Hundreds of students across California gather in the Dugger gym, anxiously waiting to show off their skills at the MUN program’s annual conference. Every year for the past decade, Laguna Beach Model United Nations has held a conference, hosting many schools across the state. It’s that time of year for the program, and with the largest enrollment in MUN school history, how will students and teachers navigate creating the biggest and best conference yet in 2026? Not only the conference, but Laguna Beach MUN will be raising money for the Laguna Massai charity run by students on campus. Secretary Generals Kate Hennessy and Ciara Paul stare at a huge task ahead: hosting a well-run conference that ensures students have a great weekend at our school.

This day is a cornerstone for the LBHS community, providing students with a space to gather and practice United Nations skills at a high level.  2026 is “the year” for the program. As they reach a staggering new enrollment, leadership has to work together to showcase our students’ capabilities and the beauty of our school and community.  The conference committees will take place on March 14th, lasting one day. The day starts with opening ceremonies in the gym, where the head student leaders and teachers give opening remarks introducing the delegates to the conference. Then after that, the students will be directed to their committees in breakout rooms- consisting of 3 Laguna Beach students running it, a head chair, vice chair, and legal. Each room has a different topic, and students prepare for it with position papers, which they then formally debate and address. Each student acts as a delegate from a particular country. At the end of the day, students will be directed to the gym, where awards will be given for “Commending” delegates, “Outstanding” delegates, and “Best” delegates, which students work for throughout the day. A year’s work goes into planning this event, and all parts must work together to keep the conference running smoothly with more than 300 delegates. Also, the program will add an extra lunchtime event, the Multicultural Feast, where delegates can bring food from their culture, and all students can share and enjoy food from different nationalities.

Let’s take a quick dive into some of the leadership helping run this engaging conference. Warren Rootlieb, an assistant to the LBIMUN director, Maddie Rootlieb, gave me great insight into the planning and goals of this event. Warren Rootlieb, a sophomore, said the most critical step is obviously getting schools to sign up early, because many MUN classes plan their conferences at the very beginning of the school year. “We sent our first batch of emails in September.” When it comes to challenges in the planning of the conference, he said, “It could be anything from disagreements to how we want to do things logistically, because the countries we want to assign are all left up to us.” One essential thing for the MUN program is making sure that the kids can make choices and navigate problems on their own, with their peers, and with some advisor help. When it comes to what the staff wants students to take away from the conference, Warren sincerely hopes delegates can recognize the decorum, responsibility, and execution that they intend to have. He also stated, “We truly try really hard to make our conference represent what the UN is like in a solemn manner, and I would like students to see not only what our department, but our whole class has put into this conference.” Clearly, the MUN program has put a lot of effort into this day, bringing students from across the state to our school.

This annual conference offers an excellent opportunity to welcome students to our campus, providing them with a complete learning experience, opportunities to meet new people, and new experiences. Teachers Mr. Shen and Mr. Todd have helped create a class that fosters a welcoming community where students can come together and take on the responsibility of helping run a competitive and fun conference. This is more than a MUN conference; it is an opportunity for our high school to showcase our students and demonstrate just what they are capable of.