On the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2015, 17 Baylor students participated in the inaugural Texas Model United Nations conference, hosted by the Osgood Center for International Studies and held at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. Our students represented seven nations at the conference: Belize, Burundi, France, Jordan, Portugal, Rwanda and Spain.

Along with Baylor University, delegations from Bahçeşehir University (Turkey), Hardin-Simmons University, TCU and the University of Texas Permian-Basin participated in the conference, simulating three committees: General Assembly First Committee, General Assembly Third Committee and the UN Security Council. The topics researched and discussed were:

• Conventional weapons surplus stockpiles (GA 1)
• Science and technology in security and disarmament (GA 1)
• Human trafficking (GA 3)
• Rights of indigenous peoples (GA 3)
• Crisis management in failed states (Security)
• International cooperation in counter-terrorism (Security), and
• A surprise crisis simulation involving a hypothetical terrorist attack in Pakistan (Security and GA 1)

Our students performed admirably at the conference, learning about both the United Nations and how to be an effective diplomat. While I wish to emphasize that awards are not the point of these invaluable educational experiences, and should never be the metric by wish we judge how much our students are learning, when our students are recognized for their participation we should be doubly proud of their efforts.

We have a lot to be proud of this time.

Below is the full list of awards won by Baylor at the conference. Only five of the 17 students we took to the conference had previously attended a collegiate MUN conference.

On March 28-April 4, 2015, we will take 16 students to New York for the National Model United Nations conference, where we will represent Burundi.

As always, thank everyone involved for their support of our team. In particular, we thank the College of Arts & Sciences and the Baylor Department of Political Science for financial contributions that made this trip possible for the students.

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2015 Texas Collegiate Model United Nations Awards
Winners from Baylor University

General Assembly First Committee — Peer Recognition
Belize — Renie Saenz (Junior, history)
Jordan — Conor Burns (Junior, political science)

General Assembly Third Committee — Peer Recognition
Belize — Seti Tesefay (Senior, international studies)
Spain — Jaclyn Black (Junior, entrepreneurship)

General Assembly First Committee — Staff Recognition
Jordan — Conor Burns (Junior, political science)

General Assembly Third Committee — Staff Recognition
Portugal — Shannon Black (Junior, international studies)

Security Council — Staff Recognition
Jordan — Caleb Gunnels (Senior, political science)

Outstanding Position Paper — GA First
Belize — Renie Saenz (Junior, history)
Portugal — Katrina Mañalac (Sophomore, French)

Outstanding Position Paper — GA Third
Belize — Seti Tesefay (Senior, international studies)
France — Ariel Sorg (Freshman, biology)

Outstanding Position Paper — Security Council
France — Sarah Crockett (Senior, international studies/Arabic)
Rwanda — Carissa Carlson (Senior, international studies)

Honorable Mention Delegation
Rwanda — Caroline Caywood (Sophomore, international studies/French), Taylor Demons (Junior, international studies) and Carissa Carlson (Senior, international studies)
Spain — Ashley Earle (Sophomore, international studies) and Jaclyn Black (Junior, entrepreneurship)

Distinguished Delegation
France — Audrey Doane (Senior, international studies/earth science), Ariel Sorg (Freshman, biology) and Sarah Crockett (Senior, international studies/Arabic)
Jordan — Conor Burns (Senior, political science), Junyi Zhu (Sophomore, pre-business) and Caleb Gunnels (Senior, political science)

Outstanding Delegation
Belize — Renie Saenz (Senior, history) and Seti Tesefay (Senior, international studies)
Portugal — Katrina Mañalac (Sophomore, French) and Shannon Black (Junior, international studies)

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STUDENTS IN ABOVE PHOTO:

Top row (L to R): Caleb Gunnels (Senior, political science); Junyi (Leo) Zhu (Sophomore, pre-business)