From November 1st – 3rd, the Department of Political Science hosted the 22nd Annual Eugene Scassa Mock Organization of American States (ESMOAS) Summit of the Americas competition and conference. The event brought some 225 students and faculty members to campus from across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico for a competition simulating meetings of the Organization of American States, an academic conference on Inter-American Relations, and a model Inter-American Court of Human Rights competition. A dozen schools participated including Baylor, St. Mary’s, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
The keynote address was delivered by Paula Bertol, Argentina’s ambassador to the Organization of American States on Saturday evening November 3rd. The keynote address was preceded by welcoming remarks from Dr, Mary Brennan, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Professor Ben Arnold, Kamela Syed, an instructional assistant in the department, and Lindsey Bentley, an alumna of ESMOAS and the department coordinated the Texas State end of the conference. “We would like to thank the Department of Political Science, and the College of Liberal Arts for their generous support of our MOAS and MUN programs. Without this support, our students would not be able to experience this amazing event” Prof. Arnold said.
Senior Laurie Parkhurst observed that “the value of the ESMOAS is in the experience of learning how to navigate the rules of parliamentary procedure. It is one thing to read about or to watch a debate, but through the act of participating you end up with a more intimate knowledge of diplomacy.” Trevor Graves, a junior, noted the importance of teamwork at ESMOAS: “Every step that was taken by my group in this class required my whole team to work together as a group towards a better understanding of the country that we represented. To succeed, you need to learn how to work with others.” He also pointed out his that his role as President of Costa Rica at the competition allowed him to hone his as “a mediator and negotiator.”
