We the People: District Congressional Hearings Final Results

Article by Kris Olson, Social Science Dept. Chairperson

With confidence, dignity, and pride, the Colina Cougars competed in the District Finals of the We the People Congressional Hearings.  On December 10, 2007, the college prep students faced the judges and on the following day, December 11, 2007, the honors class took its turn.  Both groups were impressive and deserve much praise for their hard work and determination.  

The CP team was given a Superior ranking (the best that can be achieved) and two units were honored as the best in the competition:  units four and six.  

Some of the judges for this event were Captain Randy Pentis (Captain of the Thousand Oaks Police Department), Stan Mantooth (Associate Superintendent for Ventura County), Julia Snyder (Deputy District Attorney), Judge Donald Coleman (Juvenile Court Judge), and Commander Denis Carpenter (Chief of Police for Thousand Oaks). 

Each unit presented itself well.  Some of the questions posed to the teams during this event:

*With so many people having home computers, should we dissolve Congress and move to a direct democracy?

*Give some specific examples from our American history to show where we have improved the treatment of people.

*There were 55 men at the Constitutional Convention.  How might our history have changed if women had also been present?

*The gun ban in Washington, D.C., is being argued before the Supreme Court this term.  How should the Supreme Court rule on this issue?

*Give examples of how your freedom of religion and your freedom of expression could conflict.

Special thanks to Shane Frank and Tish Hiott who accompanied our team to the Ronald Reagan Library.  We are very proud of the accomplishments of this team. 

College Prep Team

The Honors team was also given a Superior ranking and ALL SIX unit teams were named the best of the day.  Colina was named the best We the People Team for the fourth year in a row! 

Patricia Y. Murray (President of the League of Women Voters), Jeanne Adams (Professor at CSUN), William Haney (Supervising Attorney, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office), Robert Leming (National Director of the Center for Civic Education), Michael Schwartz (Supervising Attorney, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office), Michael Guasco (Vice President Ventura County Bar Association), and Brian Rafelson (Supervising Attorney, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office) were some of the judges for this event. 

Some of the questions posed to the honors’ team include:

*Do you agree or disagree that civic virtue is a critical component of being a citizen?

*Under what circumstances could American citizens abolish our government?

*Should the nine unelected Supreme Court Justices have the power of Judicial Review?

*Who has the sovereignty in the United States and is that where the sovereignty should be?

*How can schools limit your freedom of religion and should schools be allowed to do this?

*Should ballots be printed in other languages?

A big thanks to Cathy Hinson for all of the hard work she does to help prepare these teams.  We could not be as successful as we have been without her assistance.  Also thanks to Mike Waters for his support.

Honors Team:

The event could not have happened without the support of Jeanne Boe, the Colina ASB, and, most especially, Kathleen Woodward and the Colina PTSA. 

Overall, it was another great year for Colina at the We the People competition.  Judge after judge and parent after parent spoke to us, and they were all amazed by the intelligence and poise of our students.  This type of success does not come just from one class; it is the school environment that makes it possible.  Students used the confidence and knowledge they have gained from all of us.  Our students present themselves well, and we can all take pride in this accomplishment.