“Sometimes Love doesn´t swipe right. It raises its Pladcard.”

If Sex and the City taught us anything, it’s that love can appear in the unlikeliest places,  sometimes over cosmopolitans in Manhattan, sometimes over working papers in a Model UN committee.

Elena-Mari is not just a student of languages, literature, and English at KU Leuven; she’s also part of the governing board of KULMUN, the university’s Model UN organization. She started MUN four years ago, when a fellow student pitched it during a lecture break.“It just sounded like such a special thing to do,” she recalls. Four years and 20 conferences later, Elena-Mari has made her mark as editor-in-chief, chair, and crisis wizard. She loves guiding beginners, especially in crisis committees: “You can really teach delegates confidence. In crisis, you have to encourage them to speak, to know their goals, backstabbing is normal, and that’s part of the fun!”

Maurice took a different path into the world of diplomacy. Now a graduate of Leiden University with a Master’s in Crisis and Security Governance, he’s working in cybersecurity, though his MUN career is anything but over. He started back in high school in 2014–15, “dragged into a room” by his MUN club. “At first it was just to improve my public speaking. I wasn’t good at putting myself out there,” he admits. But 23 conferences later, with plans to make it a neat 25, Maurice has become a veteran of UNSC debates. “Any place where people are debating is a good place for me.”

Both Elena-Mari and Maurice  share a special bond with KULMUN. For Elena-Mari, it’s where her love for MUN started and where she now helps uphold the organization’s high standards. For Maurice , KULMUN became a second family: “It’s a passionate organization. They’ve always told their delegates, represent yourself well, do your best, and have fun. I fully agree with that approach”

Their personal story begins in Lisbon, almost by accident. Elena-Mari had been invited to step in as Editor-in-Chief for the conference press team after someone dropped out. Maurice , meanwhile, was set to chair the UNSC. Both landed in Portugal around the same time, exchanged a few texts, and unfortunately, they didn´t end up on the same bus from the airport. They bumped into each other again at a social, and the infamous MUN gossip box sealed their fate. Someone anonymously confessed a crush on the Editor-in-Chief. Elena-Mari thought it was a joke, but Maurice  later confirmed it was him. From that point on, conversations flowed effortlessly. “We were instantly drawn in,” Elena-Mari remembers. “Constantly telling stories, constantly talking.” By the time Maurice ’s plane landed back in the Netherlands, the messages hadn’t stopped, and haven’t stopped since.

They balance each other well: her love for crisis and IPC matches his strategic UNSC expertise. Their shared advice? Make mistakes, step out of your comfort zone, and remember MUN is meant to be enjoyed.   

In the end, love in MUN isn’t about perfect speeches or flawless resolutions; it’s about who sits next to you when the debate gets messy, who laughs with you over inside jokes, and who keeps the conversation going long after the conference ends. For Elena-Mari and Maurice, the rules of diplomacy may guide the committee, but their hearts are writing their own agenda