Of The St. Louis American
“I had six people who were committed, intelligent, brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” Kemp Logan, an English teacher at McCluer North High School, said of the school’s mock trial team, which just placed sixth in Missouri’s state competition in the team’s first year.
Those six committed mock trial lawyers are seniors Clifford Green, Marcus Lee, Kellen Stevens, Marques Williams and Enanuvin Ewharekuko and junior Eriyoma Ewharekuko.
Williams had the idea of forming a team at McCluer North after attending a mock trial last summer in Washington, D.C.
He found a willing coach in Logan, a retired lawyer in her first year of teaching at McCluer North who has coached mock trial teams at other schools.
“Our ultimate goal is to make the national mock trial team,” Logan said.
A mock trial team consists of three attorneys and three witnesses that argue a trial against opponents following set of competition guidelines.
Logan had help from several other attorneys and St. Louis County Circuit Judge David Vincent in teaching her students the basics of law and legal strategy and helping the team prepare for competition.
Logan coached Lee on how to speak and evoke personality during the mock trial. In one case, Lee summoned tears to dramatically portray his character.
“It meant a lot knowing that it’s coming from somebody who knows it from both angles and knows what they’re doing and teaching you to make you better,” Lee said.
“As a team, we got to a point where we could only get better and that really did raise our confidence,” Eriyoma Ewharekuko said. “Towards the end it was second nature.”
The team competed against wealthier schools that heavily train their students to do mock trials, such as Parkway South, Priory and other private schools. Many of their competitors were shocked to learn the students that had beat them were from North County.
“We couldn’t go there and just be as good as them. We had to be way better than them,” Williams said.
“Other people were more surprised that we suceeded,” Eriyoma Ewharekuko said.
While the team experienced no direct racism, they detected indirect tension and curiosity about their team were and where they came from. Each member expressed how fun it was to break the stereotypes people had.
“It was shown through their surprise,” Williams said, referring to when McCluer North won a case.
“The secret is that we have an amazing team,” Logan said.
“One thing that I noticed as a coach is trying to keep your team encouraged and focused, regardless of anyone’s reaction to them.”
In addition to pride in accomplishment, the team learned valuable lessons that will help them in college and life.
“You acquire public speaking skills, help with confidence and learn to think quickly,” Stevens said.
“I have learned anything you want to do, you have to be self-motivated. Go as far as you want to go,” Enanuvin Ewharekuko said.
While most of the team will be in college next year, attending the University of Missouri–Columbia or the University of Pittsburgh, one team member remains who can show newcomers the ropes. And, of course, there is their coach.
“They inspire me,” Logan said. “Watching them live their dream is my dream.”
