SMU student senators were confronted by a dilemma at Tuesday’s weekly meeting: approve the mock trial team’s request for additional funding to attend a regional tournament next weekend in Kansas or deny the organization the funds, effectively ending the season for one of its three competitive teams.
The senate upheld the finance committee’s recommendation to fund $1,050 out of $2,040, even though the senate has “more money than we have ever had,” according to committee Chairman Jace Hinderland.
Hinderland acknowledged that although he feels the organization is a great one – evidenced by his committee’s approval of more than $10,000 in the budgetary process to the team – they were using up funds too quickly.
“We made this decision in light of the fact that it is in the best interest of the organization,” Hinderland said. “They will be coming back to us for more money hopefully to go to nationals and we want to be able to send them there.”
SMU Mock Trial consists of three teams (516 – A team, 517 – B team, 518 – C team); the third team was added this year in response to an unexpected surge in membership. Until this year, mock trial didn’t request funding for regional competitions because they had only two teams – the maximum number that one school can send to the regional tournaments.
In addition to ongoing negotiations with the CCPA department to secure funding, attempts have also been unsuccessfully made by mock trial to receive financial assistance from local law firms and corporations, according to Vice President of Finance Ryan Moore.
Last year, mock trial sent two teams to nationals, and both finished in the top 10 in the country, Moore says. That success came quickly after being founded in the fall of 2004.
“This team has turned into a team that competes at a national level,” Moore said. “They are a part of one of the best programs in the nation and we want to be the number one program in the nation.”
Mock trial member Nick Elledge, a first year, explained that in order to reach its potential and be competitive against the likes of Harvard, The University of Texas and Baylor, “We need financial support. It is extremely expensive to travel, eat and just survive as a team.
“I feel like it would be an injustice not to give us the money we deserve,” Ellidge said. “This is truly an investment well worth your money.”
Sophomore Cox Undergraduate Senator Marc Bullock pleaded with senators to approve additional funding for a program that has exceeded expectations in such a short time.
“[The senate] has a surplus of funds,” Bullock said. “[Mock trial] has had to turn down numerous other invitationals at very prestigious universities. Yes, they may come back for nationals, but we need to give this third team a chance.”
Hinderland was quick to point out that the prioritization of mock trial’s funding prohibits the finance committee from increasing its financial support – regardless of merit.
“In my four years with senate, I have not seen an organization grow as quickly or as successfully as mock trial has,” Hinderland said. “As much the finance committee and Student Senate respect this, though, we cannot begin setting precedents that will lead to the inequitable distribution of our student fees.”
Dedman II Senator Mora Namdar recognized the difficulty of the senate’s decision: “I feel like the concerns brought up by the finance committee are valid, but it might be penalizing them for doing well. We need to fund them fully for what they asked.”
Several senators mentioned that when an organization needs money, everyone is told to come to senate- where a chartered student organization should not only get support, but also be encouraged for doing so well.
“I think the best way we can demonstrate for them to have financial responsibility is to stick with the recommendation,” Dedman II Senator Charles Slick said, defending the Finance committee’s recommendations. “We have to draw the line somewhere.”
