The New Drug at MHS

At MHS, Mrs. Woolf’s Government classes learn about the criminal court procedures by participating in it first hand. In this mock trial, Smarties are banned throughout the school and any evidence on someone dealing these smarties can bring about charges on that person, and they will be taken to a mock court proceeding. This allows students to learn by doing, and it helps them to understand exactly how the court system works.

“The school building is essentially turned into a drug society. We have our own government and laws, and we have to exact justice on the criminals when they break these rules,” Senior Mason McFadden said. McFadden would not say what his part was in the smarties trial.

This trial can have a lot of challenges as well. Mrs. Woolf tries to make it as close to the real world as possible.

“It’s hard. From the beginning, you have an idea of who everybody is, and who’s a criminal, but you have to get evidence and probable cause on anybody you have a suspicion on. Since we’re high school students, nobody wants to rat a friend out, so it makes it hard to do anything,” Senior Lizzy Woodruff said, whose role is the chief of police.

The whole experience can be a lot of fun as well, and a big change up from the usual norm of school.

“It’s been a lot of fun. It has been really cool to learn about the criminal justice system in a close to real-world trial,” Senior Tyler Jones said.