For the first time South’s Mock Trial team will attend Empire Mock Trial, an international competition. The competition is in Chicago at the Hilton Hotel from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16, and is intended to be not only a learning experience, but a challenge for the team, Gwen Quigley, English Teacher and Mock Trial Co-Sponsor, said.

Mock Trial is an academic team that competes against other schools, Quigley said. Students fill in all the roles of the court, like an attorney and witness, and need to be well versed in both sides of the trial, the prosecution or defense, as they will play both parts during the course of a trial. Scoring for these competitions is based on the team’s effort as a whole, with special awards going to students who are outstanding in their roles, Quigley said. Overall, the group of students she has this year has influenced her decision to try out the new competition, Quigley said.

“The right level of dedication is important,” Quigley said. “The right level of talent and skill is helpful, but so is having a group of students who you believe won’t let each other down.”

Unlike the typical state season, the team had to apply to the Empire competition and start working on the course packet in August as opposed to November, Quigley said. Going to this competition has been a goal of the upperclassmen, who act as the club’s varsity members, Team Caption senior Charlie Hintzman Ahn said. The relationship between teammates is close, as they support each other by practicing together and sharing public speaking skills, Hintzman Ahn said.

“I really love our team,” Hintzman Ahn said. “We all collaborate together on their practices, and it’s a very supportive environment to become a better public speaker and learn the law. It’s really fun to go into these real courtrooms and talk to world judges and lawyers, hear about their jobs and sometimes pretend to do their jobs.”

Senior Carla Hill has been on the team for three years and is excited for the competition because the challenging atmosphere will allow her to improve her presentation and teamwork. One challenge Hill often experiences is having to think on the fly, but she enjoys being able to adapt to all kinds of legal scenarios and likes the practices she has with her team members and mock trial teams from other schools.

  “To me, mock trial means resilience, remaining disciplined, and thinking on the fly,” Hill said. “That’s really why I do it, because I feel I grow as a person throughout my practices and trials and it’s a great opportunity.”