Mock trial prepares for competitions

With the first invitational only a month away, the mock trial team is undergoing its final preparations before a busy season of competition begins.

In recent weeks, a couple of roster changes have forced some veteran team members to take on added roles. After junior Anoop Galivanche could not participate because of other commitments, several tasks had to be re-assigned.

Deviating from the standard of three attorneys per side, the prosecution will now rely on only two members. Seniors Navneet Ramesh and Shannon Galvin are taking on added responsibilities in light of the changes.

“It’s tough to deal with these changes, but I think it’s best for the team,” said Ramesh. “We’re both ready to take on the added roles and do our best to help the team succeed.”

On defense, the attorneys remain unchanged with sophomore Ashwini Velchamy, junior Michael Chang and senior Vijay Menon retaining their roles. However, freshman Jennie Werner was added to the cast as an expert defense witness to replace one of the vacancies created by the departure of another member.

Despite these changes, the team has continued to work toward improving and meeting their goals for the season. The squad conducted its first uninterrupted run-through on Nov. 30 after several weeks of practice.

“I think we are in decent shape,” said Ramesh. “The run-through went without problems, for the most part.”

The team will now practice with weekly Tuesday night run-throughs until the preliminary competition in January. The real tournaments begin in February, when the team will travel to a Santa Clara County courthouse to compete against other local schools.

“We will definitely be prepared by the time competition rolls around,” said Ramesh.