2019-2020

Baylor Model UN Named an “Outstanding Delegation” at the National Model United Nations Conference in Washington, D.C.

Baylor University’s Model United Nations team was named an Outstanding Delegation at the 2019 National Model United Nations Conference in Washington, D.C. In addition to this team recognition, which is the top-level team award given at MUN conferences, 8 of the team’s 12 members received Outstanding Position Paper or Outstanding Delegate in Committee awards. The team roster and list of individual award winners are provided below. These awards are especially noteworthy, as this is the team’s first time attending the fall NMUN-DC conference; moreover, our team has been named outstanding delegation at national conferences in four consecutive semesters.

The conference, which took place November 8-10, 2019, brought together approximately 900 university students from around the world as they simulated United Nations committees, playing the role of diplomats while they negotiated and crafted resolutions on topics such as:

• The Impact of Climate Change on Global Food Security,

• Ending the Use of Improvised Explosive Devices, Landmines, Cluster Munitions, and other Explosives,

• The Link Between Women’s Empowerment and Sustainable Development,

• Preventing Marine Plastic Pollution through Sustainable Consumption and Production,

• Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and

• Strengthening Peacebuilding to Mitigate Conflict.

Baylor students represented Kuwait in six committees: General Assembly First and Fourth Committees (GA), the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Security Council (SC). The team spent three months preparing to represent Kuwait, researching and writing position papers on two assigned topics in advance of conference. One of these topics was chosen by the committee during the opening session for debate during the conference sessions.

We are always delighted when our students are recognized with awards by conference staff and their peers, but the rigorous academic preparation for and professional development provided by the conference are what the students celebrate most about their MUN experience. The team’s Co-Assistant Head Delegate, Sophia Fulton (Junior, Business Fellows), captures the spirit of the conference so well when she says,  

“NMUN DC showed me how students from across the world could combine shared expertise and research with individual perspectives to solve problems the world currently faces. One of the best parts about Model UN is its emphasis on constructive collaboration over competition. To be successful at NMUN DC, participants must work together for the good of the body, not just the Member State they represent. Furthermore, Model UN offers students a fun yet effective avenue to develop skills necessary for their future careers, from clearly writing and speaking on policy proposals to graciously leading their peers in the work. NMUN DC encourages students to be the very best version of people, taking the skills they learn during the conference out into the world and using them to advocate for others and lead their world into a better future.”

Esther Ihowa, an international exchange student from France studying at Baylor this academic year added the personal lessons she learned from the experience:

“not [to] let any barriers stop you from living your dreams, whether if it is the language barrier, your race or origin, what others may think of you, etc. It only takes one step of courage to realize that the world also needs you!”

For a full list of conference topics as well as more information about the conference, including the full list of participating schools and award winners, visit: www.nmun.org. The team appreciates the support we receive from the Baylor University community and from the Department of Political Science and College of Arts and Sciences, especially.

Outstanding Delegations in Committee

Members of the team were honored with individual recognition in 3 of the 6 committees in which we participated:

Security Council: Ben Hunt & Jenny Nguyen

FAO: Jonathan Chew & Preston Heard

UNEA: Glenn Buchanan & Raquel Nunez

Outstanding Position Paper Awards

Members of the team received Outstanding Position Paper Awards in 3 of the 6 committees in which we participated:

GA 1: Sophia Fulton & Lauren McLane

Security Council: Ben Hunt & Jenny Nguyen

UNEA: paper drafted by team alternates Evan Armstrong, Jerin Barling, Carter Anne Jones, and Shelby Toles, with editorial assistance on the final draft from traveling team members Glenn Buchanan & Raquel Nunez.

Outstanding Delegation 

 

Baylor MUN Participates in 5^th Annual TexMUN Conference and Brings Home Awards

On February 7-9, 2020, thirteen members of the Baylor Model United Nations team participated in the 5th Annual Texas Model United Nations Conference. The Osgood Center for International Studies staged the conference, and the University of Houston Honors College serve as hosts for the conference where approximately 75 students took on the role of diplomats in simulated sessions of four United Nations committees: General Assembly First Committee, General Assembly Second Committee, Security Council, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. At the conference, Baylor MUN represented the Member States of Bangladesh, Germany, Kuwait, and the Russian Federation.

Baylor students attending the conference began their preparation in October, spending the months leading up to the event researching from the perspective of their assigned Member State a wide spectrum of international issues ranging from security to sustainability to human rights, including:

• Youth, Peace and Security (Security)
• The Impact of Climate-Related Disasters on International Peace and Security (Security)
• Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (GA 1)
• Nuclear Disarmament and International Security (GA 1)
• Inclusive Development for Persons with Disabilities (GA 3)
• Combating Human Trafficking (GA 3)
• Providing Adequate Shelter for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (UNHCR)
• Supporting Sustainable Return and Reintegration of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (UNHCR)

Model UN events are called conferences rather than competitions, given the focus on the educational experience. At conferences students are expected to collaborate with other delegates to reach consensus on resolutions. Model UN conferences do confer awards to delegates and teams in recognition of excellence in both preparation and participation in committee. At TexMUN these awards are based both on staff and peer voting.

At TexMUN 2020 Baylor MUN team members were recognized by both the conference staff and their peers with awards at both the team and individual levels, including Outstanding Delegation Awards in every category – staff, peer, and position paper. A full list of award winners is provided below.

In addition, we would like to recognize Anna Kate Walker, who served as a chair in the Security Council. For more information about the conference, visit the Osgood Center website: http://osgoodcenter.org/texmun-houston-2020/ .

Baylor MUN is able to participate in these academic conferences due to the generous support of the Department of Political Science and the College of Arts and Sciences. We are grateful for the University community's continued encouragement of our team members, who will travel to New York in April to participate in the National Model United Nations Conference, representing Sri Lanka.

Caption for photo:
Bottom Row (L to R): Raquel Nunez (Senior, University Scholar), Kaitlin Ochs (Junior, International Studies), Lauren McLane (Junior, International Studies & Professional Writing & Rhetoric), Blakely Lowe (Freshman, Political Science & French), Julia Kovarovic (Sophomore, Russian & International Studies), Anna Kate Walker (Sophomore, Economics & International Studies), Valerie Stewart (Junior, Biology)

Top Row (L to R): Esther Ihowa (International Exchange Student, Paris, France), Preston Heard (Senior, History), Danish Ahmad (Freshman, Biology), Sophia Fulton (Junior, Business Fellow), Caelan Elliott (Junior, University Scholar), Noah Wiatrek (Senior, Political Science)

TexMUN 2020 Awards
This list recognizes all students who participated in the conference.

Overall Delegation Awards – Staff Awards
Outstanding Delegations
Belgium – Lubbock High
China – University of Texas at Dallas
Germany – Baylor University
Kuwait – Baylor University
Russian Federation – Baylor University

Distinguished Delegations
Bangladesh – Baylor University
Ghana – University of Texas at Dallas
Lebanon – Lamar University
Poland – University of Texas at San Antonio

Honorable Mention Delegations
France – University of Houston
Mexico – Lamar University
South Africa – University of Houston
United Kingdom – Lubbock High School
USA – American Public University

Outstanding Delegate in Committee – Peer Awards
General Assembly First
Kuwait – Raquel Nunez, Baylor University
Lebanon – Lamar University

General Assembly Third
China – University of Texas at Dallas
Russian Federation – Caelan Elliott, Baylor University

UNHCR
France – University of Houston
Germany – Blakely Lowe, Baylor University
Russian Federation – Valerie Stewart, Baylor University

Security Council
China – University of Texas at Dallas
Kuwait – Preston Heard, Baylor University

Outstanding Position Papers – Staff Awards

General Assembly First
France – University of Houston
Kuwait – Raquel Nunez, Baylor University
Russian Federation- Noah Wiatrek, Baylor University

General Assembly Third
Kuwait – Esther Ihowa, Baylor University
Lebanon – Lamar University
Russian Federation – Caelan Elliott, Baylor University

UNHCR
France – University of Houston
Germany – Maria Torres, Baylor University
Russian Federation – Valerie Stewart, Baylor University

Security Council
Belgium – Lubbock High School
Germany – Anna Kate Walker, Baylor University
Kuwait – Preston Heard, Baylor University

 

Despite COVID-19 cancellation, Baylor’s Model UN team wins honors

On Thursday, April 9, Baylor University’s Model United Nations team would have been in flight back to Waco after the annual National Model United Nations Conference in New York, an event that brings together nearly 5,000 university students from around the world for two, week-long simulations of the work of United Nations committees and international organizations. While the conference was canceled in March due to COVID-19, the conference organizers have recognized students’ work on position papers, which were submitted in advance of the meeting’s cancellation.

I am excited to share that Baylor Model UN team members received Outstanding Position Paper Awards in five of the eight committees in which they were scheduled to represent Sri Lanka at the conference. This ties the previous team record of five position paper awards won at NMUN-NY conferences set both last year and in 2017.

The class and club members who worked on the award-winning position papers were:

General Assembly Second – topics related to sustainable development:

• Jonathan Chew (junior, Baylor Business Fellow)
• Peyton Grimm (junior, political science)
• Grace Mathewson (freshman, international studies)
• Jennifer Nguyen (sophomore, biochemistry and political science)

General Assembly Third – topics related to social, cultural, and humanitarian issues:

• Glenn Buchanan (junior, international studies)
• Raquel Nunez (senior, University Scholar)
• Kaitlin Ochs (junior, international studies)

High-Level Political Forum – topics related to global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals:

• Nicole Ma (sophomore, psychology)
• Christine Phan (sophomore, international studies)
• Lauren Thompson (junior, University Scholar)
• Anna Kate Walker (sophomore, economics and international studies)

World Health Organization:

• Rachel Jillson (sophomore, neuroscience)
• Alexis Rocha (senior, political science)
• Valerie Stewart (junior, biology)
• Maria Torres (senior, international studies)

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Review Conference (NPT):

• Sophia Fulton (junior, Baylor Business Fellow; co-assistant head delegate)
• Ben Hunt (senior, University Scholar; head delegate)

Receiving these awards is, of course, bittersweet, as it reminds us of the students’ missed opportunity to participate in a truly remarkable educational conference, where they would have spent a week rubbing elbows with diplomats while discussing their research on important topics related to international security, human rights and sustainable development with other bright young men and women who would have become their lifelong friends.

Sixteen students were chosen in a competitive process to represent Baylor at the conference, and I would like to take a moment to recognize the entire team, some of whom are graduating and will not have an opportunity for their “senior” conference. I highlight the six seniors below.

Baylor NMUN-NY 2020 Traveling Team

• GA 1: Preston Heard (senior, history) and Lauren McLane (junior, international studies; co-assistant head delegate)
• GA 2: Jonathan Chew (junior, Baylor Business Fellow) and Jennifer Nguyen (sophomore, biochemistry and political science)
• GA 3: Glenn Buchanan (junior, international studies) and Raquel Nunez (senior, University Scholar)
• HLPF: Lauren Thompson (junior, University Scholar) and Anna Kate Walker (sophomore, economics and international studies)
• UNESCO: Caelan Elliott (sophomore, University Scholar) and Esther Ihowa (exchange student from Paris)
• UNEA: Katlin Ochs (junior, international studies) and Noah Wiatrek (senior, political science)
• WHO: Carter Anne Jones (senior, international studies) and Maria Torres (senior, international studies)
• NPT: Sophia Fulton (junior, Baylor Business Fellow; co-assistant head delegate) and Ben Hunt (senior, University Scholar; head delegate)

Baylor MUN Shifts to Online Learning Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

When the Model United Nations team’s spring conference was canceled due to the pandemic, Dr. Rebecca Flavin designed a simulation to take the place of the conference. The members of the team formed task forces to study the many ways the pandemic affects the world and make recommendations to the United Nations General Assembly about wise courses of action. The simulation took place on a videoconference. Please see this blogpost for the full story: FULL STORY