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Grade 9: Mock Trial

June 15, 2013

Grade 9: Mock Trial

The students of 9H+ English quietly fielded into the auditorium of the annex building. The atmosphere was solemn in the auditorium with a hint of anticipation. On the stage were two long tables with four chairs behind them. The teachers who were now in the role of judges sat in them. Facing the judges was a music stand which acts as a podium for the lawyers.

The two respondents and two petitioners in formal black suits fidgeted nervously as they waited for the audience to be seated and the mock trial to begin. They kept looking down at their two-page scripts to see if they needed to add anything. The entire 9th-grade English H+ class has been working on this for a month now: the case of whether or not a race-conscious admissions policy of universities that could create a diverse student body should be ruled as constitutional.

As the bell rang and the judges nodded their heads, the petitioners and respondents came up one by one, stood by the music stand and began their arguments. "Chief Justice, your honors, may it please the court..." Everything was so formal and it felt like a real trial.

The lawyers brought up every single point they gathered during the past month and smartly answered the judges' difficult questions.

The mock trial was over and applause boomed through the entire auditorium. The petitioners and respondents smiled satisfactorily; all their hard work was worth it！

(Written by Cheryl Jiang; Supervising teacher: Sophia Yang)