Sophomore Jolena Pang had been sitting and waiting in the English office. It was 8:00 a.m. and school was about to start. Finally, Mock Trial coach Justin Seiwell entered his office and took Pang to Room 2. As Seiwell opened the door, Pang saw five other students were already waiting for her. A video camera was pointing at her seat at the front of the room. Pang settled into her seat, and junior Jeffrey Cheng started peppering her with questions.

On that morning of September 19, Pang was auditioning for the witness part on the mock trial team. “I was a little nervous at first, but once I sat down it was just like having a conversation,” Pang said

As the name suggests, mock trial is a replica of a real court trial, with acting as lawyers, and others acting the part of witnesses. For each tournament, all teams are given a fake court case, and teams have to work together in order to prepare.

Lawyers have to use the court case in order to generate questions that he or she will ask the witness on another team. Witnesses, on the other hand, have to memorize all of the specific details relating to the witness character of the case, as well as be prepared to answer any other questions that lawyers from other teams may have.

Although mock trial is part of forensics, along with all other speech and debate events, mock trial is very different from the other speech and debate events.

“Mock trial is much more selective. Each school can only have one team of eight students, whereas any number of students can choose to participate in speech and debate,” Seiwell, the coach for both speech and debate and mock trial, said. “Also, mock trial is much more team oriented. All members in mock trial have to attend every tournament, while members of speech and debate can choose which tournaments they want to go to.”

Even though mock trial has a few disadvantages, it has far more benefits. Junior Nathan Jarvis was one of the few students who is on the mock trial team. Jarvis joined the team last year and has already learned a lot. “You get to meet a lot of new people,” Jarvis said. “You get to improve your debate and speech skills, as well as learn a lot about the legal system.”

This year, two spots opened on the mock trial team when two seniors last year left.

“Once you make it onto the mock trial team, you stay on the team for all of your high school years,” Seiwell said. “We only get open slots every year because of seniors leaving.”

On Friday, Oct. 4, the results for the two new members selected were released. Pang and Freshman Marysia Hyrc were those two students.

“In our new members, we try to look for students who think differently than our current members and may have something new and special to bring to the team,” Seiwell said.

However, Seiwell is not the only person who decides who the new members should be. The current mock trial team members are the ones who make the final decision.

Junior Nathan Jarvis, one of the four mock trial members who joined last year, is happy with the selection of his new teammates.

“I think Marysia and Jolena were clear candidates and I believe they will do very well on the team,” Jarvis said. “In our selection process we were looking for people who were most articulate, creative with their responses, and seemed most prepared.”

For the past few years, the mock trial team has performed very well. Last year, the team placed first in the entire state. Then two years ago, the mock trial team placed 2nd in state. With two brand new members on the team this year, the mock trial team may be able to perform even better.