A Pirate's Life for Me!: The Republic of Pirates, 1716
Landlubbers, beware!
The year is 1716, and it's the Golden Age of Piracy. The Republic of Pirates, located on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas, is based on the principles of direct democracy and the pirate code. With the conclusion of the War of the Spanish Succession, our ranks have expanded dramatically as unemployed sailors and privateers flock to the Republic. Yet, dark clouds lie on the horizon. The United Kingdom, Spain, and other colonial powers have grown frustrated with frequent attacks on their commerce and have vowed to crush piracy in the Caribbean. Furthermore, internal divisions mar the Republic, as disputes among the so-called “Flying Gang” threaten its stability.
Delegates will have to navigate through the challenges of life at sea, from the scourge of scurvy to the looming threat of mutiny, and steer the Republic through the complex web of European and American politics. There are even rumors of mythical sea creatures sending entire crews to their deaths… In a rapidly changing world, delegates must strike deals and make sacrifices to preserve the pirate way of life. Will you sail the seven seas and claim your rightful fortune, or will you become just another victim of Davy Jones's locker? The future of our fair Republic lies in your hands, delegates. Arghh!
Riley Sisk
Chair
Riley is a second year hailing from northern Virginia, and he is planning to major in Public Policy Studies and Philosophy. He started ChoMUN last year as an AC for the Rise of the Fallen: Mongol Empire committee, and he is excited to be returning this year with a vengeance! He has always been a history buff, and since arriving on campus, he has attempted to convert his Wikipedia rabbit hole knowledge to UChicago’s lovely Quiz Bowl team (He’s also an RMPSS player!).
When he is not butchering his favorite guitar solos, you’ll probably find him listening to either Pink Floyd or the Rolling Stones. He enjoys reading both fictional and non-fictional works. His favorite fiction author is Fyodor Dostoevsky, and for non-fiction he enjoys pretty much any biography or philosophical text (He’s 100% a Kantian). On occasion, he plays video games: his favorites are Spore and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Riley is excited to be a chair at ChoMUN XXIX, and you can reach out to him at rileysisk@uchicago.edu.
Henry Ridley
Crisis Director
Henry is a second year from Watford, England (please forgive him), studying History and Anthropology, with an emphasis on Early Mediaeval history (especially the Migration Period and Early Norman England) and Late 17th century Anglo-American history! He has done MUN back in the UK before, where he led various committees and teams, so he’s pleased to hopefully bring a bit of that over to the States.
He enjoys making digital reproductions of medieval manuscripts and coats of arms, grand strategy video games, and when he’s not ruining his social life by playing tabletop wargames, he enjoys hiking, making and eating too many desserts, and then not going to the gym!
Naturally, he loves reading, and anyone who doesn’t think that H.P. Lovecraft is the greatest writer of horror fiction to ever grace planet Earth needs to radically re-assess their worldview. He also does Civil War reenacting (English Civil War that is), and is involved with a lot of living history stuff.
Henry is excited to be your CD for ChoMUN XXIX, and you can reach out to him at hjridley@uchicago.edu.
Secretariat oversight:
Jake rymer, Under-secretary-general