Driven to Insanity, and Bankruptcy?: American Transit Association, 1932
Is there anything more American than the car? No invention influenced American culture or urban planning more than the invention of the car in 1886 or the increased accessibility of the Ford Model T. In 1905, 98.55% of trips in urban areas were completed by public transit, compared to 1960, when only 7.11% were completed by public transit. This led city planners to develop cities around the car, with parking and right-of-way of streets given to cars. Now, a majority of Americans live in suburbs of Major cities. But what if the streetcars and public transit put up a fight?
In this committee, you will go back to the 1930s. You will play the role of a government official, streetcar companies, and transit leaders across the country, fighting off car-based infrastructure across rapidly growing cities in America during critical economic conditions. The great depression bankrupted many of these streetcar companies. Many of these streetcar companies colluded or were bought out by automobile manufacturers. It is your responsibility to save these companies, or at least make them slightly less terrible. Explore new routes, merge new companies, or attempt acquisition by the federal government for routes integral to national security, or create a party bus that brightens the nightlife of these American cities. The sky is the limit (although this committee will not focus on planes).
Alex Do
chair
Alex Do is a second-year double majoring in Political Science and Data Science. He was born and raised in Northern Virginia outside of DC. Alex's first exposure to Model UN was last year, where he was the Assistant Chair for UNSC at ChoMUN and Assistant Chair for Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at MUNUC, UChicago’s high school model UN competition. Outside of Model United Nations, Alex does political science research with UChicago’s Existential Risk Laboratory, competes on the school's club water polo team, and is engaged with Science Olympiad. He enjoys reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy or any interesting Political Science books, playing poker with friends, and finding cafe spots to study.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via email: ado1@uchicago.edu.
Lucas Ribeiro
crisis director
Lucas Ribeiro is a fourth-year from Reston, VA, studying Economics, Public Policy, and Geography and Urbanization. Throughout college, Lucas has chaired several MUNUC Crisis Committees (Coney Island and Emu War), and served as an assistant chair for the Armour and Co. ChoMUN committee in 2024. Outside of MUN, Lucas leads the university' s outdoor adventure club, and has spent the past two summers working for a transit agency and then an airline. He is super excited to be directing a committee for ChoMUN XXX!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via email: lucasrz@uchicago.edu.
Alex Fuentes
crisis director
Alex Fuentes is a fourth-year student studying Political Science and Economics. He is from Silver Spring, Maryland, in the DC Suburbs. In ChoMUN, he has served as an AC for Bougainville, Castro’s Cabinet, and Night at the Museum. Outside of CHOMUN, Alex serves as the Chief of Staff of MUNUC and has served as an Assistant Chair for BOTSWANA and as an Experienced Assistant Chair for ECOFIN. Alex spends a lot of time in Politics, interning for a variety of Congressional and Senate Representatives, heads of the Immigration Caucus for UChicago Democrats, is an Editor for UChicago’s premier Music Magazine, the Firebirds, runs, watches anime, and plays video games.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via email: alexfuentes@uchicago.edu.
Secretariat oversight:
oliver heatly, under-secretary-general