[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 32 (Friday, March 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E365-E366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING EAST BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL'S WE THE PEOPLE TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 12, 2004

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, starting on May 1st, 2004, students from 
across the United States will arrive in Washington, D.C. in order to 
participate in the national finals of We the People: The Citizen and 
the Constitution, which is an extraordinary civic education program 
developed to educate American youth about the U.S. Constitution and 
Bill of Rights. By act of Congress, We the People is funded by the U.S. 
Department of Education, and administered by the Center for Civic 
Education.
  It is with great pleasure that I announce that the class from East 
Brunswick High School will represent the State of New Jersey in this 
prestigious national event. These bright and dedicated students, 
through their extensive knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and superb 
reasoning and speaking skills, won their statewide competition and 
earned the chance to come to our Nation's capital and compete at the 
national level. I congratulate them, and I am confident that the 
students of East Brunswick High School will do a fine job of showing 
the Nation the very best that New Jersey has to offer.
  Mr. Speaker, over a 3-day period, the We the People national Final 
Competition will test the abilities of the students in hearings, which 
are modeled after those actually held in the U.S. Congress. Through the 
We the People program, students are given an opportunity to demonstrate 
their knowledge before a panel of constitutional scholars, judges, 
lawyers, and journalists, while they evaluate, and defend positions on 
relevant historical and contemporary issues. Testimony will be followed 
by questions designed to examine the students' knowledge and 
implementation of constitutional concepts, as well as their ability to 
apply that knowledge. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for these 
students to receive proper recognition for their hard work.
  We the People has been shown to be a very effective measure in 
combating the important problems of apathy and cynicism in our Nation's 
youth. I can think of no better way of stimulating interest in 
government than total immersion in it. Nowhere else can these students 
learn more about their government than here in our Nation's capital. 
Many independent evaluations have validated the effectiveness of the 
program's ability to impress a positive attitude upon students about 
civic matters.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in sending best wishes to all the 
participants at the We the People national finals, as well as in all 
their future endeavors, and applaud their achievement. Programs like We 
the People keep the thirst for knowledge alive in our youth. Our 
democracy is only as effective as

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those who choose to take part in it, and We the People will ensure that 
generations to come will make that choice. Our Nation should be proud 
that they are dedicated to learning and advocating the fundamental 
ideals and principles that define us as Americans and bind us together 
as a Nation.

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