The “We the People” group, under the direction of Mrs. Pam Danielson, placed second in the state competition in Boise this last weekend. Seated l to r: Celene Konkel, Natasha Bowser, Sara Roane and Shanna Herman. Center l to r: Nathan Jones, Rachel O’Brien, Hanna Uhling, Kacie Presnell and Sarah Nemeth. Back Row l to r: Alex Palmer, Joey Wityczak, Dan Elsburg, Fred Bunt and Nathan Polk.
OHS takes second place in “We the People” Mock Congressional Hearing
What are the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system? How did the values and principles embodied in the Constitution shape American institutions and practices? What are the roles of the citizen in American democracy?
These are the topics the Orofino High School (OHS) Honors Government class studied as they prepared to compete in the We the People, Mock Congressional Hearing Competition sponsored by the Idaho Department of Education and the Center for Civic Education. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the Orofino High School students left for Boise to compete in the state hearing.
The government class prepared a four-minute presentation on three questions from their unit that would be given before judges. Judges for the competition included the representatives from the Idaho Department of Education, a representative from U.S. Congressman Bill Sali’s office, and representatives from the law community.
Points in the competition were earned by citing Supreme Court cases, by referring to the Constitution, by using quotes from the Founding Fathers, and by relating current events to the presentation. The judges looked at the following categories: understanding, constitutional application, reasoning, supporting evidence, responsiveness, and participation.
Although each group of three prepared to answer three different questions, the judges decided which one of the three questions they would ask. After the students gave their prepared comments, the judges had six minutes to ask any follow-up questions on the topic from the students’ units. That’s how the judges truly determined the young people’s understanding of their topics.
When all six groups had finished, members from the different schools gathered for the luncheon, heard remarks from the Honorable Stephen Trott, and the awards ceremony. Despite last minute group changes, the Maniacs knew they had given their best. Alex Palmer, Nathan Polk, and Hanna Uhling from Unit 6 were named Orofino’s leading unit scorers and were awarded medals. The Orofino team received the second place trophy, certificates, and pins.