CHAMPIONS: Mock Trial, once again, takes home their reigning title of “Riverside Mock Trial County Champions.”
By Sarah Salmeron, Staff Writer
Poly High School has catered towards many student interests that function as stepping stools to their future passions and careers. One successful club is Mock Trial, proudly boasting a prosperous past and only improving with extensive and detailed practices.
Mock Trial is a program that not only encourages students who are interested in pursuing a career in law, but also helps improve public speaking and problem-solving. Supervisors of the club include Poly’s AP and Honors Chemistry teacher Matthew Schiller, Joshua Hanks and Carlos Monages as attorney coaches, and Steve Wahlin another volunteer coach. Mock Trial is a student criminal trial with two sides, prosecution, and defense. A team receives a case assigned with whichever side they’re fighting for and must compete with the opposing side using only improvisational skill and a good memory, and these skills are epitomized in Poly’s Mock Trial team.
On March 2nd, Poly’s Mock Trial team competed against Martin Luther King High School’s team at the County Mock Trial Competition, taking home the crown for the 18th time. Their strenuous practices were solely centered around improving and perfecting to succeed in the State Competition. The team traveled to Sacramento during March 21-24 to compete against Menlo High School, Westview High School, Carmel High School, and Centennial High School. Poly took third place, and sent their seniors off with a dedicated and inspiring final performance.
Mock trial is looking forward to gaining new members to help them perform better the next season. Students are ecstatic for the new season and working harder to keep the winning streak alive.