Special Interview with Sıla AKINLI

MUNTurkey.com:  Dear Sıla, first of all, thank you for sparing your valuable time to have an interview with us. We have been following you on both social media and real life, and we realized that we just had a chance to ask a couple of questions to one of the most experienced MUNer in Turkey. We believe that your questions will help all of MUNer in our community.

1. MUNTurkey.com: First of all, we would like to start with your background. Could you please introduce yourself to us, MUNTurkey.com, briefly?

 

First of all, thank you for giving me such opportunity to have an interview with one of the most prestigious platforms in Turkey. I must say that I am a big fan of your work. I am a junior in Istanbul Anatolian High School and the head of our MUN club. I started my MUN career when I was in 9^th grade. I am really into politics, therefore MUN is one of the most suitable hobbies for me. Actually, it was a hobby; now it’s somewhere between a career and a passion for me!

 

2. MUNTurkey.com: You are going to experience your first chairing experience in HFOMUN. What are your views about being a chair or being a delegate? What they really mean to you?

To be honest, expressing how excited I am for HFOMUN is the only thing I can say about chairing. It wouldn’t be fair for me to make any comments about being one yet. But in the perspective of a delegate, I think being a chair who listens to their delegates and is open to guide them throughout the conference is the best version of a committee director. When it comes to delegates, I think that delegates are the ones who run the committee. As long as the delegates are willing to work, the committee cannot be boring.

3. MUNTurkey.com: In addition to all of these, we observed that you are pretty successful in MUNs and we actually wonder the reasons that bring you the victory. Would you like to expose your secret to us?

First of all, thank you for your kind words! I believe the first reason why is because I actually enjoy MUNs. I love participating in them, I love being involved in politics and gaining experiences upon the current world issues. I believe that in order to succeed as a delegate you have to be prepared. As long as you are prepared, there is nothing that could stop you from being successful in the committee!

4. MUNTurkey.com: We heard that you have attended many MUN conferences for many years! We would like to ask you the MUNs that you enjoyed the most? Or which satisfied you the most?

I would not want to name any names. Not every conference was the best; nonetheless, everyone tries their best to make their conference remarkable and enjoyable, and I do respect that a lot. Therefore, I wouldn’t like to underestimate one’s work and call a conference unsatisfying. However, according to my personal experiences, conferences that value their participants and their contributions are the ones who succeed the most. So that would be what I look for in a conference to call it “enjoyable”.

 

5. MUNTurkey.com: Would you like to talk about some advantages and disadvantages of being a chair in any MUN and advise the key points to our MUNers?

According to my experiences as a delegate, being a committee director has many advantages and disadvantages. You have to balance your relationships with the delegates really well, you have to be involved in the committee in every single second so that you don’t miss anything. But it is a humbling experience since you get the chance to grow as a person while you help others grow both as a person and as a delegate. I must say that if I am interested in MUN this much, I owe it to my previous chairs since they helped me a lot through the way of being a compassionate delegate. I believe, delegates should prepare well before the conference since they are going to be the actual ones to dominate the committee and they should not be afraid to communicate with their chairs or the other delegates. When it comes to being a great delegate or a committee director, communication is the key. And most importantly, they should not forget to have fun!

6. MUNTurkey.com: We thought that sharing your first MUN experience would be something both educational and inspiring for our MUNers. Would you like to talk about your first experience?

 

My first experience was HASALMUN’17. When I first went to the venue, I was overwhelmed by how professional everyone was. And to this day I can still say that HASALMUN’17 was one of the most professional ones I have ever attended. I must admit that the procedure was not the easiest to understand at first. And the first day was not the most entertaining. However, the second day I walked into the committee and I started enjoying it. And that’s actually when I started paying attention. But the moment I really started to like MUN was when I participated in a conference that followed the Harvard procedure. Therefore, I perceive that time as my first MUN experience since I enjoyed MUN in real terms. Because everyone was more involved which makes it more fun. So, first-timers should bear in mind that not everyone has the best experience on their first MUN, but it is not a reason to let go of MUN. Because I am sure that the more you participate, more you will love it.

 

7. MUNTurkey.com: What would you suggest to the first-timers? How should they get ready for the MUN conferences?

I would love them to know that it is perfectly normal to get excited, to not be able to talk freely in their first session or even to freak out. Because I have been this way, and I am pretty sure that every MUNer felt the same way at some point. So, they shouldn’t be ashamed of talking, in fact, they should talk more since it would help them gain experience and become better orators. That is why I think simulations are quite helpful. I would highly suggest them to not be afraid to make mistakes because it is totally normal. And I personally believe that being a good delegate may be achieved by being prepared. Therefore, prepare in advance, do not be afraid to make mistakes and do not forget to have lots of fun!

 

8. MUNTurkey.com: Do you believe that MUNs effect school life in a positive way? If yes, how?

Absolutely! MUN really helped me improve my confidence. And I started to enjoy giving speeches and making presentations which are not everyone’s cup of tea. I would highly recommend MUN to those who want to overcome their fears of public speaking. If you do not have self-confidence it helps you gain it, if you do it helps you become even more confident.

9. MUNTurkey.com: We are planning to have another account of ours about MUN fashion to inform (generally the first timers) MUNers about how they should wear and what should they basically look like. And we think that you might be a perfect example for our MUNers. What is your favourite combination, would you like to share with us?

To be honest, I believe that the best outfit an MUNer can wear is the one that helps him/her be confident and comfortable in. I personally love black, white and grey, but the outfit that I go for the most is probably a black dress with a pair of black high heels. It may be the easiest to combine, but it is the most professional-looking and comfortable one.

 

10. MUNTurkey.com: Thank you very much for this great interview. We are sure you would like to add more about yourself or MUN world. And, last but not least, what can you tell us about MUNTurkey.com and MUNFashion? Do you think MUNTurkey.com contributes to the development of MUN conferences and students’ self-improvement?

Thank you again for all of your kind words and this opportunity. Like I have said before, I am a big fan of your work and I would love to see you keep up the good work.

 

We thank dear Akınlı for having this interview with us! We wish her a great MUN career!

MUNTurkey.com PR Team