HAMMOND, IN — Griffith came in ninth place at the Mock Trial competition at the Hammond Federal Courthouse on Saturday, February 22. Griffith came in ninth place of fourteen teams across the region and won one out of three trials.
The Mock Trial team was at the courthouse from seven in the morning to seven at night. It was a very stressful but special day for Griffith, as it was the first time Griffith was a part of the competition.
The preparation for the three separate trials was extensive, with the team beginning in late November. The three trials were held at nine in the morning, twelve-thirty, and four in the evening. The team had to create questions and goals, find witnesses, and make statements.
The trial was about a singer who was convicted of intimidation provocation. Many roles were involved, including two podcasters, doctors, and a cop. They were trying to convince the jury to say that the crime happened.
“I wanted to incorporate the critical thinking, the acting, and the speech side of things. Besides the academic Super Bowl, there aren’t many academic out-of-school things we offer, and I thought it would be a good experience for the students,” Jeffery Swisher, Mock Trial sponsor, said.
He believes that the mock trial could be something that will grow in the future and that they could even win in a couple of years. He just wants the students to try hard so their work shows more than it already does.
There were two awards that students could win: Best Lawyer and Best Witness. Junior Xiomara Reyes won the Best Witness award. She played Avery Patel, a podcaster who was accused of intimidation and provocation. She had to be the main defendant and take her personality.
There were five other witnesses that Xiomara was competing against, and they finished with the highest score of 9.5 out of 10, which wasn’t close at all. The next nearest person got an 8.5.
“It felt so good. Unexpected,” Reyes said. “I had to memorize everything, with all the important parts to answer the questions.” She was ecstatic to win, and it was her favorite part of the day.
Even though they came in ninth, it was still a good day for Griffith. They hope to capitalize on this performance next year and capture first place.
