JT Koch / Spill Editor
The NPHS We The People team just finished its state competition showcasing civic knowledge and understanding of the legal workings of our country. When the bus slowly pulled out of Union Station from the state competition, it left part of a semester-long class behind.
This class worked on writing papers, researching cases, and practiced reading those papers to volunteer judges all to prepare themselves for the state competition at Union Station on Dec. 10. This year was the best NPHS has done, placing fourth, only 13 points shy of third place. We The People teacher Gina Iacobucci was proud of what the class was able to accomplish.
“This group of students came together as a team which is important for motivation and enthusiasm. They were so supportive of each other, which motivated everyone to do their best at the competition. I wish we could continue We the People in the spring. They were such a fun class,” Iacobucci said.
Falling just short of their hopes, We The People left the state competition sad yet accomplished. This is the farthest a team from NPHS has come. While that was celebrated, they couldn’t change their disappointment.
“It’s sad mostly. I really wanted to keep this ball rolling and I didn’t want this to be the end of the line for us but I am still proud of how we did and happy that I got to experience this with such great people as well,” senior Derek Bilyou said.
Before state the class just got off their high of placing third in its regional. The success boosted the team’s confidence heading towards state, with this being only the second time the We The People team has made it this far.
“Before state I was confident. I personally had spent the nights before up late studying new information or recalling previous comments on my own performance to better myself,” Bilyou said.
The class is broken into units, these units all focus on specific topics related to the constitution. For example, Unit Four covers how the values in the constitution influence institutions and American practice. Of the six units that make up the class and team, Unit Six had the best score for NPHS at the state competition.
“I was surprised. While I had known my group had done well I had not expected us to be the top scoring unit in our group. So after I got over the shock and surprise I was nothing short of over the moon about it,” Bilyou said.
We The People is still a government class and manages to cover all the regular government content while preparing for competitions. The depth of understanding about the political system in We The People is far greater than even some voters in our country today.
“The class helped me learn more about how our overall political system works and just how people don’t really have a full understanding of our system, I think classes or curriculum similar to WTP will really help our society/community understand how the system works,” senior Conner Flanagan said.
Since We The People is a one semester class, this senior class will be passing the torch to juniors interested in government and the Constitution. Due to the class only accepting seniors, underclassmen will have to wait before taking part in competitions about their civil liberties.
“Recruitment for next year’s team will start in a few weeks,” Iacobucci said. “If any current juniors are interested in joining We the People next year, they should keep an eye out for call out meeting information, application information, or come talk to me if they have questions.”
