2012 Fall

Fall 2012 Press Release

Baylor MOAS Team Welcomes Regional Competition to Waco

This past weekend, November 8-10, 2012, the Baylor Model Organization of American States team hosted 180 delegates from universities in Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico. Students represented member states from the Organization of American States covering the hemisphere and presented and defended resolutions that covered issues as diverse as hemispheric unity, cyber security, universal citizen registration, alleviation of poverty and malnutrition and empowering youth.

Dr. Wesley Null, Associate Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education welcomed the delegates to campus. The Honorable Julie Connor, Diplomat in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin gave the keynote address on her experience as a diplomat in Latin America. She also served as a judge in this year's model and gave a presentation on the foreign service to interested students. Baylor University provided delegations representing the states of Guatemala and Chile. Ewan Hamilton-Short (sophomore, Business Fellow from Waco) was elected as president for the 2013 Model while Chilean Head Delegate Cristina Mendez, Head (junior, University Scholar from Brownsville) was elected Secretary General. She was also awarded as Distinguished Ambassador by the judges. In this year's model, Rob Bradfield (senior, Journalism major from Waco) served as president and chair of the General Committee. He was assisted by Alondra Pérez (freshman, International Studies major from Mexico) as rapporteur.

Diane Draper (senior, International Studies major from Crowley) chaired the Secretariat for Finance and Administration Committee and was assisted by José Betancourt (sophomore, Health Science Studies from Alvin) as rapporteur. In addition to these positions, Baylor students also won individual awards for distinguished written resolutions for the following: Chilean Delegate Nicole McQuiston (senior, History major from San Antonio) in the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development and Chilean Delegate Angelica Peña (junior, International Studies from Pasadena, Texas).

Chilean delegate Lauren Lee (freshman, University Scholars from Olathe, Kansas) won an outstanding individual award for her written resolution in the Secretariat for Political Affairs. The following students also won distinguished delegate awards: Chilean Delegate Nicole McQuiston (senior, History major from San Antonio) in the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development; Chilean Delegate Pia Lawrence (sophomore, International Business and Finance major from Kennett, Missouri) in the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security and Chilean Delegate Drew Vincent (senior, International Studies major from Mableton, Georgia) in the Secretariat for Political Affairs. Guatemalan Delegate Carlos Rodarte (junior, International Studies major from Quebec, Canada) won an outstanding delegate award in the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development.

The judging panel awarded Baylor University both Distinguished (Chile) and Outstanding (Guatemala) awards for their position papers.. Other Chilean Delegation members included: Priscilla Escobedo (junior, International Studies major from Irving), Chicanya Njeh (junior, Psychology major from Tyler), and Rafael Deliz-Aguirre (senior, Biology major from Laredo). Other Guatemalan Delegation members included: Head Delegate Cody Brasher (senior, International Studies major from Moody, Alabama, Sandra Guillen (junior, Political Science major from Houston), Joan Stanton (sophomore, Political Science major from Massapequa, New York), Jillian Anderson (junior, Journalism major from Houston), Alex Pecoraro (junior, History major from Prosper), Aaron Fields (sophomore, International Studies from Little Rock, Arkansas) and Brian Ham (junior, International Studies from O'Fallon, Illinois). Dr. Joan E. Supplee from the Department of History trained the teams and was assisted by Katie Miles, Brady Winslow and Torie Jessen, graduate students in the Department of History.