The Brookline High School Mock Trial Club prides themselves on the ideals of independence, success and passion, and their new adviser is hoping to contribute to their accomplishments.
Stephen Eesley, a social studies teacher, recently stepped into the role of club adviser for the Mock Trial Club. While Eesley has no previous experience in mock trial, he said he will do whatever he can to help the club be as successful as possible.
Though Eesley is not responsible for teaching in the club, he makes sure that all administrative tasks are fulfilled. These tasks include signing up for competitions and paying dues.
Mock trial co-captain senior Jacquovia Higgs said Eesley helps the club get ahold of the resources it needs to compete.
“Mr. Eesley has been helping out with making sure we’re registered for every tournament,” Higgs said. “He also handles any finances that those tournaments may require and makes sure everything is in order on the adult side because there are some things [students] don’t have access to.”
Senior and co-captain Olivia Sheehan said even though Eesley is more focused on administrative tasks, his role as an adviser is a much bigger commitment than it is for most of the other clubs within the school.
“I would like to emphasize that Mr. Eesley really came in clutch for our club,” Sheehan said. “It is a lot to ask because the adviser has to show up twice a week at 7:30 a.m. ready to help us out, so it’s a pretty big commitment and we are very grateful.”
However, Eesley said he didn’t just come into the role of adviser to make sure that the students have a place to meet in the mornings. Eesley said he hopes the club has a lasting impact on the participating students.
“I want them to have fun and feel empowered by their experience with it,” Eesley said.
Eesley said he also wants the club to be able to perform well at the state tournament, which begins in Feb. 2023 and potentially continues into mid-March, so that they can compete in higher-level tournaments.
“The goal at the end of the day is for the students to be able to win States and get to that next level,” Eesley said. “It should be fun, and I am looking forward to getting better at this role as I go.”