The UNC Charlotte Mediation Team won four awards at the regional Mediation Tournament held in Gainesville, Ga., earlier this month. The team competed against challengers from 10 other institutions, including Western Carolina University and Georgia Southern University.
Alex Smyre and Nakeisha Armwood placed fourth and fifth, respectively, as best overall mediator. The mediation team won fifth place as best mediators and fifth place for best advocate/client. Besides Smyre and Armwood, other mediation team members were Irvin Perez, Quinn Chavez, Andrew Poston, Andres Sing and Victor Ononogbo. Vivian Lord is the team's coach.
Lord, mediation program director, said, most importantly, the mediation students, diverse in a variety of ways, became a true team, enjoying their experience together and feeling confident in their ability to help resolve a variety of disputes. They acted professionally and represented UNC Charlotte well, she added.
Mediation tournaments require students to use critical thinking skills on disputes similar to what they will face daily in their personal and professional lives. According to Lord, the tournaments are not as much about winning as they are about sharing. Champion students are those who collaborate. Students co-mediate with students from other universities. Listening and working together are the keys of successful peacemaking.
More information about the mediation program is on its website.