the delegates and guide the development
of resolutions via the conference wiki during the summer, in the weeks leading
up to the conference, and during lobbying and merging.
5. Participate in the entire West Lake MUN conference, beginning with a preconference debate chair workshop and ending after a final debate chair meeting.
Below you will find details regarding the different sections of the application.
Part A: Candidate background information, MUN history, and forum
preference.
This application form can be found at <http://westlakemun2011.wikispaces.com/>,
and each applicant should complete it electronically and submit it to
<shaunchan@live.com> as soon as is convenient.
Part B: Statement of Personal Goals
Please write a brief statement (less than 300 words) describing your goals as a debate
chair of West Lake MUN 2011 and the methods you will use to reach those goals. The
statement should be sent to <shaunchan@live.com> by August 1 along with the
application forms.
Part C: Wiki Journal
Please go to the page called Sample Journal” at
<http://westlakemun2011.wikispaces.com/Applicant+Journals>. At this page, you
will find instructions for creating a personal page on the wiki and keeping a current
events journal. In the time between now and September 5, the chosen debate chairs will
write a minimum of four entries in their journal, with each entry being based on a news
article or website the applicant has located. The entries will have to be based on the
topics provided by the West Lake MUN 2011 Conference. Further information about the
philosophy and general requirements of the journal can be found in the document posted
on the “Sample Journal” page of the wiki.
Part D: Teacher Recommendation
Please provide a brief recommendation from a teacher or MUN director. The following
statement should be shown to the person writing the recommendation.
To the recommender: The student requesting a recommendation is applying for
the position of debate chair at West Lake MUN 2011. Please provide a brief
statement relating how long you have known this student and your estimation of
this student’s potential as a debate chair. As always, anecdotal information is very
useful to the selection committee. The statement should be submitted by you
directly to shaunchan@live.com. Please submit recommendations by August 1,
2011. The confidentiality of your statement will be strictly maintained by the
selection committee.
Part E: Interview
At the beginning of August, the applicant will be given technical information about the
interview process. Each applicant will be interviewed via a Skype or QQ, and the hope is
that schools can support this process by assisting applicants with technical issues.
Interviews will conducted during the first week of August.
In the roughly 10-minute interview, a candidate should expect questions regarding his or
her interest in the position. Other questions will probe the candidate’s general knowledge
of Model United Nations procedures and current events. This year, the selection committee
is composed of your Vice Secretary General, Shaun Chen.