Community Focus
Editor: Laurel Mishevski
Book Club offers 'page-turning' opportunity
With January 2022 welcoming students back into another semester of school, many students have found themselves changing up their schedules, and with them, considering new school activities. One club often overlooked in this process is the Book Club offered here at the MVHS library.
Hidden among the long list of more commonly joined clubs, the library at MVHS also hides an opportunity of its own, a place for book lovers to join and talk about their most beloved passion, book club! Mrs. Trish Johnston, Mount Vernon High School’s librarian, took the opportunity to help students learn more about this engaging opportunity that takes place among the elegant bookshelves presented in MVHS’s library.
When asked, Mrs. Johnston is quick to help inform students about what exactly Book Club is. "The purpose of Book Club is to promote reading and to provide a place for students who love to read to come together and share about books they've read." Book Club is simply a place for readers to come together and talk about their favorite hobby. The idea of discussing mesmerizing plots and storylines establishes the environment and is the foundation of the club.
Of course, the most important factor for students first discovering Book Club is figuring out how to join. Mrs. Johnston is also helpful with giving easy, simple instructions in guiding students on how to sign up. "Students who want to participate can come see me in the library." To put it another way, joining Book Club is really simple. A quick conversation with Mrs. Johnston and a quick sign-up in her office can easily earn you a place in joining the monthly book discussions and group meetings.
Speaking of the book discussions, Mrs. Johnston also gives some information about how often the club meets and the books that they discuss. "We meet once a month on Mondays during EXCEL." She then speaks about the books that the club participates in reading and analyzing each month. "First semester we read and discuss the preliminary Gateway Readers Nominees then vote on them. This semester we are reading 2 different books together. The first one is What I Carry by Jennifer Longo. The second one has not been determined yet."
Overall, Book Club could be an opportunity that many students at MVHS might find entertaining and a joyful experience. If you are a book lover or have a passion for discussing reading, Book Club might just be perfect for you. Just swing by the library and talk to Mrs. Johnston and you might just get yourself a spot!
Mock Trial Team to compete in March
By Izzy Rutherford
MVHS has put a lot of work into bringing together extracurricular activities that benefit those willing to participate. The Mock Trial Team is an example of this.
This year, auditions were held for business law students to join Mock Trial. The team, led by Mrs. Jacquie Farmer, and with help from Judge Scott Sifferman, have worked to make this happen. Not only are students “honing...their law knowledge, but they’re also getting to practice in public speaking, thinking quickly on their feet as they’re overcoming objections, and then just learning how to work together with their teammates,” reported Mrs. Farmer.
But what exactly does it mean to participate in this event? Luckily, Mrs. Farmer has a ready answer. “The Mock Trial competition is an opportunity for high school students to exercise their knowledge and their skills in an actual courtroom setting where they compete against their peers.” It allows students to learn first-hand how the legal system works along with the roles judges, lawyers, juries and witnesses play in a courtroom. Even during preparation, students are continuously learning about and expanding upon their knowledge of our justice system.
This extracurricular gives students a chance to immerse themselves into court life in a fun and competitive way. The eight students involved have worked hard to dissect the case in order to write and memorize the parts that they have taken on.
Jenna DeLay, junior, plays one of the four attorneys necessary to represent the case. DeLay stated that she “knew that this was an experience most often found in college, so it was exciting to do it in high school. This opportunity will open up... further learning.” Whether they’ve taken on the role of attorney or witness, everyone has their work cut out for them.
With their competition date slowly but surely creeping up, they’ve been working to make the most of their time each morning by further developing their characters and the responses they’ll be giving in court. Junior Daniela Salas knows this firsthand. Salas plays the part of Rory Hayes, a witness for the defendant. “The first couple of weeks were challenging because I had to get into character and study the case. Right now, I feel proud of how well everything is coming along.”
These students have spent countless hours taking apart their given depositions and piecing them back together to create their dialogue. It’s been a challenge that they’ve been working to overcome in and out of practice.
They are very thankful for everyone involved in this process. Mrs. Farmer has been a huge inspiration to them all and they are "truly blessed to have her," as Salas put it.
During practices, Judge Sifferman works to provide guidance and advice to help them improve their skills and understanding of the case and the overall trial process. Whether it be how to work in certain questions or overcome objections, his dedication to the team has helped to improve and add structure to everything they do.
This small team has put in a lot of effort for their future competition and it shows. DeLay reports that they “We walk in each day ready to further our knowledge on the case at hand. Some days might feel challenging, but we are dedicated to winning the case.”