[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WE THE PEOPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 2010

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to pay 
tribute to the outstanding achievements of an exceptional group of 
students from Munster High School, located in Indiana's First 
Congressional district. Competing against a class from every state in 
the country, one team from Munster High School accomplished the 
extraordinary feat of finishing in eighth place in the national 
competition of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution 
program held in Washington, DC, from April 24-26, 2010. For their 
remarkable knowledge and understanding of American government, these 
exceptional young people are to be commended.
  The We the People program, administered by the Center for Civic 
Education, is a program that reaches over 30 million elementary, 
middle, and high school students. The goal of the program is to provide 
students with an understanding of the fundamentals of the Constitution 
and the Bill of Rights. The national finals competition imitates a 
Congressional hearing in which high school students testify as 
constitutional experts before a panel of judges.
  The people of Munster, as well as the community of Northwest Indiana, 
can be proud of this truly noteworthy class of students. The team 
consists of: Stacey Avtgis, Chandani Bhatt, John Bochnowski, Cristina 
Bonini, Thomas Burgwald, Sumanth Chintamani, Georgenna Chioros, 
Nicholas Estes, Michael Jerge, Kamryn Klawitter, Neil Kondamuri, 
Christina Lee, Melissa Lee, Aesha Maniar, Brianna Meyer, Tara Mojtahed, 
Santhosh Narayan, Spencer Newell, Katherine Palmer, Alexander Parobek, 
Aaditya Shah, Niral Shah, Matthew Skiba, Adam Stepanovic, Shawn Tuttle, 
Ines Tzolov, and Elizabeth Wadas.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to once again extend my most heartfelt 
congratulations to the members of Munster High School's We the People 
program, as well as their coach, Mr. Michael Gordon, and all of the 
community and faculty members who have instilled in these students the 
desire to succeed. The values exhibited by these young people and their 
interest in the history and fundamentals of our great nation serve to 
inspire us all. I am proud to represent these fine individuals in 
Congress, and I am proud to have been given this opportunity to 
recognize these future leaders. I look forward to watching their 
achievements as they continue to rise to the top.

                          ____________________