2024 Committees
Photo by Gus Owen
The Troubles
Chair: Jack Dullea
1972 marks the most violent year of The Troubles, a violent conflict in Northern Ireland. This horrible event was the result of centuries of British colonization in Ireland. Delegates in this fast-paced crisis committee will take on the roles of officials and political leaders from Britain, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, and will be scrambling to end sectarian violence while also advocating for their own interests. With these considerations, as nationalists and unionists, delegates will have to work together quickly to push for peace in Northern Ireland, once and for all.
Watergate
Chair: Malek Plotkin
On a summer night in July, 1972, 5 men were arrested at the Democratic National Committee’s offices in the Watergate. Among the arrested was an Ex-CIA agent, and multiple people on the payroll of a shadowy organization dedicated to getting President Nixon re-elected. As the months went on, their story began to unravel, and soon enough, the White House, and some of President Nixon’s closest advisors were getting caught up in the scandal. As the scandal continues to unravel, and Nixon himself becomes increasingly implicated, the power players of Washington D.C., played by delegates, must decide what to do.
Manchurian Incident
Chair: Ethan Lu
Under the reign of Emperor Shōwa, the Empire of Japan enjoys an elected government, a modern industrial economy, and a strong military to defend its interests abroad. During this time, an explosion rocks a Japanese-owned railroad in the Chinese region of Manchuria, and the Imperial Japanese Army responds with overwhelming force. This crisis committee, set in Tōkyō in 1931, puts delegates in the shoes of senior Japanese politicians, civil servants, noblemen, businessmen, and officers as they scramble to shore up Japan’s international relations and address the growing militarism that leads Japan down a perilous path. Will Tōkyō give the invasion its blessing or order its end? How will Japan fend off the condemnations of the international community? And will they allow this incident to fundamentally reshape Japanese politics and society? In this committee, delegates will shape the fate of Japan in an early prélude to the most destructive war in human history.
Homestead Strike
Chair: Sam Schmitz
Homestead, Pennsylvania, 1892. The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, a powerful union, had bargained for good wages and working conditions at the Homestead Steel plant. Although Homestead’s parent company, Carnegie Steel, was making $4.5 million in profits, multi-millionaire Andrew Carnegie and his associate Henry Clay Frick sought to break up the union to lower production costs. When management attempted to set in place a series of non-negotiable wage cuts, the workers went on strike. In retaliation, Frick planned to sneak 300 Pinkerton strike-breakers into the town; however, thousands showed up to prevent the agents from disembarking from their barges. Gunfire broke out, and ultimately several people were killed. Delegates will be tasked with finding a way to maintain a stable, profitable company while also protecting the rights of the workers, all while attempting to avoid further violence.
Photo by Will Hastings
Gotham City Council
Chair: Nyla Bacchus
The widening gap between the rich and the poor is a dangerously developing issue, as each group has monumentally different effects on the Gotham community. The rich are filled with corruption, while the poor are forced to grapple with rising crime rates due to heightening tensions. However, the poor are punished much harsher than the rich, who hold much more influence. The delegates will gather as the city council to discuss the advantages and consequences of pursuing urban development within the community. Though it could prove to be beneficial to the economy, it could also leave the poor worse than before. Should the community support the developers in their efforts to create a new Gotham? Or should they prioritize the betterment of the less fortunate?