Lisa Dammeyer for Aljazeera

The Messengers of JHUMUNC

By Lisa Dammeyer

Among all the jobs and positions at JHUMUNC, perhaps one of the most overlooked is the page. A page in any given committee is assigned the task of passing notes from one delegate to another throughout committee sessions. While some smaller committees prefer to pass notes themselves, the page is extremely helpful in the groups that have fifty to a hundred delegates participating.

Why is the page so important? Pages are the messengers of JHUMUNC. They can help foster good relationships and alliances between delegates. For example, when the delegate of Spain agrees with the delegate of Italy on a certain issue, Spain can express his/her agreement via a personal note. In addition, pages can be useful when delegates are trying to compose a working paper or resolution during a moderated caucus. These important documents may be passed back and forth between delegates working toward the same goal or to gain the support of other delegates within the committee. Many of JHUMUNC’s strongest alliances are built over note passing.

Another important function of the page is to filter through the notes being passed and take out any that are not purely intellectual. Some pages take this aspect more seriously than others, but there always seems to be some less than academic notes that slip through the cracks. Some are technically MUN related, with Model UN pick-up lines sprinkled throughout. Some of the classic lines include “I Ecuador you”, “Belize be mine”, “You’re my point of personal inquiry”, and “UN I belong together”. Other less creative notes simply consist of phone numbers or more traditional compliments. Either way, it is the page who ultimately delivers these love notes and could be responsible for a new friendship or romance.

Without pages, many alliances built in committee would not be able to grow nor would new friendships. It is clear that whether delivering intelligent notes to help create a more interesting dynamic within a committee, or passing a humorous note to spark a new romance, pages are a crucial part of all committee sessions here at JHUMUNC.