Baylor Model United Nations Team Will Welcome More Than 300 High School Students for Conference

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321

WACO, Texas (Nov. 6, 2015) – Baylor University’s Model United Nations (UN) team will welcome high school students from across the region to participate in its annual High School Conference on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event is sponsored by the department of political science in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences.

More than 300 high school students from 17 different schools, primarily from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, will gather to take on the role of international diplomats and discuss world issues.

“This conference will give students the chance to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to simulated, real-world situations,” said Rebecca McCumbers Flavin, Ph.D., lecturer of political science and Model UN advisor. “They will come together with other students to write creative and innovative solutions to international crises. It allows them to think about contemporary political issues and sharpen their problem-solving skills.”

The High School Conference began at Baylor in 1994. Baylor’s Model UN team hosts the conference each year, serving as members of the Secretariat, committee chairs, judges, expert witnesses, conference coordinators and faculty-student liaisons.

This year’s topics include cybersecurity, sustainability, human rights, medical issues, torture, police brutality, terrorism and more. In addition to these issues, participants will engage in a historical security simulation that centers on past events.

Baylor’s Model UN team works to develop solutions to modern international problems. Teams are assigned to countries within the UN and research policy in regard to specific issues. Delegates then act as diplomats for their assigned nation. Participants learn team work, communication and cultural skills.

“Putting on this event is a lot of work but a lot of fun,” said McCumbers Flavin. “Students who participate will have a fantastic opportunity to practice their public speaking, writing, group work and diplomacy skills.”

For more information, contact the department of political science at 254-710-3161.

by Ashton Brown, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 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. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

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