Topic Summary
The date is October 14th, 1962.
Exclusive messages sent to John F. Kennedy confirmed something that the administration had been fearing for months; Cuba was storing Russian arms. Photos taken from photoreconnaissance air crafts and exclusive intelligence confirmed that the island nation had a stockpile of Russian arms, from hand held weapons to bomber planes. This news came after a warning from President JFK on September 4th, 1962 to Russia to not arm Cuba further.
Yet, the cat was out of the bag, and thus, the United States was fully plunged into the Cuban Missile Crisis, a period of only 13 days where we came within a hair's width to mutually assured destruction.
To navigate this period, President Kennedy put together a cabinet of his most trusted advisors, and dubbed them the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or EXCOMM. For these 13 days, EXCOMM met nearly around the clock. Not a single phone was allowed in the room, and only one recording exists of these meetings; a tape Kennedy himself managed without telling the other members of the cabinet.
As the country faces this moment of uncertainty, it is up to you, as one of President John F. Kennedy's most trusted advisors to decide the future of America. Will you go to war with Russia and Cuba? Will you try to make peace? What will you tell the general public? All that is yet to be seen in 90 Seconds ‘Til Midnight: The EXCOMM Meetings of 1962.
This is a standard crisis committee.
Crisis Director: Deborah Ruiz
Deborah Ruiz is a third year student at Florida International University, pursuing a degree in psychology, with an interest in behavioral psychology. She has been participating in Model UN since her first year at FIU, and is now incredibly proud to be able to say she is one of the current head delegates of the FIU MUN team. After graduating, she intends to pursue grad school, to continue studying cognitive and behavioral psychology. Outside of academics or MUN, you can find her gaming, reading, or drawing. Overall, Deborah cannot wait to direct her dream committee this year and hopes to see you all there!
Chair: Nikki Varela
Nikki Varela is a third-year student at Florida International University majoring in Chemistry with an interest in crime scene investigation and toxicology. She loves all things puzzles, riddles, and problem-solving! Nikki is also a Miami-native, which shows through her obsession with coffee. You’ll never see her without an iced americano in hand. In her free time, Nikki also loves being involved all throughout campus. Aside from her studies, you can find her singing her heart out with FIU’s a cappella group, the HEARTbeats!
This is Nikki’s first year on the Model UN team, and her third year staffing for FIMUN itself. Stepping into the position of chair, she is incredibly excited to see what solutions (and chaos) this committee cooks up!