Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Howell High School’s "We the People” team excelled at the Eastern District competition, earning first place in what was described as a “challenging field”.

The event simulates a congressional hearing, where students present testimony on constitutional issues to a panel of volunteer attorneys, educators and civic leaders, and answer questions on historical, political and constitutional topics.

The team will now compete at the state competition in January.

Howell’s team members include Max Dustman, Evan Fox, Jack Grossman, Joey Herrera, Bay James, Evee Lynch, Tania Nault, Jared Preece, Eden Preuss, Abby White and Nathan Wilkerson.

Working in groups, the students collaborated to research constitutional questions through a historical lens and to apply their learning to modern issues, develop written testimony and prepare for questions from the panel of judges. Each student’s dedication and hard work, studying and practice hearings was said to have contributed to the team’s success.

Aaron Grenier, Howell High School We the People Advisor said “Although our team was smaller than the others competing, their depth of knowledge and professionalism stood out. They engaged in thoughtful dialogue with the judges and demonstrated a remarkable understanding of constitutional principles. Their performance reflects countless hours of preparation and a true commitment to civic learning. They made Howell High School and Highlander Nation incredibly proud.”

A program of the Center for Civic Education, the We the People competition promotes civil discourse, civic responsibility and an appreciation for the Constitution. Students gain an informed understanding of current events while engaging in critical thinking about constitutional principles and history. The program also fosters healthy, civil and meaningful dialogue — skills essential to effective citizenship.

The We the People state competition will be held Friday, January 9th at the Michigan State University College of Law. The top three teams at the state competition will advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C., in April.