April 1 came again, and of course, it is more than a day of fooling.  My thoughts always drifted back to the powerful legacy my Dad left on his birthday, a large collective of family that influenced each of us so much, but even moreso, were influenced by his middle of the night to save someone stuck, answering the call for food needed by families, providing transportation to those needing to get to work, just to begin a comprehensive list.  yes Dad was quiet, but his actions spoke louder than words to each of us and told us to take care of our bodies, take care of each other in the family, and take care of those outside our family to feel as if they were part of our family.

This led me to so many past events that I am way behind on regarding some awesome events as of late – but one is worthy of mentioning.  MUN Press.  For those that might not be aware, MUN is Model United Nations, where for two days, our students mimic actions, calls to action, responding to, calling out for help and more on behalf of their own country as a representative in one of many delegations found at the actual United Nations.  I am in love with this event as my exposure to current events was students simply brining in a current event and discussing it.  This enlivens that idea and brings some truth to it – some energy, some synthesis of what is happening outside the country and the MUN to what is happening inside the MUN Conference.  I was fortunate enough to be asked to help supervise and represent the MUN Press, I love this position as I get to see the varying topics and weigh how to advise and represent all events and try to avoid the bias-ness that comes out from my own personal beliefs, (this is harder than you think).

This year the theme of Conflict Confrontation,  I was devoted to making sure we did not just become so insular and focus on ourselves during MUN only, the goal is to take what is happening around us and synthesize the MUN to the UN, and the world, and make connections to the real world, the MUN at ASF world, and represent all in an equal light, not so hard at times.

I could never have been more proud as I was able to see this year’s Press take all the past year’s MUN successes and add to them and then build on them, that is what using prior experience and information is all about.  Not besting a year before but using the year before to improve and reach people more effectively.  

The video and technology staff we had outdid themselves with the periodic videos that prepped all ASF for the upcoming MUN conference, they were phenomenal.  

The newsletter The Right of Reply, did exactly what we hoped became creative, became informative, yet represented  a wide variety of topics that were international in nature.

The social media staff were very intuitive in making sure the Snapchat and Facebook sites were hopping an buzzing showing the same hop and buzz all members of MUN were involved in.  We made sure we even added some fun… (lol)

The reporters made capturing audio components of MUN an essential part of the experience.

The editors made sure the professionalism did not stop at capturing the info for the articles, but how they appeared.

The photographers made sure the feeling of being everywhere and anywhere was a reality.

The planners and advisor of MUN helped support the Press but also helped show while many disdain MUN, these same planners and advisor of MUN showed how important it was to bring the outside world into ASF (American School Foundation) so we could experience it, and that is a life learning lesson that the only way to experience? – is to live it.    

It takes MUCH MUCH energy, thick skin, and vision to have one or two MUN press editors to oversee the whole process from within the MUN press, and we had them, Kudos to the student leaders of the MUN Press that have to think weeks ahead before we start.

The MUN Press,  I was lucky to be able to be surrounded by and play a role in giving them advice based on their amazing talents as we saw them unfold.   A huge bow and level of gratitude who exhibited the level of giving back to others and revealing to them the world in so many different formats.  I can’t begin to explain how much of an honor the MUN Press is and the best of the best have to be there to make it work properly, equally, and on a very wide audience level.

A huge thank you to the sacrifices made to the planners of MUN, there are many that are taken for granted, go unseen and unknown to what a huge job that is, but, we carry a bit of MUN with us if we allow it.

The gifts my father left behind are priceless, and when you see them rise again in students around you that are priceless, then we see this legacy of bringing in individuals as part of your family begin over and over again.  Did I think it would occur in another country?  Not on your life.  Am I grateful?  Beyond words.  Thank you for your gifts that keep resurfacing Dad!