SSHS repeats as Mock Trial champ

Saipan Southern High School dominated the 17th Annual High School Mock Trial Competition last Thursday and Friday at the House of Justice. The defending champions went head to head with the formidable student attorneys and witnesses of Marianas High School in the final round. 

Rota’s Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr. & Sr. High School; Saipan’s Grace Christian Academy, Kagman High School, Marianas Baptist Academy, and Mount Carmel School; and Tinian Jr. & Sr. High School also participated in the regional tilt. 

The Saipan Southern High School Mock Trial team has their picture taken with mock trial officials, teachers, and attorney coaches in the Supreme Court after being named the 2015 Mock Trial High School champions. (Thomas A. Manglona II)

The schools argued the hypothetical criminal case of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands v. Quinn Siguenza. Saipan Southern High School defended Siguenza, while Marianas High School was on the prosecution, with the CNMI’s first elected Attorney General Ed Manibusan presiding as the final round’s judge.

The SSHS team was composed of Mikhail T. Alcantara, Emily DeWitt, Jin Pyo Jeon, Sung Min “Paul” Kim, Clarissa King, Aaron Tiger Lee, Annika Matias, Charlei Micha McEntee, Eliezha May Mendoza, and Jun Seo “Allen” Park. The team was coached by teacher Frank Lee Borja and attorneys Claire Kelleher-Smith and Michael A. Sato.

Angela Aninon, Alvin Arcega, Scarlet Chen, Maria Theresa Dizon, Olivia Hirsch, Robert Malate, Jaryrald Mercene, Lee Ann Jastillana, Ann Margaret Norcio, and Jewel Olivos comprised the Marianas High School team. The students were coached by teachers Dencio V. Manglona and Donald Cohen and attorney Jonathan Wilberscheid.

This year’s winner will be recognized at the 2015 Law Day ceremony and will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, in May to compete with stateside teams. SSHS, now Team CNMI, will be having scrimmages with the Judiciary’s law clerks and CNMI attorneys in the next three months in preparation for the national tilt. 

“Our primary goal here is to get as many students involved as possible so that we can build our legacy,” SSHS team captain Jun Seo “Allen” Park told Saipan Tribune after his school was named the winner. “The changes in rules were definitely a challenge for us and we had less time to prepare, so it was harder.”

Park said he and his team spent countless hours during lunch, after school, and weekends practicing with their attorney and teacher coaches. 

Co-captain Emily DeWitt expressed similar sentiments. “I feel excited. I am very pleased with the result. Our main priority was to have fun. …It is such an honor to have won once again. After our experience last year, we realized that nationals was at a much more difficult level. We are going to put a lot of work into preparing and of course having fun along the way.”

SSHS teacher coach Frank Borja said he is extremely proud of his students. “I am proud of the leadership of the team captains. This shows the level of professionalism and hard work that the team has exemplified throughout the year. We are going to celebrate and then start preparing for nationals!”

The defense witness who took the stand as Quinn Siguenza, Aaron Tiger Lee, said he found some of the case material easy to assess because of his three years’ experience. 

SSHS attorney coach Sato said the team is fortunate to have had many students return to be a part of the competition.

“We have an incredible group of students this year. …The new students worked incredibly hard to get up to speed too,” he added.

Fellow attorney coach Kelleher-Smith told Saipan Tribune she and Sato continue to volunteer their time because “we think their education is important.” 

SSHS was also crowned as the competition’s champions in 2004, 2006, and 2014. 

Attorney General Manibusan said the students were noticeably prepared for trial. “They were on their feet. Even if you asked them a question, they turned around and answered sharply. It was evident that they knew the material and studied for this complicated case.”

One of the five final round jurors, Jenn Dockter, was equally impressed with the students’ caliber. “I have been doing this for quite a few years and I am always very impressed. I think what impressed me the most was the amount of fearlessness. There is a certain amount of fearlessness you need to have to be a part of this.”

After the championship round, the students gathered for an awards ceremony at the Supreme Court to recognize outstanding performances of individual student attorneys and witnesses.

The Best Prosecution Witness Award was presented to Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr. & Sr. High School’s Glengela Guiang. SSHS’ Tiger Lee received the Best Defense Witness award. 

Jun Seo “Allen” Park was was presented with the Best Defense Attorney award, while Mount Carmel’s Aaron Cushing received the Best Prosecution Attorney award.

None of Mount Carmel School’s team members, including their teacher and attorney coach, were present at the awards ceremony to receive their student’s award.

In addition to being awarded consolation gifts as the runner-up, MHS also bagged the Supreme Court Professionalism Award. The award recognized the team’s professionalism, courtesy, and respect to judges, jurors, fellow participants, and the justice system. 

MHS team member Jayrald Mercene described the two-day competition as a good experience. “This gives us more motivation to work harder next year.”

A memorable experience

Grace Christian Academy joined this year’s competition for the first time in six years.

School principal Beth Nunez said her students “worked hard and put in extra hours after school.”

“They were amazing. I am excited to come back next year and do even better. We will be back and we are not going to leave,” she added.

GCA team member Minna Ito told Saipan Tribune that she is elated to have represented her school. “It was very fun and I learned a lot of things. There was definitely a lot of teamwork involved.”

Rota student Cleo Cuizon said her team was committed to the competition. She and her team had to conduct several practices with their attorney coaches on Saipan through VTC, or video teleconference, because of travel issues.

“It was difficult, but we managed to get things done,” she said. “The competition was nerve-wracking but fun at the same time. This made me a more confident speaker and students.”

Public School System Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan explained that she is well aware of the hard work of the students, mentors, coaches, and lawyers.

“I am so grateful for all the support. Mock Trial is a great benefit and it can certainly help students understand the legal profession and have them think in a very different capacity and hopefully prepare them to be more assertive and understand the process of the law,” she said. 

Mock Trial coordinator Nicole M. Torres said the continued success of the competition is a result of the diligent work of students and their coaches, and the support of the NMI Judiciary, CNMI Bar Association, PSS, and generous sponsors.