Our AHS Constitution Team, or Gov. Team for short, just claimed a win at their We the People district competition on Saturday, Oct. 13, and will now be heading onto the state level competition! Overall, the team did a great job and was satisfied with their performance!

In a We the People competition, participants simulate a congressional hearing, where they are provided with an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and ideas before a panel of judges. This panel is usually a group of community representatives. The teams prepare and present four-minute opening statements in response to three hearing questions. The judges then ask follow-up questions in order to test the depth of their knowledge in a six-minute time period. Afterward, the students are judged based on criteria such as their understanding, reasoning, and participation.

When asked about his unit’s performance at the district competition, senior Calvin Nguyen felt that “we were all on top of our game, and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.” He displayed the great teamwork of Gov. Team when he recalled “one particular question in where we all had fantastic coordination bouncing off each other’s answers like yoga balls, and I’m really proud of our ability to work well together.” Gov. Team Coach Megan Leahy also showed her satisfaction with Gov. Team, sharing that she thinks “that they did a fantastic job. They were asked some very tough questions where they held their composure and answered them well.”

With all the practice that went into these competitions, it’s no wonder that Gov. Team was able to obtain good results. Members from Unit 4 of the team revealed that they had been “preparing for the competition over the summer and throughout the school year for about three days a week.” They also “have a coaches meeting, a unit meeting, and chambers Monday night where [they] perform in front of a panel of judges.” Calvin’s unit also reflected Gov. Team’s hard-working attitude. “My unit has met up frequently to go over our own prepared responses. We help each other draft a copy of our written responses and discuss the potential questions that judges in competitions might ask us. We’ve also analyzed in depth the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the different state constitutions during the Revolutionary War,” he shared.

Despite their recent accomplishment, there are still things that Gov. Team should work on. Coach Leahy expressed that the students simply needed to “learn new things and continue to expand in their research.” Calvin also revealed some areas that need improvement, such as “speech fluidity and comprehension of different historical philosophies.”

Many members, along with Coach Leahy, expressed excitement for the upcoming state competition next year. With their hard work and practice, we’re sure that they can do well! Congratulations to Gov. Team and good luck at the state level competition!