[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S4562]]
                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           WE THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS, AND THE CONSTITUTION

 Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, today I would like to honor a 
group of high school students who have embarked on a project that not 
only enhances their educations but fosters their sense of civic 
responsibility. Between April 27 and April 29, more than 1,300 students 
from all over the country were in Washington, DC, to compete in the 
national finals of competition sponsored by a program called We the 
People, The Citizens, and the Constitution. I'm proud to announce that 
the class from Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson represented 
Minnesota in the competition. These young people have undergone a 
rigorous course of study and worked diligently to reach the national 
finals by winning local competitions in their home State.
  The accomplished young people representing Minnesota are the 
following: Adam Brodd, Megan Carls, Eddy Cox, Chris Dahlman, Aaron 
Douglas, Ben Froemming, Aaron Hall, Eric Holtz, Rana Kasich, Kristen 
Mann, Aaron May, Mike Peek, Patrick Perrine, Terri Rennick, Chelle 
Robinson, John Sandberg, Dave Schaefer, Sara Sharstrom, Jill Shun, 
Kelly Watson, and Michelle Wulkan.
  I would also like to recognize their teacher, Mike Carls, who 
deserves some of the credit for the success of the team. The district 
coordinator, Jerry Benson, and the State coordinator, Robert Wangen, 
also contributed a significant amount of time and effort to help the 
team reach the national finals.
  The We the People program is specifically designed to educate young 
people about the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. An evaluation of 
this program has shown that students in the program display more 
political tolerance and feel more politically effective than most 
adults in America. Students become more interested in politics and they 
learn how to get politically involved.
  The 3-day national competition simulates a congressional hearing in 
which the students' oral presentations are judged on the basis of their 
knowledge of constitutional principles and their ability to apply them 
to historical and contemporary issues. In short, these students are 
debating some of the very issues we've been debating on the Senate 
floor in recent months: the division of power between State and Federal 
Government, the balance of power among the branches of government, the 
right to privacy, the role of religion in public life.
  Through the We the People program, students learn the constitutional 
values of freedom, equality and justice, the principles that bind our 
Nation together. These students have taken something that is an 
historical document and made it a part of their lives. In an era when 
so much of our public discourse is polarized, when there is so much 
discussion of ``us'' and ``them,'' these young people learn to value 
the ``we'' of ``we the people.'' I wish these students the best of luck 
in the future and look forward to their continued success in the years 
ahead.

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