[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S2721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK TO HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL

 Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today I rise to congratulate the 
young men and women of Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, KY for 
being chosen to represent the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the national 
finals of the We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution 
program. The competition will take place May 4-6 here in Washington and 
will include more than 1,200 students from across the United States.
  The three-day national competition is appropriately modeled after 
hearings in the United States Congress. The hearings consist of oral 
presentations by high school students before a panel of adult judges on 
various constitutional topics. Questions ranging from factual concerns 
of how the framers created the Constitution to more analytical 
questions such as how a member of Congress should represent his or her 
constituency will be directed at the students to determine their depth 
of understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge.
  The We the People . . . program, directed by the Center for Civic 
Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, has provided 
curricular materials at upper elementary, middle, and high school 
levels for more than 2.5 million students nationwide. By providing 
students with a working knowledge of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, 
and principles of democratic government, We the People . . . gives our 
next generation of leaders an opportunity to study in depth the 
documents and ideals that have bound this nation together for so many 
years. I thank the U.S. Department of Education for continuing to 
provide fiscal support to this great program and the Center of Civic 
Education for their ongoing commitment to the education of our Nation's 
future. It is truly inspiring to see that so many young people are 
interested in furthering the democratic ideals brought forth by our 
forefathers so many years ago.
  The class from Highlands High School, led by teacher Brian Robinson, 
has proven without a doubt that they are dedicated to representing 
Kentucky in the most admirable fashion possible in this year's 
competition. They are currently conducting thorough research and 
preparing for their upcoming participation in the national finals. I 
would like to wish all of these students the best of luck at the We the 
People . . . national finals. It is comforting to know what one of 
these students may one day be standing in my place, representing the 
great people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the U.S. 
Senate.

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