On August 16, 2008 at 12:06 a.m., SMU Officer Garrett Jordan told me that my M.I.C.(Minor in consumption: Class C misdemeanor) for a first time violator was the “equivalent of a speeding ticket” and should only cost about $140. Well let’s see:

If you get your violation before corral:

Minus 1 hour spent on being kicked out of Mustang Corral

Minus 1 hour spent talking to RLSH about not being able to live in housing

Minus 8 hours for 5 days, working to continue living in RLSH while not in Mustang Corral

-Two hours on phone with parents

SMU Conduct Hearing:

-One hour spent with liaison officer

-One hour spent finding corrected version of what liaison officer said

-Thirty minutes with conduct officer

Punishments from SMU

– Two hours on paper/2.5 hr for Alcohol Edu

– Ten hours community service/$100 fine

– One hour Alcohol/Drug Appointment + 30 min paperwork for it

-One hour on phone with parents about Parent Notification

Conduct reprimand on transcript for 4 years

Municipal Court

-Three hours finding or talking to lawyers

-If you get a lawyer- $750 to get off (maybe)

else

-One and a half hours in Municipal Court

Punishments:

-One hundred and fifty dollars for Drinking and Driving class

-Five dollar registration fee for class

-Eight hours for class on Saturday

-Two hundred and sixy-four dollars court fee

-Two months probation

So added together:

Total Cash = $519 dollars

Total Hours = 63.5 hrs (without paying lawyer)

If minimum wage is $7.50, 62.5 X 7.50= $476.25

Total Cost for M.I.C = $995.25

So hopefully SMU officers will now know the total cost for an M.I.C and inform violators correctly.

Greg Standerfer is a junior math and computer engineering double major. He can be reached for comment at gstander@smu.edu.