MOAS Press Releases

BAYLOR UNIVERSTIY MODEL ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES PROGRAM

MOAS TEAM FALL 2009

PRESS RELEASE FALL 2009

Baylor’s Model Organization of American States Team set a new record for awards received at the recent Model held at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. Baylor received the Outstanding and Distinguished Delegation Awards as well as six committee awards, the award for Best Committee Chair, and Outstanding Ambassador Award. The conference held between 5-7 November 2009 was attended by over 200 students from 19 universities (including three from Mexico) representing 24 countries in the hemisphere. Comprised of two delegations representing the countries of Venezuela and Suriname, the Baylor team took the two top awards at the model by winning Outstanding and Distinguished Delegations, respectively. In the General Committee, Head Delegate for Suriname, Daisy Marchena (Senior, International Studies Major from Houston) was awarded Outstanding Delegate while Head Delegate for Venezuela, Tyler Talbert (Senior, International Studies from Waco) won Distinguished Delegate. In the Committee for Juridical and Political Affairs, the Suriname delegation represented by Ally Gutierrez (Sophomore, Political Science from Cypress) and Torie Rhodes (Junior, International Studies from Pasadena, California) won Distinguished Delegation. Hunter Klein, (Senior, Political Science Major from Tomball) was awarded best Chair. In the Committee on Hemispheric Security, the Suriname Delegation composed of Leisel Walters (Senior, International Studies Major from Tegucigalpa, Honduras) and Jenna Thompson (Junior, Journalism and International Studies Major from Indianapolis, Indiana) won the Outstanding Delegation award. In the Department of Trade and Tourism Committee, the Venezuelan Delegation represented by Catherine Gibson (Junior, Latin American Studies Major from Bedford) and Amanda Honey (Sophomore, History Major from Celina) received the award for Outstanding Delegation. In the Inter-American Board for Agriculture, the Suriname Delegation composed of Daniela Romero (Senior, International Studies Major from Mexico City, Mexico) and Rob Bradfield (Sophomore, Theater Performance Major from Waco) won the Distinguished Delegation Award. Venezuelan Head Delegate, Tyler Talbert, won the award for Outstanding Ambassador. The Venezuelan Delegation received the Outstanding Delegation award for their representation of the Venezuelan position in committee and in their position paper and resolutions, while the Suriname Delegation won the Distinguished Delegation Award.

Other members of the Venezuelan Team included: Michael Lyssy (Sophomore, International Studies Major from Falls City), Jimmy Smith (Sophomore, Political Science Major from Rockwall), Daniel Hoover, (Graduate Student, History from Waco), Brittney Quezada (Sophomore, Political Science Major from Houston), Monica Uribe (Senior, Music Performance Major from Harlingen) and Hilary Andrews (Junior, History Major from The Woodlands). Other members of the Suriname Delegation included Kaley Halliday (Senior, International Studies and Spanish Major from South Elgin, Illinois) and Alex Tellez (Senior, History Major from San Antonio).

In addition to their awards, Baylor students also played vital roles in the leadership of the model. Manny Muñoz (Senior, Political Science Major from San Antonio) served as president, Renee Sanchez (Senior, Spanish Major from Brownsville) was the model’s Parliamentarian, and Joshua Hyles (Graduate Student, History, Mabank) sat on the Steering Committee. At this year’s model, Michael Lyssy was elected next year’s president making the third year in a row that a Baylor student will serve in that position. Brittney Quezada was appointed by a faculty committee to serve as Assistant Parliamentarian for the 2010 model.

The Baylor Model Organization of American States Team is coached by Dr. Joan Supplee from the Department of History.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Supplee at: Joan_Supplee@baylor.edu

Joshua Hyles at: Joshua_Hyles@baylor.edu

Manny Muñoz at: Manny_Munoz@baylor.edu

Renee Sanchez at: Renee_Sanchez@baylor.edu

Hunter Klein at: Hunter_Klein@baylor.edu

Michael Lyssy at: Michael_Lyssy@baylor.edu

Fall 2009 Press Release

MOAS TEAM SPRING 2009

Baylor Shines at the Washington Model Organization of American States!

The Baylor Model Organization of American States (MOAS) team continued its tradition of success at this year’s Washington, DC Model Organization of American States meeting, held from April 7-11.  Opening and closing ceremonies were held in the Hall of the Americas in the Organization of American States Headquarters. At the opening ceremony, the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza addressed over 400 students representing all 34 of the organization’s active members. In addition to universities across the United States including the Air Force Academy, Tulane, and Drexel there were teams from Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador and the Bahamas. Baylor’s team represented the country of Mexico and was able to visit with Mr. Héctor Agustín Ortega Nieto at the Mexican Mission to the OAS. Mr. Ortega reviewed the position paper and resolutions and he praised the Baylor team’s preparations. “From the different schools that I have received (from the US and from other countries) your students are the ones that have been more informed about Mexico and that have presented the more interesting resolutions.” At this year’s model, Seth Reed (Senior, Political Science and Economics, Cassville, MO) served as president of this year’s model, and Joshua Hyles (Graduate Student, History, Mabank) served as chair of the Budgetary Affairs Committee.  Additionally, Baylor University students were elected to three of the five top officer positions for 2010: Renee Sanchez, Head Delegate (Senior, Biology, Brownsville) was elected president, Michael Lyssy (Freshman, Political Science, Falls City) was elected chair of the Committee on Integral Development, and Hunter Klein (Senior, Political Science, Tomball) was elected as chair of the Budgetary Affairs Committee.  This marks the third consecutive year Baylor has held the budgetary chair, and the fifth conference in nine years of participation in which a Baylor student has been elected president.  Other team members included: Krystal Dau, Co-Head Delegate (Senior, International Studies, Las Vegas, NV), Ariel Alexander (Senior,  French and International Studies, Córdoba, Argentina), Emmanuel Muñoz (Senior, Neuroscience, San Antonio), Tyler Talbert (Junior, International Studies,Waco), Monica Uribe (Senior, Music Performance, Harlingen ), T.J. Cheavens, Jr. (Senior, International Studies, Austin), Ricardo Felix (Senior, International Studies,Waco), and Torie Rhodes (Sophomore, International Studies and French, Pasadena, CA).  Dr. Joan E. Supplee serves as faculty advisor for the MOAS team, which returns to San Antonio for its fall conference in November.

Baylor Students in the Hall of the Americas in the OAS Headquarters. From l to r: Hunter Klein, Ariel Alexander, Krystal Dau, Monica Uribe, Seth Reed, Tyler Talbert, Ricardo Felix, Michael Lyssy, Manny Muñoz, Torie Rhodes, Joshua Hyles, Renee Sanchez, and T.J. Cheavens.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Supplee at Joan_Supplee@baylor.edu or ext. 6294

MOAS TEAM FALL 2008

Fall 2008 Press Release

PRESS RELEASE FALL 2008

Baylor’s Model Organization of American States (MOAS) team won the Distinguished Delegation Award at the 12th Annual MOAS Conference hosted by St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, from November 6-8, 2008. This is the eleventh time Baylor has received one of the two team awards at the conference.

The conference was attended by 15 universities from Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and three from Mexico. There were 24 countries represented. Students worked to resolve issues relating to the hemisphere that included multidimensional security, human trafficking, alleviation of poverty, and sustainable development. Baylor University represented Bolivia and Chile and the President of the Conference was Baylor’s own Joshua Hyles (graduate student in History, Mabank). The keynote address was delivered by Ambassador William Eaton, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Panama from 2001 to 2008 and who is now Ambassador in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin.

Baylor Head Delegate for Bolivia Seth Reed (senior in Political Science and Economics, Cassville, MO), and Torie Rhodes (sophomore in International studies and French, Pasadena, CA), won Outstanding Delegate awards in the Special Committee on Migration. Co-Head Delegate for Bolivia Renee Sanchez (senior in Biology and Spanish, Brownsville), and Hunter Klein (junior in Political Science, Tomball), won Distinguished Delegate awards in the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs. Baylor’s team, as a whole, won the Distinguished Delegation award for the conference.

Other team members included Baylor Head Delegate for Chile Manny Muñoz (senior in Neuroscience, San Antonio), who was elected the President for next year’s conference, and Megan McNerney (senior in International Studies and Economics, Troy, OH), who was selected as the outstanding chair of the conference.

Additionally, Cassidy Ford (senior, University Scholars, Phoenix, AZ), served as the chair of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and Brittney Quesada (freshman in Political Science, Missouri City), served as a rapporteur for the conference.

Also competing for Baylor were Elizabeth Wilson (graduate student in History, Kingwood); Tomás de Prat Gay (junior in Engineering, Mendoza, Argentina); Ariel Alexander, (senior in International Studies and French, San Antonio); T.J. Cheavens (senior in International Studies, Cedar Park); Krystal Dau, (senior in International Studies, Las Vegas, NV); Ricardo Felix (senior in International Studies, Waco); Monica Uribe, (senior in Music Performance, Harlingen); Co-Head Delegate for Chile Daisy Marchena (junior in International Studies, Houston); Jolie Shelton (junior in Psychology, Mendoza, Argentina); Tyler Talbert (junior in International Studies, Waco); Leisel Walters, (junior in International Studies, Tegucigalpa, Honduras); Ally Gutiérrez, (freshman in Political Science, Cypress); Michael Lyssy (freshman in Political Science, Falls City); and Eldrin Ofina (freshman in Biology, Cypress). The team was coached by Dr. Joan E. Supplee, Department of History.

For more information please contact:

Joan E. Supplee at Joan_Supplee@baylor.edu

Joshua Hyles at Joshua_Hyles@baylor.edu

Seth Reed at Seth_Reed@baylor.edu

Manny Muñoz at Manny_Munoz@baylor.edu

MOAS TEAM SPRING 2008

2008 Washington Model Organization of American States

Continuing its tradition of excellence, the Baylor University Model Organization of American States (MOAS) team shone at the recent Washington Model Organization of American States conference held at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. from April 8-12, 2008. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza addressed the inaugural session of the meeting in the Hall of the Americas. His speech emphasized work done by the OAS in strengthening democracy and preserving peace in the Americas and also highlighted the role the Foreign Ministers played in working toward a diplomatic solution in the recent Ecuador-Colombia dispute. Ambassador Héctor Morales, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS, gave the closing speech in which he explained the OAS role in hemispheric development. Universities participating in the model included nineteen U.S schools and ten foreign universities from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico and the Bahamas. Baylor students represented the country of Guatemala and met with Guatemalan Chargé d’Affaires Otto Pérez and his staff. At this model, Baylor student Cassidy Ford, a Junior University Scholars major from Phoenix, Arizona, chaired the Third Committee which focused on Summits, Civil Society, and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development. Another Baylor student, Manny Muñoz, a Junior Neuroscience major from San Antonio, Texas chaired the Fourth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs. Joshua Hyles, a Senior Archeology/History major from Corsicana, Texas, coordinated and introduced the Joint Declaration that faculty coordinators selected for debate in the Hall of the Americas. Hyles’s committee also elected him chair of the Fourth Committee for next year. The General Assembly elected Co-Head Delegate Seth Reed, a Junior Political Science major from Cassville, Missouri, as President for 2009. This marks the fourth time in eight years that a Baylor student has been elected president of the model. Other team members included Co-Head Delegate Megan McNerney, a Junior International Studies major from Troy, Ohio; Renee Sanchez, a Sophomore Spanish major from Brownsville, Texas; Krystal Dau, a Junior International Studies major from Las Vegas, Nevada; Tezita Getachew, a Senior International Studies major from Dallas, Texas; and J.C. Cortez, a Senior International Studies major from Mt. Pleasant, Texas. Eva Silkwood, a graduate student in International Relations from The Woodlands, Texas served as graduate assistant to the team’s director, Dr. Joan E. Supplee, from the Department of History.

The Baylor University Model Organization of American States Team with Guatemalan Chargé d’Affaires Otto Pérez and his staff in the Hall of the Americas, OAS building Washington, D.C., April 8, 2008