This recap and the accompanying photos have been provided by Rachel O’Connell, Secretary-General of SCSY XXXVII.
The 37th annual Security Council Simulation at Yale (SCSY) kicked off on October 16, 2014 on Yale’s storied campus in New Haven, CT. Welcoming the delegates, keynote speaker and national security expert Ted Wittenstein implored his audience to take advantage of the adventures open to them as young adults. He pushed them to explore the world and join government working groups as a way of digging deep into issues of concern. With his words of encouragement in mind, delegates then transported themselves to new times and places through SCSY’s intimate, crisis-based committees.
Delegates in the Syrian Civil War delve into negotiations during an unmoderated caucus.
SCSY held 22 simulations that catapulted delegates into a range of contemporary, historical, and fantastical situations. In the realm of modernity, delegates gathered in a revolutionary council to address the Syrian Civil War. This patchwork of rebel factions and their foreign allies set out to overthrow the Assad regime and build a new system of government. Meanwhile, in the Board of Coca Cola Directors, delegates competed with an emerging soda producer and spun off into their own venture capital firm.
Reincarnated former U.S. presidents collaborate to solve modern-day issues in Presidential Purgatory.
In the historical Napoleonic Wars JCC, delegates jostled for territorial and ideological dominance across Europe. As the battlefields multiplied, delegates reshaped the course of Western civilization. And in Presidential Purgatory, former American heads of state collaborated on solutions to contemporary issues. Each brought their unique perspective and decision-making style to bear on challenges such as healthcare, the looming threat of war, and energy.
Staffers integrate crisis notes into their plot during an unmoderated caucus in the Pirate side of the Pirates of the Caribbean JCC.
Of course, SCSY treated attendees to plenty of its trademark fantastical committees. In Battlestar Galactica, delegates fought the unrelenting Cylons and enjoyed a personalized video message from one of the show’s celebrity actors. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Cabinet led the nation in breaking partisan gridlock, solving fiscal maladies, and shaping the role of the U.S. in an increasingly multipolar world order. And in the Council of the Gods, delegates embodied deities from a variety of cultures. They reshaped their relationships with the humans on Earth and struggled for power amongst one another.
Delegates circle around the table, eager to begin a weekend filled with debate.
Throughout the weekend, delegates from the Press Corps recorded their peers’ shenanigans, both in and out of committee, in the SCSY Times: http://scsypress.org
Delegates blow off steam during Club Night.
After a weekend of politicking in committee—and partying at Lounge Night and Club Night—four universities emerged victorious:
Outstanding Small Delegation: New York University
Best Small Delegation: McGill University
Outstanding Large Delegation: Columbia University
Best Large Delegation: United States Military Academy at West Point
SCSY thanks its attendees for a fun and fruitful conference. Its organizers look forward to seeing many old and new faces at SCSY XXXVIII next year!
