Exeter Mock Trial Places Third, Fourth at Yale

By ETHAN DING, JOONYOUNG HEO, LUCY PREVIN, and FORREST ZENG

Exeter Mock Trial Association sent two teams to compete at the Bulldog Invitational at Yale last month. Placing third and fourth overall, it was their best performance in over five years.

The Bulldog Invitational is an annual event that Exeter’s Mock Trial teams attend. This year, the tournament was held on Sept. 24 and 25. Alongside their placements, four individual members of the team won awards. Outstanding Witness went to upper Charles Potjer and senior Priya Nwakanma, and Outstanding Attorney went to upper Selim Kim and senior Angela Zhang.

The tournament was well-organized. “The Invitational had four trials in total,” Potjer said. “It was sort of a power match, where the good teams were matched with good teams and the teams that placed lower went against other teams of similar rank.”

“We were all Pokémon characters,” upper Valentina Zhang added. “My team was the Minun. Once we knew our Pokémon, we were matched accordingly with other Pokémons. There was no finals round because we were just ranked on ballots. There were two judges for each round and if you won by points for that judge, you won their ballot.”

Over the summer, returning members met online in preparation for the tournament. “There’s a big time commitment and dedication that you have to make in preparation. You’re given a case that’s many pages and you have to go through all of it,” upper Jenna Wang said.

Other members had similar experiences. “We had Zoom meetings every weekend during the summer and wrote our material,” lower Angelina Gong said. “Once we got back on campus, we got together and ran everything. I remember a lot of late nights. We’d get food at Elm and just grind on work–– mostly just writing and memorizing material and running through what we have down.”

The tournament was an excellent opportunity for returning members to try their hand at student leadership on a higher level. “Applications for leadership were in the beginning of summer,” Potjer said. “The idea behind leadership is that it’s not the coheads running it, but rather that it gives the opportunity for younger students in the club to gain leadership experience.”

Members of the board elaborated. “We try to make it so that the next generation of mock-trialers have an opportunity to lead a team. The coheads take a step back from leading, and other members lead meetings throughout the summer. They are the ones who are ultimately responsible for the team,” senior Tucker Gibbs added.

When the time did come, the transportation to the tournament was a unique event for many participants. “We had very nice drivers and it was a good experience. There was carpool karaoke and people just talking. We’re a big community,” Wang said. “I’m not in the same dorm as most of the people on the team, so I don’t really get to experience that sort of feeling with them. It was nice to be able to relax and have fun together.”

For many returning members, the Bulldog Invitational was the first in-person tournament at Exeter. “There was so much camaraderie at Yale,” Potjer said. “Getting to cheer on the other team was great. The in-person experience is really unique, and there’s a lot to it that’s lost on Zoom.”

“We had a lot to learn in terms of memorizing,” senior Ina Mason said. “We didn’t need to memorize our statements during online competitions, so this was a new experience for us. It was a learning curve, but we made it work.”

Other team members agreed. “It was a very important experience for all of us,” Zhang said. “We could sense it was very different from Zoom Mock Trial. There was a lot more energy. It was a good deal of anxiety as well, but also a lot more fun because you could really interact with the judges and the witnesses.”

“It felt like a family–– we worked together, traveled together, lived together–– it was just a blast, honestly,” Gong said. “It was a great experience for team bonding.”

“This off-campus Mock Trial tournament gave many people their first in-person trial. It’s crucial to get that sort of experience,” said Gibbs. “So while everyone was really tired on the way back, I think we all recognized it was very much worth it to participate.”

“You’re really close with the people on your team. You spend so much time with them and it’s just really amazing to see that all come to fruition,” Mason said.

Alumnus William Park ’22, a former cohead of Mock Trial, was also present at the tournament. “It wasn’t a planned trip, but it was just a two-hour train ride from Columbia,” Park said. “And it was incredible to see my team again in their element. I really think the discipline and rigor of Exeter Mock Trial shines through in person––the nuances of our training are often lost online. It reminded me so much of the community I had at Exeter.”

The tournament did have its hiccups, including a controversy that may have affected the placements. “Basically, the first-place team made up a piece of evidence they put in their opening statement, and then in two witness statements such that it diverted from their affidavits,” senior Sav Bartkovich said. “That was a rule violation.”

“Usually you fix that in trial with an impeachment, just cross-examining the witness and showing them what they said wrong. Then the judges take notice of that and they mark the person down,” said Gibbs. “But we didn’t catch it in time, so when we brought it to the tournament director, they agreed it was unfair extrapolation, but said it wasn’t extreme or egregious enough to take any disciplinary action against the team. So unfortunately, we did lose that last trial by only a couple of points.”

Other than the controversy, the team worked around the logistical challenges. “Sure, we stayed in a two-star hotel and it wasn’t quite the best lodging experience, but we got the most out of it,” Zhang said. “We did a scary emo photoshoot, for example, and that was fun. And I really enjoyed the bus rides. It’s those moments that build team spirit and get you closer with the others on your team.”

The tournament was a valuable learning experience for future competitions as well. “The Invitational showed me the things that I’m good at and the things that I can improve on,” Nwakanma said. “Now that I know those things, I feel like we could all go farther if we took those lessons to heart.”

“I think one of my favorite moments was getting comments from the judges,” senior Alysha Lai said. “Sometimes they would call you out and tell you what you did right. They would be like, ‘what you just did was amazing’.”

The team has high expectations for the year ahead. “I’m looking forward to working with everyone, new and old,” Wang said. “They’re all great people, and the memories you make along the way are something special.”

“We have an invitational tournament coming up, then states and nationals. We also have tryouts coming up, so newcomers will be able to participate in those as well,” Gong said.

“I’m just so excited about this club,” Bartkovich said. “There’s a lot of talent. You heard it here first–– we’re going to win nationals. At the Yale tournament, we didn’t even have incredibly stacked teams and we had an incredible performance. There were times in the past when we didn’t even get a placement. These teams were thrown together, and that says a lot. I’m so excited to see where the teams are going this year. I guarantee it, they’re going far.”

“I love Mock Trial because of the great team dynamic you create. Our team did a lot of fun preparation, we would get dinner together, and sing with each other. So, it’s not all about winning, it’s also about just being a part of a fun team that makes you want to win.” said Lai. “I really hope that in the future, teams also have a fun ride to the competition, and sing karaoke on the way back because it’s about the whole experience with the team. If you’re sad the whole time, it’s not fun.”

“I wasn’t planning on continuing Mock Trial at Columbia,” Park said, “but it was talking with my friends at Exeter that convinced me to join. It reminded me of how great that community was, and it made me want to do it all over again. Mock is unlike anything I’ve been a part of. I’m so glad that I experienced it at Exeter.”