Student Senate voted Tuesday on the Model UN funding dispute, resulting in the overturn  of the finance committee’s original 11-2 vote to give $6,000 toward the conference in Taiwan. Model UN will now receive $5,000.

The original two opposing votes were senators.

“I’ve never seen a vote like that overturned,” Alex Ehmke, chief-of-staff, said.

The Model UN Conference costs a grand total of $21,000 to send its 17 members to Taiwan. Model UN has received $13,000 and needs $9,000 more to meet the cost.

“Moving abroad for 10 days is different,” vice president of International Relations Council Andrea Martinez said. “We don’t have kitchens so we have to go out to dinner and things are significantly more expensive.”

Some student senate members agreed to disagree.

“Yes, they represent the university, but at the end of the day it’s for them,” first-year senator

David Archer said. You have to pay your own study abroad costs and don’t expect other people to pay it for you. I’m sorry if people think its unfortunate that you have to pay for it, but you’re at SMU and you have to pay to participate here also.”

Other members expressed a desire to still support Model UN’s funds but at a lower price. They proposed giving Model UN $4,444 while seeking $2,000 from outside sources.

“I love Model UN,” Cox senator Austin Poynter said. “I believe that hopefully those outside sources will get enough of our funded money back. I believe $4,444 is a great amount in case they get absolutely nothing from anyone else.”

Other members did not care about the cost involved at all, but rather, maintaining the prestigious SMU image.

“I think we have been fiscally irresponsible throughout the entire year,” Lyle senator Joseph Esau said. “I am a true firm supporter that anything done by SMU is at the top, and we should support that. My ultimate goal at SMU is to support that mission. We may run out of money by April, but my advice is: that sucks, deal with it.”