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Behind the Scenes: A Chat with the Admin and Press Team Supervisors

Behind the Scenes: A Chat with the Admin and Press Team Supervisors
Bundy M.

On November 6th 2024, the IMUN press team was given the opportunity to interview the Admin Team Supervisor, Ms. Farcas and Press Team Supervisor, Mr.Grillo. As the 30th annual conference for the Iberian Model United Nations Conference is rapidly approaching, they shared their expectations for the conference and some insight into the role of the press and admin teams.

Starting off, we asked Ms. Farcas and Mr. Grillo what they were most excited to see at the conference this year. Ms. Farcas shared she was excited to see the collaboration between students attempting to propose solutions to global issues and to see the smooth outcome of everything the admin, press, and delegates have prepared. Mr.Grillo shared that he was most excited for the keynote speakers, as their speeches are usually exciting and thought-provoking. Regarding the press team, he is excited to see what they come up with, especially with the new Instagram page this year @imunportugal which will personalize the experience for students, and make the press more modern.

Upon being asked how they think this conference experience will be different from previous years, Mr. Grillo noted that the conference is going to be much bigger, and this is going to be a logistical challenge for everyone, especially the admin team and chairs having to handle more people. Similarly, Ms. Farcas mentioned how this year admin was organized differently, having four heads instead of one, each responsible for a committee. She looks forward to seeing how that will work compared to previous years as it allows for more students to practice their leadership skills. Regarding the delegates, Mr. Grillo looks forward to seeing the impressive professionalism from the students. He also hopes that the current election doesn’t have a negative impact on the conference. Furthermore, Ms. Farcas anticipates the use of AI being a challenge, regarding how it will be managed and determining its role during the conference. Both supervisors shared that as it is the 30th conference there is going to be a lot of excitement, but it will also be a bittersweet moment for our dedicated IMUN director Mr. Andrews.

We were curious to hear more about what it’s like to work as an admin or press member at the conference. Ms. Farcas stated that admins are vital as being the main organizers and doing a lot of the backstage work prior to the conference, which is crucial in ensuring the conference runs smoothly. Without their support during the conference, the outcome wouldn’t be as successful. On the other hand, Mr. Grillo shared how the press plays a big role in the sense that for most people there is a lot happening, most delegates stay in one place and have no way of figuring out what is happening throughout the two days. Therefore, the press is directed at the people at the conference and helps them understand what is happening all around.

Our next question took us to the heart of the action: what do the supervisors love most about their experiences in admin and press? Mr. Grillo shared that he loved getting to work with students on a more peer-to-peer level and creating that bond, where the power dynamic is more equal – as students always pull through and are more mature than we give them credit for. Similarly, Ms. Farcas shared she loved the collaboration with students in a different setting where they can explore skills that are not used in the classroom. She also loves the organization, from anticipating problems to finding solutions.

Even with all this excitement, there were still some challenges that both teams faced leading up to the conference. Picking an admin team was challenging, as so many students were interested. Narrowing those students down and finding a fair criterion to implement that was transparent was the solution to tackling their problem. The admin team was very passionate, wanting to do it all and fill out all the roles. On the other hand, Mr. Grillo shared that he has always been very lucky to have good heads of press that make his job easier. Once he communicates what is expected, the team always pulls through with amazing accomplishments that make him proud to be part of the team.

Although we are all excited about the conference this year, we wanted to see Mr. Grillo and Ms. Farcas’s opinion on what we can anticipate for future years of IMUN conferences. Mr. Grillo shared he would like to see the conference grow more internationally, hoping that there is space for everyone as we should always aim for more. Compared to back when Mr. Grillo was a delegate with only 60 participants, so much has changed, and he expresses his gratitude to Mr. Andrews for helping to grow the conference into what it has become. Regarding the actual logistics of the conference, Ms. Farcas envisions a change in note passing and moving away from using stationary, as well as online voting procedures. Even this year, online note passing is being tested in ECOSOC, so if all goes well, it may be implemented in the future. She also mentions the rise of AI and the impact it will have on the conference, possibly leading to new roles for admin.

For the time being, we are beyond excited to discover everything this conference has in store for everyone attending!

The IMUN press team thanks Ms.Farcas and Mr.Grillo for their time, and for providing us with exclusive insights before the conference. We wish them good luck with a successful IMUN conference!