Constitutional Champions: Spartans, Silver Hawks advance to national We the People competition

January 13, 2025

Lincoln Public Schools students showcased their awareness of the bedrock of American democracy during a recent state civics contest.
 
Students from three LPS high schools traveled to Nebraska Wesleyan University for the annual “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” state event this fall. East High School claimed the state championship and Southwest High School’s silver team captured runner-up honors. Northwest High School and Southwest’s green team joined groups from Conestoga and Johnson-Brock at the contest.
 
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation (NSBF) sponsors the annual competition, which tests how much students know about the Constitution, Bill of Rights and other civics-based topics. Teams participated in a simulated hearing of Congress with adult judges who acted as United States representatives and senators. Students prepared statements and answered questions about the philosophical and historical foundations of the American governmental system.
 
NSBF Executive Director Doris Huffman said she was happy to watch the schools decipher different sections of two of America’s most important documents.
 
“The students competing in the We the People competition demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” Huffman said. “This is one of the premier educational programs offered by the Bar Foundation.”
 
East High School
East team member Avery Fast said the Spartans were thrilled with their state championship. They earned a chance to represent the school this spring at the We the People national contest in Washington, D.C.
 
“We were all incredibly excited when we learned we had won and could possibly go to nationals!” Fast said. “It showed that all our preparation paid off.”

 
East head coach Michaela Schleicher said the 20 Spartans on this year’s team were motivated to remain on top of the state mountain. The program captured its seventh straight state title.
 
“There is a long tradition of success for We the People at Lincoln East and this group of students wanted to continue that legacy,” Schleicher said. “Representing Lincoln East at nationals in April has been a goal for this team, so the fact that they get to do this means a lot to them.”
 
Members of East’s championship team include Nusrat Amin, Abena Bonsu, Ayla Brosman, Gabriel Buggi, Sarah Cai, Nathan Casper, Devin Erickson, Avery Fast, Khoi Le, Nicholas Li, Elizabeth Mason, Hannah Melton, Alexandra Meyer, Ananya Bindu Mirle, Cing Muang, Aidan Murphy, Kashish Nangia, Eloisa Swinehart, Emma Yin and Elaine Yu.
 
Fast and Amin both said the Spartans enjoyed researching historical documents during the fall semester. They became familiar with well-known and obscure sections of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and they used that knowledge to develop solid arguments for the contest.
 
“We had a very ‘go-getter’ class attitude and it was clear that we were all working hard and trying our best to prepare and win,” Fast said.
 
“I think our team’s success came from the hard work we all put in,” Amin said. “The WePo questions are definitely questions which can often stump students, so being able to understand your weak areas in your knowledge and growing those areas through hard work really helped us achieve success.”
 
Schleicher said the team’s commitment and camaraderie created a championship outcome. She said those skills would benefit the Spartans both now and in the future.
 
“The students worked hard throughout the semester to prepare and better themselves,” Schleicher said. “There was a sense of unity of purpose and it has helped the group excel.”
 
Southwest High School
Southwest head coach Ryan Salem said the Silver Hawks were happy when state organizers called their names as national qualifiers. He said the silver team was focused on achieving its goal of traveling to the nation’s capital.
 
“I was very excited to see the kids’ hard work pay off,” Salem said. “What has made this We the People team so special is the kids’ dedication to the hard work it takes to learn the material and write and revise their essays. I am very proud of this group of kids.”

 
Members of Southwest’s state runner-up squad include Vaneesa Barifagok, Brandon Beason, Ripley Becker, Tate Boesiger, Penelope Brown, Brooklyn Bruggeman, Gabriel Christensen, Brandon Clark, Brooklyn Engelman, Luthor Epp, Cole Erickson, Kasch Faustman, Casper Harris, Mary Beth Hart, Stefani Johnson, Lilly Kenning, Ben Kottmeyer, Anja Leggett, Kate Nolley, Kamdyn O’Bryant, Terrell Patterson, Ashlyn Penas, Paige Pomajzl, Benjamin Quattrocchi, Gray Salem, Harrison Schell, Noah Smith, Khloe Swanson, Nathanael Taylor, Madhav Variyam, Carson Vo and Reagan Vokoun.
 
Harris said he is grateful for the friendships he has formed from taking part in We the People. He is a new student at Southwest this year and learned about the program at the beginning of the semester.
 
“I remember at the beginning of the class not being sure where I fit in since everyone already knew each other,” Harris said. “But through my team I was able to meet some great people that I probably wouldn’t have talked to otherwise and grow more comfortable at Southwest. I’m really happy that I made the decision to participate in We the People, and I’m so glad that we have the chance to compete again.”
 
The Silver Hawks worked together to create statements about multiple topics for judges. This year’s list of state materials included 18 questions.
 
“When we learned that we had advanced to nationals we were all pretty excited,” Harris said. “We were feeling a lot of anticipation leading up to awards, and we were all surprised when all the honorable mentions had been read and we realized we made the top two. I think most of all we were really happy that all of our hard work had paid off.”
 
LPS students can participate in many social studies enrichment activities throughout the year. Visit home.lps.org/socialstudies/ to learn more about We the People and other civics-based initiatives.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

---