Sally Sells Seashells...: Phoenician Maritime Council 1200-800 BCE
Centuries before the establishment of empires by the likes of the Greeks and Romans was the Phoenician empire–a civilization of seafaring merchants who spread their influence across the Mediterranean from 1550 to 300 B.C.E. Following the collapse of the Bronze Age rivals such as Mycenaeans, Hittites, and the New Kingdom of Egypt, the Phoenicians were in the prime position to expand their trade routes in the Mediterranean and establish new port cities. Their method of government was not centralized and was organized by the city states. With this style of governance, delegates will work together to mitigate trade disputes, grow Phoenician influence by establishing new city states, and navigating city-state politics. However, this time period is not devoid of conflict. Delegates will have to handle natural disasters and the political instability of their neighboring rivals, while exploring the world outside of the Mediterranean. Only delegates’ decisions will tell whether the Phoenicians can successfully traverse the stormy seas or sink beneath the waves.
Isaac Yoo
Chair
Isaac is second-year majoring in History and Statistics. While from Dallas, growing up in New Orleans made him no stranger to the salty smell of the ocean and bustling environment of maritime trade. Prior to this year's conference, he served as an assistant chair for Run it Back, Turbo: The Creation of NASCAR, 1945-1952 for ChoMUN XXVI. He will also be as a chair for UChicago’s high school conference, MUNUC. Beyond MUN, Isaac enjoys rock music, professional sports, and loves history (especially the ancient Mediterranean world).
Feel free to contact him at isaacyoo@uchicago.edu.
Alexander Holzman
crisis director
Alex is a third year majoring in Molecular Engineering. Prior to this year, they were a (E)AC on The Cold War Takes Off: Rebuilding West Germany, 1948, and before that, they were an AC on The Mayor Strikes Back: Chicago City Council, 1986. In addition, they are involved in UAID (United Against Inequities in Disease) and serve on the SME (Society for Molecular Engineering) board. In the free time Alex has outside of class, they play piano and explore the buildings on campus with the goal of finding the longest possible indoor route from one end of campus to the other for when temperatures fall below 0.
If you have any questions or just want to chat, feel free to reach out to Alex at alexholzman@uchicago.edu.
Natalia Girolo
Crisis Director
Natalia is a third-year double majoring in English Literature & Language and Economics. She grew up in the lovely Californian town of Petaluma, where she enjoys looking out her window at the cows across the street. Last year, she served as an Assistant Chair for "The Cold War Takes Off: Rebuilding West Germany, 1948." Outside of ChoMUN, Natalia works on the business operations team for The Maroon, a student-run newspaper. She also enjoys riding her bike around Hyde Park, reading graphic novels, and becoming overly invested in television shows and movies.
If you have any questions or just want to chat, feel free to reach out to Natalia at ngirolo@uchicago.edu.
Secretariat oversight:
chinara wyke, Under-secretary-general