Dear Ms. Suri,
I hope you are having a terrific summer.
My name is Jeng-Tyng Hong, but you can call me Jen, as most of my friends
and teachers do. I will be a junior this fall at Stuyvesant High School.
For the month of July, I had been subjugated to one of the most rigorous
programs I've ever been through. I attended the Junior Statesmen of
America summer school at Yale University. There, I studied Ap American
government, and honors speech communication, with two of the best
professors I've ever met. The schedule basically included these two
classes, three hours each, a congressional workshop (parliamentary style
debate held at night, two hours), and many other activities. There wasn't
a single night where I had received more than four hours of sleep. It was
incredibly rigorous, but I've learned many lessons, not just about history
and public-speaking, but life as well. I'm not here to talk to you about
what a great experience I had, because I realize you're an incredibly busy
person, and I already appreciate it greatly that you're taking some time
to read this letter. One of the activities I had been engaged in at JSA
was mock trial. In the first mock trial that was held, I was the defense
attorney, a fairly important role, even though I was faced with
experienced individuals. I fell in loved with it immediately. Later on, I
spoke to James Glasser, a U.S. attorney. From thereon, I vowed to dedicate
my life in becoming a lawyer. Here's where my problem arose. Mr. Glasser
had informed me that one of the best ways to get a head start was to join
a mock trial team. I did a bit of research, and soon came to the
realization that Stuyvesant did not have a mock trial team. Almost all the
other schools that were represented had one, and I felt that one of the
best schools in the nation should not fall behind. I had the motivation to
start a mock trial team. And so, I contacted the New York Bar association,
which was the advice given to me by my peers. About 550 high schools are
involved in this activity, and the first step is finding a coach. I am
aware that many of the teachers are already involved in many activities.
Do you have any suggestions as to who might be willing to serve as a team
coach? Also, an attorney advisor is needed. This person can be recruited,
or Debra Lesser of the Justice Resource Center of the Board of Education
will help find one for the team. He said that by October, we should have a
team started if we are to get involved this year. I spoke to Mr. Teitel ,
and he alerted me to the fact that we have a moot trial team, but he
wasn't very sure. He said it would be best if I contacted you, and that
you'd be able to offer some assistance in starting a mock trial team. Do
you know anything about this? I was wondering what your views were on this
whole situation, and if you could help me out. Thank you very much for all
your time.
Sincerely Yours,
~jen