By Jonah Kramer | Staff Writer
When the Alexander Hamilton Society (AHS) released its campus chapter leaderboard on Oct. 10, Baylor topped the chart over prestigious schools like Princeton, Yale and Vanderbilt.
Tulsa, Okla., senior and AHS president Ty Rossow said points were awarded to chapters based on the quality, quantity and overall attendance of events hosted.
According to Rossow, guest speakers, movie nights, trivia nights and group discussions fulfill the Baylor chapter’s purpose. It also aims to connect with “prestigious” Washington foreign policy leaders and prepare students for careers in diplomacy.
“When we’re planning events, we’re not thinking, ‘How can we get the highest ranking?’” Rossow said. “We’re thinking, ‘What’s the best way to serve Baylor students?’ [By] hosting events that will be meaningful to them.”
On Sept. 28, AHS hosted Dr. Aaron Friedberg, a professor at Princeton University, who talked about his new book entitled “Getting China Wrong.” Friedberg also previously served as deputy assistant for national security affairs and director of policy planning in the Office of the U.S. Vice President.
“Over the past 30 years, we assumed that by engaging with China through economic measures like trade, they would actually become more democratic,” Rossow said. “But as we’ve seen, that hasn’t played out.”
Five days before the Friedberg event, the Baylor chapter welcomed former U.S. Assistant Attorney General John Yoo to campus.
Boerne senior and AHS vice president Lauren Jarvis said the organization is a great medium to connect with Washington, D.C. She said the fact that the group hosted two former presidential Cabinet members in the span of a week is just one example of the club’s excellence.
Yoo’s speech on elections and the Constitution attracted 253 Baylor students and staff, making it most likely the largest event the Baylor chapter has ever hosted, according to Jarvis.
“There were a lot of students after who hung around after just to talk with Dr. Friedberg personally and ask more questions about China,” Jarvis said.
Despite prioritizing student experience over placement on the leaderboard, the Baylor chapter’s efforts so far this semester earned it 9,150 points from the national AHS, placing Baylor 1,900 points above the second place school, Princeton University.
Yale University, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Texas at Austin rounded out the top five out of an overall ranking of 54 chapters.
Securing the top spot in the rankings after having been ranked No. 15 last year has placed the Baylor chapter in the running for the Chapter of the Year Award, which the national AHS will name in the spring.
Rossow said winning the Chapter of the Year Award would be monumental for both the young AHS chapter and the entire university.
“I think it would be excellent for the organization to show that, having just started four years ago and having gone through the difficulties of COVID-19 — especially in terms of organizing events and hosting speakers — that we’ve really grown as a chapter to become a major force on campus,” Rossow said.
As the Baylor chapter continues to grow and gain national recognition, the need for foreign policy engagement is also increasing, Rossow said.
“Whether it be Russia invading Ukraine or tensions with China or other global issues, we see that foreign policy is really a salient issue in our nation today,” Rossow said. “I think that’s something that Baylor students perceive, so that has really helped us engage students and drive interest in the club.”
At a ripe time for foreign policy discourse, AHS will continue to pursue academic excellence in the diplomatic field.
The organization will host Michael Smart, who previously served as the director for international trade and investment on the White House’s National Security Council, on Nov. 14.
Jarvis said a trivia event in early December will be one of several social events the organization hosts, aiming to create a safe environment for students who share an interest in foreign policy. Students from a variety of majors can join to meet others and discuss current events.
Event announcements are posted on the Baylor AHS Instagram page.
