Emergency Plague Council of 1347:

Oh No! The Rats!

About the Committee:

The year is 1347, and the Mongols of the Golden Khanate have tired of their siege of the Genoese City of Kaffa. Their warriors are dying in the hundreds each day at the hands of an illness for which they know no remedy. Once the fighting ends, the merchant ships resume their trade and cross the Black Sea to another thriving commercial hub, Constantinople. The mysterious disease strikes again in the capital of Byzantium, a politic not unfamiliar with plague and political unease. The Emperor Kantakouzenos, out of fear for his city and all the regions surrounding the Mediterranean, from western Europe to northern Africa to Asia minor, calls for an emergency council of the most prominent political leaders. The unrelenting power plays between contingencies have the potential to stall in the face of a common threat: an impending pandemic. What is the cause of these deaths: commerce, rats, God, or something else? What can these city-states, empires, and tribes do to ensure that the suffering does not spread beyond Constantinople? What changes must be made and what will be the ramifications of such decisions committed in the havoc of a plague?

A LETTER FROM THE DaiS:

Good Morrow Delegates,

Hi! My name is Eleanor Mulgrave Schlick and I could not be more elated to be a co-director for the Emergency Plague Council of 1347! This is my first year as a full director, but my third year staffing crisis committees with MUNUM; I also facilitate a Montessori-focused model UN conference that takes place in New York. I am a third-year student at U-M double majoring in Political Science and Spanish who works as a university tour guide and intern for a local immigration firm. I’m a big thrifter too and look forward to seeing your professional fits come conference time! I love the spontaneity, creativity, and camaraderie that comes with Model UN, so I hope this committee gives you the chance to go back in time, have some fun with some cool people, and learn something new about the world.

Hello! My name is Ji Hoon Choi and I’m super excited to be your co-director for the Emergency Plague Council of 1347! This is my third year as part of MUNUM and I have directed a crisis committee in MUNUM XXXVII. I have participated in conferences outside of Michigan however, going as close to Lansing to as far as Malaysia. As a student here at U-M, I am a third-year student here majoring in political science and minoring in Arabic studies who also works as part of The Michigan Daily. I think one of the most important parts of Model UN is learning about collaboration and having fun, but also learning how topics, including historical ones, affect our daily lives. I hope this committee can help you make friendships and perhaps spark an interest in the topic.

If you have questions about the committee or otherwise, we are available at eschlick@umich.edu and jicho@umich.edu.

Fare thee well,

Eleanor and Ji Hoon, Co-Directors of the Emergency Plague Council of 1347: Oh No! The Rats!