Held annually, the competition aims to improve the students’ knowledge about the U.S. Constitution and its historical antecedents, said event coordinator Tim Thornbough, federal program officer of the Public School System.
Teams of 20 to 25 students from Mount Carmel School, Marianas Baptist Academy and two groups from MHS competed in the mock hearing that tackled six provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
Each team fielded questions from the judges who gave them points based on their thinking skills and research efforts.
Garnering a total of 570 points, the MCS students narrowly defeated one of the two MHS classes by 20 points.
The winning MCS students are Keol Buenpacifico, Hazel Doctor, Kevin Bautista, and Kevin Kim who testified on Unit 1; Ryan Ortizo, SoYoon “Karen” Lee, Cedie, Chan and Rita Villagomez, Unit 2; Louise Villagomez, Daniel Macario and A Ram Yoo, Unit 3; Armalene Cabreros, Jalayne Benevente and Alfred Acosta, Unit 4; Chiaki Hirosawa, Augustine Chang and Vanessa Sablan, Unit 5; and Keno Iwa San Pablo, Lourence Camacho and Jonathan Sanchez, Unit 6.
Their teacher is former Rep. Rosiky F. Camacho and their attorney coaches are Judy DLG. Torres, Joaquin DLG. Torres and Vincent DLG. Torres.
“These students are extremely bright and intelligent,” Judy Torres said. “When they combine their leadership skills with their sense of friendship and understanding, they are a dynamic team. This is a team that does not give up despite many obstacles thrown in their paths, and it has been my honor to work with them.”
Thornbough said the We The People program is designed to simulate congressional hearings with a panel of CNMI attorneys and judges serving as judges.
The attorneys presented a hearing question to a panel of students who then provided testimony about it.
Thornbough said the winners will travel to Washington, D.C. and their expenses will be funded by a federal grant from the Center for Civic Education which sponsors the We the People program.
Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan congratulated the MCS students, their teacher, coaches and parents for their excellent performance.
She also congratulated all of the students who competed, their teachers, coaches and parents for all their hard work.
Sablan said she was impressed with the higher order thinking skills that the students exhibited when responding to the probing questions of the judges.
