Opportunities - What it is like being an editor at Delegate Snapshots

Over the last year, the Delegate Snapshots team has provided you with a wide range of articles, from current global issues to interviews with members of the MUN community. However, one of the things we have not largely touched upon is who we are and what brought us on this project. Hence, as recruitments for our magazine have recently begun, we decided to share with you a little more about us, what brought us here and our work.

Where it all began

For everyone reading this, I believe it is pretty obvious to you that, as the Editor-in-Chief of this magazine, I must be pretty passionate about politics and international relations. It was, indeed, my love for these that has prompted me, together with a couple of friends, to start this project, in order to share it with those around me. However, this passion is certainly not something that came to me out of the blue one day; rather, it developed gradually over time, with the epicentre being MUN conferences.

I had heard of MUNs before entering school, as my high school had just started organizing one, however, I had no clear idea as to what it actually involved, but, as I was intrigued by the idea, I decided to join a MUN club at the start of my freshman year. Needless to say, it may have been the single best decision I ever took, as not only I realized through the course that I was completely mesmerized by anything that had to do with international law and global affairs, prompting my decision to pursue a law degree rather than go to med school, but I also had the opportunity to meet extraordinary people who have had a great impact on the way I evolved over the last few years.

Soon enough, I got to attend my very first conference, which, in spite of it being in the Crisis Committee, often considered to be particularly challenging, especially for a first timer, solidified my increasing interest in internal relations. Since then, I have been constantly looking for opportunities to gain a better grasp in this domain, whether it was attending more conferences as a delegate, getting involved as a chairperson or organizer or becoming a trainer myself at a MUN club. I do not think I could ever stress enough how much these activities can benefit a young person, since, beyond the most valuable skills that you can gain through them, such as public speaking, negotiation and critical thinking, you also have the opportunity to connect with many people with whom you share similar interests.

Being an editor at Delegate Snapshots

Naturally, aside from all the activities I have mentioned previously, last year we launched this magazine, which, as a student-run initiative, is meant to bring global affairs closer to the general public, especially teenagers and young adults. Even though we have multiple departments that ensure the smooth running of this magazine and they are all equally important, I believe that, given my position in the magazine, it would be best if I shared with you some insight into the work of an editor here (though keep an eye out on our social media for some testimonials of members of different departments).

The main job of an editor is, quite intuitively, to write articles that are to be published in our magazine. Even though we are a quite niche magazine, focusing on international relations, there are a variety of topics one can tackle, ranging from UN committees overviews and world issues to interviews with members of the MUN community (which always represent a good opportunity for networking) and reviews on films or books that tackle global affairs in some shape or form. Moreover, the job of an editor does not need to stop at only writing and publishing articles: our editors also have the opportunity to turn their articles into a podcast version, write for our new breaking news section and contribute to the subscriptions we are sending out. All of these activities that we get to do beyond the writing certainly makes being an editor here a much more unique experience than everywhere else.

Concluding thoughts

Whether you decide to apply to Delegate Snapshots or not and whichever department you think you would be a fit for, what I would like you to take from this article is that every single opportunity counts and that saying yes to something, even when you are not so sure if you would like to do it or not, can represent the starting point for something that could truly shape who you are. Do not let these endless opportunities that you have at your disposal pass you by, but instead take them on as a challenge, to at least get to know yourself better and see who you truly are.