[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 73 (Tuesday, June 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5991-S5992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL OF ALLISON PARK PENNSYLVANIA

 Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, on May 2 through May 4, 1998, 
more than 1200 students from across the nation came to Washington, DC, 
to compete in the national finals of the ``We the People. . . The 
Citizens and the Constitution'' program. I am proud to announce that 
the class from Hampton High School of Allison Park represented 
Pennsylvania. These young scholars worked diligently to reach the 
national finals by winning local competitions in Pennsylvania, and 
ultimately won the Northeastern States Regional Award.
  The distinguished members of the class representing Pennsylvania 
were: Angela Ambrose, Rebecca Amrhein, Aren Bierkan, Christine Brady, 
Heather Gahagan, Emily Huie, Jessica Kiefer, Lauren Klemens, Jessica 
Lin, Rina Mansukhani, Lauren Montgomery, Laura Ostapenko, Andrew 
Scharff, Christian Spearline, Courtney Vetter and Katrina Werger.
  I would also like to recognize their teacher, Mrs. Tara O'Brien, who 
deserves much credit for the success of the class. The district 
coordinator, Ms. Jennie-Lynn Knox, and the state coordinator, Ms. 
Christine Crist, also contributed much 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 students are given the opportunity to

[[Page S5992]]

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 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 staff 
enhance the program by discussing current constitutional issues with 
teachers and students.
  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 dispositions, traits of public and private sector character 
conducive to effective and responsible participation in politics and 
government.
  I congratulate these constitutional experts from Hampton High School 
for their success in the ``We the People. . .'' competition and commend 
them for their great achievement of winning the Northeastern Regional 
Award.

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