MTSU's mediation team members are celebrating their new status as the 2007 National Intercollegiate Mediation Champions following their performance in an Oct. 26-27 tournament at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago.

MTSU defeated a field of 32 teams, including Boston University (second place), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (third place) and the University of Toledo (fourth place).

The goal in mock mediation is the resolution of legal disputes outside the parameters of a courtroom trial. Competition in mock mediation helps students hone their public speaking skills, critical and analytical thinking and peacemaking talents.

Sarah Farthing of Jefferson City and Ryan Richards of Sweetwater were awarded All-American honors as mediators. Farthing was selected by her teammates to represent the school in the championship round because she had the highest individual mediation scores of the group in regular competition.

Other members of the national champion mediation team are: Edward Alsobrook, Murfreesboro; Pete Frech, Murfreesboro; Logan Grant, Chattanooga; Aleece McKnight, Memphis; Kristin Pegram, La Vergne; Candes Prewitt, Antioch; Loren Sanderson, Jacksonville, N.C.; Carlissa Shaw, Memphis; Jerry Strait, Woodbury; Courtney Williams, Memphis; and Clay Wood, Nashville.

Dr. Clyde Willis, a professor of political science, is the director of the student mediation program, including the intercollegiate competition. He said MTSU has placed teams in the championship round in six of the last eight years. The national title marks the second time MTSU has won the round; the previous win came in 2000.

The National Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament was co-sponsored by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution and the American Mock Trial Association. The MTSU team is funded by the College of Liberal Arts and from student activity fees.

By contrast with mock mediation, mock trial contests give students basic facts about a case intended for adjudication in a pretend courtroom. Contenders portray prosecuting and defense attorneys and witnesses as they try to convince the judges of the superiority of their respective positions.

In mock trial contests this semester, Lani Lester of Memphis won a witness award at an invitational tournament at St. Louis University Oct. 13-14. At an invitational tournament at Eastern Kentucky University Oct. 27-28, an MTSU team captured the "Spirit of AMTA (American Mock Trial Association) Award" for good sportsmanship.

Also at EKU, Rachel Harmon of Spencer and Stella Mitchell of Sparta won witness awards. Nichole Roehrich of Murfreesboro received a best attorney honor at an invitational tournament Oct. 27-28 at Ohio State University. Mock trial teams are coached by Dr. John R. Vile, Professor Patrick Chinnery, attorney Brandi Snow Bozarth and Jamie Bowers Kidd; Chinnery, Bozarth and Kidd are alumni of MTSU's undergraduate mock trial program.

For more information, please visit the www.mtsu.edu.

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