After being assigned in random groups, we were tasked to try to figure out what the "secret files" we were given meant, and what they had to to with anything. Some were pictures of men shaking hands, to missile plans being launched along with the range of areas affected, to a letter of warning to the U.S. President John F Kennedy. Afterwards, we were informed of just what kind of situation we were facing. We were ExComm (The Executive Committee of the National Security Council), and we had to send a letter to the president advising him what would be the best course of action upon learning that the USSR was supporting Cuba to build up arms, soldiers, and missiles, creating the threat to national security: the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
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We were given five options to choose from on how our group would like to respond to this crisis. Our group tried to choose an option we thought would cause the least casualties, but was still effective. Though we don't exactly agree with it entirely, we chose for the U.S. to invade Cuba to destroy the missile sites head-on to neutralize the threat of the USSR and Cuba continuing to be allies and perhaps becoming our own under our control. This would weaken the USSR, protect our own missile sites in Turkey, and even grant us control over Cuba's resources, preventing this from happening again. Though what really happened was the U.S. president decided to take a gamble and build a barricade to stop the USSR from entering Cuba and trick them into thinking the worst of things has happened to Cuba, which would have ended really bad or really good for either side. In the end, the USSR ships turned around, and didn't go back to Cuba. John F Kennedy's risky plan paid off. Through this simulation, I was able to practice VIII. Civil Literacy and Engagement Skills and experience what the government officials had to go through, the challenges they faced, and what I would've done if I were in their place.
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