Diplomacy, Consensus Shine In MOAS Team Performance

Baylor University's Model Organization of American States team made their mark at the recent Washington International Model Organization of American States, as the university's delegates succeeded in passing numerous resolutions. Baylor students also will chair two of the five committees at next year's model.

The conference, which was held April 9-14, united universities from the east coast, Texas and California, as well as Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico, in a week of dialogue and role-play. The International Model is the only OAS Model officially supported by the Organization, and students have the privilege of conducting the opening and closing ceremonies in the Hall of the Americas, occupying the seats of the actual ambassadors of the Hemisphere.

For the eighth year in a row, Baylor students participated in the conference, debating alongside the future diplomats and foreign ministers of several Latin American countries. OAS representatives from the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, Hemispheric Security, Budgetary Affairs, and the Inter-American Commission for Integral Development also sat in on the debating sessions. In several committees, organization representatives spoke on the conference topics and how the OAS was dealing with them. They also provided help and direction to the delegates.

The Baylor team represented the countries of Chile and Guyana at the conference and met with the actual ambassadors from these countries to the OAS. The diplomats provided insight and suggestions to the team and congratulated the teams on their careful preparations, said Dr. Joan E. Supplee, associate professor of history and faculty adviser to Baylor's MOAS team.

The extent of the preparation was evident, Supplee said, when Baylor delegates succeeded in passing 15 resolutions. Also at next year's model, Cassidy Ford, a sophomore University Scholar from Phoenix, will serve as chairperson of her committee, and Emmanuel Muñoz, a sophomore neuroscience major from San Antonio, will chair his committee.

Leticia Silva, a senior economics and real estate major from Houston, and Eva Silkwood, a senior international studies major from the Woodlands, served as Head Delegate and Co-Head Delegate for the Chilean Team. Other members of the team included: Pedro Delgado, a junior political science major from San Antonio; Ariel Alexander, a sophomore political science and French major from Cordoba, Argentina; Cassidy Ford; and Denise Alvarez, a senior history major from Lorena.

Emmanuel Muñoz served as Rapporteur for the Budget Committee. Elizabeth Russell, a senior international studies major from St. Augustine, Fla., and Megan McNerney, a sophomore international studies major from Troy, Ohio, served as Head Delegate and Co-Head Delegate for the Guyana Team. Other team members included: Brenton Otis, a freshman international studies major from Abilene; Seth Reed, a sophomore political science major from Cassville, Mo.; Alyssa Engle, a sophomore international studies major from Park Ridge, Ill.; Xhemile Baca, a senior international studies major from Houston; and Maureen Ndoto, a senior environmental studies major from Kennesaw, Ga.

Ricardo Carrillo was the graduate assistant for the teams, while Supplee coached the teams.

For more information, please contact either Dr. Supplee or Ariel Alexander at 710-6294 or Joan_Supplee@baylor.edu or Ariel_Alexander@baylor.edu.