Lafayette College mock trial seniors celebrated their victory — they might have cried. (Bernadette Holm ’28)
For the first time since 2021, the Lafayette College Mock Trial team is headed back to its final qualifying round before nationals. Alongside them, the Speech and Debate team, also known as the Forensics Society, is racking up top placements at the state level, marking one of its strongest competitive seasons in recent years.
After advancing past regionals, Mock Trial secured a spot in the Opening Round Championship Series. The team finished regionals with a 5-2-1 record, defeating the University of Toronto and Franklin & Marshall College and earning multiple individual awards along the way.
The most recent trial was about betrayal — and murder, according to Michelle Gelfenbeyn ’28, who played expert witnesses as a chief medical examiner and psychologist. It centered around whether one reality TV star murdered another out of revenge; the verdict depends on whether the prosecution or defense is more convincing.
Rebekah Lazar ’26, one of the team’s senior captains, received an Outstanding Attorney award — an achievement she described as both “shocking and rewarding,” especially given the circumstances surrounding the competition.
“People got sick, someone else broke their foot,” Lazar explained. “We were losing members one, two, three, and we competed with the absolute minimum number of people you could have.”
The mock trial team travels across the country to compete. (Photo courtesy of Bernadette Holm ’28)
Despite these setbacks, they were able to rise to the challenge.
“Everyone jumps out of their seats, and we’re all hugging each other, and other people start crying,” said Lazar, describing the moment the team won. “Not to out them, but the seniors were crying.”
Zachary Sussman ‘26 described the moment as “euphoric,” likening it to a buzzer-beater victory.
Several members also earned individual recognition, including Jette Schulten ‘29 for Outstanding Attorney at regionals. According to team captains, this marks the program’s deepest advancement since 2021.
“Not to be overly cheesy, but the team that we’re leaving is amazing, and I’m so excited to follow along with them over the next few years,” Lazar said.
The Forensics Society is also experiencing a standout season, earning top placements on the national scale. Most notably, at a recent competition, Lafayette students claimed four of the top five spots in a speech event. Across multiple tournaments this season, team members have consistently advanced to elimination rounds and secured finalist honors.
“I don’t think people really understand the level of skill at the top of this activity, how good the best people in the country are, and also how much work goes into each individual activity,” said Tyler Troutman ‘28, one of four team members competing in the national round. His persuasion event speech was on the need for political poll workers.
Brynne Mushlin ‘28, another member of the team, said she has “put a lot of time and energy” into her craft, culminating in a first-place finish for extemporaneous speaking, second place in after-dinner speaking and second in duo interpretation.
“I continued to work all summer with my coach, even though we weren’t in school,” Mushlin said.
Other members, including Camsey Noonan ‘26 and Natalia Ferruggia ‘26, were able to collect awards at recent competitions, qualifying them for upcoming national competitions such as the National Forensic Association Tournament and the National Speech Championship.