The Constitution Team competed for the State Championship on November 8th in Jefferson City. Crime Scene Investigators worked a human trafficking scenario that had been staged at the headquarters of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. They collected evidence; logged crime scene photographs; and interviewed witnesses, law enforcement officers, a victim, and a potential suspect of the crime. A team of journalists composed a press release and produced a broadcast news segment using reporting skills they put to use at the scene of the crime. The CSI team then gave their reports to the trial team attorneys who worked on putting together a case against the suspect.
The trial took place at Cole County Courthouse with Osage High School representing the State of Missouri and Houston High School representing the defendant. Comprehensive scoring of the three disciplines (crime scene investigation, journalism, and law) placed Osage in second place, losing a close competition to Houston.
The SOTO Journalist Team earned the honor of best in the state. Asher Adkins won the top Journalist Award and a $1000 scholarship from Missouri Broadcasters Association. In addition, A.J. Miskovsky won the “Scout” Award named for Scout FInch from the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. This award is given to the student who shows confidence, fearlessness, and the ability to think outside the box while staying curious and inquisitive in the midst of challenging situations.
Even though Osage did not win the state competition’s top honor, the students represented Osage to the best of their abilities and grew as individuals and as a team. A special thanks goes out to Judge Aaron Koeppen, Miller County Deputy Dillon Cooper, and Osage Journalism teacher Heidi Newell for helping mentor the students in their content areas. - Mike Wersching
