Mock Trial Competes at State

Two Seven Hills mock trial teams qualified for and competed at the state competition. “We frequently have one or two teams advance to regionals but have never had all three, and only one team in my time here has made it to state before this year,” said Upper School history teacher Dan Polifka, who has coached the team for eight years. The team, captained by seniors Manan Vij and Kathryn Guo, played the roles of attorneys and witnesses on both sides of a fictional case about a restaurant owner suing the governor and health commissioner over COVID restrictions that forced their business to close. The team got the details of the case in September and practiced for several months before taking part in three rounds of competitions: districts, regionals, and state. “They’ve prepared really well and all three of our teams put on great performances, and we’ve had, frankly, unprecedented success,” Polifka said.