Christian Heritage Academy
Places 13th in National Competition
Nine students from Christian Heritage Academy in Del City competed in the National High School Mock Trial Competition, held May 4–8 in Phoenix, and placed 13th in the final standings.
The Christian Heritage Academy team earned the right to advance to nationals by defeating Clinton High School in the state championship. The national competition featured 48 championship-winning teams, including teams from Guam, Australia and South Korea and first place teams from across the country. Indiana’s team took home first place honors.
“The mock trial program is such a tremendously beneficial program,” said Christian Heritage Academy’s attorney coach Jennifer Miller. “It not only teaches the students about the law and courtroom procedure, but also develops skills which will benefit each student throughout their life. The program helps the students become more confident in public speaking as students, whether portraying an attorney or a witness, gain the ability to think and reason quickly. The students gain self-esteem, poise and confidence.”
Jerrid Eischen is the teacher coach for the team. Team members are John Campbell, Katie Ceyler, Walker Clay, Kristen Copeland, Stone Hendrickson, Jared Miller, Ryan Morrisett, Taylor Palmer and Susie Wilson.
Mock Trial Coordinator Judy Spencer said, “Attorneys and mock trial committee members Nicole Longwell, Jennifer Bruner and Christine Cave joined 28 other observers in supporting our team during the fierce competition. I feel honored to be a part of this incredible program and the support it receives from Oklahoma’s legal community. I express my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to all on a job well done throughout the 2010–2011 mock trial season.”
The state and national competitions involve teams of students taking on the roles of attorneys and defendants. During the “trials,” which are heard by judges and attorneys in a courtroom setting, individual and team performances are evaluated. In national competition, all teams begin with a new case.
The judges scored the students based on their familiarity of the case and the formulation of their arguments. The competition encourages the development of oral advocacy, critical thinking and communication skills. The quality of preparation, level of teamwork and adherence to the rules are also important factors in the competition.
The annual state competition is sponsored by the OBA Young Lawyers Division and the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.
