Student Senate decided to fund Mock Trial in its final round of national competition.
SMU Mock Trial advanced to the final round of competition in 2007. In previous years, Mock Trial has tied Harvard and competed against schools like Princeton and Yale.
Mock Trial member Ann Wyatt Little said the team appreciates the money and hopes to return with another trophy.
“We’re really thankful for all they’ve done,” Little said of the Senate’s funding.
Most senators think Mock Trial represents SMU in a positive way and funding them will help publicize the strengths of the university.
Senate voted to fund $2,853 of the $4,946 requested by the team. This covers everything except half the airfare to the competition in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Student Senate also decided to fund the Baseball Club $1,220. The money will help cover the team’s expenses for equipment including belts, socks and gear. The money also helps the team cover travel expenses to its upcoming competition at Texas Tech in Lubbock.
In other business, Environment Chair Christine Dougherty spoke about a recycling competition to be held the week before April 9. She announced that recycling bins would be distributed to all the sorority houses before the competition started, but explained that the Interfraternity Council had its own regulations about recycling and would most likely not take part in the competition.
The recycling competition precedes a global warming concert to be held April 9 at 8 p.m. The concert includes artists such as Sheryl Crow and seeks to raise awareness about environmental issues. The tour will start here at SMU and will travel around the country, concluding at Washington D.C. on Earth Day, April 22. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and students can get tickets at The Mane Desk with their SMU IDs.
Vice President Katherine Tullos spoke to Senate about recent changes in SMU’s meal plan. She explained that students now had the option to eat a steak or salmon dinner in Umphrey Lee at the additional price of four dollars (plus tax) to each swipe. She said that a ticket could be purchased at the entrance to Umphry Lee to get this new meal, but explained that students could not double swipe their meal plan to get it.
In new business, Organizations Chair Lamar Dowling talked to Senate about the current organizations seeking full charter. The Organizations Committee gave a positive recommendation to Bhakti Yoga and KPNI Radio. The Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) got a negative recommendation from the committee. Chair Dowling explained that their decision was based MESA’s lack of leadership. MESA currently has no president, and students in the organization are not in agreement over whether their group should be more focused on political or cultural issues.
Secretary Brooks Powell spoke about the ongoing attempt to improve lighting on sorority row.
“Any changes in lighting on campus must go through University Park City Council since SMU is located in University Park,” said Powell.
Even though University Park is aware of student concerns about the risk of sexual assault on sorority row the city council believes that SMU police should be more vigilant in their protection of that area of campus added Powell.
In final business, a resolution asking the university to stop charging undergraduate students a fee to graduate was discussed. In 2006, the university began charging undergraduate students $40 to graduate whether they walk or not.
Several senators felt very strongly about the resolution, viewing the fee as just another way of getting money out of students.
“I question where the money is going, I question why the university needs the money, and I question the integrity of the university’s decision to not make its budget accessible to the public,” said Research and Recommendation Chair Benjamin Hatch.
The resolution was seen as new business Tuesday afternoon and will be discussed at future meetings as old business.
