OPOMUN 2025 In The Lens Of Chaperones
Margarida Afonso, OPOMUN Media Team
To comprehend the external view of OPOMUN, a conversation with Chaperone Ms Evelyn Abery, accompanying DSL, and an interview with an American chaperone, Mr James Sawyer, allow us to understand their expectations, opinions, and compliments to this conference.
Ms Evelyn Abery, DSL’s chaperone, shows her interest in OPOMUN as she has accompanied delegates since 2011 to this conference. She has seen OPOMUN grow in diverse aspects, such as in location and venue, development of committees, quality of chairs, and the overall level of the conference. Ms Abery believes this conference is ideal for her to accompany students initiating diplomacy or at an intermediary level, as she characterises OPOMUN as “welcoming, friendly and efficient”.
The chaperone also comments that a surprise issue impacted the delegates in a year; however, she reflects that it was a good way for them to get out of their comfort zones and learn. One of her favourite aspects of the conference is the size of the committees, as she believes all delegates have the chance to speak, which motivates them to keep presenting their clauses. Without a doubt, she mentions “friendliness” as the word which most represents OPOMUN. Across the hospitality team and all staff, Ms Abery says everyone is really welcoming and does everything in their power to make them feel at home.
In the interview with Mr James Sawyer, we get to know his experience, expectations, and feedback for the 18th edition of OPOMUN. Mr Sawyer is accompanying LSCH, an all-boys’ school. He has chaperoned a Model UN team for 9 years, attending conferences at various universities across the US, such as Georgetown, Gettysburg, Delaware, and Penn State. The chaperone expresses a highly optimistic view of OPOMUN’s organisation, saying, “I think you guys have run a very well-organised event.” This sentiment echoed throughout the interview; he mentions specific examples like airport pickup, hotel arrangements, and the first day that took place at CLIP, which he states was “fantastic”.
Mr Sawyer shared the students’ perspective on OPOMUN. The students, all seniors, were brimming with excitement at the prospect of attending an international conference. Their eagerness to explore the world and their future was palpable, and OPOMUN provided them with the perfect platform to do so.
In conclusion, chaperones seem to enjoy these events as they believe it is important for students to attend conferences, especially international ones. Skills such as public speaking, engaging with people their age, and discovering what they want for their future are aspects MUN can offer, and they are interested in providing these to their delegates.