Students at Hills-Beaver Creek High School are excited for the 2022 mock trial season to start next week.
The 19 team members enter the new season with a 1-3 record, but they hope to improve on Zoom Tuesday for the first competition for 2022.
Adviser Megan Klumper, who begins her third year at the helm, noticed a difference developing within this year’s team.
“I have been extremely proud of the work ethic of my team this year,” she said. “People on the outside may not notice how much time and effort students put into preparing for our competitions.”
Students focus on becoming defense and/or prosecuting lawyers, witnesses or court personnel. They began practicing in October when the case was released.
Traditionally the mock trials are in actual courtrooms throughout the state. However, the upcoming season remains virtual via Zoom.
“This is because the courthouses are still trying to make up for the Covid year setbacks,” Klumper said.
On competition days, the H-BC team can choose to compete from home or in school. H-BC will compete together in a classroom, each student in front of his or her own computer.
“Being together in one location at least gives us a sense of being a team,” Klumper said.
This year’s case
This year’s case, State of Minnesota vs. Taylor Blair, focuses on crowdfunding in a “theft by swindle” case.
Blair is the founder of Minnesota Nice Pet Rescue (MNPR) and raised funds through UFundUs, a fictional crowdfunding site. He paid for elaborate purchases through the fund set up to care for abused or neglected dogs. Blair said the new truck and swimming pool are used in the dogs’ care. Blair, however, is accused of swindling funds from the public for his own use.
“The students appear to like this year’s case,” Klumper said. “They are more interested in figuring out and arguing who is the ‘criminal.’”
This year’s H-BC team
Making up H-BC’s prosecution team this year are freshman Bailey Spykerboer and sophomores Joy Taubert and Taylor Gehrke. Freshman Emma Deelstra is an alternate lawyer.
Witnesses for the prosecution include sophomores Larissa Steinhoff, Tahliya Kruger and Madison Gaugler. Steinhoff portrays River Charles, a forensic-financial crimes analyst. Kruger is Alex Knot, co-founder of MNPR, and Gaugler is Jay Buchanan, one of the MNPR donors.
Witness alternates are sophomores Avril Susie, Olivia Susie and Anthany Kobernick-Pasch.
The defense team lawyers are sophomore Taylor Spykerboer, juniors Leif Tollefson and Lexi Drake. Senior Troy Durst is an alternate lawyer.
Defense witnesses are sophomore Kyler Hartz and juniors Britton McKenzie and Tyrae Goodface. Hartz portrays forensic accountant Jordan Carpenter. McKenzie is the defendant Taylor Blair, and Goodface is a volunteer at MNPR. Witness alternates are seniors Liam Raymon and Taylor Durst.
Time keepers are senior Troy Durst and sophomores Kyler Hartz and Kobernick-Pasch. The digital exhibits presenter is senior Liam Raymon.
Adviser Klumper stresses thinking critically about the case and what happens in the courtroom are skills the students are beginning to master as they prepare to face opposing teams.
“They can use that information to organize a strategy against the other side — think ‘on their feet’ because they can only speculate how the other teams will approach the argument,” she said. “Honestly, it is exciting to experience.”
Last year the case focused on whether or not an engaged couple should get their money back from a vendor because Covid restrictions forced changing how the couple wanted to celebrate.
“I thought this case was relevant, but the students were just sick of hearing about Covid in their real lives. Hearing it over and over with the case was just too much,” Klumper said.
The 2022 mock trial season begins next week in a five-round format that ends Feb. 19. The state tournament is scheduled for early March.
H-BC’s competition schedule is as follows:
•Tuesday, Jan. 11, prosecution takes on Rochester Century.
•Wednesday, Jan. 19, defense takes on St. Peter White.
Round three takes place Feb. 1-3 and round four Feb. 8-10. Opponents will be determined based on the results of the first two rounds.
There are 14 teams with H-BC in Region 4-6. Other area teams include Luverne, Murray County Central, Lakeview, Fairmont and Springfield.
Round five on Feb. 19 involves the top six teams in each region. Sixteen teams compete at the state tournament.