By Matthew Feria
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The AP Government and Politics class visited the Honolulu Circuit Court on Feb. 6 to compete in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition against Iolani and Kealakehe High Schools. Taking second place out of three teams overall, they were tested on United States politics in a mock congressional trial, all while being immersed in the politics and workings of the government.
“I come from a Filipino upbringing, and so we don’t talk about American politics, government or history at all in my house, and so it gave me (an) appreciation for the United States, which is something unprecedented in my own identity,” said Senior Anna Davide.
The mock congressional hearing was an opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of United States politics through questions about six units that required them to extensively analyze the Constitution and its impact. Their four-minute presentations were followed by six minutes of questioning from the judges. “There are three questions per unit about the Constitution, and you have your response prepared beforehand, and on the day of the competition they pick one of the three questions that you prepared with your team,” said Junior Kaycee Beardeaux.
The competition supplemented the AP Government curriculum, bringing careful study and analysis of politics out of the classroom. “The We the People competition is a national event that happens every year, and it’s an opportunity for students, usually in the AP Government class, to engage in questions surrounding American constitutionalism and politics,” said Social Studies teacher Dr. Amy Perruso.
The competition also increased the scope of information the students learned, expanding their knowledge by speaking to judges and professors in politics. “It shows your knowledge about things like specific instances in history, and a lot of questions are comparing the governmental systems of the U.S. and Britain,” said Davide. “I had a question regarding the similarities and differences between the Magna Carta and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in regards to classical republicanism and natural rights philosophy, and so you really have to be prepared for anything.” Perruso added, “This was important because it actually forced them to engage in high level conversations with adults who are really knowledgeable about American law, American politics and American constitutionalism.”
The competition also exposed the students to public speaking in a relatively new and professional environment. “I think they did something that was challenging and outside their comfort zone, so in that respect I am proud of them putting themselves in that situation that was difficult,” said Perruso. “It gave me awareness for other things and it taught me how to have an opinion and it taught me to speak my truth and have a voice, and I didn’t know I was capable of that,” Davide added.
The We the People competition was based around the same curriculum as the AP Government exam, so by participating and working hard, the students had the double benefit of studying for the AP test. The valuable skills and lessons learned from this year’s competition will hopefully be passed down to AP Government students in the future.
