News by Xavier High School Newspaper

News

May 17, 2012

Robins Mock Trial team competes at Nationals The Robins Mock Trial team competed in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 2-6. Robins Mock Trial placed 29th out of 46 teams. The team of ten students includes Xavier seniors Blake Gibney and Ann Glavan, junior Peyton Rosencrants, sophomores Chad Airy, Grace Busse, Ameena Challenger, Maria Efting, and Nina Noronha, as well as Kennedy sophomore Hannah Botkin and Center Point junior Cara Donels. The team is coached by Tim Semelroth and Emily Anderson, both lawyers at Riccolo & Semelroth, and Chad VonKampen, a lawyer at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman. Robins Mock Trial placed first at the regional and state competitions. Noronha was awarded an Outstanding Attorney Award at the state competition in Des Moines. By winning the state tournament, Robins Mock Trial qualified for Nationals. This is Robins Mock Trial’s sixth first place victory at

The Robins Mock Trial Team gathers for a photo outside the district courthouse in Albuquerque at Nationals. Tanya Rosencrants photo the state tournament and their sixth time competing in the national tournament. Robins Mock Trial also includes an all-freshmen team consisting of Xavier freshmen Alea Challenger, Rory Gallagher, Katie O’Rourke, Jack VonKampen, Kennedy freshmen Michael Abramson and Maddie Voss, Jefferson freshman Mary

Xavier teacher joins Sisters of Mercy Xavier math teacher, Ms. Kathleen Glady has recently decided to enter a religious community. On August 1st she will move to Alma, Michigan where she will be a postulant in the religious community called the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy are located in 12 dioceses around the United States. Currently, there are 90 sisters in the Alma community. A postulant is the title given to those who are in their first year in the community. In this first year they begin to live the prayer life as well as begin their studies. After their first two years they can go into a healthcare or an education field. In the third year Glady will be sent to one of the Sisters of Mercy communities around the country to serve as a teacher. Instead of receiving a salary, the sister’s paycheck goes right to the community. The religious community provides them with all of their necessities including food and clothing.

Korch, and Solon freshman Owen Sherman. They placed second at Regionals and sixth at State. Korch received an Outstanding Attorney award at the state tournament. Semelroth is pleased with the success of both teams. “Placing first and sixth in the state out of 120 teams is a great achievement for our program. Considering we only had two seniors and two juniors, we had a lot of success with two relatively young teams,” Semelroth said. His goal for next year is for every returning team member to find a way to perform better than they did this year. “If

they can do that- with the talent we have returning- I think we can again be two of the top teams in state,” Semelroth said. In mock trial, students recreate a civil or criminal trial with students playing the roles of witnesses and lawyers. Each team prepares and presents each side of the case. Each case is judged by professional attorneys or judges, and a winner is determined based on presentation of the case. Over the last fifteen years that Semelroth had coached mock trial, about one student per class pursues a law degree. Semelroth himself participated in mock trial in middle and high school before becoming a lawyer and deciding to coach as well. He has had eight teams total win state championships and compete at nationals. Regardless if a student plans to pursue law, they are benefitting from the program. “Mock trial has given me a chance to become more comfortable with public speaking,” Efting said. “The skills I’ve learned in mock trial will help me with whatever I want to do in life.” Carolina VonKampen News Writer

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Ms. Glady teaches a geometry class. In August she will follow her call to the religious life. Flaherty Photo “It has been a calling of mine my entire life,” Glady said about her vocation to the religious community. Although she is sad to leave Xavier, she looks forward to her journey into the religious community.

Stephanie Brady News Writer

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