This year’s Mock Trial competition was quite different than in previous years due to COVID restrictions, with only 99 schools--a fraction of the usual number—even competing. The competition was held completely virtually, with no district or region boundaries; instead, teams from around the state played in a tournament style, advancing through the rounds by winning their cases. Athens Academy’s team lasted through the first six rounds, making it to the top 64 but not advancing to the round of 32.  The team picked up eight awards:

In addition, four seniors were recognized for competing in Mock Trial all four years: Sarah Collins, Daniel Fern, Jessica Ford, and Katherine Woody. Way to go, Spartans!

The Athens Academy Model UN team competed in the UGA High School Model UN Conference, held virtually this year in early February.  Twenty-three students in grades 9 through 12 participated on the team, with ten students receiving a total of eight awards, a school record:

• Kathryn Nichols ‘22 & Brayden Edmonds ‘22: Best Position Paper, Nigeria, General Assembly 4th Committee
• Anan Shen ‘21: Best Position Paper, Malaysia, Organization of Islamic Cooperation
• Michael Klass ‘22: Honorable Mention, Nigeria, Organization of Islamic Cooperation
• McKenzie Elrod ’21: Honorable Mention, 2016 Election Crisis Simulation
• Ingrid Nilsson ’22: Honorable Mention, Lord of the Rings Crisis Simulation
• Elizabeth Marx ‘22 & Annie Cross ’22: Distinguished Delegation, Nigeria, General Assembly 3rd Committee
• Jackson Scruggs ’23: Distinguished Delegate, Nigeria, Organization of Islamic Cooperation
• Imana Adogu ’22: Distinguished Delegate, Malaysia, Commission on the Status of Women

Humanities Department Chair Dr. Randy Reid helps uncover the lost histories of enslaved peoples in the South in his new book, Seen/Unseen, Hidden Lives in a Community of Enslaved Georgians. Written and edited by Dr. Reid, Christopher R. Lawton and Laura E. Nelson, Seen/Unseen is "a vivid portrait of the complex network that created, held, and sustained a community of the enslaved... Christopher R. Lawton, Laura E. Nelson, and Randy L. Reid have meticulously excavated the vast Cobb Family Papers at the University of Georgia to introduce into the historical record the lives of Aggy Carter and her father George, Rachel Lamar Cole, Alfred Putnam, Berry Robinson, Bob Scott, and Sylvia Shropshire and her daughter Polly." The book is available April 1, 2020, from University of Georgia Press. Congratulations to Dr. Reid on this great accomplishment! Click here for more information and pre-order details.

Athens Academy is pleased to announce that senior Alex Oh (viola) and junior Daniel Huang (violin) have both won positions in the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association’s 2021 11/12 All-State Orchestras. In addition, eighth grader Joshua Xie (violin) won a seat in the Middle School All-State Orchestra. Congratulations, Spartans!