MUN Conference
During our first Model United Nations Conference, we debated three resolutions that represented different perspectives on the Venezuelan Refugee Crisis. The first resolution, 2A, was written by the United Kingdom (whom I represented), the second resolution, 2B, was written by Pakistan, and the third, 2C, by China. Before the conference, we heavily researched the topic, and wrote policy papers and resolutions. Each country voted on the resolutions, and their new amendments, which were written during the conference. The resolution that passed was Resolution 2B. During our second conference, we debated four resolutions on Nuclear Non-Proliferation. The first resolution, 2A, was written by Pakistan, the second, 2B, by Cuba, the third, 2C, by the UK (my country), and the fourth, 2D, by China. The resolutions that passed were 2A, 2C, and 2D.
Policy Paper - Venezuela Refugee Crisis
The United Kingdom recognizes Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela along with over half of the member countries of the EU and is in large support of the proposal for new elections in Venezuela.
Millions of people have fled Venezuela over the past few years due to the political and economic unrest within the country. Venezuelans in the country have experienced food and medicine shortages, punishment due to political views, extremely high rates of poverty, shortages of electricity, extreme inflation in the country, and other hardships causing them to be in desperate need of help. Refugees that have fled Venezuela have experienced trafficking, sexual exploitation, and xenophobic discrimination (UNHCR). The destination/host countries for these Venezuelan refugees are also in desperate need of assistance from other countries around the world due to a shortage of resources. Guaidó is recognized by the UK, along with France, Germany and Spain, as the interim president of Venezuela (BBC). Foreign Secretary of the UK, Jeremy Hunt, said the UK would back Guaidó until “credible elections can be held” (The Telegraph).
The UK has recently provided assistance to refugees and destination/host countries for refugees. The UK has worked to deliver clean water and medicine to Venezuelans suffering from the crisis as well as providing long term support for destination/host countries (Reliefweb). Because of the resource depletion occurring in these countries which host millions of Venezuelan refugees, international support from other countries is vital for the host countries. If more countries step up to provide support to destination/host countries, the refugee and asylum processes will be able to be sped up, allowing more people refugee or asylum status and being able to get to and live in other countries (UNHCR). Many destination/host countries have called on other countries in request for this support. If other countries who don’t back Maduro were to also demand for new elections, the possibility would become more likely, because of Maduro being the main cause of the crisis.
Millions of people have fled Venezuela over the past few years due to the political and economic unrest within the country. Venezuelans in the country have experienced food and medicine shortages, punishment due to political views, extremely high rates of poverty, shortages of electricity, extreme inflation in the country, and other hardships causing them to be in desperate need of help. Refugees that have fled Venezuela have experienced trafficking, sexual exploitation, and xenophobic discrimination (UNHCR). The destination/host countries for these Venezuelan refugees are also in desperate need of assistance from other countries around the world due to a shortage of resources. Guaidó is recognized by the UK, along with France, Germany and Spain, as the interim president of Venezuela (BBC). Foreign Secretary of the UK, Jeremy Hunt, said the UK would back Guaidó until “credible elections can be held” (The Telegraph).
The UK has recently provided assistance to refugees and destination/host countries for refugees. The UK has worked to deliver clean water and medicine to Venezuelans suffering from the crisis as well as providing long term support for destination/host countries (Reliefweb). Because of the resource depletion occurring in these countries which host millions of Venezuelan refugees, international support from other countries is vital for the host countries. If more countries step up to provide support to destination/host countries, the refugee and asylum processes will be able to be sped up, allowing more people refugee or asylum status and being able to get to and live in other countries (UNHCR). Many destination/host countries have called on other countries in request for this support. If other countries who don’t back Maduro were to also demand for new elections, the possibility would become more likely, because of Maduro being the main cause of the crisis.
Resolution 2A - Venezuela Refugee Crisis
The General Assembly,
Observing that four million Venezuelans have fled Venezuela due to the political and economic unrest occurring in the country,
Fully alarmed that there has been an 8,000% increase in the number of Venezuelans seeking refugee status around the world since 2014,
Deeply concerned that Venezuelan refugees who have fled Venezuela have been subject to xenophobia, sexual exploitation, and trafficking,
Recalling that inflation in Venezuela increased significantly immediately after Maduro was elected in 2012, “according to a study by the opposition-controlled National Assembly, the annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in the 12 months to November 2018” (BBC),
Recognizing that Venezuela’s GDP dropped significantly below zero immediately after Maduro was elected,
Noting with deep concern that cases of Malaria in Venezuela increased significantly after 2012, when Maduro was elected, “having been the first country certified to have eliminated the disease in 1961, Venezuela now has cases in at least 10 out of 24 states” (BBC),
Fully aware that oil production in Venezuela has dropped significantly since Maduro was elected,
Keeping in mind that Venezuelan families are increasingly buying cheaper food, such as cornmeal, pasta, bread, and root vegetables, “of those questioned for the country's annual living conditions survey (Encovi 2017), eight out of 10 said they were eating less because they did not have enough food at home. Six out of 10 said they had gone to bed hungry because they did not have the money to buy food” (BBC),
Taking into consideration that these significant drops in Venezuela’s economy and increased threats to human health in Venezuela have all occurred immediately after the election of Nicolas Maduro as president of Venezuela,
6. Further recommends countries and the UN provide support to the healthcare/medical system in Venezuela:
a. To provide financial assistance in order for more jobs to be created;
b. To provide financial assistance for the availability and supply of medicine;
7. Urges countries to provide financial assistance to the UNHCR in order for their refugee assistance programs to
be better funded and more efficient.
Observing that four million Venezuelans have fled Venezuela due to the political and economic unrest occurring in the country,
Fully alarmed that there has been an 8,000% increase in the number of Venezuelans seeking refugee status around the world since 2014,
Deeply concerned that Venezuelan refugees who have fled Venezuela have been subject to xenophobia, sexual exploitation, and trafficking,
Recalling that inflation in Venezuela increased significantly immediately after Maduro was elected in 2012, “according to a study by the opposition-controlled National Assembly, the annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in the 12 months to November 2018” (BBC),
Recognizing that Venezuela’s GDP dropped significantly below zero immediately after Maduro was elected,
Noting with deep concern that cases of Malaria in Venezuela increased significantly after 2012, when Maduro was elected, “having been the first country certified to have eliminated the disease in 1961, Venezuela now has cases in at least 10 out of 24 states” (BBC),
Fully aware that oil production in Venezuela has dropped significantly since Maduro was elected,
Keeping in mind that Venezuelan families are increasingly buying cheaper food, such as cornmeal, pasta, bread, and root vegetables, “of those questioned for the country's annual living conditions survey (Encovi 2017), eight out of 10 said they were eating less because they did not have enough food at home. Six out of 10 said they had gone to bed hungry because they did not have the money to buy food” (BBC),
Taking into consideration that these significant drops in Venezuela’s economy and increased threats to human health in Venezuela have all occurred immediately after the election of Nicolas Maduro as president of Venezuela,
- Calls upon Venezuela for new elections to be held immediately;
- Further invites countries to call upon Venezuela for new elections to be held;
- Urges countries to assist by providing resources to destination/host countries through working with their governments and along borders;
- Urges countries to assist Venezuelan refugees attempting to flee Venezuela, refugees in host countries, and refugees requesting asylum/refugee status:
a. To provide financial support to Venezuelans in need of visas;
b. To provide essential materials to Venezuelans in need, such as temporary shelters, clothing, food, and medicine;
6. Further recommends countries and the UN provide support to the healthcare/medical system in Venezuela:
a. To provide financial assistance in order for more jobs to be created;
b. To provide financial assistance for the availability and supply of medicine;
7. Urges countries to provide financial assistance to the UNHCR in order for their refugee assistance programs to
be better funded and more efficient.
MUN Conference Reflection - 1st conference
The best and most interesting part of this project so far for me was the final MUN conference. The conference was especially interesting for me because I felt like I could relate it to my personal interests. I am very passionate about and interested in politics, human rights, global communications, etc., so this conference was interesting because it allowed me to be a part of something that I could relate to my interests by making speeches, voting, etc.. It was also interesting to me because of the topic we researched and debated, which is a human rights issue, so I was very interested in researching it and representing a perspective on it. I felt like this conference was one of the most interesting, engaging, and relatable things I have ever done in school.
I think my knowledge for foreign policy and global communications definitely had a great improvement during this project. I feel like I am already very knowledgeable on politics, but this project still helped me to understand subjects that I previously didn’t. At the beginning of this project, I was slightly intimidated by the subject because I wasn’t sure how much I would understand of the subject matter, but now I understand much more about the subject than I previously did, which helps me to relate to the subject more. I also think my writing skills have improved during this project. Our policy papers and resolutions had a different writing format than the standard essay writing format. I had never written a paper with a similar format before, so writing these two papers helped to expand my knowledge of writing and various writing formats.
I felt very prepared for the conference. The two practice conferences we had held before the final conference greatly helped to prepare me for the final conference. If we had not have had those practice conferences, I would not have felt prepared at all for the final conference. Practicing parliamentary procedure was very helpful so we knew what to do for the final conference. I think my speech went well, which was because of how well I was prepared. If I had been less prepared, I think my speech would have been much less smooth. Although, I don’t think my preparation had a great impact on my participation, because I did not participate nearly as much as I hoped, even though I felt very prepared.
I plan to participate much more in the next MUN conference. I did not participate in commenting at all, which caused my final grade to be lower than I had hoped for. In the next MUN conference, I plan to have much higher participation in order to get a much better grade. I think this will improve the conference so there is more of a variety or participation, instead of the same people speaking and commenting constantly. I think it will make the participation more balanced within the whole class. I think this will also make the conference more enjoyable for me. After the last conference, there were some things I wished I had commented on when I looked back on the experience. If I participate more in the next conference, I think I will enjoy it much more so I don’t regret not participating as much.
I think my knowledge for foreign policy and global communications definitely had a great improvement during this project. I feel like I am already very knowledgeable on politics, but this project still helped me to understand subjects that I previously didn’t. At the beginning of this project, I was slightly intimidated by the subject because I wasn’t sure how much I would understand of the subject matter, but now I understand much more about the subject than I previously did, which helps me to relate to the subject more. I also think my writing skills have improved during this project. Our policy papers and resolutions had a different writing format than the standard essay writing format. I had never written a paper with a similar format before, so writing these two papers helped to expand my knowledge of writing and various writing formats.
I felt very prepared for the conference. The two practice conferences we had held before the final conference greatly helped to prepare me for the final conference. If we had not have had those practice conferences, I would not have felt prepared at all for the final conference. Practicing parliamentary procedure was very helpful so we knew what to do for the final conference. I think my speech went well, which was because of how well I was prepared. If I had been less prepared, I think my speech would have been much less smooth. Although, I don’t think my preparation had a great impact on my participation, because I did not participate nearly as much as I hoped, even though I felt very prepared.
I plan to participate much more in the next MUN conference. I did not participate in commenting at all, which caused my final grade to be lower than I had hoped for. In the next MUN conference, I plan to have much higher participation in order to get a much better grade. I think this will improve the conference so there is more of a variety or participation, instead of the same people speaking and commenting constantly. I think it will make the participation more balanced within the whole class. I think this will also make the conference more enjoyable for me. After the last conference, there were some things I wished I had commented on when I looked back on the experience. If I participate more in the next conference, I think I will enjoy it much more so I don’t regret not participating as much.
Policy Paper - Nuclear Non-Proliferation
The UK commits to the goal of complete nuclear proliferation, and the best way to achieve this goal is through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
With over 14,000 nuclear weapons on this planet, all life on Earth is put at a great risk. With nine countries obtaining nuclear weapons, and constant threats being posed among them, there is a constant possibility of a nuclear war, which could cause extreme harm to life on Earth. The amount of nuclear weapons on this planet is extensive and unnecessary, and is a problem that needs to be solved efficiently. The NPT and the CTBT are aiming for a world free of Nuclear Weapons and are focused on specific steps to take in order to achieve this goal. However, the UK does not support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The TPNW does not bring us closer to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons: “This treaty fails to address the key issues that must first be overcome to achieve lasting global nuclear disarmament” (Gov.UK 2). It does not focus on the key steps that are essential in tackling Nuclear Non-Proliferation. The TPNW puts the NPT at risk of being diminished: “[the NPT] has played an unparalleled role in curtailing the nuclear arms race” (Gov.UK, 4). The NPT has helped the UK reduce their nuclear weapons supply from 520 to 120: “[The UK is under] legal obligation to pursue global disarmament under Article VI of the NPT” (NTI, 11). The NPT has also helped other NWS to reduce their number of nuclear weapons. The NPT contributes greatly to the goal of non-proliferation, and can not afford to be diminished by the TPNW. The TPNW only puts us at greater risk and should not be supported.
In order to achieve complete nuclear non-proliferation, all signatories of the NPT, especially NWS, need to begin taking specific and efficient steps towards nuclear disarmament. In addition, all NWS need to begin sending their nuclear information to UN officials in order to be more transparent: “The nuclear-weapon states often circulate descriptions of what they are doing to pursue these goals, yet these accounts seldom reach the public” (UN, 7). If any NWS are signed on to the NPT, but have not taken steps towards nuclear disarmament, they are not doing enough to move towards complete nuclear non-proliferation in the world. All NWS should be required to begin nuclear disarmament by sharing and being transparent with their plans to reduce their amount of nuclear weapons/technology. In order for the NPT to work even more efficiently and for the goal of complete nuclear non-proliferation, “greater global cooperation [is required]” (the Bulletin, 2). All NWS need to take steps towards this goal and be more transparent in their nuclear information overall. The UK has already significantly reduced our amount of nuclear weapons/technology and plans to keep doing so in the future.
With over 14,000 nuclear weapons on this planet, all life on Earth is put at a great risk. With nine countries obtaining nuclear weapons, and constant threats being posed among them, there is a constant possibility of a nuclear war, which could cause extreme harm to life on Earth. The amount of nuclear weapons on this planet is extensive and unnecessary, and is a problem that needs to be solved efficiently. The NPT and the CTBT are aiming for a world free of Nuclear Weapons and are focused on specific steps to take in order to achieve this goal. However, the UK does not support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The TPNW does not bring us closer to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons: “This treaty fails to address the key issues that must first be overcome to achieve lasting global nuclear disarmament” (Gov.UK 2). It does not focus on the key steps that are essential in tackling Nuclear Non-Proliferation. The TPNW puts the NPT at risk of being diminished: “[the NPT] has played an unparalleled role in curtailing the nuclear arms race” (Gov.UK, 4). The NPT has helped the UK reduce their nuclear weapons supply from 520 to 120: “[The UK is under] legal obligation to pursue global disarmament under Article VI of the NPT” (NTI, 11). The NPT has also helped other NWS to reduce their number of nuclear weapons. The NPT contributes greatly to the goal of non-proliferation, and can not afford to be diminished by the TPNW. The TPNW only puts us at greater risk and should not be supported.
In order to achieve complete nuclear non-proliferation, all signatories of the NPT, especially NWS, need to begin taking specific and efficient steps towards nuclear disarmament. In addition, all NWS need to begin sending their nuclear information to UN officials in order to be more transparent: “The nuclear-weapon states often circulate descriptions of what they are doing to pursue these goals, yet these accounts seldom reach the public” (UN, 7). If any NWS are signed on to the NPT, but have not taken steps towards nuclear disarmament, they are not doing enough to move towards complete nuclear non-proliferation in the world. All NWS should be required to begin nuclear disarmament by sharing and being transparent with their plans to reduce their amount of nuclear weapons/technology. In order for the NPT to work even more efficiently and for the goal of complete nuclear non-proliferation, “greater global cooperation [is required]” (the Bulletin, 2). All NWS need to take steps towards this goal and be more transparent in their nuclear information overall. The UK has already significantly reduced our amount of nuclear weapons/technology and plans to keep doing so in the future.
Resolution 2C - Nuclear Non-Proliferation
The General Assembly,
Emphasizing that there are 14,000-15,000 nuclear weapons in the world,
Deeply concerned that it would only take about 300 nuclear weapons to completely wipe out all life on this planet,
Deeply disturbed that a first use policy allows the US to start a nuclear war by being the first country to use nuclear weapons in retaliation of a non-nuclear attack by another country, which greatly increases the risk of miscalculation: “Without no-first-use, the US public is at risk of a devastating retaliatory attack, should the United States ever cross the threshold and start a nuclear war” (Nuclear Weapons Solutions),
Fully alarmed that sole authority in the US is a system in which the president is single-handedly responsible for the decision to launch nuclear weapons without the requirement of consulting anyone,
Recognizing with concern that 400 nuclear weapons in the US are kept on hair-trigger alert which carries a risk of launching a nuclear weapon before a possible incoming attack is confirmed as real,
Observing that the US plans to spend $1.7 trillion dollars over the next 30 years in order to replace their entire nuclear supply with entirely new weapons: “Such a tremendous investment of money and effort encourages Russia to build more capable weapons of its own, accelerating an emerging and destabilizing international arms race” (Nuclear Weapons Solutions),
Keeping in mind that there are still five non-signatories of the NPT: India, Pakistan, Israel, South Sudan, and North Korea, four of which are NWS: all except South Sudan,
Noting with concern that there is still a lack of a reliable estimate of the total number of nuclear weapons in the world,
Recalling that only two NWS have retired nuclear warheads: Russia and the US,
2. Encourages all non-signatories of the NPT to make a goal to sign the NPT in the future;
3. Recommends that the US eliminate its “first use policy”;
4. Urges the US to eliminate or reduce sole authority:
a. To include other government officials in the president’s cabinet in decisions so the chance of recklessness at the hands of the president is reduced;
5. Requests that the US de-alert their nuclear weapons;
6. Further recommends the US and other countries with similar nuclear spending plans to enforce smart spending:
a. To put more money towards refurbishing and/or replacing single parts on pre-existing nuclear weapons instead of replacing them altogether with new nuclear weapons;
7. Further requests that all NWS begin sending their nuclear information concerning their arsenal size, fissile material stocks, and reached goals of disarmament to UN officials, which should then be published:
a. To expand information exchange in order to strengthen the IAEA;
8. Further invites discussions between the permanent five regarding the nuclear disarmament process to take place.
Emphasizing that there are 14,000-15,000 nuclear weapons in the world,
Deeply concerned that it would only take about 300 nuclear weapons to completely wipe out all life on this planet,
Deeply disturbed that a first use policy allows the US to start a nuclear war by being the first country to use nuclear weapons in retaliation of a non-nuclear attack by another country, which greatly increases the risk of miscalculation: “Without no-first-use, the US public is at risk of a devastating retaliatory attack, should the United States ever cross the threshold and start a nuclear war” (Nuclear Weapons Solutions),
Fully alarmed that sole authority in the US is a system in which the president is single-handedly responsible for the decision to launch nuclear weapons without the requirement of consulting anyone,
Recognizing with concern that 400 nuclear weapons in the US are kept on hair-trigger alert which carries a risk of launching a nuclear weapon before a possible incoming attack is confirmed as real,
Observing that the US plans to spend $1.7 trillion dollars over the next 30 years in order to replace their entire nuclear supply with entirely new weapons: “Such a tremendous investment of money and effort encourages Russia to build more capable weapons of its own, accelerating an emerging and destabilizing international arms race” (Nuclear Weapons Solutions),
Keeping in mind that there are still five non-signatories of the NPT: India, Pakistan, Israel, South Sudan, and North Korea, four of which are NWS: all except South Sudan,
Noting with concern that there is still a lack of a reliable estimate of the total number of nuclear weapons in the world,
Recalling that only two NWS have retired nuclear warheads: Russia and the US,
- Calls upon all signatories of the NPT to begin efficient measures towards nuclear non-proliferation/nuclear disarmament;
2. Encourages all non-signatories of the NPT to make a goal to sign the NPT in the future;
3. Recommends that the US eliminate its “first use policy”;
4. Urges the US to eliminate or reduce sole authority:
a. To include other government officials in the president’s cabinet in decisions so the chance of recklessness at the hands of the president is reduced;
5. Requests that the US de-alert their nuclear weapons;
6. Further recommends the US and other countries with similar nuclear spending plans to enforce smart spending:
a. To put more money towards refurbishing and/or replacing single parts on pre-existing nuclear weapons instead of replacing them altogether with new nuclear weapons;
7. Further requests that all NWS begin sending their nuclear information concerning their arsenal size, fissile material stocks, and reached goals of disarmament to UN officials, which should then be published:
a. To expand information exchange in order to strengthen the IAEA;
8. Further invites discussions between the permanent five regarding the nuclear disarmament process to take place.
MUN Conference Reflection - Nuclear Non-Proliferation
I think that learning about the United Nations and experiencing how actual real world issues are solved among many countries is really interesting and relevant. This project has also shown me how our system of international problem solving is not the most effective as it might seem. With so many different countries with allies and enemies, it is hard to come to agreements among enough countries to make a difference. This project has also shown me how compromising and meeting partway on issues is necessary in tackling global issues. I realized that my resolution, or any of the others, would not pass unless we made amendments and agreements because each country has a completely different perspective on every single issue. I realized if I denied any of the amendments made by other countries, few people would vote for it because it was primarily from my country’s perspective. I think I also grew as a delegate this conference because I made sure I had a second speech prepared as the author of a resolution. During the first conference, I didn’t realize I had to do this, so I didn’t have anything prepared and made a really quick speech on my resolution. This project helped me realize how essential compromising and meeting in the middle is when making decisions that will impact many other people or countries.
I have grown a lot as a learner from the first conference to this conference in my knowledge on foreign policy. Before learning about the issue of nuclear weapons, I had very little knowledge about the topic. I now feel like I have gained lots of important knowledge on the subject after doing research notes, writing my policy paper and resolution, and two speeches. I also experienced growth in being more comfortable with public speaking. During the first conference, I was extremely nervous about making my speech, but during the most recent conference, I was still nervous, but much less. I also feel like I was much more engaged in the whole conference. I think my writing skills have also improved during this project. Because I had to write two policy papers, two resolutions, and multiple speeches, I have learned how to improve my writing by including strong evidence, and writing strong hooks. To grow in this way, I put lots of time and effort into my writing for this project.
I will always carry more knowledge about foreign policy and international politics from this project. I am very interested in this topic, so I really enjoyed learning more about it and being able to participate in a realistic UN conference. Everything from the research, writing, and participating in the conference has helped me learn more about this topic. This project has changed the way I think about foreign policy and the way different countries deal with global issues, such as what I mentioned in the first paragraph. During the conference, I learned more about this topic just from hearing the discussions and comments from other people. I think this knowledge will help me in the future because I am interested in studying these topics and other ones similar to what we have studied.
During both conferences, I didn’t participate enough other than speeches. If I could go back, I would make sure I did more research than what was required so I could have had more knowledge about the subject, which may have helped me in participating and commenting more. I think this would have impacted my experience during this conference because it would have made me more engaged in the whole conference because I would have had more knowledge to participate, and it would have also increased my grade if I could have participated more. During the last conference, I tried to participate and engage more, but there were certain issues I didn’t know enough about to comment on. I also would have tried to engage more in the first conference, because it could have helped me more in the second conference. Another thing I would have done differently is to take notes during the conferences. I think this would have helped me to engage and participate more because I could have kept better track of what people were saying and what needed to be addressed.
I have grown a lot as a learner from the first conference to this conference in my knowledge on foreign policy. Before learning about the issue of nuclear weapons, I had very little knowledge about the topic. I now feel like I have gained lots of important knowledge on the subject after doing research notes, writing my policy paper and resolution, and two speeches. I also experienced growth in being more comfortable with public speaking. During the first conference, I was extremely nervous about making my speech, but during the most recent conference, I was still nervous, but much less. I also feel like I was much more engaged in the whole conference. I think my writing skills have also improved during this project. Because I had to write two policy papers, two resolutions, and multiple speeches, I have learned how to improve my writing by including strong evidence, and writing strong hooks. To grow in this way, I put lots of time and effort into my writing for this project.
I will always carry more knowledge about foreign policy and international politics from this project. I am very interested in this topic, so I really enjoyed learning more about it and being able to participate in a realistic UN conference. Everything from the research, writing, and participating in the conference has helped me learn more about this topic. This project has changed the way I think about foreign policy and the way different countries deal with global issues, such as what I mentioned in the first paragraph. During the conference, I learned more about this topic just from hearing the discussions and comments from other people. I think this knowledge will help me in the future because I am interested in studying these topics and other ones similar to what we have studied.
During both conferences, I didn’t participate enough other than speeches. If I could go back, I would make sure I did more research than what was required so I could have had more knowledge about the subject, which may have helped me in participating and commenting more. I think this would have impacted my experience during this conference because it would have made me more engaged in the whole conference because I would have had more knowledge to participate, and it would have also increased my grade if I could have participated more. During the last conference, I tried to participate and engage more, but there were certain issues I didn’t know enough about to comment on. I also would have tried to engage more in the first conference, because it could have helped me more in the second conference. Another thing I would have done differently is to take notes during the conferences. I think this would have helped me to engage and participate more because I could have kept better track of what people were saying and what needed to be addressed.
Adolescence Project
During our adolescence project, we studied adolescence in terms of the mental and emotional development associated with it. We studied why and how morals and values are developed during adolescence and how that connects to adulthood. For our project, we interviewed someone in our life about their adolescence. We took a portrait of them to represent their adolescence in the the context of their interview. I photographed and interview my mom about her adolescence for my project.
Adolescence Interview Write Up
Adolescence is a time when we develop our values and morals and mature into adulthood. Our experiences during adolescence shape who we become as adults. Those experiences are different for everyone. During my interview with my mom, Holly Williams, who works as the administrative assistant at the Durango Public Library, she explains her childhood and adolescence in great detail, and how her experiences affected her later in life. Holly grew up in a family that moved a lot, which she believes made her a very adaptable person as a child and adolescent, and even later in life: “I think I’m really good at reading a situation and knowing what I'm supposed to do or say or how to act in it because of all the moving, and I learned that by changing schools so much” (Williams). Holly had a lot of other interesting things to say about her adolescence and how it affected her throughout the rest of her life. Her experiences throughout adolescence had a very big impact on her life, which is now very clear to her, even though it may not have been during her adolescence.
During my interview with Holly, she mentioned many experiences she had that did not seem influential or important in any way during adolescence, but as she has grown older into adulthood, those past experiences during adolescence have turned out to be extremely influential in her adult life and how she lives it. In the interview, she explained a three and a half week backpacking trip through Death Valley that she went on as a junior in high school with a few other kids and teachers. She explained how, at the time, she did not think the trip would be influential later in life, but, in the next few years, she began to realize how much the trip had affected her life and would continue to affect it. She realized that the trip really forced her to step out of her comfort zone, which helped her to make other decisions later in life that were also out of her comfort zone: “never in a million years would I have signed up for it on my own” (Williams) she says that she was “afraid and didn’t want to go” (Williams), but the trip actually turned out to be a “very enriching experience” (Williams). She explained how her family life before adulthood did not involve much exploring or spending time in the outdoors, but after going on the backpacking trip, she realized that she did not want to live the rest of her life like her parents had been living theirs: “I realized that there were more options in the world than what I had grown up with… I could have a different choice” (Williams). She explained how this “different choice” (Williams) could entail living more simply in a small town in the mountains where she is closer to nature and could have a simple job, which is what she believes she has achieved. These experiences during Holly’s adolescence turned out to be very influential and greatly affected her life and how she chooses to live it as an adult.
Holly mentioned certain experiences during her interview having to do with family relationships that brought up the theme that certain things you might have to do during adolescence that seem irritating or unnecessary at the time can turn out to greatly benefit you later in life. In the interview, she explains many instances in which, as punishment, she was told to do something that seemed very irritating or unnecessary at the time, but ended up being a good life lesson. She explained how her parents, especially her dad, were very hands on: “he really wanted to instill strong values in both my brother and I” (Williams). She explained how her dad was always finding the lessons in things and teaching these lessons to them, such as being kind to other people and being an ethical person. She explained how her parents used different types of punishment with her or her brother when they got in trouble: “the typical punishment of taking the TV away didn’t work for us” (Williams). She explained how her dad would give them projects they needed to complete as punishment such as, refinishing a deck and sanding wood, or writing an essay about her ten values and why each one was important to her. At the time, she said she did it to be done with it, but later realized how valuable the lessons were: “it actually forced me to think through the values that my parents had instilled in me” (Williams). She says that these things she was forced to do as an adolescent have affected her in adulthood by making her be more aware of being kind and being a good listener. These experiences that might have seemed pointless to Holly as an adolescent have greatly affected her life and how her morals/values have changed throughout adolescence and adulthood.
These experiences that Holly talked about were essential in shaping her to be the person she is today. Every adolescent has these experiences that will shape them to be the person they become in the future, whether they realize it or not. There are experiences all around us, constantly, as adolescents that make us who we are and impact our morals and values greatly. Even the punishments we receive from our parents will impact us in the future, whether it be positive and help us to realize the positive values that our parents teach us, such as in Holly’s case, or negative, and push us to grow away from the negative values our parents teach us. Holly’s experiences and how they positively impacted her later in life can be a good lesson for today’s parents. A lesson that shows parents just how important it is to integrate good, strong, positive, socially beneficial morals on children, and especially adolescents. The things that kids are taught by their parents are the things that stick with them as they grow throughout adolescence, and into adulthood. Holly has realized now, as an adult, that what her parents taught her as a child and an adolescent, ended up impacting her greatly: “I think the basic values of being a good person, treating people kindly, working hard, has carried through. I learned it from my parents, I applied it through school, I applied it in adulthood” (Williams). Adolescence is a defining and impactful period of our life in which we learn to grow and mature into the adult we will become for the rest of our lives.
Adolescence Project Reflection
When I think about this project, I am most proud of my final essay and portrait I completed from my adolescence interview and specifically their thematic aspects and how they connect to each other . I am very proud of this because I feel like I put in a great amount of time and effort into my essay and it turned out to be very strong in terms of the themes, evidence, and analysis of the essay. I am very proud of the portrait I took of my interviewee because I feel like it captures the thematic elements of my essay very well and turned out to be very aesthetically pleasing. During my interview, my interviewee talked a lot about her childhood and adolescence and her life now and how they have been similar and/or different. She talked about how during her childhood and adolescence, her family rarely traveled or got out and did things like hike or camp. She now does those kind of things all the time and learned that she didn’t have to live her life just like her parents and could chose to live her life differently. I showed this in my portrait by photographing her looking at a map, in which the map is in color, and she is in black and white. I feel like this very well captures the themes and subjects of my essay which is something I am very proud of.
I ran into difficulties with my essay while writing it and trying to make sure it wasn’t too repetitive. I wanted every paragraph, evidence, and analysis to connect back to the main theme and subject, while trying to make sure I wasn’t repeating myself too much or saying the same things over and over again. I repeated the theme that our experiences as adolescents can be very influential on the rest of our lives even if we don’t realize it then. This theme was repeated a lot throughout the essay and how my interviewees experiences all connected to the theme in the same way. I dealt with this difficulty by consulting with many other people about my essay and receiving feedback from them about my essay and how to improve my repetitiveness. I also re-read my paper many times in order to rephrase things so I wasn’t being too repetitive. Some choices I could have made in order for my paper to be less repetitive were expanding my theme so it could vary more between the paragraphs, ask less repetitive questions during the interview, and rephrase my analysis of evidence.
The most important thing I learned over the course of this project is just how important and influential adolescence is. I learned how important and influential adolescence is on the rest of our lives and how influential our experiences during adolescence are on our morals and values. I learned this especially from my interview and seeing how influential my interviewee’s adolescent experiences were on her life. This is very important for me specifically as an adolescent because I am now much more aware of my morals and values now and how they will change because of my experiences to come. This connects to my final project because it made me much more aware of the themes connected to adolescence and how that connected to my interview and my portrait.
I would give myself a score of 9 or 10 for how I have done so far in humanities this year. I would give myself this score because I am always prepared for class, always have my materials, and always have my class work and homework done on time. I am always attentive to the teacher and other students and I always use class time effectively to complete my assignments. Something that I need to improve on is participation. I always participate well in small groups for seminars or group discussions, but when we have whole class seminars or discussions, I rarely participate and that is something I need to work on. I didn’t participate in the first seminar we had because it was a whole class seminar, but when we had our second seminar, I participated multiple times. I barely participated during the seminar during exhibition because of the large audience and larger group size. This is something I need to try and work on throughout humanities in the time to come.
When I think about this project, I am most proud of my final essay and portrait I completed from my adolescence interview and specifically their thematic aspects and how they connect to each other . I am very proud of this because I feel like I put in a great amount of time and effort into my essay and it turned out to be very strong in terms of the themes, evidence, and analysis of the essay. I am very proud of the portrait I took of my interviewee because I feel like it captures the thematic elements of my essay very well and turned out to be very aesthetically pleasing. During my interview, my interviewee talked a lot about her childhood and adolescence and her life now and how they have been similar and/or different. She talked about how during her childhood and adolescence, her family rarely traveled or got out and did things like hike or camp. She now does those kind of things all the time and learned that she didn’t have to live her life just like her parents and could chose to live her life differently. I showed this in my portrait by photographing her looking at a map, in which the map is in color, and she is in black and white. I feel like this very well captures the themes and subjects of my essay which is something I am very proud of.
I ran into difficulties with my essay while writing it and trying to make sure it wasn’t too repetitive. I wanted every paragraph, evidence, and analysis to connect back to the main theme and subject, while trying to make sure I wasn’t repeating myself too much or saying the same things over and over again. I repeated the theme that our experiences as adolescents can be very influential on the rest of our lives even if we don’t realize it then. This theme was repeated a lot throughout the essay and how my interviewees experiences all connected to the theme in the same way. I dealt with this difficulty by consulting with many other people about my essay and receiving feedback from them about my essay and how to improve my repetitiveness. I also re-read my paper many times in order to rephrase things so I wasn’t being too repetitive. Some choices I could have made in order for my paper to be less repetitive were expanding my theme so it could vary more between the paragraphs, ask less repetitive questions during the interview, and rephrase my analysis of evidence.
The most important thing I learned over the course of this project is just how important and influential adolescence is. I learned how important and influential adolescence is on the rest of our lives and how influential our experiences during adolescence are on our morals and values. I learned this especially from my interview and seeing how influential my interviewee’s adolescent experiences were on her life. This is very important for me specifically as an adolescent because I am now much more aware of my morals and values now and how they will change because of my experiences to come. This connects to my final project because it made me much more aware of the themes connected to adolescence and how that connected to my interview and my portrait.
I would give myself a score of 9 or 10 for how I have done so far in humanities this year. I would give myself this score because I am always prepared for class, always have my materials, and always have my class work and homework done on time. I am always attentive to the teacher and other students and I always use class time effectively to complete my assignments. Something that I need to improve on is participation. I always participate well in small groups for seminars or group discussions, but when we have whole class seminars or discussions, I rarely participate and that is something I need to work on. I didn’t participate in the first seminar we had because it was a whole class seminar, but when we had our second seminar, I participated multiple times. I barely participated during the seminar during exhibition because of the large audience and larger group size. This is something I need to try and work on throughout humanities in the time to come.