The Brown County Junior High School We the People team competed on the state stage last month, but did not advance to the national competition this spring.
Only the winner of the state competition advances to nationals, and again, that school was Fishers Junior High.
The others finishing in the top three at state were Fall Creek Junior High in second place and St. Richards Episcopal School in third.
BCJHS advanced to state by placing third in the central region contest on Nov. 13, which took place entirely virtually. The students were not together when they competed, after COVID-19 shifted the entire school to “red” status less than 48 hours before the contest.
Overall, 11 schools competed at the state competition held entirely virtually Dec. 9 and 10.
BCJHS teacher Michael Potts is proud of his team’s performance. “The kids did great. Aside from some technical difficulties with spotty internet and sound issues, they impressed me once again,” he said last week.
“It never ceases to amaze me at how poised and professional they can be, or by the amount of knowledge they possess. I’m super proud of them. And while we didn’t place where we wanted to, they demonstrated class and a high level of scholarship for which we can all be proud.”
The BCJHS team’s Unit 5 won the school’s unit award at state. That unit focuses on the question “How does the Constitution protect our basic rights?” and its members are Baylie Meyer, Adalyn True and Genevieve Wilson.
The We the People program teaches students about civic competence and responsibilities. The course emphasizes American history and constitutional issues, including current events and applicable court cases. Then, at We the People competitions, students testify in mock congressional hearings before panels of professional judges.
In the past 11 years, Brown County Junior High School has won six We the People state championships, two national runner-up titles and two national championships.
