MUN Behind-the-Scenes: Who is Our Undersecretary General for Logistics?

Maria Sticlea, Undersecretary General for Logistics

The Under-Secretary General for Logistics role (as the name suggests!) helps with the logistics of the conference. I coordinate all Chairpersons, who will be running committee sessions, and Logistics and Committee Support, who help us ensure the conference runs smoothly, pass notes in committees, and ensure that both the chairs and the delegates have everything they need. This includes selecting the volunteers, training them once they have been selected, helping them liaise with the rest of the Secretariat, and managing them during the conference days so that everyone knows what they’re doing!

I’m also available to assist the Secretary-General and Director General with any tasks that need to be completed in a hurry, or that don’t necessarily fall under the direct jurisdiction of any other USGs. This ensures that the preparation process runs smoothly and minimises any hiccups along the way.

Intro

My name is Maria Sticlea, and I have just finished my first year studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at New College, Oxford. My job is to ensure that all the conference logistics run smoothly!

What are you most excited about for the conference?

Seeing the impact that our work has on all of the delegates! Model UN has long been one of my dearest hobbies, and I know how much of an effect it can have on young people; I myself don’t think I would’ve chosen to study politics at university if it wasn’t for MUN. I’m excited to see all of our hard work come to fruition and inspire a new generation of delegates to be more confident, engaged, and make lifelong friendships.

How did you become the USG for Logistics?

I’ve always been interested in International Relations and MUN, but after doing it for most of my high school life, I was ready to give it up and try other things. Even so, I heard about OxfordGlobal and decided to get involved anyway, and I’m so happy I did! I’ve chaired or volunteered for OxfordMUN at three different conferences so far, so I’m excited now to take on the additional challenge of actually organising the conference. 

Any advice for delegates?

I know you’re probably terrified and don’t necessarily know what to expect, but be scared and do it anyway! You likely won’t fully understand everything for at least the first half of the conference, and that’s alright. This is a learning experience, and if you embrace it, we can all learn from the event and from each other. Everything will become a lot clearer as the conference unravels, as long as you try to involve yourself fully, no matter how scary it is!

Even MUN ‘veterans’ will make mistakes; people will have said things many times worse in the past than anything you can come up with now, so just give it your all and try your best! Every single speech, point of information, and discussion will provide you with valuable skills for both later on in the conference, and for later on in life. If you do your research thoroughly, you’ll feel a lot more confident in what you are saying and understand what is being discussed a lot more easily.