[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S3458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         WE THE PEOPLE . . . THE CITIZENS AND THE CONSTITUTION

 Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I want to commend 25 outstanding 
students from West Warwick High School in West Warwick, RI, who will be 
visiting Washington later this month to compete in the national finals 
of the ``We The People . . . The Citizens And The Constitution'' 
program.
  For those of my colleagues who are not familiar with it, the ``We The 
People . . . The Citizens And The Constitution'' program is among the 
most extensive educational programs in the country, developed to 
educate young people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The 
three-day national competition simulates a congressional hearing in 
which students' oral presentations are judged on the basis of their 
knowledge of constitutional principles and their ability to apply these 
principals to contemporary situations.
  Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the ``We The People . 
. . The Citizens And The Constitution'' program provides an excellent 
opportunity for students to gain an informed perspective on the 
significance of the U.S. Constitution and its place in our history. We 
hear so much these days about growing apathy and ignorance among young 
people about our history and governmental traditions. In my view, 
programs such as this can go a long way to combat these ills. It is 
heartening to see young Rhode Islanders taking such an active and 
participatory interest in public affairs.
  Mr. President, you may be interested to know that West Warwick High 
School has an outstanding track record in the ``We The People . . . The 
Citizens And The Constitution'' program. The West Warwick team has won 
the Rhode Island State competition for 7 of the past 10 years.
  I am very proud of Jamie Amaral, Mary Asselin, Jonathan Bassi, Justin 
Broz, John Caressimo, Brian Carr, Andrew Constanza, Krystle Couto, 
Bethany DeBlois, Candice Felske, John Johnson, Jonathan Juneau, Jamie 
Kullberg, Kristin Larocque, Gina Musto, Meghan O'Brien, Ryan O'Grady, 
Stephanie Paquet, Erica Ricci, Hillary Sisson, Derek Tevyaw, Kevin 
Willette, Kristen Wolslegel, Man Yu, and Debra Zenofsky for making it 
to the national finals. I applaud this terrific group of young men and 
women for their hard work and perseverance. Also, Mr, President, I want 
to congratulate Michael Trofi, a fine teacher who deserves so much 
credit for guiding the West Warwick High School team to the national 
finals.
  As Mr. Trofi and this fine group of West Warwick High School students 
prepare for their trip to Washington to compete in the national finals 
on April 26-28, I want to congratulate them for what they have already 
achieved and wish them the best of luck in the final competition. These 
students, with the guidance of Mr. Trofi, have learned what our Nation 
is all about and what countless men and women have fought and died to 
protect. No matter what the outcome of the contest is, they have each 
earned the greatest prize of all: Knowledge.

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