Cabinet of Queen Lili’uokalani, 1891

The Merrie Monarch is dead. Kalākaua’s reign over the Kingdom of Hawai’i saw economic success and cultural innovation. However, his rule wasn’t all sunshine and rainbow-warriors: the current Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom was signed under threat of force from anti-Monarchist factions, earning it the moniker “the Bayonet Constitution.” The incoming Queen, Liliʻuokalani, wants a new Constitution that will restore the power of the monarchy and the rights of the disenfranchised. Delegates will portray influential supporters of Liliʻuokalani: from civil officials and businesspeople to ambassadors and leaders of islands in the Kingdom. They will attempt to achieve the Queen’s goal of forging a better constitution and doing right by the Hawaiian people, while facing grave threats of internal instability and foreign attempts at annexation. As history tells it, the monarchy will be abolished by coup d’état within two years, and Hawaiian independence won’t make it to the end of the decade. But in this committee, ambitious followers of the Queen may change history and restore the mana of the Kingdom.

Chair Letter

Dear Delegates,

My name is Elizabeth [Liz] Carrasco, and I am extremely honored to be your chair for the Cabinet of Queen Lili’uokalani, 1891 at LAMUN XVII. I fell in love with Model UN when I started at 11 years old and am now continuing on to my ninth year in it! You will mostly find me competing on the collegiate circuit, but I had such a phenomenal experience at LAMUN last year that I am staffing it for the second time.

I am a third year political science major with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Spanish. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I plan to attend law school and put the skills I’ve learned from Model UN into practice. Last year I co-chaired the Ad-Hoc Committee and I can’t wait to hear your discussions about the complex history of Hawai’i this weekend. Outside of Model UN, I play rugby, occasionally pick up my guitar, spend a lot of time by the ocean, and travel as much as I can. My favorite part of traveling is learning about others’ experiences because although there is power in speech, there is so much more to learn if you’re willing to listen.

Throughout this committee, we will encourage you to immerse yourself in the rich history of Hawai’i, partake in its unique culture and interests, and engage in tumultuous discourse to decide the trajectory of the Aupuni (Kingdom). Our crisis director will be facilitating the flow of debate behind the scenes while you work in consideration of the competing local, external, and corporate interests at play in the fight for Hawaiian sovereignty. Queen Lili’uokalani is a unique figure in the history of Hawai’i and imperialism, so I look forward to seeing the various ways our committee brings light to her story and that of her Kingdom.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Carrasco

Chair | Cabinet of Queen Lili’uokalani | LAMUN XVIII

CD Letter

It is my honor to be your Crisis Director for the Cabinet of Queen Liliʻuokalani and my pleasure to welcome you to LAMUN XVIII.

My name is Adam Borison (he/him). I am a third-year Political Science and Philosophy double major. That means I take any excuse to talk about game theory and insist that symbolic logic is more fun than it sounds. In my free time I play board games, hang out with friends, and compete in Quizbowl. When I really have free time, I’ll get super invested in some niche question and make either a giant spreadsheet or an hours-long presentation to answer it. Like June, I also plan on going into the law. I want to be a litigator; which field of practice is a trickier question.

I’ve been involved in Model UN for seven years now and my passion is, without a doubt, crisis. In high school, I competed almost exclusively in crisis committees, usually JCCs. When I joined Model UN at UCLA, I served as a crisis staffer for two committees (LAMUN XVII Stonewall represent!) before becoming a Crisis Director for BruinMUN 30.

This committee means so much to me because every American can tell you that Hawaiʻi is a tourist hub for the entire world, yet so few know the history of the islands, from Polynesian settlement to their unification by Kamehameha the Great. Any of us could tell you that Hawaiʻi is an American state, but so few know the history of its illegal annexation.

That being said, good intentions and cherishing glorious history are all so nauseatingly frontroom-core. I want to see schemes, I want to see shenanigans, and godwilling I will see some truly duplicitous dealings. I toil away in the backroom because I want to see the things which you hope will never see the light of day. 

After all, some creative thinking is warranted. Your enemies are fierce. You’ve got a big fight to win, and history tells us that it doesn’t go well for you. Are you just going to accept that? Or are you going to take matters into your own hands? I want to see your passion, your courage, your ingenuity. The continued existence of our kingdom requires it.

Sincerely,

Adam Borison

Crisis Director | Cabinet of Queen Liliʻuokalani | LAMUN XVIII