Mike Smith:
Mike, in December you took four students from Patrick Henry College to Balliol College at Oxford in England for a moot court tournament against two teams from that school. How did that come about?
Michael Farris:
A year ago in March, I was in Oxford doing some research for a book on the persecution of the Bible translators, and I met with a student who's a homeschooler from Virginia and a law student at Balliol College at Oxford University. And we went out to dinner; one thing led to another in the conversations—he knew the success of Patrick Henry College's moot court team and we'd heard about their team—and a friendly challenge was issued, frankly between homeschool friends, and so it was approved by the administration there at Balliol and we had a wonderful tournament.
Smith:
How do you think this competition will help Patrick Henry College?
Farris:
Well, we've received a lot of publicity as a result of it—I had a member of the Virginia Supreme Court call and congratulate us after they learned that we won this competition—and it gave us a tremendous opportunity to test our skills, really at a world-class level. There isn't a more academically respected institution in the world than Oxford, and for us to be able to go there and compete successfully was really an incredibly important and wonderful experience.
Smith:
Well, this sounds like a great experience for all the students involved. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.
Moot court and debate are great ways to teach your kids about clear, effective communication. Call us at 1-866-338-8614 for more information. Or go to www.homeschoolheartbeat.com.
