Joint Crisis Committee, The Great Dinosaur Rush: Academy of Natural Sciences
Since 1873, the two greatest paleontologists of the age—Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh—have competed in a bitter rivalry to discover the greatest number of dinosaur species buried beneath the earth. Edward Cope, the younger, hungrier, and more charismatic of the two, has hired you, a trained team of research specialists, paleontologists, and naturalists to gain an edge on Marsh. As the underdog in this rivalry, delegates have ingenuity and pressure on their side. Being the first to publish novel research will gain Cope and his crew riches and praise, but beware: rushing to publish may result in incorrect findings that Marsh will certainly use to destroy your reputation.
We are excited to bring you a new kind of war, not fought with guns and tanks but with fraudulent publications, sabotage, and stone chisels. Delegates will explore the American gilded age, as concerns surrounding labor and the environment are brought to light. At the same time, they will uncover the age of dinosaurs, and delve into the natural history of our planet. From the prestigious classrooms to the dusty dig sites, our teams of experts are sure to meet their match.
New Mechanic:
Since the discovery of new species and the subsequent publication of the findings is an essential component of the Bone Wars, we are introducing a new mechanic to simulate this process. Periodically, committee will be alerted of fossils they have uncovered, which may or may not be paleontological breakthroughs. They can then choose one of three options:
Publish the findings as an existing species and add to the body of scientific literature
Publish the findings as a brand new species and bring great prestige to their team
Keep researching to be more confident as to whether or not the discovery is a new species
Option one and three are safe, but may cause your team to lag behind that of your rival’s. If you choose the second, you may be rewarded for your breakthroughs with praise and endowment, or you may be humiliated by the scientific community for your false publication, or even worse, banned from the American Naturalist journal. Delegates must choose wisely and gauge risk and reward to increase their reputation in the cut-throat world of paleontology. More information about this new mechanic can be found in the Introduction section of the background guide.
Chair Letter
Dear Delegates,
My name is Lex Wang (she/her) and it is my honor as your chair to welcome you to LAMUN XVIII’s Joint Crisis Committee, The Great Dinosaur Rush: Academy of Natural Sciences!
To give a brief introduction about myself: I am a second-year Political Science and Business Economics student from the Bay Area. In my sophomore year of high school, I joined Model United Nations because of my interest in diplomacy and international affairs. Since then, I have staffed the BruinMUN XXIX Ukrainian Revolution and the LAMUN XVII Alliance Board of Directors crisis committees. Earlier this year, I served as the chair for the BruinMUN XXX Golden Hajj committee and now, I am beyond excited to chair this committee about the Bone Wars! Outside of Model United Nations, I am also the Opinion Editor for UCLA’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Bruin.
As you all delve into this committee about a deep and bitter scientific rivalry in the late 1800s, you have the opportunity to compete on behalf of renowned paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope to discover a greater number of dinosaur fossils than his competitor, Othniel Charles Marsh. Coming into your roles as the underdogs, you will be forced not only to grapple with internal issues within your crew but also to unite to overcome the challenges Marsh’s team will undoubtedly throw at you. Regardless of where your paleontological research takes you, it is my sincere hope that you have fun over the course of the conference exploring your own limitless ingenuity and resourcefulness. With that, the future of paleontology lies in your hands.
I look forward to meeting you all this April!
Best regards,
Lex Wang
Chair | The Great Dinosaur Rush: Academy of Natural Sciences | LAMUN XVIII
CD Letter
Dear Delegates,
Thank you all for making the trek to LAMUN 2023! My name is Grant Huebner (he/him) and I am elated to be your Crisis Director for this year’s Joint Crisis Committee, The Great Dinosaur Rush: Academy of Natural Sciences.
Here at UCLA, I am a third year Political Science major concentrating in International Relations. I hail from a small town near Chicago, Illinois; yes, deep dish pizza is as incredible as we rave. Spending my summers as a camper in the northern woods of Wisconsin, I grew up captivated by the natural world. This love of nature has led me to do a significant amount of environmental research and nonprofit work in my time outside of UCLA Model United Nations. Beyond this, I frequently go on hikes – from areas across Los Angeles to ambling through the Rocky Mountains. However, the majority of my time is spent in Model UN. For me, Model UN has always been an amazing opportunity to learn more about our world – with the added benefits of drinking significant quantities of coffee, traveling the country, and making loads of friends along the way. Earlier this school year at BruinMUN, UCLA’s high school conference, I staffed the Indonesian National Revolution crisis committee. Now, I am beyond excited to direct this committee about the Bone Wars.
In this committee, the natural world and the human world will blend together into one. Set during the height of the Bone Wars, you will have the daring shot to make profound discoveries about our world. This will be a journey of human endeavor and human greed alike, as both natures compete – for good or ill – to claim history. You will need to balance initiative against thoroughness, cooperation against intrigue, to ultimately win the day. Your competition is watching. Good luck!
All the best,
Grant Huebner
Crisis Director | The Great Dinosaur Rush: Academy of Natural Sciences | LAMUN XVIII
CCD Letter
Greetings and salutations,
My name is Parker Do (they/them) and I have the honor of coordinating the marvelous Bone Wars JCC! This is my third year at UCLA studying human biology and society with a minor in anthropology, and my seventh year in MUN. Last year I was Under-Secretary-General for BruinMUN, our high school conference, Crisis Director of LAMUN’s Stonewall Riots committee, and program coordinator of the Model United Nations Summer Institute. This year, I serve as Director of Operations for our club and am very excited to be Secretary-General for BruinMUN 2023 (if you have high school friends, send them our way)!
As a recovering former pre-med, I stay involved with Lavender Health Alliance, connecting UCLA students to volunteer opportunities at the LA LGBT center and their primary and sexual healthcare clinic. I’m also involved with not one but two research studies relating to the menstrual cycle. My most defining passion is for animals, including us humans, and I do work with Mercy For Animals and other activist groups, as well as considering my experimental plant-based cooking “praxis.” You can find me listening to male-manipulator music, taking martial arts classes, and painting my face like a Pierrot.
This topic came from the mind of our wonderful Secretary-General and the staff and I are so excited to bring it to life. Much like the dinosaurs you are sure to uncover, this conflict is in a word awesome. It combines the competitive human spirit, incredible natural world, and all of the gilded age and academia scheming the heart could desire. I can’t wait to bring you all back 150 years, and a 150 million years, to a world of glorious scenery, epic battles, and new discoveries.
Peace and love,
Parker Do
Coordinating Crisis Director | Bone Wars: Marsh | LAMUN XVIII