“Objection your honor, lack of foundation?” “Sustained,” stated the judge with approval. Mock Trial, an act or imitation trial, has been a popular and well-known extracurricular activity for many students, particularly for thirty-three Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES) students. This year’s 2011 Mock Trial season has been a great start for LACES. “More people that I had expected tried out this year,” Renee Korn, the main LACES Mock Trial team coach, said.
Exceeding the amount of students per team, LACES made two teams for the first time this year; Team A known as the Legends and Team B known as the Leaders. As the dates for the competition are getting near, both teams actively participate in their practices which they have four times every week for at least 2 hours. Even though the two teams are separate, the members and coaches believe they are still one team in the end.
All thirty-three members share their strategies, experiences, suggestions and ideas, thoughts, and encouragements with each other. “You guys are all one team, so take advantage of each other by working together and opening up your strategies and how you all can improve,” Brandon Hughes, a UCLA student who is part of the UCLA Mock Trial Team, said.
On October 23, during a Sunday afternoon, the two teams performed their last scrimmage before the actual competition arrived. Participating in the scrimmage at the UCLA Court Room was to be taken seriously as if it was actually “the moment.” Even though it was time consuming as the scrimmage conducted from noon until past five, many students believed their time was worth it.
“This is the best way to prepare for our actual competition–by having a scrimmage with both teams,” Korn claimed. As the actual competition is in less than a week, LACES Mock Trial teams actually get ready for some showtime–where their practice and commitment will be revealed to the entire audience and ultimately, to themselves.
