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May 08, 2006
Fletcher’s Jessup Team Honored for Strong Showing in DC
The five Fletcher School representatives in the Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition were honored in a May 2 ceremony attended by students, faculty and staff. The team, which won the Northeastern Regional Jessup competition in February to advance to the international finals in Washington, DC on April 1, placed 28th out of more than 100 finalists from countries across the globe.
This year’s team members—Karoun Demirjian, David Raikow, Garth Schofield, Amy Senier, and Heather Sensibaugh—were all present at the ceremony, where they were met with cheers and applause from their fellow students. Ian Johnstone, Associate Professor of International Law at The Fletcher School and team advisor, lauded them for their accomplishments and verbally dedicated a space at the school that will be devoted to a display of Jessup awards from this and past teams.
“Fletcher has a long and distinguished tradition at the Jessup competition,” Johnstone said, remarking that it has spanned more than 40 years and has included several close calls and many triumphs.
Citing the fact that The Fletcher School is one of only two non-law schools out of more than 600 institutions that enter the competition each year, Johnstone called the team “perpetual underdogs” who set themselves apart from other knowledgeable teams through their skilled oratory, distinctive presence, and “sense of fun and excitement.”
This skill showed in the Jessup competition’s official ranking of individual oralists. At the April international finals, Demirjian garnered the prestigious distinction of second-best competition oralist—no small feat when considering the thousands of Jessup competitors who enter each year. Raikow placed 12th overall among oralists at the international finals, while Senier had previously won the second-best oralist prize at the Northeast Regional Jessup competition in February.
Johnstone stated that the team placed 11th in raw scoring at the Washington finals, though ill-timed losses to top teams early in the competition prevented them from reaching a higher overall ranking.
Fletcher’s Jessup team members also recognized Johnstone for his support and thanked their coach, Fletcher alumnus Tamas Kovacs, who has led the team for the past two years. Kovacs “has really helped to put Fletcher on the map” in the Jessup competition, according to Johnstone. “The results speak for themselves,” he added.
As for the team, some of its members will also participate in the 2006-07 season, ensuring another strong showing next year. Regardless of who will return, all five members played a crucial part in this year’s success.
“They did The Fletcher School proud,” Johnstone said.
By Stacy Reiter Neal, MALD '07
Posted by fletcher at May 8, 2006 12:10 PM
