Howard Payne University’s Model United Nations (MUN) team recently competed at the Northwest Model UN conference in Portland where they received the outstanding delegation award. HPU’s team had the top delegate in the most advanced committee and a distinguished delegate in the intermediate committee. HPU’s team was one of the eight delegations participating in the conference, alongside schools including University of Texas at Dallas, Western Washington University, Montana State University, University of Canada West and others.

Students participated in committees including the Security Council, Human Rights Council-Periodic Review and the General Assembly. Sadie Willie, senior majoring in the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and jurisprudence from Florence, TX, representing Somalia, was awarded outstanding delegate in the most advanced committee: Security Council.

“This Model UN conference makes me really excited for the future of the program for HPU,” said Willie. “I won my first committee award after competing my entire college career, but more importantly Howard Payne won outstanding delegation for the second semester in a row. That has been super special for me as head-delegate, but it also shows that our team is competitive against the top schools in the nation.” 

The intermediate committee was the Human Rights Council-Periodic Review of three states. Maddie Duncan, junior majoring in the Honors Academy and psychology from Abilene, was named a distinguished delegate, one of only three awards given in the committee out of the close to 30 delegates. Joining Duncan on the committee were Hannah Parnell, senior majoring in the Honors Academy and psychology from Idalou, and Hannah Jordan, senior majoring in the Honors Academy and psychology from Horseshoe Bay. 

Andrew Mathis, junior majoring in the Honors Academy and history from Brenham, was in the advanced Security Council with Willie and Kellen McKee, senior majoring in the Honors Academy and biomedical sciences from Azle.

The beginner committee was the General Assembly comprised of Kourtney Melton, junior majoring in the Honors Academy and history from Katy; Michael Jones, freshman majoring in the Honors Academy and government from Rockport; Sydney Tate, junior majoring in the Honors Academy and accounting from Royse City; and Sarah Krusing, majoring in the Honors Academy and allied health sciences from Van Alstyne.

Due to snowstorms across the U.S., two schools participating in the conference were unable to attend. This meant that adjustments were made to the committees, and students had to adapt and prepare quickly to represent new countries. The committees, questions and countries that Duncan and Mathis prepared for were not the committees where they ended up.

Duncan’s new role was Sweden, and the following day, she addressed the delegates on how Sweden would resolve the two issue areas. Then she had a 10-minute question and answer session where she fielded difficult questions asked by the other delegates. 

“It was a terribly challenging scenario,” said Dr. Dave Claborn, professor of government. “But Maddie’s such a natural at this that she laughed when handed the role and proceeded to smash it out of the park.”

Mathis prepared to advocate for the United Kingdom on questions of homelessness and international trafficking of cultural artifacts. Because of change of plans, he was placed on the Security Council, given the role of Russia and asked how the UN should address the war in Ukraine.

“Like Maddie,” said Dr. Claborn, “Andrew rose to the occasion and had a smile on his face the whole time and just did great.”

Claborn praised Willie’s leadership of the team over the last few years and looks forward to Mathis taking the mantel next year.

“Sadie’s led and co-led this team for years, and her style of negotiating and diplomacy is just so deferential,” Claborn said. “Some committee chairs would miss how much influence she exerts every time. It’s just so great to see her nab the outstanding delegate award in the advanced committee, before she passes this great group off to Andrew.”

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