[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AMADOR HIGH SCHOOL RECOGNITION

                                 ______


                            HON. BILL BAKER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 30, 1996

  Mr. BAKER of California. Mr. Speaker, they did it again. A remarkable 
group of students from Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, CA once 
again made it to the final round of the national ``We the People * * * 
the Citizen and the Constitution'' competition after winning the 
California State championship earlier this year.
  Unlike last year, the Amador bunch did not win the national 
championship. Yet their achievement is no less formidable than it was 
in 1995. The top three schools were separated by only five points. And 
the calibre of the East Bay students' knowledge and obvious expertise 
was beyond question.
  Praise for the Amador Team went beyond appreciation for their 
scholarship. As one competition judge put it, ``I've been working with 
kids a long time, and I've never seen such an energetic, lovable group 
of kids.''
  The ``We the People'' Program encourages analysis and discussion 
among high school students as they evaluate how the Constitution is 
best understood within its own historical context and how it applies to 
current issues. The competition, established by the U.S. Congress and 
the Department of Education, is an effective way of encouraging young 
men and women to consider the ongoing importance of the Constitution to 
our daily lives.
  The members of the Amador Valley team and their remarkable coach, 
civics teacher Skip Mohatt, merit high praise for their determination, 
dedication to excellence, and commitment to understanding those 
principles which embody our national life. In taking second place in 
the national competition, they did not lose. They simply demonstrated 
that a commitment to knowledge cannot be measured strictly in terms of 
an award. It is manifested in the way we live our lives, make 
decisions, and participate in society as members of a free Republic. In 
such an effort, there can be no true loss.

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