[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 55 (Monday, May 8, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S3604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNITION OF MOUNTAIN HOME JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I am honored to rise today to pay 
tribute to an exceptional group of students from Mountain Home Junior 
High School in my home state of Arkansas. These students won first 
place in the state competition of the ``We the People . . . The Citizen 
and the Constitution'' program. I am proud to report that the following 
students will represent my home state at the national competition this 
May 6-8 in Washington, DC:
  Matthew Brinza, T.C. Burnett, Patrick Carter, Cody Garrison, Meredith 
Griffin, Kayla Hawthorne, Delia Lee, Megan Matty, Zachary Milholland, 
Stacy Miller, Jennifer Nassimbene, Rebeca Neis, Patty Schwartz, Carrie 
Toole, and Kris Zibert.
  I also want to say a special word of thanks to their teacher, Patsy 
Ramsey, who deserves much of the credit for the success of the class.
  The We the People . . . program is an outstanding educational 
initiative developed specifically to educate young people about the 
Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Students who compete at the three-
day national competition, which is modeled after hearings in the U.S. 
Congress, testify as constitutional experts before a panel of judges 
representing various regions of the country. The students are then 
asked a series of challenging questions to test their depth of 
understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge.
  Teaching students about the benefits of public service and the value 
of representative government is essential to the long-term viability of 
our nation's democracy. Since its inception in 1987, more than 26 
million students and 75,000 educators nationwide have participated in 
this worthwhile program designed to encourage civic awareness and 
understanding. I am extremely proud of the Mountain Home students who 
have earned the opportunity to compete in the We the People . . . 
finals in Washington, DC. I wish them well in their endeavor and know 
they will provide an excellent example for others in my state and the 
nation to follow.

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