Midnight crises are some of the most talked about parts of any Model United Nations Conference. We all hear those delegates in the elevator talking about the crazy things their committee did during the midnight session, or how their roommate woke them up getting back to the room at some early hour of the morning after a midnight meeting. But what is a midnight crisis? Will you have one, and if you do, how can you use this extra session to your advantage as a delegate?
So first off, a midnight crisis, as they’re often called, is an extra session of committee, one that often occurs at midnight, or very early in the morning. The circumstances surrounding a midnight crisis session differ from conference to conference, but generally they are a surprise to the delegates involved. Conference staffers might come knock on your hotel door in the night to retrieve you for committee, or your chairs may simply ask you to come back for an extra session at midnight. Regardless of how you get to your midnight crisis, however, you should still be prepared to treat it as any other session of committee. Just because it happens at an unusual time doesn’t give you an excuse to slack off.
Below are some quick tips in how to approach your time in a midnight crisis session so you don’t fall behind, or fall asleep!
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- Go in with an open mind — it’s healthy to recognize that this session is unique because of the time it takes place at. Everyone tends to be doing different things at midnight; maybe you’re usually asleep at this point in the night, or maybe you’re still grinding away at some homework. Regardless of what everyone is used to, debating, writing, and negotiating at midnight is going to be a novel experience for everyone. It’s easy to feel annoyed that you’re losing sleep or are having an unplanned session, but that’s just going to make the whole experience miserable for you, and you won’t do well. Instead, try to be excited about this opportunity! Think of this as an extra chance to collaborate and showcase your skills as a strong delegate, and you’ll be sure to succeed.
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- Remember to have fun — yes, this is another committee session, but it’s also a crisis-specific session that’s taking place at midnight. For those reasons, it’s pretty typical to see chairs or crisis staff that are willing to let a little bit of the most formal parliamentary procedure fall to the wayside. By no means does this mean that everything in committee will be chaotic, but expect some formal debate to be suspended in favor of a timed crisis, or something of the like.
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- Think of this as a mental marathon — most midnight crisis sessions occur on the Friday night of a conference weekend. At this point in your day, you’re probably exhausted from a day of travel, settling in, experiencing the anxiety that comes with opening ceremonies, and going through one committee session earlier that night. It’s easy to let the sleepiness and the mental fog creep in and keep you from doing your best, but one way to combat that is by playing a mental game with yourself. I like to think of my Fridays at a conference as mental marathons to stay alert and sharp, and if I can make it through that midnight session while staying on my game, I’ll get to rush straight up to bed, or a favorite snack, or something that’s not related to MUN that I can look forward to. Keeping some form of a ‘prize’ in your mind’s eye will motivate you to keep pushing through that last moderated caucus!
