Natalie Masachi, News Editor
For students passionate about the law, public speaking, or problem solving, Mock Trial can be an extremely fulfilling extracurricular activity to pursue.
Each year, thousands of students prepare legal cases that they then present, as a team, in front of a judge. Mock Trial involves high school students acting out a civil or criminal trial by arguing for either the prosecution or defense against another team, which acts as the opposing side. This club is available to different age groups and here on campus, there are a number of opportunities for all grade levels to participate.
In an interview with presidents of the silver and purple team, Shan Murad and Zane Gonzalez, they explained the essence of this club and all of the hard work that goes into a single trial.
This process goes until “January and starts up again in February shortly after the case is released from the state” says staff member at the event Kristina Jovin.
This club goes above and beyond from teamwork to critical analysis and writing. In a recent trial Rancho Cucamonga High School went against Los Osos and Silver Team Captain Shan Murad shared that the results were “excellent because this is a team that was developing. At first we were not certain on how it was gonna turn out, but when we went in there, my team and I were confident.”
During the highly anticipated two month period before the competition, Mock Trial went through many highs and lows preparing for the trial against Los Osos. “We believed Los Osos was going to be a powerhouse team but when we got there they were reading off notes while our team was fully memorized and prepared,” says Gonzalez.
At the San Bernardino County statewide competition, tensions were high because once the team stood upon the stand, all their hard work relied on their delivery. Rancho Cucamonga High School won the competition. With all the new win under their belt, team members shared that their favorite part of the club was that it all came down to the member and team connection. “Getting to know people who have the same ambitions that you do leads to a further connection, similar to a family,” says Murad after the excitement of a great win.
Mock Trial allows students to connect with their community and obtain a deeper understanding of the judicial system, and this trial gives students early experience in legal procedures as well as a comprehensive, first-hand look at what law looks like in practice. On and off-campus, Mock Trial puts in many hours to bring a big win home for our school even though each member is very involved with school. Despite participating in AP/Honors Classes, sports, dance, and extracurriculars, Mock Trial members continue to devote many hours to their future aspirations. We appreciate your Mock Trial!
The Cat's Eye 