iMUNC 2021 Background Guide iKnights Chair: Kate Montano Crisis Director: Elly Tuffey Saturday, April 10 | NYC iSchool Letters From The Dias Hello Delegates, My name is Kate Montano, and I am super excited to be the chair for iKnights! I joined Model UN at the beginning of my freshman year at iSchool and am now a Junior. This is my first time chairing for iMUNC-- something that I’m excited (and nervous) for. At iSchool, Model UN is a pretty popular club so I thought I would try it out. When I began Model UN, I honestly had no idea how to conduct myself. I was incredibly intimidated by my more experienced peers, and I hardly participated. After lots of practice and lots of learning though, I found my voice and really began to love Model UN. Something that I appreciate about Model UN is the innumerable ways in which a delegate can act or lead the conference; it can start out really serious, but can also be really silly or have many unexpected endings. Model UN also intensified my love for my school; the iSchool never puts pressure on the club to be overly formal or serious. During my first conferences, I was always so worried about saying or doing something that was incorrect, but I’ve learned that you really can’t do anything incorrect in Model UN because making choices is a part of the fun. Be creative with your characters and the way you portray them-- it's all up to you! This committee in particular is based on a myth, so you really can’t go wrong with it. iMUNC should not be thought of as work, so enjoy yourself!! I look forward to getting to see all of you :) Kate Montano (she/her) ([email protected]) Hey Delegates! My name is Elly Tuffey and I will be your crisis director for iKnights! I am a junior here at NYC iSchool and this is my first time writing a committee and being a crisis director. I must admit, it was very stressful, let's hope my stress was worth it. My interest in Model UN was sparked when I took a class in my freshman year literally called “Model UN”, and learned how to debate using parliamentary procedure. Since then I have been fascinated with Model UN and the amount of researching and critical thinking that goes into it. I did not officially join the Model UN club until my sophomore year and I have only participated in five or six conferences. I know, I'm a bit of a noob, but I always have lots of fun and end up feeling really good about myself. One aspect of Model UN that I have always struggled with are my nerves before conferences, and the feeling that every speech I make has to be perfect. If you are like me, and you let your nerves get the best of you, just remember that Model UN is a space for learning and experimenting. The world's problems are not going to be solved in one conference that lasts a day. Nobody is judging you or thinking that what you said is unintelligent or makes no sense. Truthfully, most people are only half listening because they are worried about what they are going to say next. Remember to take chances, and feel free to make mistakes. It will help you learn. This committee was written with the intention that you would use your creativity and imagination to make the world come alive. No need to research much when prepping, most of the stuff written here came from my imagination. I truly do look forward to seeing how you come up with solutions to problems that will only ever plague you in this committee. Please remember that although we are dealing with medieval times and magic, I still would love you to realistically take on your role and think about what part you play in the grand scheme of things. If when you read this background guide it reminds you a little bit of D&D (to all my fantasy nerds out there) that is because even before I knew what Model UN was, I was an avid D&D player. One last thing, I would love it if you dressed up like your character! Something in my brain just thinks that that would be the most hilarious thing ever. No pressure if you don’t feel comfortable or you believe that it would be unprofessional, but even just a little token that represents your character would be appreciated ;) Best of luck, and remember to have fun! Elly Tuffey (she/her/hers) ([email protected]) Zoom Procedure Delegates… PLEASE remember to update your zoom to the current version available before this conference. We will be using the yes/no buttons for voting procedure and the raise hand button for points, motions, and to call on delegates wishing to speak. We will also be using breakout rooms for unmods, which means we will rely on the fact that everyone will be able to put themselves into the rooms they wish to be in. You must have your cameras on during this debate. Please email us if you are in a situation where you are unable to have your camera on, but otherwise being able to see all participants ensures that everyone is paying attention and allows for a more fruitful debate. Accepted Documents Crisis Note This is a direct action taken by you as a delegate. They should be written as notes to the chair and must have three core pieces: what you want to do, how you are going to achieve it or what means you will use, and why you are trying to do it. This will help your chairs effectively build crisis narratives for you and will make more of what you want to happen come true. Notes can be written directly to the chair, or in character as the person/delegation you are representing. Directive This is an action taken by the whole committee, either collective action by each delegate or using a power vested in the whole committee. They have sponsors (who wrote it), signatories (who want to see it voted on—not necessarily supporting it), and operative clauses that specify what actions are being taken. Directives must be voted on, passed, and then will be implemented by the crisis team. Communiqué A communique is a communication sent by the whole committee to another person or group. They are a way of representing the interests of everyone to other groups you may be trying to work with or are bargaining with. Press Release A press release is an announcement from the committee to the public at large. They are a useful way to generate public sentiment, and some delegations may demand them in the name of transparency at certain points. Background Information In a 6th century country that resembles the United Kingdom, three kingdoms reign supreme: the Kingdom of Camelot led by King Arthur, the Kingdom of Cornwall led by King Mark, and the Kingdom of Tintagel led by King Thomas. These three kingdoms have rich histories surrounding their royal families, their kingdom boundaries, and the fundamental principles they follow. Each kingdom has a complicated relationship with the others that includes disagreements regarding land, disrespect of each other’s crowns, and religion. The kingdoms have around 40,000 people each that are spread out within kingdom boundaries and depend on their kings to lead them. Citizens trust that their royal family will give them decent lives and care for them. You are all living in a medieval time which means that the technology is very limited. Another notable aspect of your world is that magic does exist and forms of it can be used. As knights and princes, you have no magical powers, but there are people around you that do. History of Camelot Before Arthur Pendragon was king, or even a mere thought, his mother was married to a duke in Camelot. With her husband, she had a daughter whom she named Morgan Le Fey. Morgan le Fey exhibited strong powers before she was even able to walk, and by the time she was able to talk her father made the executive decision that she was to be sent away to live in a remote part of the kingdom by the forest. She grew up without a real family. Her powers grew and she learned how to control them, but she was a lonely child. She was kept away from children her age and the only person she communicated with was her caretaker. By the time she turned 20, she disappeared and was never heard from again. Five years after Morgan le Fey was born, the King of Camelot at the time, Uther Pendragon, caught a look at her mother and immediately fell in love. As the King, he was able to take her as his wife and in a matter of months Arthur was born. As the first child of the King he was coddled and grew up with everything he could desire. However, there is a custom in Camelot where the king must complete a quest to show that he is worthy of leading his people. When Arthur was 18 he began this quest to prove his worth. He was tasked with finding the den of mountain wolves that had been terrorizing a village near the border of the kingdom, and killing them. One of the possessions that he gathered from this quest was Excalibur, a sword that was bestowed upon him from the Lady of the Lake, who saw excellence and beauty in him.