Every year, students within the University’s International Relations Organization organize a collegiate Model United Nations crisis conference platform where students from across the country meet to engage in crisis management scenarios inspired by various topics, regions and historical periods. Virginia International Crisis Simulation XXVIII, this year’s conference, was held last weekend.
According to the VICS Secretariat, its executive team, more than 300 delegates made their way to Grounds to partake in committee-style discussions and social engagements — such as gatherings, meals, a bar night and more. Stella Banino, secretary-general of the VICS conference and fourth-year Engineering student said that what really set this conference apart from other Model UN events was how people-oriented it is.
“We make sure that the delegates have opportunities to network with each other, get to know each other and really make friendships that last beyond the last gavel tap,” Banino said.
According to their website, VICS focuses on promoting interesting committees and providing both traditional and creative subjects for delegates to explore — from historic or contemporary to futuristic or fantasy crises — to stretch the imagination and creative thinking of participants. One example of the 15 different committees delegates can choose to participate in is the “I Have a Very Bad Feeling About This: Star Wars, 4 ABY” Committee — based on fabricated events by VICS staff set after the timeline of “Star Wars: a New Hope.”
Kushaan Soodan, committee chair and first-year College student, said the participants and leaders used various Star Wars-themed references, including talking about a Peace Star as opposed to a Death Star, showing delegates' ability to engage with topical issues while still having fun. Soodan said that the way delegates engage with the topics, no matter how serious the subject matter, still allows them to learn from their experiences.
“How do we discuss these [topics]? How do we negotiate and understand that there are so many different stakeholders and so many different perspectives? How do we bridge those divides?” Soodan said. “I think being able to see those different perspectives and working together and across those perspectives, to come to solutions is something that can be applied fairly universally.”
The conference, however, is not just for entertainment and education. This year, the VICS conference committed to giving back to the community by accepting donations for the International Rescue Committee, according to its Delegate Handbook. Delegates were offered the opportunity to contribute to the IRC’s cause of assisting refugees and displaced persons worldwide by purchasing candy grams. Additionally, VICS offered merchandise to delegates, including stickers, shot glasses, long-sleeve shirts and tote bags.
Organizers had been planning for the conference for almost a year. Zachary Lederer, chargé d’affaires of the VICS and third-year College student, said that early-stage planning began 10 months before the conference began.
“We always try to change our committee lineup every single year to top the previous year, and good attention to detail, things like that have really helped us along the way to ensure that we have enough people that are able to have a fun experience,” Lederer said.
Though the conference does award delegates prizes based on public speaking and resolution-building, Banino said she encourages any interested student to consider signing up to participate in future events.
“VICS has been one of the greatest experiences of my U.Va. career,” Banino said. “The most special part for me has just been the way tightly bonded communities are created within VICS — you get to know your Secretariat really well, the committee teams really well and you grow closer to them through this fun, wacky event.”
Students interested in the next VICS conference can apply to be a part of the staff on their website, which states that no formal experience or knowledge is required and all students interested are encouraged to apply. While no dates have been set in stone, according to Lederer, registration for the event has historically opened around the beginning of the academic year.
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