KNIGHTS OF CAMELOT VIMUNC II MARCH 13TH TO 14TH, 2015 HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL S MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT COOPER MIDDLE SCHOOL.

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1 KNIGHTS OF CAMELOT VIMUNC II MARCH 13TH TO 14TH, 2015 HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL S MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT COOPER MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 P age

2 Knights of Camelot Page 2 VIMUNC II HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL S MODEL UNITED NATIONS MARCH 13TH TO 14TH, 2015 Dear Delegates, CAMERON DAVIS SECRETARY GENERAL Welcome to the second session of the Virginia Invitational Model United Nations Conference! Langley Model United Nations is incredibly excited to host you all at our Model UN conference, VIMUNC II, on March KATHERINE CASSIDY DIRECTOR GENERAL 13-14, We hope to create a unique experience for each and every one of you this year. This year at VIMUNC II, our goal is to provide an incredible delegate ALI AKBAR UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL experience through our wide variety of committees and incredible college chairs. Ranging from conventional General Assemblies to unconventional crisis simulations, we know that VIMUNC II will surely be unique! Through our eleven committees General Assemblies, Specialized Agencies, and AMEEN AL DALLI UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL Crisis Simulations we are sure that each delegate will be challenged with tackling important issues. From Chicago s gangs to the Ebola crisis, it is our hope that our topics will stimulate your minds and creativity! Position papers are required in all committees for delegates to be eligible for awards. RACHEL WU CHIEF OF OPERATIONS As it is our annual conference at Langley High School, we are working hard to give all of you the best experience possible. In recent years, our club has expanded exponentially, and we are using our numbers to provide the best crisis staff, typing staff, and hospitality staff possible. Through our conference schedule, we have been able to observe successful conferences held by both high schools and colleges, which we strive to model VIMUNC after. We hope that you have fun preparing for VIMUNC! Please feel free to us at vimunc@gmail.com or look on our website at langleymun.com if you have any additional questions or concerns.

3 Knights of Camelot Page 3 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates, Our names are Jack Simmons and Daniel Xu, and it is our honor to serve as your co-chairs for the Knights of Camelot crisis committee. We are incredibly excited for this committee and know that will all the hard work we ve put into this it will be one of the best committees at VIMUNC II. We are looking forward to meeting you all and hearing all of your wonderful ideas! About us: (Written by our fellow co-chair) Jack Simmons, the man, the icon, the school-wide everyman; born and raised in the slums of Great Falls, he has a tremendous arsenal of charm, charisma, and stunning good looks at his disposal. He joined MUN in freshman year looking to improve his confidence and oratory skills. Twelve months later, not only has Jack accomplished that, but he has also created bonds with the extensive MUN family and discovered the strength that has always been buried deep inside of him. Jack has begun working on attaining Eagle Scout after getting his black belt in Taekwondo. In addition to that he also runs winter track for Langley and competed with the robotics team last year. He is looking forward to a great committee and can't wait to hear all that you have to say. ~ Daniel Xu Daniel Xu, our sophomore class president, Langley s resident badboy, my beautiful Asian sunflower, and one of my best friends; he has been a part of Model UN since 7th grade and truly embodies the diplomatic spirit of MUN. He is one of the funniest and most caring people to ever grace Langley s halls and although he may come off as overconfident and slightly arrogant, he means well. He isn t very involved in any extracurriculars besides MUN but he spends all that free-time giving back to the community. MUN has become a large part of his life and all of the people he s met have become his extended family. ~Jack Simmons Hi my name is Nate Buchanan and I am a freshman here at Langley. I started MUN in middle school and since then, it has become a huge part of my life. I have competed in middle, high, and college level conferences, but throughout, crisis simulations are my favorite part of MUN, as so much can change in a short period of time. They reflect the ability of the delegates to adapt to intense situations and create diplomatic relations with each other. I can t wait to see what you and this committee have to offer! When I am not crushing it in MUN, I swim for Machine and Langley and play the piano. I look forward to seeing you guys soon! ~Nate Buchanan

4 Knights of Camelot Page 4 TOPIC 1: QUEEN GUINEVERE S ABDUCTION The Kingdom of Camelot has always maintained high standings and friendly relations its neighboring kingdoms, and is incredibly popular in the region. However, things changed dramatically when King Arthur s wife, Queen Guinevere, was recently kidnapped by Arthur s rival, King Cenred. A few nights ago, Cenred and a small group of soldiers ambushed Queen Guinevere on her way back to King Arthur s castle and managed to take both her and her brother, Elyan, hostage. King Cenred s kingdom named Essetir is located directly east of the mighty Kingdom of Camelot (see map below). One of his large remaining strongholds can be found within the town of Ealdor, to the east of the city of Camelot. King Cenred is beginning to demand more and more from King Arthur in return for Queen Guinevere s release. He required that King Arthur pay a ransom for Guinevere s return as well as paying such a high amount of tribute to Essetir that it might threaten to bankrupt Camelot. He requested that King Arthur bend the knee and swear fealty to him, as well as threatening to kill Queen Guinevere if King Arthur does not comply with all of the demands. Since Cenred has such a sizeable military force at his command, the Knights of Camelot (KoC) cannot risk meeting his army in open battle and starting a war with him. Despite this risk of open war, King Arthur s army has since set up camp outside Cenred s castle in Ealdor. Cenred has been unresponsive to

5 Knights of Camelot Page 5 diplomacy but due to the arrival of King Arthur s army he seems to be warming towards a peaceful solution to this conflict, a prospect the KoC should henceforth explore. If this problem is not resolved quickly, King Arthur may appear weak and fragile to his vassals and they in turn may rise up against him and vie for the crown. The Knights must think of a solution and rescue Guinevere before the kingdom is torn apart from the inside out. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. How can the Knights rescue Guinevere from the tower without being caught by Cenred? 2. Is it worth going to war with Cenred over Guinevere? 3. Should Cenred s demands be met by Arthur? 4. Should a diplomatic solution be explored to avoid any conflict? 5. How can we ensure that the masses remain faithful to Arthur?

6 Knights of Camelot Page 6 TOPIC 2: THE DISCOVERY OF THE HOLY GRAIL For centuries, the Holy Grail has been a symbol of significant religious importance. It is believed to be the cup from which Jesus drank at the last supper, and used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch Jesus blood as he hung on the cross to be crucified. However, following the tumult, confusion, and instability after the crucifixion of Christ, the whereabouts of the Holy Grail had become unclear, and chivalrous knights and adventurers alike have embarked on countless quests over the years in order to retrieve the ever-important and iconic Holy Grail. No matter who was tried to find the Holy Grail, every attempt has failed until now. Recently, unsuspecting peasant farmers uncovered a cup in their fields while plowing in preparation for the upcoming planting season, and quickly recognized the resemblance between their recent discovery and the Holy Grail. Experts were immediately called in, and after a thorough examination of the both structure and composition of the cup, it was unanimously concluded that these farmers had just made one of the most important discoveries in recent memory. The Holy Grail was brought to King Arthur s castle for safekeeping, and the citizens of Camelot rejoiced that an artifact with such religious significance and renown was finally recovered. Despite Camelot s high spirits, the kingdom soon fell upon harsh times. Following the discovery of the Holy Grail, there has been little rainfall and the farmers of Camelot fear that the skies will not bring enough rain to sustain a good harvest. If the drought persists, there will not be enough food when harvest comes, and the families of Camelot will have to survive the winter with a massive shortage of food. Starvation will run rampant and the Kingdom will be thrown into turmoil. In addition, a deadly plague is making its way through the households of the Kingdom. The infected are displaying signs of a high fever, riddled with various lesions, and vomit blood. The Knights of the Round Table must convene and find a way to stop the rapid spread of the plague, and make provisions to counter the effects of the drought. The current hardships faced by the Kingdom of Camelot materialized instantly and seemingly without a cause. People are dying every day, and the combined forces of

7 Knights of Camelot Page 7 the plague and ongoing drought will soon bring the mighty Kingdom of Camelot to its knees if appropriate action is not taken quickly. The lack of explanation for what could ve inspired such wrath from the heavens has left many to wonder whether or not the recent discovery of the Holy Grail has any association with recent events, and, if so, what should be done. The Knights must act quickly, though, to prevent the mass deaths of even more innocent civilians. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. What could inspire such wrath from the heavens? Could it have anything to do with the recent discovery of the Holy Grail? If so, what would it imply? 2. How do the Knights prepare and make provisions for an impending food shortage? 3. How do the Knights stop the rapid spread of this deadly plague? What policies would be implemented to try and treat/cure those already infected? 4. How do the Knights keep and maintain order among a populace that is dying by the day, and faced with an impending food shortage due to the drought?

8 Knights of Camelot Page 8 WORKS CITED "Cenred." Merlin Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb "Essetir." Merlin Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb "Guinevere Pendragon." Merlin Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb "Holy Grail - Crystalinks." Holy Grail - Crystalinks. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb "King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table History, Legend and Everything in Between." King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table History, Legend and Everything in Between. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb "Plague." Symptoms. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb RECOMMENDED SITES FOR RESEARCH conditions/plague/basics/symptoms/con