Last Queen of Hawaii: Queen Liliuokalani’s

Cabinet

​Still mourning the death of her brother and King, Hawaii's new Queen, Liliuokalani, now bears an even heavier burden: stop the Hawaiian way of life from dying as well. With foreign businessmen, missionaries, and the U.S. military, among others, continually encroaching on her islands and her authority, Queen Liliuokalani fights an uphill battle for her people's sovereignty. In order to make sense of all the competing interests and find a solution beneficial to all of Hawaii, the Queen has gathered powerful representatives to advise and create solutions. This is no easy task for a group rife with bitter enmities and hesitant friendships. Yet the Queen, and all of Hawaii, is relying on you to stabilize the islands and continue the peace and prosperity that they have known for so long. Will you work with enemies foreign and domestic to pursue a stable future for all Hawaiians? Will the Hawaiian identity survive at all? The legacy of Queen Liliuokalani and the future of her people rest in your hands.

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Making Magic: 1965 Disney Executive Board

​In the year 1954, one man had a dream to bring the creations of his company to life in grand scale, in a land where both adults and children could enjoy the pleasure of each others company together.  With the enormous success of Disneyland in Anaheim, Walt Disney set his sights on Orlando, Florida to further realize this dream in an even larger setting.  The title of this unnamed Florida Project would later go on to be world recognized as Walt Disney World.  In this committee, delegates will be tasked in helping this dream be realized through their position in the Disney Company’s Executive board.  This board will be tasked with a plethora of issues to combat, including: Dealing with labor unions and securing the land to actually build the park, losing employees that are enlisted into the Vietnam war, and securing the future of the company through an incredibly turbulent time in American history.

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Theodora’s Court: Birth of the Byzantine

Empire

​When the Barbarian Hordes breached the gates of Rome in 476 CE , many believed the Roman Empire had come to an end. The emperor Romulus had abdicated, and the city of Rome was conquered with the legions of the western empire scattered to the wind. But the Roman Empire was not quite finished. Under the rule of Justin the first the Eastern Roman Empire flourished with a new capital in Constantinople, and a new name, The Byzantine Empire. With his health failing, Justin would elevate his ward Justinian to Co-emperor of Byzantium in 527 CE, and with his Queen Theodora at his side, Justinian’s rule would have one goal: the rebirth of the Roman Empire. Whether paid in steel or gold, no price was too high for the Emperors of the Byzantine in the pursuit of their goal. On the field of battle, and on the senate floor none could stand in their way. Welcome, to Theodora’s Court.

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Japan 2231: Pokémon Rights Crisis

In the year 2231, the pollution of the 21st century caused most non human life on earth to mutate. The change was initially slow, but over the next 150 years, mutated animals began to develop strange abilities in addition to higher brain function. Scientists began to study these creatures as their mutated abilities grew stronger with each generation. In turn, Society began shape around the new abilities of these creatures. Mice, rabbits and sheep became able to carry and transmit electric charge making them alternative sources of power. As these abilities strengthened, however, the wild animals became more of a problem. Scientists developed new ways to capture these mutated animals in an energy state. In recent years, people have begun capturing these mutated animals for sport, keeping them in an energy state, and only releasing them in order to force the animals to fight other mutated creatures. Without regulation, this sport of forcing these animals, now commonly called “Pokémon,” to fight each other will only grow into something uncontrollable. On top of this, reports of criminals using these empowered animals to commit crimes are becoming more common every day. It is only a matter of time until an incident occurs. The Japanese government has created a task force known as the Kanto Administration of Naturally Transformed Organisms (KANTO). As a member of this committee, you will need to join your peers in forming new laws to protect these creatures from misuse and abuse while also figuring out how to safely combat the growing use of Pokémon in crime.

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​Dinner at the Blue House: South Korea, 1961

​The year is 1961, and General Park Chung-hee’s military coup has come to fruition, establishing a new, mysterious government with General Park at helm. The South Korean economy is in shambles after the bloody Korean War and the corrupt regime of Syungman Rhee, leaving North Korea as the stronger Korea. Park wants to rapidly develop South Korea, but needs the support of the chaebols, the corporate dynasties that hold the future of South Korea’s economy in their hands. These chaebols are walking a fine line between appeasing Park’s desires and attracting the ire of Park’s administration. Park needs their help to achieve his Korean vision, a project that could result in massive gains for the chaebols as well as the Korean people. Although disobedience comes at a cost, cooperation may lead to greater political influence and economic prosperity. In this committee, delegates will act either as heads of the most powerful chaebols or high-profile political leaders and must juggle the responsibilities of appeasing the Park regime, influencing Park himself, and filing their own pockets (and perhaps enriching the country along the way). Delegates will have the ability to form partnerships with political leaders and form their own conglomerates for their mutual benefit, but greed will test the strength of these alliances over the course of the committee. 

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When the Music Stops: the 2008
​
​Financial Crisis

​It is the beginning of 2008 and Wall-Street is engulfed in a storm of panic and fear. With the initiation of the collapse of the subprime mortgage market occurring months prior, the extent to which the American economy--and, thereby, the world’s financial base--was bound to these securities is only now beginning to be understood. Despite these present issues, however, the worst is yet to come. Like a disease, the failure of the US housing market has begun to spread to the pillars of global financial institutions. With every second drawing the world’s economy to the brink of disaster, US lawmakers and financial experts of both parties meet in Washington to discuss how to prevent the worst economic event of modern history. They, however, cannot do it alone. Alongside these public officials, the CEOs of massive, American-based banks will be central to decision making as any solution requires their compliance. Representing the members of this strange, dysfunctional collection of characters, delegates will be forced to find solutions to stabilize and rebuild the American economy while simultaneously pursuing their own diverging interests. It was once said that, when the music is playing, you have the dance. Now that the music has stopped, will it ever begin again?

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​The Abdication of the Dragon King: Bhutan,

2006

​The fourth Druk Gyal of Bhutan--meaning Dragon King--has just stepped down from his throne willingly, leading to mass national shock and mourning. It is the only time in history a monarch has voluntarily abdicated. He gave the throne to his eldest son and slashed the king's power, mandating that the crown prince and his advisors create a parliamentary government to move the great Kingdom of Bhutan into modernity. The former king wanted a more internationally open Bhutan, which had been closed to the outside world since its inception, hidden away high in the Himalayas. Having only opened to tourism in 1974, the land-locked nation is not accustomed to foreign visitors. The new parliamentary democracy must agree on a constitution that will lead Bhutan into the globalized future. Before leaving the throne, the fourth Dragon King orders the new democratic government to institute various social reforms, promote trade, and navigate relations with foreign countries all while trying to maintain their culturally Buddhist values. Navigating economic and political relationships with Bhutan's powerhouse neighbors--China and India--is at the top of their list of priorities for this new democracy. As a member of the new king’s cabinet, how will you and your fellow ministers lead the Land of the Thunder Dragon?