The United States Cabinet
1960
It is October of 1962. History as we know it has shattered. The world has witnessed the
unimaginable. Historically, the Cuban Missile Crisis was supposed to end in tense diplomacy and backchannel deals. Using deterrence, the United States military escalated to DEFCON 2 to push the Soviet Union into dismantling the missiles in Cuba. However, this backfired and the Soviet Union, already fed up, did the unthinkable; Chicago has been annihilated by a nuclear strike and the events of the Cold War have officially heated up. The globe is panic stricken and the future of civilization hangs in the balance.
Within the Kennedy Cabinet, chaos reigns. President John F. Kennedy is faced to navigate the most critical decisions in human history. Should the United States respond with nuclear force or pursue a desperate attempt to salvage civilization via diplomacy? The Cabinet is divided; Defense Secretary Robert McNamara argues for retaliation while Secretary of State Dean Rusk deems diplomacy to be the best option for the sake of humanity’s survival. The Joint Chiefs of Staff prepare for war and diplomats struggle to keep negotiation open. Meanwhile, on the domestic stage, President Lyndon B. Johnson works to stabilize politics and ensure continuity of leadership in this unprecedented crisis. In the Midwest, Secretary of Health and Human Services Anthony J. Celebrezze addresses the humanitarian fallout, coordinating emergency medical aid, allocation of resources, and managing radiation exposure.
As the Cabinet battles for control, this committee will test crisis leadership, strategy, and survival under pressure. Factions will form, alliances will fracture, and history will be rewritten. Will nuclear war consume the planet, or can diplomacy hold the world together? The future is in your hands.
Topic: Cuba 1962
Chair: Emma Paris
Emma is a junior at Saint Mary’s College, Class of 2027, studying Political Science, Public
Relations & Advertising, and Global Studies with a concentration in Anthropology. She has the
intent to attend law school or pursue a master’s or doctorate degree. Emma is from the western
suburbs of Chicago. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks,
shopping, playing golf, and listening to music. One of her favorite activities is to visit and try
different coffee shops; in general you will almost never find her without a coffee in her hand.
This is Emma’s third year participating in Model United Nations at Notre Dame. She has
attended conferences at Harvard and John Hopkins and served on the secretariat board of
NDMUNC I as the General Assembly Director. Her favorite committee she has participated in
was the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs at Harvard’s conference in 2025. Emma is
absolutely thrilled to be chairing this Cold War specialized committee and cannot wait to see
how delegates creatively navigate debate, craft solutions, and overall have fun rewriting history.