By LAURA HAMMACK, guest columnist

In a strange alignment of simulation imitating life, while Congressional hearings are taking place in Washington D.C., the Brown County Junior High School We the People team has been competing in regionals and state level simulations of their own Congressional hearings. I can assure you, the latter is much more appealing for the observer!

While many of our readers are aware of the extraordinary success of the Brown County Junior High School We the People team in past state and national competitions, I wondered how many understand how the actual competition proceedings take place. They are fascinating and utterly captivating to observe!

Each school divides their competitors into teams of three or four students per unit. Each team prepares responses for three questions per unit. During the competition, one of the three questions is selected by a team of three judges. The team of students has four minutes to present their opening statement. Incredibly, our We the People teacher, Mr. Mike Potts, prepares our students to have their opening statements memorized for all three questions.

The opening statements are incredible testimonies crafted by the students that illustrate their comprehensive knowledge of the question being asked. I am always beyond impressed by the sophisticated arguments that our students present. They not only offer answers to the questions, but they provide robust evidence to defend the positions they take.

Each unit has a theme.

Unit One: What were the Founders’ basic ideas about government?

Unit Two: What shaped the Founders’ thinking about government?

Unit Three: What happened at the Philadelphia Convention?

Unit Four: How was the Constitution used to establish our government?

Unit Five: How does the Constitution protect our basic rights?

Unit Six: What are the responsibilities of citizens?

To give you an idea of the rigor and deep level of thinking required on behalf of these students, the following is an example of one of the three questions that might be posed from Unit 4:

Political parties are an important part of our political system today, yet they are not mentioned in the Constitution. Why did the Framers fear political parties? Why and how did political parties develop? Do political parties play a useful role today? Why or why not?

Once students provide their opening statements in response to the question they are posed, a Congressional hearing is once again simulated where members of “Congress” (the judges) ask questions of the “expert witnesses” (the students). Potential follow-up questions to the question illustrated above might include (and remember, these are eighth-graders!):

Would you favor a constitutional amendment that banned political parties? Why or why not?

Have political parties helped or hindered the democratic process? Why or why not?

If we were a nation of only one political party, would that be a problem? Why or why not?

If James Madison were writing his Federalist 10 today, speaking out against factions, what examples would he use? Explain your answer.

Do factions have a right to participate in the political process? Would you regulate the political influence of special interests? Explain your answer.

What I find so compelling is that our students not only answer these questions comprehensively, but they are able to provide compelling evidence to support their conclusions.

In addition, there are often occasions where students on the same unit team disagree with the conclusions posited by a fellow teammate. Here, students often say, “I respectfully disagree with my colleague because _____.” These disagreements are handled with professionalism and respect, a decorum by which the entirety of Washington, D.C., could stand to pay attention!

We are so very proud of the BCJHS We the People team led by their incredible teacher, Mr. Potts. So much so, I would stand any of our students up against the majority the citizenry of the United States when it comes to knowledge and application of the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill of Rights, and applicable Supreme Court case law. By having this skill set, we profoundly advance a “more perfect union.”

Bravo, “Weeples!” Can’t wait until next year!

Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].