JHS Mock Trial Graduation Speech 2007
~by Anna Cox, Teacher Coach~
The Jonesboro High School Mock Trial team is the most successful organization at Jonesboro High School. Since 2001, they have either won the state championship or lost to the state champion. They began their domination with state championships in 2002 and 2003. In 2004 and 2005 they were state runners-up. In 2006, they were back on top again with a trip to Oklahoma City and a 5th place finish in the National Competition. That placement only spurred on the returning students to win and win big.
We began planning almost immediately for this year. Students worked and talked in the summer about other students that they wanted to recruit for the 2007 team. We were so lucky when we began in August with a fantastic group in Judicial Club. Tryouts were more successful than ever as we put together one of the most solid, intelligent, and experienced teams that Jonesboro has ever had. The goal beginning in August was nothing short of a national championship.
After the state case came out, the students put in hours and hours at the courthouse each week giving up their Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. As we neared competition, they even gave up Saturday afternoons and Friday evenings sometimes, too. They dominated and won every round in every competition this year, including a hard fought final round with Grady High School. Whether the evaluators were from North or South Georgia, they knew that Jonesboro was the best.
The team proved this as they worked even harder to prepare a brand new problem for national competition. Many of the members had to learn how to play three different roles or act as both a witness and an attorney. There was no stopping the "beasts" as they became so fondly termed at Nationals. My favorite memory from the Dallas courthouse is of the young man who took one look at my kids and said that he was glad he was not going up against them in competition.
The announcement of the final two was simply confirmation of everything that we knew as they soundly beat the four teams of Colorado, Illinois, Hawaii. Everything was in place for a show-down with Michigan, the same team that had finished second place at nationals the previous year. We knew when Lindley snatched the statement from a reticent Sam Houston that the final round was over and Jonesboro had taken the championship. There was no better feeling than hearing the "M" sound instead of the "G" sound as they announced the runner up again was Michigan.
There was no better feeling in the world than the one I got watching Kayla D and Brian C break down after they realized we had won. There is no better picture than the one with Britt W clutching her trophy, except for the one with Kyle S as he slept with the gavel. I think that for once Lindley C had nothing to say with the announcement of the champion.
They could not have gotten there, however, without fellow senior Sandra H, juniors Laura P, Lindsay H, and Matt M, sophomores Jayda H, Jurod J, Tabias K, Joe S, and freshman Braeden O. Today, the seniors are wearing purple medals to represent this amazing feat--a National Championship.
Thank you to the students and thank you to their coaches, Andrew Cox, Hon. John Carbo, the Hon. Deborah Benefield, Tasha Mosley, and Katie Powers. Thank you to the parents and the community.
Now it is not just Jonesboro or the State of Georgia that recognizes the dominance of the Mock Trial team at Jonesboro, but it is the nation.