36 NORTH SHORE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE NASSAU-SUFFOLK COUNTY MDDLE LEVEL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION
Background - The Case:
Lee Cruise was sitting quietly by his pool quietly minding his own business when a car drove through his fence, through his bushes, knocking him into the water. The driver of the car was a teenage girl with a Junior License that swerved off the road to avoid another vehicle. Was this an accident or a case of negligence? The North Shore Middle School Mock Trial Teams were brilliant last week as 36 students representing six trial teams (3 plaintiff teams and 3 defense teams) set out with their club advisor and Principal Dr. Marc Ferris to make their cases in the annual Suffolk County Bar Association Middle Level Mock Trial Tournament. They debated, argued, and proved their cases in front of a slew of professional judges from across Long Island! After several challenging cases were made, North Shore came out victorious as five of the six trial teams won their cases or their performances. The students included: Team I - Defense Lawyers: Rebecca Lando, Alexandra Stoff, and Sophie Blumenthal, Defense Witnesses:Julia Morrissey, Melissa Geraci, and Zoe Varkaris, Prosecution Lawyers: Steven Eder, Alexandra Eder, and Joseph Ciampa, Prosecution Witnesses:Jade Kessler, Julie Capitelli, and Ella Blumenthal, Team II -Defense Lawyers: Kyra McCreery, Halle McGrath, and Isabella Visintainer, Witnesses: Molly McPartlin, Emma Nelson, and Cassandra Nochowitz, Prosecution Lawyers:Kathryn Ditrano, Avery Goodman, and Hanah Ikawa, Prosecution Witnesses: Loretta Wang, Sara Fogerty, and Janice Cho, Team III - Defense Lawyers: Fiona Regan, Amanda Ayres, and Lily Perrotta, Witnesses: Danielle Topol, Matthew Topol, and Isabella Baretta, Prosecution Lawyers: Kate Gilliam, Ella Scheffel, and Eve McCreery, Prosecution Witnesses: McKenzie Olitsky, Will Hunt, and James Reiner. Students returned to the middle school all smiles on Friday as they celebrated their victories. As one student put it, “I loved cross examining witnesses so much. It was like I had the power to make them prove my own case even though they didn’t want to! I had a great time!” Club Advisor Dr. Ferris added, “These students really worked hard and learned a lot today about the trial process but also their own abilities to speak, communicate, and argue for their clients. I am really proud of them all!” Dr. Ferris also thanked the team’s two professional parent volunteers Mr. Scott Kessler and Mr. David Scheffel who are both practicing attorneys and were vital coaches for our students. Students were also honored with certificates and pins from the Suffolk County Bar Association at the March 21st Middle School PTSO meeting. Members of the Bar Association commented that North Shore Middle School put out the largest number of teams they had seen to date and also strung together the largest run of victories throughout the day compared to other schools. Congratulations to our Middle School Mock Trial Students, we are so proud of what they accomplished! Principal Dr. Ferris said, “More important than dominating the competition (though fun to do!) was that our students learned a lot about mock trial, enhanced their communication, collaboration, and problem solving skills, and had an enjoyable overall experience. I can tell you with great certainty that the North Shore Community will be flooded with some seriously talented lawyers in about 12-‐14 years!” Photo Caption: Article: by Shelly Newman The North Shore Middle School Mock Trial Teams were brilliant last week as 36 students representing six trial teams (3 plaintiff teams and 3 defense teams) set out with their club advisor and Principal Dr. Marc Ferris to make their cases in the annual Suffolk County Bar Association Middle Level Mock Trial Tournament |
