Student earns ‘outstanding witness’ award in mock trials
Nicholas Roth is a member of the St. Paul mock trial team.
Nicholas Roth learned the art of improvisation during mock trial district and regional competitions.
“I knew my character. I had to know my character’s answers to questions,” said the son of Mike and Jeanette. “I had to answer them so they were beneficial to my side.”
Roth, a St. Paul High School senior, played the fictional character Morgan Reynolds, who was the high-school best friend of the murder defendant. While in prison, the defendant believed he wasn’t represented properly during his trial.
“Adam Smith killed his girlfriend, Hailey, in 1998,” Roth said. “(My character) helped bury the body.”
During the district competition at the Huron County Courthouse in late January, Roth was one of three St. Paul students who won “outstanding witness” awards. The other two recipients were Grace Gillen and Joe Swope.
Roth took home the same award during the regional competition. St. Paul was the only local school of the six teams. The other schools were from the Toledo area.
“This was our fourth time at regionals,” said American history and government teacher Brooke Meyer, who has been advising the St. Paul mock trial teams for nine years.
Between the district and regional competitions, Meyer said the St. Paul students doubled their practice time.
“They were all in,” she added. “I’m very proud of Nick. You can tell he put in a lot of hard work. It definitely paid off.”
To prepare, Roth said he studied his witness statement, which was especially important when students from other schools who were playing defense attorneys questioned him under cross-examination.
“I had to know it backwards and forward,” he said.
When the “defense attorneys” were questioning him is when Roth said he had to come up with answers “on the fly.”
At the district level, he had the opportunity to watch other students and from them he learned to add another dimension to the witness he played.
“I pulled some stuff from that. I learned from that,” Roth said, referring to a slant he gave his character, who lied in court during the initial murder trial. “I always had goals and ambitions. I haven’t always been a bad kid.”
After both competitions, he said he learned he was better at public speaking and improvisation then he realized.
Roth’s newfound ability to improvise will prove helpful with his career goal — broadcasting. He plans to study communication at Youngstown State University.
“I want to be a sports broadcaster,” said Roth, who handled announcing duties during a couple St. Paul volleyball games.
His father, Mike Roth, is the current “voice of the Flyers.” He took over in 2007 from his late father, Charlie, who announced St. Paul games from about 1994 through 2007.
“It’s in my blood. I’ve always been good at it,” the younger Roth said.