[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 9, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMENDING STUDENTS FROM HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN HIGH SCHOOL

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                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 9, 2007

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a 
group of twenty outstanding Hoosier students, Ben Anderson, Lauren 
Bowser, Austin Brady, Kristin Buckingham, Jesse Hawkins, Kirk Higgins, 
Chris Hill, Tiernan Kane, Nika Kim, Ryan Landry, Julie Lux, Rachel 
Morris, Jeff Neufer, David Ostendorf, Ryan Puckett, Taylor Schueth, 
Matt Stein, Amy Thomas, Aleks Vitolins, and Edward Wolenty and their 
teacher Jill Baisinger.
  These students participated in the We the People: The Citizen and the 
Constitution competition here in Washington, DC April 28-30, 2007. 
After winning both the state and district competitions the group 
competed against 50 other schools and achieved honorable mention and 
placement in the top ten. These students competed against a class from 
every state in the country and demonstrated a remarkable understanding 
of the fundamental ideals and values of American constitutional 
government.
  We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is an annual 
competition in Washington, DC in which students participate in a mock-
congressional hearing. Every team has six units of three or more 
students and each is responsible for one particular area of 
Congressional expertise. The students arrive prepared to give speeches 
in response to formal prompts and then testify as constitutional 
experts before a panel of judges. More than 1,200 students participate 
each year in the national competition.
  The program is administered by the Center for Civic Education and is 
the most extensive of its kind, reaching more than 28 million students 
in elementary, middle and high schools. The Students from Hamilton 
Southeastern High School have made their fellow Hoosiers very proud and 
I wish them all the best in their future pursuits.

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