Behind the scenes - Spilling the tea
Sarah Collin
We roused the halls of ILYMUN to find out what our delegates were really thinking beyond the debates, speeches and resolutions. We uncovered the truth, got a glimpse of behind the scenes of the conference and are ready to spill the tea.
Walking through the energetic and busy halls of ILYMUN, you can’t help but be completely immersed in the energy of the ongoing conferences, the interviews and the occasional drama.
Delegates from France, Germany, Denmark and England come together for one conference: ILYMUN. From committee debates to press interviews to filming tiktok trends to the well-earned coffee (or tea) breaks, delegates endure long and demanding days. However you can’t help but notice the laughter, the whispers and gossip that go beyond formal resolutions and official speeches traveling from delegate to delegate.
Some recall being stuck in the most dramatic moments–tensions rising when two delegates argue over ‘care work’ in UN Women, unexpected alliances forming between countries, or even the accidental wardrobe malfunctions that had everyone holding back laughter.
Regardless, no one resists spilling the juicy gossip going around, such as striking comments during debates, sneaky discussions at lunch or even surprising friendships forming between rival countries.
For example, a late Italian delegate getting silenced and facing a brilliant punishment assigned by the chairs–singing ‘Rasputin’ in front of his peers–sparked conversation between delegates long after the debate ended. Similarly, the delegate of Colombia in the Economic and Development Council disputed the Oxford definition of a word, asking “Is the World Oxford now?”, prompting laughter across the room.
During the general assembly, all the delegates from the conference gathered in one single room and were ready to spill the tea in the gossip box.
When the moment came to unravel the long-awaited gossip, whispers began to grow louder as delegates glimpsed around the room to find out who the gossip box was referring to when the chair read out: “The delegate of Germany in UN women is so pretty can she drop her insta?”
If ILYMUN is anything, it is unpredictable: a conference full of surprises, stories, memories and experiences you will cherish and remember forever. It isn’t only about passing resolutions, taking pictures, chairing, or making speeches, but it is also about meeting people who think differently, working with professionals, gaining maturity and experience, cooperating and debating but most importantly it shows how young voices are already shaping the conversations that will define our future world.