Youth in Government Team Brings Home 6th Place

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Court System students took home 6th place in the YMCA Youth and Government competition held in Austin, Texas January 25-28.

The point of Youth and Government is to prepare students for political leadership. YMCA calls it a “laboratory in citizenship and government” because it provides guidance, training, and hands on experience to anyone interested in learning the democratic system.

“We participated in mock trials. Basically we got a case four or five months ago and prepared our own direct and cross examinations,” junior Amie Mann said. “It was a great way for us to understand how a court works.”

The team was made up of our students as well as students from South Grand Prairie High School and Crosswinds.

“It took a lot of planning and practice leading up to the competition. From the very first meeting when we got the case, we had to determined who would be a witness and who would be an attorney,” Mann said.

The hard work paid off. They competed in four out of six rounds and of the 31 teams that participated in the County Court Trial Competition, they placed 6th.

“My favorite part is when we won our cases. It felt so accomplishing and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,” junior Dajai Townsel said.

Their sponsor, Court Systems teacher Mr. Canright, was extremely pleased with their placing.

“Our students beat out teams that had attorneys assisting them,” he said. “[We] should all be proud. It has been an uphill battle and they fought hard.”

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