Mock Trial
Alexia Riley
Advanced English 11
Debate Speech
October 23, 2012
Not Something to Mock For three years in a row the Saint Peter Mock Trial team has made it to state. They would never have been able to accomplish this without the help of the amazing coaches and the dedication of the students. The members of that team graduated last year and the younger kids have to step up and take their place. The team only has three coaches and around thirty members this year, three times more members than the team had three years ago. Only seven of these members have been in mock trial in previous years. Every year the Minnesota State Bar Association comes up with a case for the mock trial competitions. Every year the teams have to learn a completely new case, with different arguments. Every year the coaches have to teach students what took them two to four years to learn in law school. With only three coaches, how are they ever going to be able to teach thirty students the concepts of mock trial? The team needs two separate teams, one high school and one middle school team and more coaches.
Jim Dunn is the assistant County Attorney and somehow finds time in his busy work schedule to coach. The second coach, Allison Krehbiel, is the Nicollet County Judge and allows the team to use her court room and other rooms in the court house for practice. Mr. Warren, the third coach keeps the team running by taking care of the scheduling and dealing with the school. All of the coaches have families to get home to and practices already go until six. Adding more time to practices would take away time from their families and take away much needed homework time from the students. Time is money, the more you spend the less you have. By adding more coaches each member will get the one on one time needed and practices will run more efficiently. The members that have been in mock trial previous years, know more than people who are just joining. Since the team doesn’t have enough coaches, old
Advanced English 11
Debate Speech
October 23, 2012
Not Something to Mock For three years in a row the Saint Peter Mock Trial team has made it to state. They would never have been able to accomplish this without the help of the amazing coaches and the dedication of the students. The members of that team graduated last year and the younger kids have to step up and take their place. The team only has three coaches and around thirty members this year, three times more members than the team had three years ago. Only seven of these members have been in mock trial in previous years. Every year the Minnesota State Bar Association comes up with a case for the mock trial competitions. Every year the teams have to learn a completely new case, with different arguments. Every year the coaches have to teach students what took them two to four years to learn in law school. With only three coaches, how are they ever going to be able to teach thirty students the concepts of mock trial? The team needs two separate teams, one high school and one middle school team and more coaches.
Jim Dunn is the assistant County Attorney and somehow finds time in his busy work schedule to coach. The second coach, Allison Krehbiel, is the Nicollet County Judge and allows the team to use her court room and other rooms in the court house for practice. Mr. Warren, the third coach keeps the team running by taking care of the scheduling and dealing with the school. All of the coaches have families to get home to and practices already go until six. Adding more time to practices would take away time from their families and take away much needed homework time from the students. Time is money, the more you spend the less you have. By adding more coaches each member will get the one on one time needed and practices will run more efficiently. The members that have been in mock trial previous years, know more than people who are just joining. Since the team doesn’t have enough coaches, old