Claudia Brunson: news editor
The Millsaps College Mock Trial team will compete for a spot in the National Tournament at Mississippi College in Clinton Feb 20-22.
In mock trial, team members act like lawyers and witnesses in a courtroom setting. They receive a case to defend or prosecute, and compete against a team taking the opposite stance in the case. The lawyers cross-examine the witnesses, and the team earns points for legal wins. .
The mock trial team on campus has spent countless hours preparing for the tournament at MC.
“Well, I have spent part of every afternoon since we got back to school in the mock trial courtroom, either preparing or reading the law or preparing cross-examinations,” Jace King, a junior member of the team, says. “… We put a lot of hours into this.”
Senior mock trial member and one of the remaining undergraduate founders, Carpenter Stevens, says, mock trial is a lot of hard work and time, but it is worth it to her.
“We are a hodgepodge of different people from different backgrounds and we all came together as a big family and we act like a family,” Stevens says. “So to me [being a part of mock trial] means a lot to my Millsaps experience.”
King hopes that the team will compete well in the tournament and make it to nationals.
“Hopefully we will be in the top eight and move onto the next round,” King said. “You do not exactly “win” the tournament, you just hope you get ranked high enough to move onto the next round.”
Stevens and the mock trial team have dedicated countless hours, and she knows the team will showcase its best work at the regional tournament.
“I would not be disappointed at all, of but of course you want to move on,” Stevens says. “We have put forth hundreds of hours, so I know that we what we will present in February will be our best—so what happens, happens.”
Having been one of the original members of mock trial, having this organization on campus is an example of how Millsaps College works with students that have an idea about an organization according to Stevens. The mock trial team has made tremendous strides just in the past couple of years.
Should Millsaps Mock Trial team make it past regionals, opening rounds for the national tournament will begin in March.