Pictured is the Abington Heights Mock Trial Team. First row, from left: Noor Rutty, Chloe Levasseur, Faith Bennett, Maddie Herold, Aidan Lam. Second row: Zachary Riggall, Dane Huggler, Michael Cummins, Will Newton and Thomas Russini.
CLARKS SUMMIT – The Abington Heights Varsity Mock Trial Team, who is the two-time state champion, attended the 12th annual Ben Franklin Invitational Mock Trial Tournament recently.
The students on the team get invited every year to this event, which was held at on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania during the weekend of Jan. 21 and Jan. 22.
They took part of a practice competition against 48 schools from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. It gave them a chance to practice and revise their case to get themselves ready for future mock trial championships.
“It’s a really good way to prep ourselves and see if we need to make any changes to our case,” said team member Faith Bennett, who plays an attorney.
“Negligence about a wrongful death on an obstacle course” was the topic of a civil lawsuit, in which Abington Heights’ varsity mock trail team has been doing this year. It’s about a participant who drowns while competing in an obstacle course. Six students from each school performs on trial at a time – three attorneys and three witnesses. Each side has to prove their case by a preponderance of evidence. The students have to prove who’s at fault – the company for making a dangerous obstacle course or the participant for being reckless.
“Mock trial is a very big commitment,” said team member Chloe Levasseur, who has been playing a witness this year. “It gathers a lot of kids who are very devoted. I made some of my best friends through mock trial. So for me, it’s been a great experience.”
“Mock trial has taught me a lot about how to be confident, how to present myself in front of other people,” Faith added. “It teaches a lot of good lessons about public speaking even if you don’t want to become a lawyer someday. It’s definitely been good for me to come out of my shell.”
“I think mock trial is really valuable because its emphasis is really on teamwork,” said Michael Cummins, who plays a witness. “Because even if you have one really good person, if you don’t have a good team, you’re not doing to do well. We’ve been so successful because our team has worked so well together.”
The team contributes their success to Abington Heights’ High School debate coach Len Romanski as well as attorney advisers Dan Cummins (Michael’s father) and Jodie Healey. They will compete in the district finals on Tuesday, March 7.
