[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 51 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        WE THE PEOPLE: THE CITIZENS AND THE CONSTITUTION PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 3, 2006

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the students of East 
Brunswick High School for winning the national finals of the 2006 We 
the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program. Their unwavering 
commitment to mastering of our nation's most sacred document is truly 
laudable.
  The students from East Brunswick traveled a long road before claiming 
national victory. They developed their knowledge of a wide range of 
topics, from the philosophical origins of the Constitution to its 
modern-day interpretations. They spent long hours studying primary and 
secondary sources. On April 29 through May 1, they appeared on Capitol 
Hill before simulated Congressional committees made up of 
constitutional scholars, lawyers, journalists, and government leaders, 
who tested their knowledge of both historical and contemporary 
constitutional issues.
  As the foundation upon which our great democracy rests, the 
Constitution is a document that all Americans should understand, 
appreciate, and defend. I applaud the students from East Brunswick High 
School for acting on these values. They are indeed our future leaders, 
and have proven that they are able to defend and nurture our democracy 
and our Constitution. While I certainly admire their wealth of 
knowledge, I admire even more their passionate dedication to our 
American ideals.
  The participating students competed against more than 1,500 students 
from 49 other high schools. Since its founding by the Center for Civic 
Education in 1987, over 28 million students have participated in this 
program, whose goal is to educate high school students on the 
importance of continued civic involvement. East Brunswick High School 
won last year's competition, and it is a great achievement to have 
defended their title.
  I would like to congratulate each of the students of East Brunswick 
High School: Brian Boyarksy, David Chu, Nelson Chu, Dana Covit, Megan 
DeMarco, Ben DeMarzo, Craig Distal, Deborah Elson, Dana Feuchtbaum, 
Munira Gunja, Melinda Guo, Shelby Highstein, Evan Hoffman, Jayasree 
Iyer, Ryan Korn, Michael Martelo, Carol Ann Moccio, Jeffrey Myers, Ari 
Ne'eman, Daniel Nowicki, Aditya Panda, Sherwin Salar, Gil Shefer, Aaron 
Sin, Lauren Slater, Eric Smith, Merichelle Villapando, Amy Wang, and 
Jason Yang. Congratulations also go to their teacher, Alan Brodman, for 
inspiring his students to excel in their study of the Constitution.
  I am proud to have such fine Constitutional scholars in my district, 
and I am myself inspired by their dedication our nation's most sacred 
ideals. I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

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