Baylor Model UN Team Breaks Record and Receives Highest Team Recognition at National Model United Nations Conference

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (April 5, 2018) – Baylor University's Model United Nations (MUN) broke a team record for the most awards received at the National Model United Nations Conference March 24-30 in New York City, New York. The team of 16 students earned the highest team recognition award, "Outstanding Delegation," among nearly 3,000 students from approximately 100 nations.

Baylor's team had the role of representing Iceland in eight committees. In addition to the team awards earned, students were named "Outstanding Delegation in Committee" by their peers in five of the eight committees in which they participated. This is the highest individual award and marks the most individual awards the team has ever received at a national conference.

"The universal applause and congratulations that follow passed resolutions personifies the collaborative spirit of NMUN and serve as a symbol of how individuals from a multitude of backgrounds can work together to achieve change in the world," said Zane Zovak, a junior international studies major and co-Outstanding Delegate in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) committee.

Two of the delegations also received "Outstanding Position Paper Awards" for the researched policy memo submitted in February. Those students who received individual recognition in committee or for their research on the position paper are listed below along with a full team roster.

"NMUN completely opened my eyes," said Codi Nguyen, a junior political science major and co-Outstanding Delegate in the General Assembly committee. "It was illuminating to see how 300 young people with little group-work experience could come together, pool their ideas and come up with solutions to real-world problems. Taking ideas from both sides of an argument creates something that transcends controversy – the art of which, in my opinion, is only learned by practicing diplomacy."

Through preparing for and participating in a Model UN conference, Baylor students develop research, public speaking, technical writing and small-group negotiation skills. For this conference, the team studied Iceland's diplomatic stance and immersed themselves in learning about the challenges the international community faces as it attempts to solve some of the most pressing contemporary issues in global security, human rights, development and sustainability.

"Over the course of the NMUN conference I grew as a leader and communicator because I had the opportunity to work with other students from all over the world," said Sahir Amlani, a senior political science and history major, co-Outstanding Delegate in the OPCW committee and Baylor's assistant head delegate. "In this setting, we had to create inclusive solutions to world issues in a way that all countries could support. Through this experience not only did I learn about the pressing issues of the OPCW, but I also gained an understanding about the importance of compromise in negotiations."

"Baylor's Model UN team is grateful for the support that the faculty and administration provide to the team and for the financial support provided by the department of political science and College of Arts & Sciences, in particular," said Rebecca Flavin, Ph.D., senior lecturer in the department of political science at Baylor. "Serving as the faculty adviser for this wonderful group of young men and women is always is a delight, but this year's team was truly special."

Outstanding Delegations in Committee
• General Assembly First Committee: Ben Hunt (Sophomore, University Scholars), Clay Parham (Junior, International Studies)
• General Assembly Third Committee: Codi Nguyen (Junior, Political Science), Grecia Sarda (Senior, Political Science)
• Commission for Social Development: Kim Andrade (Senior, Political Science), Dalilah Negrete (Senior, Political Science)
• International Organization for Migration: Bailey Craig, Head Delegate (Junior, Psychology & Spanish), Sam Howell (Junior, Medical Humanities)
• Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons: Sahir Amlani, Assistant Head Delegate (Senior, Political Science & History), Zane Zovak (Junior, International Studies)

Outstanding Position Paper Awards
• GA 1st: Ben Hunt (Sophomore, University Scholars), Clay Parham (Junior, International Studies). In addition to the students who represented Baylor at conference, other team members in the class and club also provided assistance on the paper for GA 1:

• David Deulofeu (Senior, Political Science) – Research Assistance, Topic 2; represented the team in UNEA
• Wafa Demashkiah (Junior, Political Science) – Research and Writing Assistance, Topic 3

• CSocD: Kim Andrade (Senior, Political Science), Dalilah Negrete (Senior, Political Science). In addition to the students who represented Baylor at conference, other team members in the class and club provided assistance on the paper for CSocD:

• Jeshua Gonzalez (Senior, International Studies) – Research Assistance, Topic 1
• Chris Hines (Junior, Political Science) – Research Assistance, Topic 2

For a full list of conference topics as well as more information about the conference, including the full list of participating schools and award winners in both weeks A and B, visit www.nmun.org. For more information about
Baylor's Model UN team, visit the Baylor University Model United Nations website.

by Brooke Battersby, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.