Ben was present in Denver for the 2021 AMTA Board of Directors meeting, and in this episode Ben and Drew break down what happened at that meeting. Ben goes through what was discussed during the Tournament Administration Committee (TAC) meeting, how AMTA reached their decision on the format for the 2022 season, and his general impressions on how the board meeting went. Then Drew and Ben discuss other motions that were passed at the board meeting, and briefly discuss the results of the 2021 One Last Time Tournament.
Ben and Drew break down the first weekend of 2022 Regionals results. We're also joined by Amaya Ronczyk, President of Dillard Mock Trial. Amaya discusses what it felt like to earn Dillard's first bid to ORCS since 2018, and also speaks on the role that HBCUs play in our community, what it's like to compete at an HBCU, and what AMTA should be doing to support HBCUs and encourage competitive diversity in Mock Trial. ...
With the board meeting set for next weekend, Ben and Drew spoke to two different programs to give perspective from both sides of the discussion about the competition format for next season. First, Ben and Drew are joined by coaches Beth Georgian and Matt Thornburg from the University of South Carolina Aiken. Beth and Matt discuss why they reached out to AMTA to ask for the 2022 season to be virtual, how their team operates with limited resources and several non-traditional students, and why they think AMTA should require COVID vaccines regardless of the competition format. Then Vice-President of External Affairs Bret Berry of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville joins the show to discuss why his program contacted AMTA and asked for the 2022 season to be in-person. Bret goes through their concerns of losing institutional knowledge if the 2022 season is virtual and how he thinks either way AMTA needs to provide guidance on how next season is going to look. ...
For their third "roundtable" episode, Ben and Drew welcome Kate Hayner-Slattery of Northwestern Mock Trial. Ben, Drew and Kate discuss fall invitational results, case bias in Petrillo v. Martini/Peony Estates, and their general thoughts on the fall season and how our community is adapting to virtual Mock Trial. ...
