[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 54 (Tuesday, May 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          WE THE PEOPLE . . . THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on May 2-4, 1998, more than 1,200 
students from across the nation were in Washington, D.C. to compete in 
the national finals of the We the People . . . The Citizen and the 
Constitution program. I am proud to announce that a class from Old 
Orchard Beach High School represented the State of Maine. These 
outstanding young scholars worked diligently to reach the national 
finals by winning local competitions in Maine.
  The distinguished members of the class representing Maine are: Lauren 
Asperschlager, Lucy Coulthard, Chad Daley, Rose Gordon, Krista Knowles, 
Nathan LaChance, Sarah Lunn, Sandra Marshall, Katie McPherson, Cindy 
St. Onge, Sam Tarbox, and Sharon Wilson. I also want to recognize their 
teacher, Michael Angelosante, who deserves much of the credit for the 
success of the class. The district coordinator, John Drisko, and the 
state coordinator, Pam Beal, also contributed a significant amount of 
time and effort to help the class reach the national finals.
  The We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program is 
the most extensive educational program in the country developed 
specifically to educate young people about the Constitution and the 
Bill of Rights. The three-day national competition simulates a 
congressional hearing whereby the students are given the opportunity to 
demonstrate their knowledge while they evaluate, take, and defend 
positions on relevant historical and contemporary constitutional 
issues. The simulated congressional hearing consists of oral 
presentations by the students before panels of adult judges.
  Administered by the Center for Civic Education, The We the People . . 
. program has provided curricular materials at upper elementary, 
middle, and high school levels for more than 75,000 teachers and 24 
million students nationwide. Members of Congress and their staffs 
enhance the program by discussing current constitutional issues with 
students and teachers.
  The We the People . . . program is designed to help students achieve 
a reasoned commitment to the fundamental values and principles that 
bind Americans together as a people. The program also fosters civic 
involvement as well as character traits conducive to effective and 
responsible participation in politics and government.
  I commend these student constitutional experts from Maine and 
throughout the nation who have participated in the We the People . . . 
national finals for their achievement in reaching this level of the 
competition.

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