The Dodge City War

About the Committee:

Throughout the 19th century, U.S. settlers pushed West, fueled by ideas of manifest destiny and economic prosperity. Towns quickly grew, and some, like Dodge City, Kansas, were largely populated by gamblers, gunslingers, and cattlemen hoping to take advantage of the economic opportunities and weak system of law. Now, the year is 1883, and Dodge City is in the middle of an economic boom, but has gained a reputation for lawlessness. A new mayor has taken power and is motivated to restore order in Dodge, starting with shutting down the popular (and highly scandalous) Long Branch Saloon. However, not only does he face resistance from the saloon owner and its patrons, the saloons in town are great economic assets. How will the town balance its reputation, politics, its economy, and the interests of its citizens? Will the chaos of the wild west prevail in Dodge City, or will law and order take hold and change the fate of the town?

A LETTER FROM THE DaiS:

Dear Delegates,

Hi! I’m Isabelle, and I will be serving as your director for the Dodge City War. I’m thrilled to welcome you all to MUNUM XXXVII and I look forward to meeting you all! I am a sophomore studying Psychology, Spanish, and Statistics and this is my second year in MUNUM. On campus, I work in an education and psychology based lab through the Research Scholars program, I am a member of the Global Scholars Community and I’m engaged in a volunteering organization. If I ever have any free time, I love to read and paint (even though I’m not a very good artist). I chose this topic to encourage our committee to have fun, but also to learn about the complicated political, economic, and social factors that influence regions with decentralized systems such as the early Western United States. I can’t wait to see where you all take the topic, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the conference, topic, or even college in general!

Hello! It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Dodge City War committee of MUNUM XXXVII. My name is Advaith, and I will be your Assistant Director. I am from Ann Arbor and am currently a sophomore studying Robotics. At the College of Engineering, I engage in independent research in the field of robot perception and cognition, and I also take great pride in being a teaching assistant for introductory Robotics courses. Apart from school, I love to work on project cars, stay active, and immerse myself in different cultures by cooking, reading, and watching movies. I love being part of MUNUM because it broadens my perspective and teaches me things you don’t necessarily learn in an engineering classroom. I believe it is important for all students, no matter their background and interests, to be engaged in social advocacy, politics and justice. I encourage you to contact me as I would love to chat with you guys about MUNUM, UMich, Engineering or anything else! I am eager to witness the wild, wild ways you all will take control of this committee. See you soon!

We look forward to seeing you in January! Best,

The Staff of the Dodge City War Committee

Isabelle Perraut: iperraut@umich.edu

Advaith Balaji: advaithb@umich.edu