Mock Trial Demands Order in the Court During First Scrimmage of the Season

Kayley Winata and Zoha Syed

Defense attorney and sophomore Ansh Gosain direct examines trial witness and senior Musa Atif, whom he worked closely with while preparing for the scrimmage. Collaboration plays an important role in the success of the team because of the bonds it cultivates, according to Atif. “I’m going to miss having a team and a group of people I can work with and rely on,” Atif said.

Mock trial participated in their first scrimmage of the school year on Oct. 22 against Northwood High in the “People v. Gold” case, where the prosecution won and the defense went undecided. The scrimmage was held in the 900s building at Portola High.

Standout performances included pretrial attorney and junior Suhrith Muvvala and witness and senior Isabel Gan, according to mock trial adviser and social studies teacher Kathryn Beechinor.

“I think that these scrimmages are the most helpful thing to help the team prepare for the actual tournament because it’s really different,” mock trial vice president and junior Saurin Mody said. “So actually having the closest thing that we can provide to the actual competition is really helpful for the whole team.”

With many seniors having graduated last year, the team contains a lot of fresh faces this season. Experienced members supported the new team members by teaching ways of persuasion, trial norms and providing detailed constructive criticism, according to pretrial attorney, newcomer and sophomore Claire Liu. Mentorship helped prepare the newer members for the scrimmage, which was their first competition experience.

“I was feeling really anxious, but knowing that I had a lot of people next to me and helping me through every step of the way was really comforting,” Liu said. “They gave me tips on how to be more persuasive, the structure of the actual trial and even when I did kind of bad, really good constructive feedback.”

The scrimmage uncovered both highlights and shortcomings in the team’s performances, paving the way for improvement, according to Mody. The feedback they received from the judges, such as memorizing more and having better court manners, would help them prepare for future competitions that determine their placement.

“It definitely pointed out the flaws in the holes in the presentation of the case packet,” Beechinor said. “So with those holes pointed out, the team can now work intentionally to fill them, and we’re better equipped walking into that courtroom knowing what the other team is going to object to or knowing how a witness might respond to a question.”

Mock Trial’s goal for this school year is to continue their three-year streak of making it past the first rounds and beyond, according to Beechinor. Their first official competition will take place mid-November.

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About the Contributors

Kayley Winata, Centerspread Editor

Kayley Winata is the Centerspread Editor for her second year on the Portola Pilot. During Pilot, you can find her sipping her matcha latte (that she woke up early to make) or plotting her next cafe adventure with Nina. In her spare time, you can find her mindlessly scrolling on Pinterest, baking her heart out or listening to Faye Webster and Luna Li on repeat on Spotify. She is so excited to create cute centerspreads and work with everyone on Pilot this year!

Zoha Syed, Staff Writer

Zoha Syed is a staff writer for her first year on the Portola Pilot. If she’s not crying over AP Physics in her room, you can find her spamming Instagram reels to her best friend Kayley or impulse cutting her bangs (eighth time’s the charm, right?). Zoha loves talking to her friends, snacking on sour gummy worms and listening to music; you will never catch her without an airpod in her left ear. This year, Zoha looks forward to connecting with her peers on campus and exploring the world of journalism!