The Agape Christi Academy Mock Trial team will compete for the first time in the Minnesota High School Mock Trial State Tournament on March 6-7 at the United States District Court in St. Paul.
Founded in 2013, Agape Christi Academy is a classical Christian school located in Eden Prairie with students in preschool through high school. The school’s Mock Trial team is led by Morgan Abens, a former Mock Trial State Tournament winner.
Mock Trial is a competitive educational program that gives high school students legal experience in a courtroom setting, where students enact the roles of attorneys and witnesses. Teams receive a new case each year to prepare opening statements, witness examinations, and closing arguments for both the plaintiff and defense. Organized by the Minnesota State Bar Association, over 700 volunteer judges and attorneys serve as judges for the competing teams.
This year’s case is a criminal trial in which the state of Minnesota alleges that Koren Noble murdered Addison Rogers-Nelson in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Noble founded a medical device company, and Rogers-Nelson was an investor. During a business-related camping trip with others from the company, Rogers-Nelson’s body was found facedown in the water.
The Mock Trial team at Agape Christi Academy spent 10 hours a week for four months preparing for the competition.
“I love Mock Trial because of the community that it offers,” said senior William Thompson. “There’s something about working on a project for a very long time with a group of people that just really brings everyone together.”
Freshman Kennedy Davis shared, “Mock Trial has taught me more than anything how to be diligent with my time, prioritize, and trust my teammates.”
Others commented on their gains in confidence, clearer thinking, and public speaking. “It can be very nerve-wracking standing in a courtroom in front of many people you don’t know, basically shouting at them,” said sophomore Quincy Culbertson. “However, when you have the material down, it becomes much less stressful, knowing you are prepared for whatever the other team throws back at you.”
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