2021-2022
Baylor’s Model United Nations Team Smashes
Team Position Paper Award Record
On November 5-7, sixteen members of Baylor’s Model United Nations team traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the 15th annual NMUN-DC conference, representing France and Italy. This was the first in-person Model UN conference for the team in nearly two years and the first in-person conference ever for fourteen out of sixteen members of Baylor’s team. The students spent three days negotiating with more than 750 delegates from other universities and collaborating as they drafted resolutions on:
- Strengthening and Developing the Systems of Arms Control, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation Treaties and Agreements (GA 1);
- Eliminating Human Trafficking of Women, Girls, and Gender and Sexual Minorities (GA 3);
- Leveraging Climate Action for Sustainable Development (UNEA);
- SDGs and the 2030 Agenda in COVID-19 Recovery (HLPF);
- The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation on Social Development and the Wellbeing of All (ECOSOC); and
- The Situation in the Central African Republic (SC).
The team’s Assistant Head Delegate, Rachel Jillson (France, Security Council), shared:
It was so wonderful to be back in person at conferences because of both the professional connections we are able to make, and because in person conferences give us a great opportunity to work on our public speaking skills. I feel like I have learned so much at this conference regarding diplomacy and leadership skills while also having fun getting to meet amazing new friends from a wide variety of places and universities.
Head Delegate, Jennifer Nguyen (France, Security Council) was similarly delighted to return to in-person conferences:
NMUN DC is a place where so many diverse perspectives come together from students all around the world to reach an end goal of passing a resolution. While the process of getting to the resolution can be long, the joy that students get whenever their resolution gets passed is unmatched. What’s so powerful about Model UN is that it presents a unique opportunity for students to take what they have practiced and researched and apply it to in-person simulations.
By representing France, Rachel and I were able to pass resolutions related to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic and even passed both a presidential statement and resolution for the crisis simulation!
New team members, Abbey Jackson (Italy, GA 1) and Aubrey Gilliam (France, ECOSOC) echoed this enthusiasm about the professional and personal opportunities afforded by the conference. Abbey wrote:
This conference was such a valuable experience. I was able to improve my speaking and researching skills in finding diplomatic solutions with such a diverse group of people. It was wonderful to be in the United States’ Capitol and this has honestly been my favorite and most meaningful school trip.
Similarly, Aubrey shared, “I loved my experience at NMUN! The policy and public speaking aspects pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I genuinely feel like a better leader for it. I hope the sweet connections I made will last long after conference!”
Eleven members of Baylor’s team represented France in six committees: General Assembly First (GA 1), General Assembly Third (GA 3), United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and Security Council (SC). Five more members of Baylor’s team represented Italy in three committees: GA 1, GA 3, and UNEA. Both Member States were named Honorable Mention Delegations by conference staff. In addition to this team recognition, Giuliana Hays-Angelelli was named Outstanding Delegate in Committee for her representation of France by her peer delegates in UNEA, and Head Delegate, Jennifer Nguyen, and Assistant Head Delegate, Rachel Jillson, were named Outstanding Delegation in Committee for their representation of France by their peer delegates in the Security Council. Most noteworthy of all for this year’s team is that it brought home position paper awards in every single committee in which it participated for the first time in team history, with eight position paper awards, smashing the previous team record of five position paper awards in semesters when the team participated in seven or eight committees.
Senior and December 2021 graduate, Giuliana Hays-Angelelli, reflected on her experience on the team and captured well the heart of the Model UN experience:
Being a part of this team has taught me how to express my research in conference respectfully, but also I take away the skills needed to compromise and collaborate on difficult topics that will translate to every aspect of my professional and everyday life. I’m grateful for the companionship and lessons I take away from my short but fruitful time participating on Baylor’s MUN team.
On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank the Department of Political Science and College of Arts & Science for their financial support that made participation in and travel to this conference possible. While the online conferences we participated in during the 2020-2021 academic year were also invaluable experiences that afforded our team the opportunity to hone their research and negotiating skills, the rewards and challenges of in-person conferences are simply unmatched. We look forward to the TexMUN conference to be held in February 2022, where the team will represent India, Qatar, and Russia, as well as the NMUN-NY conference in April, where the team will represent Qatar.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rebecca Flavin,
Baylor MUN Faculty Advisor
Position Paper Award Winners
Below is a list of all the class and club members who contributed to research, writing, and editing for the award-winning position papers.
GA 1: Italy - Kristin Dyson (Senior, Political Science), Alec Hollmann (Senior, Political Science), Omar Islam (Sophomore, Political Science & History)
GA 3: France - Krish Kothari (Sophomore, International Studies) and Anna Kate Walker (Senior, International Studies & Economics)
GA 3: Italy – Isaac De La Hoz Estrada (Sophomore, Mathematics), Abbey Jackson (Junior, International Studies), & Drue Powers (Sophomore, Business Fellows)
UNEA: France – Bethany Andress (Junior, Political Science), Giuliana Hays-Angelelli (Senior, Philosophy), Valerie Stewart (Senior, Biology) and Isabella Zarate (Freshman, Political Science)
UNEA: Italy – Geoffrey Guerrero (Senior, Political Science) and Chris Seifert (Sophomore, International Studies)
ECOSOC: France – Aubrey Gilliam (Sophomore, University Scholars), EJ Moore (Junior, Political Science), Sophia Santos (Sophomore, International Studies), Emily Warwick (Junior, Political Science & Economics)
HLPF: France – Cathleen Scura (Senior, Political Science & French) and Justin Nguyen (Junior, Biology)
SC: France - Rachel Jillson (Senior, Neuroscience) and Jennifer Nguyen (Senior, Biochemistry & Political Science)
Honorable Mention Delegation Representing France
Honorable Mention Delegation Representing Italy
Baylor’s Model United Nations Team Named Outstanding Delegation and Breaks Team Record for Individual Awards at the 2022 NMUN-NY Conference
On April 9-15, sixteen members of Baylor’s Model United Nations team traveled to New York to participate in the National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN-NY), marking the first in-person conference for the team in New York since 2019. Baylor’s team represented Qatar in eight committees simulating the work of the United Nations, working with nearly 1,000 delegates from other universities around the world to draft resolutions on:
- Countering the Threat Posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (GA 1);
- The Convention on Biological Diversity and its Contribution to Sustainable Development (GA 2);
- Ensuring Equitable and Inclusive Access to Education (GA 3);
- Implementing a Circular Economy for the Sustainable Development Goals (UNEA);
- The Nuclear Situation in Iran: Follow-up on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (IAEA);
- Transforming Food Systems for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FAO);
- Digital Inclusion for Sustainable Development (CSocD); and
- Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Women (UNRWA).
Baylor’s team was named an Outstanding Delegation by conference staff, which is the highest team award bestowed by the conference. While our students have been named an Outstanding Delegation on numerous occasions, most recently in Spring 2021 and Fall 2020 at the NMUN-NY and NMUN-DC virtual conferences and in both Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 at the NMUN-NY and NMUN-DC conferences, never before has the team received this team award alongside individual awards for every single member of the team, with six committees receiving a Position Paper Award (GA 1, GA 2, GA 3, UNEA, UNRWA, CSocD) and four receiving an individual Outstanding Delegation Award (GA 2, UNEA, FAO, IAEA). Two committees received both paper and individual awards (GA 2 and UNEA). Moreover, the overall number of position paper awards –in six committees -- ties the team’s previous record set just last fall at the NMUN-DC conference but breaks the team’s previous record for paper awards at all previous New York conferences. The only record this team fell just short of breaking was the overall number of individual Outstanding Delegate Awards, which was set in spring 2019 with five awards.
Typically, the final day of the conference includes closing ceremonies at the UN General Assembly; however, due to COVID-19 protocols, the space was closed to groups. This meant that the closing ceremonies were held at the conference hotel instead, affording the opportunity for those students who were named Outstanding Delegates to be part of a group keynote address, a memorable occasion and wonderful honor for the eight Baylor students who were chosen by their peers for this opportunity. Another highlight of the conference was that the team was able to take a private tour of the United Nations Headquarters, visiting the chambers where world leaders strive to reach diplomatic solutions to the world’s most pressing security, humanitarian, and sustainability crises. While winning awards and traveling provide great memories, the true benefit of these conference is the professional experience our students gain from participating. Our students spend the months leading up to conference researching their assigned topics, crafting position papers, and honing their public speaking skills in anticipation of the grueling week spent sleeping little and learning an incredible amount about the world and themselves.
Our team is grateful to the Department of Political Science and College of Arts & Science for their financial support that made participation in and travel to this conference possible. This conference marks the end of the 2021-2022 academic year activities, but the team is already beginning to prepare for NMUN-DC 2022, where they will represent Kenya in five committees and NMUN-Japan, for which we hope between six and eight students will represent our team in its first international conference since 2017 and second international conference overall.
Position Paper Award Winners
Below is a list of all the class and club members who contributed to research, writing, and editing for the award-winning position papers. This award is given by conference staff.
GA 1: Sigrid Hiser (Freshman, University Scholar), Krish Kothari (Sophomore, International Studies), and Ethan Moore (Junior, Political Science)
GA 2: David Mikalsen (Freshman, Political Science), Drue Powers (Sophomore, Business Fellows), and Anna Kate Walker (Senior, International Studies & Economics)
GA 3: Jordan Fortunati (Senior, Political Science), Omar Islam (Sophomore, Political Science & History), and Cathleen Scura (Senior, Political Science & French)
UNEA: Isaac De La Hoz Estrada (Sophomore, Mathematics) and Isabella Zarate (Freshman, Political Science)
CSocD: Jesse Drapela (Junior, Health Science Studies), Abbey Jackson (Junior, International Studies), ), Emily Warwick (Junior, Political Science & Economics)
UNRWA: Aubrey Gilliam (Sophomore, University Scholars), Joy Ohikhuare (Junior, Psychology), and Chris Seifert (Sophomore, International Studies)
Outstanding Delegations in Committee
This is an individual award given by peers in committee at conference.
Emily Warwick (Junior, Political Science & Economics)
GA 2: Drue Powers (Sophomore, Business Fellows) and Anna Kate Walker (Senior, International Studies & Economics)
FAO: Justin Nguyen (Junior, Biology) and Ethan Moore (Junior, Political Science)
IAEA: Rachel Jillson (Senior, Neuroscience) and Jennifer Nguyen (Senior, Biochemistry & Political Science)
UNEA: Isaac De La Hoz Estrada (Sophomore, Mathematics) and Isabella Zarate (Freshman, Political Science)
Outstanding Delegation Representing Qatar
Group Photo Outside the UN Headquarters Before the Tour
