Central Mock Trial Prepares for Success

With tournaments rapidly approaching, the team gets ready to compete.

Participants+prepare+cases.+Dec.+19%2C+2018.+Photo+by+Shoshana+Weinstein.

Participants prepare cases. Dec. 19, 2018. Photo by Shoshana Weinstein.

Shoshana Weinstein, Staff Writer

The Parkway Central Mock Trial team has had moderate success in recent years, but this year students say that they are ready to take their competition to the next level.

Composed of about twenty students, the Mock Trial team receives a new “case” each year. “It alternates between a civil and a criminal case each year,” junior Sylvia E said. “This year we have a criminal case, a murder investigation, and we’re either defending or prosecuting the accused murderer.”

Every October, the team receives a packet with all of their case material. “We get affidavits from each of the witnesses, and we get pieces of evidence that we can admit as ‘Exhibit A’ or ‘Exhibit B,’” Ryan Sellers said.

Next, the team chooses students to act as “witnesses” or “lawyers.” Participants constrict their cases and memorize their testimonies. Then, they compete against other schools. “It’s an activity that really forces you to be independent but also able to work with your team,” junior Alex Kang said. “You have to be able to rely on yourself to think on your feet and make arguments, but you also have to make sure that you and your team are all on the same page and working towards the same points.”

Under the direction of coach and Central English teacher Kemba Metropoulos, the team hopes to make it to statewide competitions. “We’ve gotten to regionals the last couple of years, so it’s about time that we make it to state,” Kang said. “This is our year.”