The team lost to Ruriah High School from Elizabeth.
The Lawrence High School Mock Trial Team’s quest for the central New Jersey regional championship and the statewide championship came to a crashing halt this week at the hands of its counterparts at Union County’s Bruriah High School.
By: Lea Kahn
The all-girls Bruriah High School in Elizabeth pitted its mock trial team against the Lawrence team in the Tuesday afternoon contest at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick.
"It was very close, but we lost," said Steven Goodell, a real-life attorney who coaches the Lawrence High School Mock Trial Team with high school social studies teacher Mark Rowe.
"The judges said it was extremely close. They said there was very little distinguishing between the two teams. They said both teams had done very well," Mr. Goodell said.
Each year, the mock trial teams try a hypothetical case before a panel of judges. This year’s case is a wrongful death lawsuit involving a college student, Brenda Groom, who died at a campus rock concert.
At issue is whether the college failed to provide adequate security to prevent Brenda from being trampled to death by frenzied fans or whether the designer drug "ecstasy" brought about her death.
The students were disappointed at this week’s loss, but when they are older, they will look back and see that the experience was worthwhile, Mr. Goodell said. They will see that it is part of their accomplishments, he added.
"This team is very competitive. They wanted to win. Their goal was to win the state championship. They were disappointed when they fell short," he said.
"I told them that it’s like the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament. There is only one team that ends with a win. Every other team ends with a loss," he said.
Mr. Goodell and Mr. Rowe said they were proud of this year’s team. The team did not have as much experience as prior teams, so there was a big learning curve, Mr. Goodell said. It was fun to watch them "jell" as a team, he added.
Senior Julie Figueira was most helpful to the team, Mr. Goodell said. She is the only team member with experience as an attorney, and she worked with the other team members, he said.
Lately, mock trial team "graduates" have returned to watch the latest version of the team, Mr. Goodell said. Former team member Lauren Kimaid attended Tuesday’s contest, he said. She graduated from Lawrence High School.
Lawrence High School graduates Sean Abouchedid, Emily Cain, Payal Garg and Gianine Teti, all members of the mock trial team when they were students, have visited this year’s team, he said.
"We are constantly getting veterans back to lend a hand and see the current crop," he said. "It shows the students they are part of a tradition. It is meaningful to the current team," he said.
The 2001 Lawrence High School Mock Trial Team members are Julie Figueira, Ben Husch, Janet Kushner, Jenna Lyle, Scott Noveck, Andrew Rapson, Heather Stewart, Vlad Vainberg and Shankar Viswanathan.
Lawrence’s team won the central New Jersey regional championship in 1993, 1994 and 1998. The team then advanced to the statewide final contest, placing third in 1993, and second in 1994 and 1998,