The Hawaiian Kingdom

About the Committee:

The year is 1887, and amidst ocean breezes and tropical palm trees, the Hawaiian Kingdom is in turmoil. A once independent nation currently finds itself at a crossroads with organizations colluding to undermine the authority of the monarchy and the looming threat of annexation by imperialist powers. In response, King Kalākaua has surrounded himself with royals, military personnel, counselors, political figures, businesspeople, and activists to form a cabinet that will advise him on all pressing matters related to the kingdom. With rising tensions caused by the threat of imperialism, whispers of widespread rebellions emerging, and uncertainty brewing after a sudden change in leadership, every decision made will reverberate throughout the Pacific. The fate of the Hawaiian people and their sovereignty now rests in the hands of King Kalākaua and his trusted advisors.

A LETTER FROM THE DaiS:

Hello Delegates,

My name is Sydney Lount and I will be serving as one of your co-directors for Trouble in Paradise: The Hawaiian Kingdom at MUNUM XXXVIII. I’m beyond thrilled to work with you all through such a fascinating, lesser-known period of history. I am a sophomore from Rochester, Michigan who intends on majoring in Public Policy and minoring in English. To say I’m passionate about Model UN would be an understatement: I’ve done Model UN since my freshman year of high school and even attended MUNUM as a delegate twice. While in MUNUM last year, I was a rapporteur for the greatest crisis committee of all time: Jimmy Carter’s Cabinet. Outside of MUNUM, I am the Head Copy Editor for the University of Michigan’s yearbook, The Michiganensian, and a research assistant for the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). In my free time, I love reading fiction, making jewelry, playing games on my Nintendo Switch, watching anime, doing escape rooms with my family, and mindlessly scrolling on Pinterest. If you have any questions about the committee or want to hear more about any of my interests, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Hi there! My name is Nadia Abdelhady, and I will be serving as your other co-director for Trouble in Paradise. I am a sophomore studying Neuroscience on the pre-med track, and I’m from Commerce, Michigan. I participated in MUN throughout all 4 years in high school. This will be my second year staffing MUNUM. Last year, I served as rapporteur for Ad Hoc (equally the best crisis committee). Overall, I’m a big crisis committee enthusiast, and I’m certain this committee will be memorable. Aside from MUNUM, I serve as the President of Member Engagement for AMSA (American Medical Student Association), as well as the social chair for End the Cycle, an organization made to support children from underserved communities. I’m also passionate about drawing, painting and cats. Whether you have a question about the committee or in general, feel free to reach out to me! Looking forward to meeting you all :)

Best,

The Staff of The Hawaiian Kingdom

Sydney Lount: slount@umich.edu

Nadia Abdelhady: nahady@umich.edu