Twenty-five students participated in a Mock Trial Competition at the Rutherford County Courthouse on Tuesday, May 6.
All students are part of the homeschool community, Classical Conversations, Inc., and are in the Challenge B program.
Classical Conversations’ Challenge program is a rigorous, college-prep, homeschool community with a mission “to know God and make Him known”.
Three of the students, Grant Eaton, Nastassia Naskov and JT Faccone, are part of the Classical Conversations of Forest City, N.C. group, under the direction of Celeste Eaton, their tutor.  Grant Eaton is a resident of Green Creek and Nastassia Naskov and JT Faccone are residents of Forest City. Other students, who participated, are from the CC of Inman, S.C. and the CC of Asheville, N.C. groups.
All students involved spent 15 weeks analyzing and memorizing witness statements, evidence, legal statutes and authorities, legal vocabulary, and Mock Trial rules.
They also wrote their own opening statements and closing arguments, questions for direct and cross examination, and memorized information in order to play the parts of witnesses.  Students practiced and exhibited excellent public speaking and rhetorical skills in front of three jurors, a judge, an administrator and approximately 75 spectators.
At the end of two rounds of trial the judge for the day, Attorney Trista Workman, commented that the quality of work exhibited by these middle school aged students was what you might expect from second year college law students.
The three Classical Conversations tutors involved, Jennifer Martin, Christin Sukaryan, and Celeste Eaton were pleased to see their students rise to this level of excellence.  In the end, final scores were close, (186 to 176) with the Inman / Forest City group taking the victory for the day.  Everyone involved was also scored individually on their performance, and everyone was a winner that day.
If you would like more information about Classical Conversations, Inc., or to find a community in your area, visit ClassicalConversations.com.

– article submitted
by Celeste Eaton