[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8669]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE STUDENTS OF EAST BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY COMPETING IN THE WE 
          THE PEOPLE: THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2005

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the students of East 
Brunswick High School that recently won the national finals for the We 
the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program. The participating 
students from East Brunswick High School, after winning the statewide 
competition, represented New Jersey in this year's final. Through their 
hard work and determination, the national finals competitors earned the 
opportunity to visit and compete in our nation's capital. East 
Brunswick High School was the defending champion and I am proud to say 
that they have achieved this high level of excellence again this year. 
They won because they are articulate, have presence of mind, and can 
think on their feet, and because they know the U.S. Constitution inside 
and out.
  The students of East Brunswick came a long way to earn the right to 
compete in Washington. To participate, every student needed to learn 
about a variety of concepts ranging from the philosophical origins of 
the Constitution to its role and interpretation in today's society. 
After spending countless hours reading primary and secondary sources, 
the students created a four minute presentation to answer the question 
posed to them about the Constitution. The students then formulated 
their own opinions, which needed to be defended during six minutes of 
questioning from judges. The judging is based on the students 
understanding of constitutional principles and their knowledge of both 
historical and contemporary issues. At the national competition, the 
judges are practicing lawyers, college professors, as well as current 
and former State Supreme Court judges.
  The education of our youth about our democracy and the meaning and 
importance of our Constitution is imperative. As important as it is to 
have a basic knowledge of the laws and interpretations of the 
Constitution, it is equally as important to understand the reasons for 
which they were created. Every United States citizen should know and 
understand these fundamental principles, and through participation in 
this program, the students from East Brunswick High School have 
accomplished just that. These competitors serve as examples to students 
throughout the nation as to what one can achieve with an in-depth 
knowledge of the tenets of our government. These students are our 
future leaders and the next generation that will continue to defend 
democracy and uphold the Constitution. I know these students, and while 
I admire their knowledge and intelligence, I admire even more their 
passionate dedication to our American ideals.
  The participating students from East Brunswick competed against more 
than 1,200 students from across the country. This program was created 
by The Center for Civic Education in 1987 and over 26 million students 
have participated in it. The goal of the program is to educate high 
school students on the importance of continued civic involvement. These 
exceptional students met here in Washington from April 30th to May 2nd 
to display their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and its founding 
principles.
  I would like to congratulate the students of East Brunswick High 
School, who are: Rajiv Agarwal, Elliot Chiu, Yan Cui, Aditi Eleswarapu, 
Michael Genson, Stephanie Horowitz, Frances Huang, Manisha Johary, 
Michael Kofstky, Kevin Kuo, Sam Lau, Alexandra Palmer, Resham Patel, 
Mark Pruce, Panwan Punjabi, Caroline Rana, Natalie Rana, Sana Sheikh, 
Allison Sorkin, Ilana Stern, Eric Struening, Lauren Volosin, and 
teacher Alan Brodman.
  These names themselves suggest such a diversity of origins and 
heritage that it calls forth our national motto ``E Pluribus Unum''--
from many we are one. That these students devote themselves to learning 
about our system of self-government that is the key to our greatness is 
inspiring.
  I am so proud of these young constitutional scholars and wish them 
luck in all their future endeavors. May these exceptional students 
continue to understand and uphold democracy.

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