WHEREAS, Philip Beauchemin is a social studies teacher and lawyer and has been the faculty advisor to Overbrook’s Mock-Trial Team since 1987; and
WHEREAS, Under the dedicated and tireless leadership of Mr. Beauchemin, Overbrook’s five student team was victorious in the State Mock-Trial Championship where it competed against some of the best high schools in the state, among them, one of the City’s premier magnet schools; and
WHEREAS, The esteemed and talented members of the State Mock-Trial Championship Team are Lajuan Tucker, Dorien Nelson, Tiona Christopher, Christopher McFadden, and Juniata Scott; and
WHEREAS, This victory represents Overbrook’s second State Mock- Trial Championship, the first having been won in 1997, also under Mr. Beauchemin’s tutelage; and
WHEREAS, In addition to two State Championships, over the years, Overbrook’s Mock-Trial Team has won five Public League Championships and five Regional Championships; and
WHEREAS, In this latest competition, the team members encountered several significant challenges that they successfully and admirably overcame; and
WHEREAS, The first of those obstacles came in December when Mr. Beauchemin became seriously ill and remained in a coma for a week; and
WHEREAS, Some students became discouraged and left the team reducing its membership from twenty-five to only five when most teams participating in the competitions had ten to fifteen members; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Beauchemin’s wife came to the team’s assistance by recruiting two former team members and graduates of Overbrook High School, Khadijah Scott and Tyray Miller, to prepare the five remaining members of the team for the City and Regional competitions; and
WHEREAS, By January, though Mr. Beauchemin had recovered enough to work with his students, he was not able to attend school; so, his team members readily commuted five days a week to his home to prepare for the competitions; and
WHEREAS, Despite all obstacles, Overbrook High School went on to win the state championship, by defeating Pittsburgh’s Oliver High School, and will now go forward to represent Pennsylvania in the National Mock-Trial competition; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we honor and congratulate Philip Beauchemin, the Overbrook High School Mock-Trial team members and their supporters for their dedication and perseverance in winning the State Mock-Trial Championship; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution shall be presented to Philip Beauchemin and to the Overbrook High School Mock-Trial Team as evidence of the heartfelt congratulations and sincere gratitude of this legislative body.
End