Written by: Daniel Garepis-Holland, Jake Sawyer, and Oscar Barnes

Simulated Country: Qwerty
School: College of San Mateo
Instructor: Mr. Lee Miller
Location: San Mateo, CA

In the great nation of Qwerty, President Liam T. has decided to seize the Energy/Industry hex from its owner Oscar B. Since the founding of our nation, Liam has vociferously accused Oscar of charging exorbitant prices for energy. Oscar says that he originally charged $1300 for one unit of power, but if people were not happy he would lower it to as little as $750. However, he also says that some people paid as much as $2000 for one unit of power (this was at the very beginning. So our president decided to take over the hex to make sure the prices were cheaper and everybody could afford them. The government sent out an email where they told the public to extend the presidential term to 4 years so that the government will not be taken over. He also told the public that once the power hex is seized, power would be sold at $100. In a later email message, he said that the price he offered was $10,000. Soon after, the president seized the power plant. Citizen Mateo decided to send an email out criticizing the government for seizing the property. This was one of the most exciting events in our week in Qwerty.

Written by: Chris Gibson

Simulated Country: Apyr
School: Centennial Collegiate & Vocational Institute
Instructor: Mr. Matthew Mulhern
Location: Guelph, ON

Corruption, bias, and evil has disturbed the nation of Apyr today!

Bills were passed today by a biased majority that went AGAINST the interests of the majority of Apyr’s citizens! A bill was just past that allows the government full forced control and regulation of ALL healthcare, education, and power hexes and units.

The MPs supposedly with the people completely ignored a petition given to them with 15 SIGNATURES by the player Joshua! The bill was to ensure that at least 80% of all business hexes were PUBLICLY owned and regulated. This was to ensure that the PEOPLE had most control of the economy, not the government. Despite this, they were all concerned over fulfilling their hidden agendas OVER the wants of the majority.

This is also the perfect situation for a fascist to take CONTROL of the country! The government doesn’t even have a budget plan with YOUR hard earned tax dollars.

Do you really want such a corrupt and possibly fascist government making Apyr’s decisions? You have the power to stop them in their tracks.

Written by: Alex Schal

Simulated Country: Falton
School: Bluevale Collegiate Institute
Instructor: Mr. Jonathan Marsh
Location: Waterloo, ON

Austin Lombardo, the Prime Minister of Fallton, is a fascist. He has tried to change and Legislation and Constitution on many different occasions and has failed. Tyson Barbour had exposed him during Town Hall, making him powerless, passing bills against him, and protecting the citizens. The potato Prime Minister has kicked everyone out of parliament and transferred all of the governments assets to himself. All we can hope for is that he doesn’t successfully screw everyone over and that we can restart with a clean slate. Will Tyson Barbour rise to the occasion and save the country? or will the Prime Minister realize he is a potato and give up? I guess we will find out.

Written by: Cameron Wong 

Simulated Country: Saladland
School: College Place Middle School
Instructor: Ms. Lisa Shearer
Location: Lynnwood, WA

Saladland’s government is taking too much control. They have taken both of the food hexes, broken multiple promises, and even impeached someone without a vote. As part of the government, I am disappointed by this. I had other punishments for the owners of the food hexes in mind. However, the president, Alex, just took control and did not allow anyone in the government to announce their feelings. They broke a promise that they would give a money-making hex to each of the former owners of the food hexes. Well, the president again took control and decided to sell the technology hex to one or the other of former owners of the food hexes. More issues… Now, the president (Alex) impeached my fellow house representative, Zane, without consulting the rest of the government. It was lightly touched upon in a government meeting but there was nothing other than a mention of the issue. There was no vote, no discussion, and no decision. These are the issues our country is going through… it was better under the last president…

Written by: Abbey LePoidevin

Simulated Country: Pleasant Park
School: Nelson High School
Instructor: Ms. Susan Dueckman
Location: Burlington, ON

Written by: Y-Felix

Simulated Country: Pleasant Park
School: Nelson High School
Instructor: Ms. Susan Dueckman
Location: Burlington, ON

Lately, Pleasant Park has been a mess, with mass starvation and no shelter for most of the ordinary citizens, while King Jobo and his friends live lavishly. In the year of 2001, the King tried to develop a wilderness hex into another Energy Industry hex, but instead, he wasted four E/I units, and left the country with no power, while the hex did not even develop. After this failure, instead of focusing on giving his citizens enough energy for shelter, he used his remaining energy on technology and education, so that he could spend it all on his remaining E/I hex. The result is fourteen deaths out of 140 people in total. In one year, the King killed off 10% of the population of his country, and surely many more from previous years and years to come. King Jobo was elected on promises of free food and shelter for everyone, but after eradicating democracy and giving himself sole power over the government, this does not seem likely to happen. Not to mention, how he imprisoned at least a third of his citizens, on accusations of conspiring to start a revolution, though there is no proof at all. He is a tyrant, who is unfit to run as the prime minister of a country, much less rule one as king. He has turned Pleasant Park into a nightmare, and the only way to stop him is if we throw him out of power forcefully. That is why we need to start a crisis vote, so that at least the citizens our own country are able to live, because under King Jobo’s rule, there are no human rights, and if we do nothing about this tyrant, the circumstances will only become worse.

Written by: Nicole C

Simulated Country: Hole
School: Pleasant Valley High
Instructor: Mr. Mike Brooks
Location: Chico, CA

Seeking a better way to get the citizens of Hole involved in making laws, new government officials prompt the citizens of the country to write down laws they want to see changed or added to Hole’s Legislation. Will this improve the country for the people that want to see a change? Or will the Government push back and leave the suggested laws behind? If the government does push back will the people once again stand up and call for a vote of no confidence? We will see what happens in the upcoming winter event.

Written by: Kiara Ellingwood

Simulated Country: Tropico 2018
School: St. Mary’s High School
Instructor: J Allan
Location: Owen Sound, ON

The country of Tropico was in chaos, people were worried for their safety and began to talk in small circles about what they could do to change this. They plotted to sign a petition that would allow them to proceed with a crisis vote to save their country. The Dictator was angry and seized the property of Kiara to put fear into the citizens involved.

The Dictator made a secret trade with the government where he took all of the governments money and hexes. Nick took this issue to court and sued the Dictator for return of the property taken. Unfortunately, the jury decided that Evan was innocent and only made him return $25,000 along with the power plant.

‘I am afraid that the healthcare, education, food, and security will not be properly distributed and I will lose my family,’ said Emily Clements, a worried citizen. Other citizens were worried and tried to talk to the newly elected Prime Minister, Ana.
Laws were made to help ensure that this issue would be resolved, but many citizens still reported issues with having trades rejected by Evan.
The hope is for our country to return to being successful, but is our country already too far gone?

Written by: Alex W

Simulated Country: Saladland
School: College Place Middle School
Instructor: Ms. Lisa Shearer
Location: Lynnwood, WA

Saladland is suffering from an inactive and uncaring government! They are inactive on the website, and only last week passed a bill limiting the prices of units! The House and the Senate have been accepting and denying bills without much thought, and taking too long to make decisions about the future of our country! Last year there were many talks in the town hall about citizens disobeying laws and being dishonest with each other. However the government also caring of its people, giving discounts to the poor. However, owners of hexes sometimes aren’t agreeing with this. Citizens are beginning to become slightly angry– will this escalate into something more? We’ll just have to wait and find out.

Written by: Foosoo Vean

Simulated Country: NCI
School: Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute
Instructor: Ms. Liz Milijasevic
Location: Kitchener, ON

The country of NCI had just finished their first year, 2000. They have just started the year 2001 and already most of their civilians are broke. Most are suffering from this and cannot afford to buy units they need in order to live. A civilian by the name of, Fuesue Vang, is in need of health as his whole family happens to suffer from cancer. The start of the year has been a struggle for the people of NCI
and the governments welfare system seems to not be working.