The Duluth Central Honors American Government class placed first in the State We the People…The Citizen and the Constitution competition on December 17, earning themselves a trip to the National Competition in Washington D.C.
This is a tremendous academic honor for our students as they represent not only Duluth Central High School, but the city of Duluth and the entire state of Minnesota.
The program the students used is one of the most extensive programs on the principles and values embodied in the Constitution used in the United States today. Not only did the students study the entire course, but also each student became an expert on one of six topics of constitutionalism. This required extensive research on history and philosophical ideas underlying the development of the Constitution and the ability to apply these ideas to today’s issues.
The six topics or units of constitutionalism include:
. What are the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system?
. How did the framers create the Constitution?
. How has the Constitution been changed to further the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence?
. How have the values and principles embodied in the Constitution shaped American institutions and practices?
. What rights does the Bill of Rights protect?
. What challenges might face American Constitutional Democracy in the twenty-first century?
The 30 students in the Honors American Government class were divided into these six units and were given two questions pertaining to their topic. Their job was to develop a 4-minute speech for each question and prepare to answer follow up questions for each question. In competition, each unit was asked one of the two questions and after presenting their findings; they were asked 6 minutes of extensive follow up questions. Judges scored each group in 6 categories including Understanding, Constitutional Application, Reasoning, Supporting Evidence, Responsiveness and Participation.
The amount of time, work and dedication needed to prepare for this competition was tremendous and each of them should be proud of their accomplishments. In order to compete at the National Competition in May, the students need to again prepare 4-minute speeches to three new questions. In addition, the group needs to fundraise approximately $32,000. The cost per student is around $1,000, which includes hotel, food and sightseeing expenses. The cost of travel is covered by the Center for Civic Education. If anyone would like to donate money to this worthy cause or would like additional information, please contact Ethan Fisher at 733-2130, extension 219.
The students in the Honors American Government class that qualified for the National competition include:
Unit 1
Matthew Bonnema, Zachary Gunderson, Ethan Johnson, Timothy Salzer and Max Wipson
Unit 2
Scott Ekeroth, Shannon Kerr, Katie Ozan, Katie Sieger and Jessica Paul
Unit 3
Joel Bransky, Trevor Cotter, Peter Greenwood, Kyle McCuskey and Karl Mesedahl
Unit 4
Kelsey Anderson, Sean Goossens, Meagan Harold, Keren Williams and David Zwak
Unit 5
Margaret Kucera, Michelle Marnich, Jillian Nelson, Whitney Ozan and Laura Sutliff
Unit 6
Melissa Gallegos, Rachael Kerr, Jacob Marsh, Sunny Nguyen and Bri Whiting
