Baylor Model U.N. Team Wins Top Honors at National Competition

April 22, 2009
News Photo 4690

Baylor University?s Model United Nations Team was named ?Outstanding Delegation? ? the highest award given at the National Model United Nations ? during the organization?s annual conference April 5-9 in New York City.

Media contact: Lori Fogleman, director of media communications, (254) 710-6275

Baylor University's Model United Nations Team was named "Outstanding Delegation" - the highest award given at the National Model United Nations - during the organization's annual conference April 5-9 in New York City.

Baylor's team also won more than half of the individual awards at the competition, which featured 4,000 delegates from more than 290 colleges and universities all over the world.

"I am so proud of my team. They have worked diligently all year to prepare for this national competition," said Lauren Redman, a lecturer in political science at Baylor and sponsor of Baylor's Model UN team.

The Model United Nations (MUN) program is a simulation of the United Nations used by colleges and universities around the world. The simulation enables participants to learn about relations among countries and the issues that they address within the body of the actual United Nations (UN). Students are given a unique opportunity to learn about the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of a country and understand the complexities involved in resolving today's world problems.

"The team was blessed with a strong head delegate, Allison Campbell, who understands how to identify people's unique strengths and assign them in a way that they can shine," Redman said. "This victory would have been impossible without the contribution of each and every team member, since each committee's score every day counts toward Baylor's overall score," Redman said.

The national Model UN awards are based on remaining in character, participating in committee and proper use of the rules of procedure.

An eight-member Baylor team was named Outstanding Delegation in Committee. Team members were:

• Christopher Dunn, a senior University Scholar,
• Steve Zimmerman, a senior film and digital media major from Austin,
• Allison Campbell, a senior finance major from North Fort Myers, Fla.,
• Jessie Campbell, a sophomore medical humanities major from North Fort Myers, Fla.,
• Bill Dunker, a junior University Scholar from Parkville, Mo.,
• Sharita Khaira, a freshman international studies major,
• Jeffrey Vitarius, a senior economics/Slavic and East European studies major from Kingwood, and
• Paige Tucker, a senior political science/German major.

Students who were chosen to chair their committees were:

• Brooke Worcester, a senior intensive international studies major from Mesa, Ariz., and
• Will Masters, a first-year Baylor Law student from San Angelo.

Other members of Baylor's Model UN team were:

• Travis Hobbs, a senior intensive international studies major,
• Hunter Oliver, a senior international studies major from San Antonio,
• Danny Richards, a senior international studies major from Lake Bluff, Ill.
• Jaimee Gates, a freshman English major from Longview,
• Lucas Buckels, a sophomore philosophy major from Royce City, and
• Mike Stevick, a senior political science major from Bulverde.

The National Model UN "Outstanding Delegation" honor for Baylor comes on the heels of another outstanding performance last fall at the American Model United Nations in Chicago, where Baylor also won the highest award in that competition.

"Baylor has been a Model United Nations powerhouse in the past, and we welcome a return to those days," Redman said. "We are also thankful to all the various people and departments at Baylor that donated money to our team; without them, we could not have achieved such success."

Redman also praised the behind-the-scenes work of Baylor staff member Jenice Langston, office manager in the political science department, who coordinates the team's activities and travel.