Laguna Hills High School - Aerie Yearbook (Laguna Hills, CA)

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Vlock Trial r 'Vw X N , Competition HHS Mock Trial team is a competitive and challeng- ing law team that participates in the practice of law and competes in a mock court case, Consisting of both a defense and a prosecution team, the group has been extremely successful. The defense at- torneys, Catherine Myers, Kim Donihue, and Susan Flintzer, and the prosecution attorneys, Matt Manweller and Michelle Lostracco, took ad- vantage of their assertive and argumentative qualities. There were also witnesses who were crucial in crediting the case: Diane Song, Chris Brozek, Eric Schrader, Nicci Klein, Paniz Bagheri, and Tanya Sampson. The team com- peted in a series of three rounds at the Santa Ana Court House and the cases were evaluated by an actual judge and a practicing attorney. I am very proud of this year's Mock Trial team. They rank among the best Mock Trial teams that LHHS have ever had, said Mr. Sisman, the advisor and coach of the team. The final scoring results were excep- tional - the team placed ninth out of 48 schools overall. Matt Manweller was individually ranked among the top 12 attorneys out of 280. He was awarded an Honorable Mention for his commen- dable participation. l've received incredible ex- perience in dealing with genuine court room pro- cedures. The competitions were extremely realisticj' added Matt. The benefits of participating as a Mock Trial member were plentiful. Being an attorney confirm- ed my desire to become a lawyer. I enjoyed everything from debating and cross-examining to dressing in professional attorney attire, said Susan Flintzer. The team learned court room etiquette, and increased its awareness of the judiciary system. Extensive practices were held as the team met daily as a class and additional after-school practices. The penalty for false testimony during practice was to supply a bag of M8. Ms for the team. Kim Donihue states, The dedication and commitment Mock Trial required was well worth the effort. As a defense at- torney I found it both exciting and ruthless to pre- sent our case in the court room. The team members developed close friendships. Not only was Mock Trial informative and challenging but all would agree that it was also entertaining and beneficial. Tanya Sampson testifies as an 18th century witness for the prosecution. Michelle Lostracco reads her opening statement a final time before delivering it in court. Eric Schrader, witnessing as an 18th centry miner, is sworn into court. The Mock Trial team stops briefly for a team portrait, in front of the Santa Ana Court House. Matt Manweller displays self-assurance prior to the competition at the court house. 141

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Academic Decathlon . V - 0 WX 142 Excellence HHS Orange County Academic Decathlon team, or OCAD, is a highly motivated and competitive academic team. The students compete against other schools in hopes of ad- vancing to the state and national levels. Each member is tested in areas of English grammar and composition, speech, fine arts, social science, health, economics, current events, science, and mathematics. There is a junior- senior team, a sophomore team, and a freshman team, each consisting of six members, The team meets daily as a class to prepare for the competitions held in November, February, and May. Within the team, there are closeeknit relationships and determination to achieve superior results, Robert Cone, a senior participant adds by preparing so often, the team members have come to know the minds of each other in- tricately. They have often met outside of school, and the efforts have been profitable. We were the only school in the Saddleback District to place in the top ten. I was excited, said another junior-senior member, Jenny Jech. LHHS placing first in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District each year since 1982, has kept us an outstanding tradition. Some memorable episodes have left an im- pression in the minds of the team members such as lvlr. Gunderson singing a Lyke-Wake Dirge with a Seventeenth Century Scottish dialect accent or making a speech on mail order brides from Asian countries. The students are optimistic about scoring well, and, as Jeff Forester, a sophomore team member adds, OCAD is a great deal of fun, a place to make a lot of friends, and worth the hard work. Leonard Weber, a Senior team member who was called into Mr. Gunderson's room and informed of his participation says, even though he drafted me by surprise two weeks into the new semester, I'm glad I ac- cepted. Mr. Gunderson and Mrs. Lane have coached the team in a special class and have led the team to victory. Leonard Weber is called to the Podium for his first medal. Robert Healey and Jenny Jech proudly represent the LHHS team among the other students at the awards ceromony. The OCAD Team, left to right, lJenny Jech, Leonard Weber, Robert Healey, Ram Duriseti, Brad Wilson, Coaches Mr. Gunderson and Mrs. Lane, not pictured, Robert Coney. Leonard Weber leads the OCAD team to a 2nd place victory. OCAD is an actual class in which the students prepare for competition.