2014 Fall
Fall 2014 Press Release
Baylor MOAS Team Welcomes Regional Competition to Waco
This past weekend, November 13-15, 2014, the Baylor Model Organization of American States (MOAS) team hosted 15 universities from Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico to debate policies in the Western Hemisphere. Students represented member states from the Organization of American States (OAS) and presented and defended resolutions that covered issues like improving economic competitiveness, expanding private sector partnerships, minimizing the impact of drugs and drug trafficking, promoting democracy through youth education, and establishing a budget.
Pia Lawrence (Senior, Finance and International Business major from Kennett, MO) was President of this year’s model and chaired the General Committee (GC) with the help of rapporteur Christina Ball (Senior International Relations major from Houston, TX). Lauren Lee (Junior University Scholars major from Olathe, KS) served as the Secretary General this year and chaired the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (ESID). This committee won Outstanding Committee and Ms. Lee won the award for Outstanding Chair and her Rapporteur Florence Francis (Senior History major from Sugar Land, TX) won Outstanding Rapporteur.
Baylor University also provided delegations representing the states of Ecuador and Colombia. In this year’s competition, the Ecuador team won the Outstanding Delegation Award while the Colombia team won the Distinguished Delegation and Best Position Paper Awards. Joan Stanton (Senior Political Science major from Massapequa, NY) served as the Head Delegate for Ecuador and was chosen to be next year’s Parliamentarian while Ewan Hamilton-Short (Senior Business Fellows/Economics major from Waco, TX) served as Head Delegate for Colombia and won awards for Outstanding Delegate from the GC, and Distinguished Ambassador. On Team Ecuador, Co-Head Delegate, Bonnie Cantwell (Senior, Philosophy and History major from Katy, TX) won the award for Outstanding Delegate in ESID; Katie McAfee (Senior, Economics and History major from Temple, TX) won awards for Outstanding Budgetary Statement and Distinguished Delegate in the Secretariat for Administration and Finance (SAF); Andrew Salinas (Sophomore History major from Houston, TX) won the award for Distinguished Delegate in the Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA); Sean Browning (Junior Medical Humanities major from Plano, TX) won the award for Distinguished Delegate in the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS); and Rustin Bridges (Senior, History major from Hallsville, TX) won the award for Outstanding Written Resolution in the GC. On Team Colombia, Co-Head delegate Mucia Flores(Sophomore Political Science and Great Texts major from Laredo, TX) was recognized on the Student Steering Committee and was elected to be the Secretary General for the 2015 model; Kelsey Shelton (Junior International Studies major from Enfield, CT) won the award for Outstanding Delegate in SPA; Jillian Anderson (Senior, Journalism major from Houston, TX) won the award for Distinguished Written Resolution in ESID; and Richard Horace (Senior, Political Science major from Beaumont, TX) and won awards for Distinguished Written Resolution and Outstanding Committee Delegate in SMS. Other members of the Colombian team included Aaron Fields (Senior, International Studies major from Little Rock, AR) and Alex Plott (Sophomore, Accounting and Finance major from Klein, TX) from SAF and Anitria Flores (Senior Philosophy Major from McAllen, TX) from ESID.
After committee sessions were adjourned on Saturday afternoon delegates gathered together for dinner and fellowship in Barfield Drawing Room. Dr. Joseph McKinney, Ben H. Williams Professor of International Economics and Associate Director of Baylor’s McBride Center for International Business gave the keynote address on international trade policy and the role of NAFTA. Dr. Joan E. Supplee, Lynn Professor of History coached the Baylor teams.