 Nicholas Dhimitri |
Dhimitri, a political science major from Lansing, N.Y., garnered a perfect score and was ranked as the number-one student among more than 80 students.
Other contestants represented 17 universities, including such highly regarded institutions as Cornell University, Colgate University, Penn State University, the University of Rochester, and Syracuse University, as well as fellow SUNY members Buffalo, Geneseo, Buffalo State and Binghamton.
Dhimitri was the lone student to earn a perfect score at the Finger Lakes regional, and one of only 29 perfect scores to be handed out among all 24 regional tournaments held across the U.S. this year.
Student Association president plans to attend law school
He also serves as President of the SUNY Fredonia Student Association, has been on the SUNY Fredonia mock trial team for the past three years, and plans on attending law school after graduation.
“For two years now, Nick has been honored as the top-ranked attorney by the presiding judges at the regional mock trial competition,” said Dr. James Hurtgen of the department of Political Science who serves as faculty advisor and coach to the team he founded at Fredonia in 1999. “Last year he shared this achievement with another student. This year, he holds this honor alone.”
The teams squared off during four elimination rounds at the Finger Lakes regional, as they argued the case, Walton v. Blitz New Network. Fredonia finished 19th among the 24 total competing teams.
“It’s been one of the things I’ve enjoyed most in college,” Mr. Dhimitri said of his experience with the Mock Trial team. “Our group has largely been student-led and student-directed, and it’s been very satisfying to watch the Fredonia team grow. In my first year we had just enough people to field one team, but now we’ve grown to two full teams, and I attribute that to all of the hard work of Dr. Hurtgen.”
Fredonia was the first comprehensive university within SUNY to compete in the AMTA tournament, which primarily draws students majoring in Political Science and Legal Studies, although many other majors are represented. The team meets weekly throughout the fall term to prepare for the regional competition. Financial support is provided by the Office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Office of the Dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences and the Office of Student Creativity and Research
