[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 30, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4400-S4401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE CONSTITUTIONAL LEGACY OF LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL

  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I want to give recognition to a very 
outstanding group of young people from my State of Oregon, who 
represent the Lincoln High School of Portland, OR.
  Mr. President, as you know, during the bicentennial of the 
Constitution, there was a commission formed of which Chief Justice 
Burger of the Supreme Court was chair. I was privileged to serve on 
that commission. In part of that commission's proceedings, we decided 
to develop an ongoing project, bringing a focus to the Constitution of 
the United States amongst the high school students of our country. That 
started in 1987.
  I want to say that that has been a program that I think has certainly 
been worthy of the investment the Federal Government has made 
sustaining that program over the years. I suppose you might call it 
boasting, but I do not really think so. I am merely making a 
recognition of an extraordinary accomplishment. One high school out of 
the State of Oregon has not only won the State championship each year 
of the 9 years of this program, it has finished in the top 10 
contestants from high schools from every State in the Union here in 
Washington, except for 1 year. It had won the national championship 2 
years, until last night when it won it for the third time--one high 
school.
  I want to say that this is a high school that is in an urban setting, 
and it is a high school that draws students from many diverse and 
social economic backgrounds. The students who compete have varied 
academic backgrounds, and the team consists of sophomores, juniors, and 
seniors, and they work together as a team.
  The competition these student participated in was rigorous and very 
meaningful. Students demonstrated their knowledge of the Constitution 
before simulated congressional committees made up of constitutional 
scholars, lawyers, journalists, and government leaders. The panel of 
judges tested the expertise of the classroom teams on a number of 
significant questions--questions such as, ``How did the values and 
principles embodied in the Constitution shape American institutions, 
and what are the roles of the citizens in an American democracy?''

  Mr. President, these are questions I still contemplate and struggle 
with. There is something exciting about a room full of high school 
students excited themselves about the Constitution, and excited about 
the Nation's heritage.
  Senator Pell and I had the privilege of being with this group from 
all over the country last night. The students have worked very hard for 
this honor, and there are a number of people who have helped them make 
this achievement a reality. Special recognition must go to Marilyn 
Cover, the State coordinator, and Dan James, the district coordinator 
for the We the People Program.
  I must also recognize the teachers and volunteers who gave up their 
time to prepare the students. Dave Bailey and Gailen Norsworthy are 
both teachers at Lincoln High School and coaches for the constitutional 
team. Also, Chris Hardman and Chuck Sparks, who are attorneys from the 
local community who volunteered to prepare the students for the legal 
rigors of the competition. Also, I must single out the principal of 
Lincoln High School, Velma Johnson. She is proud of these students, and 
she has been extremely supportive of the We the People Program.
  Mr. President, while it takes a number of outstanding individuals to 
achieve the winning record of Lincoln High School, one individual 
stands out as the catalyst and mentor for this stellar group of young 
scholars--Hal Hart. Hal Hart is an attorney by profession. He has a 
private law practice in Portland, but he takes time out of his busy 
practice to teach at Lincoln High School. For Hal, this is a labor of 
love and an opportunity to give back to the community. He teaches the 
students about the intricacies of the Constitution, and based on the 
school's record of success, he is obviously a master teacher.
  I also want to individually commend the students by placing a list of 
the participants from all over this country in the Record.
  I ask unanimous consent that the list be printed at this point in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

Class Roster for the 1995-96 Lincoln High School Bicentennial Class on 
           the United States' Constitution and Bill of Rights

       Vasiliki Despina Ariston, age 15; Parents: Dino and Demetra 
     Ariston.
       Jereme Rain Axelrod, age 15; Parents: Marilyn Couch and 
     David Axelrod.
       Rebekah Rose Cook, age 16; Parents: Jim and Anne Cook.
       Tawan Wyndelle Thomas Davis, age 16; Parents: Sylvia Anne 
     Davis.
       Amanda Hope Emmerson, age 16; Parents: Ron and Ann 
     Emmerson.
       Tiffany Ann Grosvenor, age 16; Parents: John and Jennifer 
     Grosvenor.

[[Page S4401]]

       William John Hawkins IV, age 17; Parents: Bill and Kit 
     Hawkins.
       Soren Anders Heitmann, age 17; Parents: Steve Heitmann and 
     Natasha Kern.
       Stacy Elizabeth Humes-Schultz, age 15; Parents: Kathryn 
     Humes and Duane Schulz.
       Marissa Tamar Isaak, age 15; Parents: Rabbi Daniel and 
     Carol Isaak.
       Heather Brooke Johnson, age 17; Parents: Tony and K.C. 
     Johnson.
       Katherine Mace Kasameyer, age 15; Parents: Kace and Jan 
     Kasameyer.
       Christopher Michael Knutson, age 18; Parents: Michael and 
     Carol Knutson.
       Jeanne Marie Layman, age 18; Parents: Charles and Debbie 
     Layman.
       Daniel Hart Lerner, age 17; Parents: Cheryl Tonkin and 
     Glenn Lerner.
       Casey James McMahon, age 18; Parents: Patty O'Connor and 
     and Jack McMahon.
       Lindsay Katrine Nesbit, age 17; Parents: Lee and Deborah 
     Nesbit.
       Gerald William Palmrose, age 16; Parents: David and Sonu 
     Palmrose.
       Mary Ruth Pursifull, age 19; Parents: Rajiam and Meidana 
     Pursifull.
       Catherine Clare Rockwood, age 16; Parents: Theresa Rockwood 
     and David Rockwood.
       Daniel Boss Rubin, age 15; Parents: Susie Boss.
       Elizabeth (Liz) Leslie Rutzick, age 16.
       Mark Richard Samco, age 16; Parents: Rick and Martha Samco.
       Kathryn Denelle Stevens, age 15; Parents: Steve and Janet 
     Stevens.
       Simon Brendan Thomas, age 17; Parents: Susan Rosenthal and 
     Bill Thomas.
       Miles Mark Von Bergen, age 18; Parents: Paul and Jan Von 
     Bergen.
       Lauren Elizabeth Wiener, age 17; Parents: Julie Grandfield 
     and Jon Wiener.
       Farleigh Aiken Wolfe, age 17; Parents: Stephen and Jill 
     Wolfe.

  Mr. HATFIELD. I must also recognize the program that generates the 
enthusiasm of the Constitution in these students, the We the People * * 
* The Citizen and the Constitution features an intensive curriculum, 
which provides students with a fundamental understanding of the 
Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the principles and values they 
embody. The program is designed to promote an understanding of the 
rights and responsibilities of citizens of our constitutional 
democracy, and gathered around this particular focus have been more 
than 22 million students in this country who have participated in the 
program, at all levels, during the last 9 years--22 million. Developed 
and administered by the Los Angeles-based Center for Civic Education, 
the program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
  In discussing the We the People Program, I want to pay special 
tribute to my good friend, Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. 
Senator Pell's commitment to education is unparalleled in this 
institution. He is the father of the We the People Program, and he has 
been actively involved in its activities since its inception. Senator 
Pell has been a mentor to me and to all of us over the years on the 
issue of education, as well as other issues. The Senate is going to 
miss his intellect and pragmatic approach to governing. I want to also 
thank a gifted member of Senator Pell's staff, David Evans, for all of 
his hard work in conjunction with the We the People Program and his 
many years of faithful service.
  Mr. President, Lincoln High School has built a dynasty in the We the 
People Program. This is a dynasty of success, but, most importantly, a 
dynasty of knowledge--knowledge that will enable them to understand our 
country's origins and foundations and knowledge that will help them to 
be better citizens.
  Mr. President, I shout from the housetops, congratulations, Lincoln 
High School. You have made many people, myself included, very, very 
proud.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of all the 
winners of the 1996 competition--the national winner at the top, 
Lincoln High School; second place, Amador Valley High School, 
Pleasanton, CA; third place, East High School, Denver, CO; and the 
following honorable mentions, regional awards, and unit awards--printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

  We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution--List of 1996 
                                Winners

       National winner: Lincoln High School, Portland, OR. Second 
     place: Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA. Third 
     place: East High School, Denver, CO.
       Honorable mention: Other Top Ten Finalists Team--
     Alphabetically by State)--Chamblee High School, Chamblee, GA; 
     Maine South High School, Park Ridge, IL; Lawrence Central 
     High School, Indianapolis, IN; St. Dominic Regional High 
     School, Lewiston, ME; East Brunswick High School, East 
     Brunswick, NJ; Half Hollow Hills High School, Dix Hills, NY; 
     and McAllen Memorial High School, McAllen, TX.
       Winners of Regional Awards: Best Non-Finalist Team from 
     each Region--Western States: Boulder City High School, 
     Boulder City, NV; Mountain/Plain States: Lincoln Southeast 
     High School, Lincoln, NE; Central States: East Kentwood High 
     School, Kentwood, MI; Southeastern States: Hillsboro 
     Comprehensive High School, Nashville, TN; and Northeastern 
     States: Hampton High School, Allison Park, PA.
       Winners of Unit Awards: Best Non-Finalist Team for 
     Expertise in each Unit of Competition--Unit 1 (Foundations of 
     Democracy): Johnston High School, Johnston, IA; Unit 2 
     (Creation of the Constitution): Moriarty High School, 
     Moriarty, NM; Unit 3 (Constitution Shapes Institutions): 
     Hutchinson High School, Hutchinson, MN; Unit 4 (Extension of 
     Bill of Rights): Heritage Christian High School, Milwaukee, 
     WI; Unit 5 (Protection of Rights): Shades Valley Resource 
     Learning Center, Birmingham, AL; and Unit 6 (Role of 
     Citizen): Joplin High School, Joplin, MO.

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, I merely wanted to rise to express my 
gratitude to the Senator from Oregon [Mr. Hatfield] for his kind words. 
Having worked with him for thirty years, I have great admiration and 
respect for the gentleman from Oregon. I have come to know and revere 
him as a man of courage, conscience, and conviction. It is an honor to 
be a recipient of the We The People award, it makes it doubly an honor 
to share it with my friend and colleague.
  I yield the floor.

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