On Sunday, December 7, Ayala’s Model United Nations (MUN) attended California High School’s seventh annual Condor MUN Conference. The early morning silence was broken with the excited murmurings of students rehearsing their speeches during registration. Dressed in their best suits, ties, and button-ups, these students were ready to dominate their committee.
MUN is a simulation of the United Nations body, requiring students to act as diplomats representing countries and organizations in formal debate. Through educated discussion, these competitions offer students a unique way to learn about global issues, practice public speaking, and understand the art of collaboration to reach resolutions. An incredibly wide variety of skills can be acquired upon participating in Ayala’s MUN club.
“[Students] should be a member of Model UN because it gives them a great learning experience on how to cooperate with people,” Katie Cha (11) said.
The conference kicked off with the keynote speaker, the admirable U.S. representative for California’s 38th congressional district since 2013, Linda Sánchez. With an unmistakable air of dignity and decorum, she welcomed the participating schools and applauded them for taking the time to expand their education beyond the classroom. She continued her speech by touching upon her experiences as a public servant and how teamwork is the key to both high school students and congress.
“People like to say that politics is a team sport and they say that politics feels very competitive at times because too often people focus on wins and losses,” Sánchez said. “And yes, wins and losses are a part of it. But what I really mean is that you can not accomplish anything most of the time just by yourself. You need support, you need allies, you need a team. You need people who share your goals and people who believe in your ideas.”
Students went into their own committees when opening ceremonies concluded, and the real competition began. Though at first seemingly daunting, delegates found as the conference progressed there was still a relaxed and pleasurable aspect to the structured debate.
“I thought at the start it was a really nice and professional event, but I feel like as the committee went on longer, it felt a little informal,” Emma Chang (9) said. “It was just nice and easygoing.”
Condor MUN can also be congratulated for the diversity of committees offered. With 17 creative rooms that included topics such as AI in Warfare, Protection of Indigenous Rights, the Belt and Road Initiative, and even “Spiderman into the Spiderverse,” numerous engaging topics allowed the conference to stand out against the rest.
“I liked that the conference was able to have multiple committees for middle school, novice, and crisis,” Arya Kulkarni (11) said.
Another highlight of not only Condor MUN, but any MUN conference, is the opportunity to experience something that goes beyond learning in a classroom setting, teaching through hands-on techniques that are jarringly different from textbook education.
“It opens up a lot of new opportunities for you, meeting new people, going to new places, and understanding how one of the biggest government organizations works,” Chang said.
The conference soon came to a close after thrilling discussions and applaudable usage of diplomacy. Ayala MUN has performed phenomenally so far in the 2025-2026 school year and once again brought home the rewards at Condor MUN. Awarded students are as follows:
Katie Cha: Commendation in UN Responsibility to Protect
Emma Chang: Commendation in Belt and Road Initiative
Arya Kulkarni: Outstanding in Belt and Road Initiative
Meetings are held every Thursday at lunch in room H116, and all students are welcome to attend. Model UN is a valuable extracurricular activity that not only enhances a student’s abilities in school but also forges finer individuals.
“The lessons that you learn here hopefully will help you face challenges throughout the rest of your lives,” Sánchez said.
