in Washington D.C. in the “We, The People” National Finals.
After only five weeks of preparation the AP U.S. Government and Politics class became experts in six critical aspects of U.S. government and politics: philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system, how the framers created the Constitution, how values and principles embodied in the Constitution shape American institutions and practices, how the protections of the Bill of Rights were developed and have expanded, rights protected by the Bill of Rights, and the roles of citizens in American Democracy.
In early May, the inaugural group competed against the winners of state competitions from the United States mainland, Alaska and Hawaii.
During the competition teams presented four minutes of testimony on their respective units, and were questioned for six minutes to demonstrate their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and other historical documents.
The six-minute questioning period also allowed students to demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge of U.S. government to current politics.
All students agreed that participating in the program has increased their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and U.S. government.
“I developed a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution,” MHS junior Julie Duatin said. “My unit, unit five, was about what rights the Bill of Rights protects and about what provisions in the Bill of Rights help protect our liberty interests.”
Duatin added that the program was a good experience and that she enjoyed meeting other people from different schools around the nation.
“If given the chance to do this program again I definitely would, but since the rules won’t allow me to, I’ll gladly help the team that will be competing next year,” she said.
Other students expressed how participating in the program impacted them for the better.
MHS junior Ron Ron Catap, who presented unit two, noted how We, The People helped develop his appreciation for U.S. government.
“There is no doubt the program has benefited me, and I highly encourage students to participate in it,” he said of the program. “I have become more aware of how our government works and I have gained a greater sense of appreciation for our political leaders today and back then.”
“I chose unit two because I knew that the unit would be based more on factual information and I thought it would be more beneficial for me. All the other units cover parts of the constitution, but unit two covered the constitution as a whole, and it is important to know the origin of the constitution before one discusses individual parts of it,” he concluded.
MHS junior Kathleen Lamorena shared that participating in the We, The People program opened new doors to possible career options.
“I wanted to be a businesswoman, but now I’m looking at a career as a lawyer. Being the first to win and represent the CNMI was a great honor.”
In addition to gaining a significant in-depth understanding of government structure and functions, MHS’s AP Government class was able to tour the nation’s capital, visiting several significant historical sites.
Among the places the class visited were Mount Vernon (home of President George Washington), the Vietnam War Memorial, the National Archives Museum, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian Complex.
“It was an amazing experience to actually have been to the nation’s capital. The best experience was going to the National Archives Museum, to actually see the original Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence,” MHS junior Michelle Feria stated.
The AP class also visited the World War II memorial, where they placed a wreath to honor soldiers who served in the Pacific, specifically to veterans who served in the Mariana Islands.
As students offered a moment of silence to honor veterans who served in the Pacific, they were able to meet WWII veteran Wesley O. Nicholls Sr., who served on Saipan for nine months during the war.
“Meeting Mr. Nicholls greatly affected my attitude towards people who serve in war, because I know they put their time on hold for people they don’t know so that the people can do whatever it is they want to do. It also made me feel proud to be an American and to know that people, strangers, actually care about the nation as a whole,” senior Josie Untalan explained as she recalled the experience.
“It was an honor to meet him and hear from his perspective what the war was like and how it affects us today in CNMI,” she added.
MHS AP US Government and Politics instructor John H. Davis expressed great satisfaction towards the outcome of his class’s participation in the “We, The People” program. “I can confidently say that after having taken part in this program that my students are the experts in U.S. Government in the CNMI. The winning schools had nearly 36 members with three to four months to prepare. I am very proud of what my 22 students were able to achieve in the month they had before competing at the national level.”
Accompanying chaperones, Dr. Chas Algaier and Ms. Jeanne Rayphand also responded positively to the impact the program has had on the MHS AP students.
Since the program’s establishment in 1987, over 28 million students and 90 thousand instructors have become involved in We, The People. The program, sponsored by the Civic Center of Education, aims to increase civic participation among youth throughout America.
