Pho the People: The Vietnam War, 1954: Republic of Vietnam (South)

It's the year 1954, and no more is the tyrannical rule of the French invaders. As members of the Vietnamese Communist Party, it is up to you to unite the country through political, economic, and military influence. Will you let Ngo Dinh Diem and the corrupt United States decide the future vision for Vietnam, or will you fight to maintain a Communist Vietnam fit for the people? The population looks to you for guidance, you must do everything in your power to give them the gift of unity and reunification. After all, a Vietnam divided against itself cannot stand.

Chair | Will Patterson

Will Patterson is a second year from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is hopefully studying Commerce with a concentration in Accounting and Finance with a Minor in Statistics. He has served as both a Chair and Crisis Director and participated in multiple conferences. Outside of IRO he can be found hiking in the Appalachain Mountains, studiously pouring over textbooks in the library ;), or partaking in general debauchery around grounds.

Crisis Director | Joey Giordano

Hi! I'm Joey Giordano and I'm a rising second year at UVA majoring in Materials Engineering with a minor in Politics. Even though I'm majoring in engineering, I've always been interested in politics and history. Aside from academics, I enjoy playing tennis and pickleball (really any racket sport) and have recently been getting into climbing. I also love cooking and I've been dabbling in game design for the past couple of years. This is my second VICS and I'll be your CD for Pho the People: The Vietnam War, 1954: Republic of Vietnam (South). I recently went down an internet rabbit hole on The Cold War, and I thought this was really interesting period that is perfect for a committee topic. I can't wait to see the creative negotiations and devious plots you come up with as you lead Vietnam to a new period of stability (or chaos)!