Dear RUMTA Family,
Hello and Happy Holidays! As the (calendar and invitational) year comes to a close, we wanted to take this time to thank you all for your support of our organization, whether it be through volunteering your time, talking to our members, or even just reading this newsletter! We extend a special thanks to any alumni who judged at the 7th annual Scarlet Knight Mock Trial Invitational (SKMTI); we could not have pulled it off without you all. Without any further ado, read on to see what our teams have been up to in November!
Team Da Vinci, pictured with the rest of the SKMTI staff, including Destiny Colmenares, Tournament Director (frontmost right), and Ashhad Siddiqui, Tabulation Director (frontmost center).
This past month, Team DaVinci, led by captain Kaavya Balamurugan, finished their invitational season by competing at the Scarlet Knight Mock Trial invitational. The team faced some truly difficult opponents, with a CS of 20.5, but attorney Felicia Chan walked away with 19 ranks for the prosecution! Here’s what she had to say about her experience with Team DaVinci:
“I learned so much from my competitors and felt an overwhelming amount of support from my team. This competition was a wonderful experience!”
Kaavya also remarked on her team’s incredibly successful season, saying, “I couldn’t be prouder of my team’s performance this season. They all came in with a wide range of experience… they’ve all been put in roles that they were initially not used to or uncomfortable with and each of them have exceeded my expectations in so many ways.”
We wish Team DaVinci luck as they prepare for restack and regionals!
Team Van Gogh with the Seton Hall mascot!
Team Van Gogh, along with Team Picasso, attended this year’s Seton Hall Pirate Invitational, emerging in 5th place with a 5-3 record! Van Gogh faced some of the most difficult teams in the tournament, and was awarded with 2 outstanding awards. Captain Alice Ko, who received an outstanding witness award with 18 ranks for the defense, and Om Shah, who received an outstanding witness award with 17 ranks for the defense. This was the team’s second invitational of the year.
Team Picasso also did spectacularly at the Pirate Invitational, with team members Maulikaa Manikantan and Cat Ellor both walking away with 2 outstanding witness awards! Maulikaa Manikantan was awarded 16 ranks for her portrayal of a prosecution witness, while Cat Ellor was awarded 17 ranks for her portrayal of a defense witness. Picasso held their own with a 4-4 record against some of the most competitive teams in the region!
Team Van Gogh, all smiles at Boston.
Team Van Gogh said goodbye to the invitational season this weekend at Boston College’s second annual Mockathon, with a 5.5 record against some of the most competitive schools in the nation. Van Gogh hit stacked teams from all over the northeast area, including Dickinson College and Wesleyan University. Though they faced steep competition, captains Vicky Wei and Alice Ko noted that this was their team’s strongest performance yet, with the strongest opponents they had ever faced. At the end of the weekend, newcomer Jonathan Shanahan was awarded a 17-rank witness award for his portrayal of a prosecution witness.
Here’s what Captain Vicky Wei had to say about Van Gogh’s invitational season: “I’m insanely proud of the commitment and rapid improvement from Team Van Gogh in just a few short months. Our members' willingness to dive into tough material and work around the clock paid off in their excellent performances across all three invitationals. I can’t wait to see how they continue to excel in the rest of the season.”
Captain Alice Ko added, “The amount of progress our team has made from the beginning of the year has been incredible to watch and inspiring as a captain. I am so grateful to Vicky for her leadership and to my teammates for never accepting failure as an option. They just keep getting better, and I’m confident that they will continue to succeed at regionals and beyond!”
Captains Alice Ko and Vicky Wei, wondering why they're on the same counsel.
Team Picasso represented Rutgers Mock Trial at last weekend’s Temple University Hooters Invitational, and walked away with a first place trophy and undefeated record. Newcomer Katie O’Connor was awarded a 17-rank witness award for her portrayal of a defense witness. Captain Llewelyn Levett commented on his team’s remarkable performance, exclaiming,
“I cannot express how proud I am of everyone on my team! Going from 3-5 to 4-4 to being undefeated is amazing and just goes to show that everyone’s hard work and dedication paid off. The growth that my team has gone through over the past couple of months makes me extremely proud to be their captain. I can’t wait to see what we can do as an organization in the future, especially with regionals coming up!”
Team Picasso, pictured with Team Captain Llewelyn Levett (fourth from left), and Team DaVinci captain Kaavya Balamurugan (right).
We congratulate Team Picasso on their incredible success, and can’t wait to see how the team’s members do post restack!
It’s been a long fall season, and we can’t wait to see what our organization will look like after our winter tryouts. Wish us luck in the upcoming regionals season, and all the way to Chicago for nationals!
From all of us here at RUMTA, thank you for your continued support of our organization, and we wish you all the best in 2024.