Civics Scholars Prep For Nationals

Question: How will a team of Wilbur Cross students get to the national finals of a U.S. Constitution-focused competition in Washington, D.C.?

Answer: By honing their oratorical skills, arguing against voter suppression, and raising an additional $7,000 for the out-of-state trip. 

This past December more than a dozen Wilbur Cross High School students participated in a state competition hosted by the Center for Civic Education and dubbed, ​“We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution.” During the competition, students ​“testified” before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress.

Wilbur Cross history teacher Brian Grindrod trained the class of students, as he has with four previous classes over the years.

While the Wilbur Cross civics class did not place in the state finals, which were hosted in Norwalk, they did win the contest’s John Lewis scholarship award. That award is given each year to an urban, high-needs high school. 

It secured Cross’s team a spot in the 36th Annual We the People National Finals in Washington, D.C on April 21 – 23. And it provided the 18-student local team with a start of $10,000 in funding to travel there and participate.

“They belong on that stage just as much as any other student,” Grindrod told the Independent in a recent interview about the class and the competition.

On a recent Tuesday in late March, Grindrod and Cross English teacher Lisa Chester joined the group to help the students practice for nationals through mock Congressional hearings, as hosted in a classroom at the East Rock public high school. 

Similar to the state competition, at nationals, students will participate in simulated Congressional hearings and testify as Constitutional experts before panels of judges.

This year is the first year Cross will attend the national competition. Typically, after attending the state completion, Grindrod shifts the class curriculum from the half-year civics course. This year he partnered with Southern Connecticut State University to offer an early college program for the second half of the year teaching American Government, which will give the students high school and college credit. 

This semester he had planned to bring his students on a trip to visit the state Capitol building in Hartford. 

“I was thinking of going to the state Capitol, not the national Capitol,” Grindrod said. 

Now, only two weeks away from nationals, the students will spend classes conducting mock hearings and practicing after school to become constitutional scholars. 

The civics class students practiced two mock testimonies during the class the Independent sat in on. 

Voting Rights & Voter Suppression

Students worked in trios answering from a list of pre-released hearing questions given in advance of the competition. 

A trio made up of Cross juniors Sophia Zhang, Anna Omelchenko, and Adam Sharqawe were tasked with answering the questions: ​“Throughout our history, each proposed expansion of the right to vote was greeted with opposition. What are the similarities and differences that characterize the opposition to expanding the right to vote? Why do you think that voting was not seen as a fundamental right a the birth of our nation? In your opinion, are there any reasons to deny or restrict a persons right to vote?” 

For the national competition each hearing begins with a four-minute opening statement by students, followed by an eight-minute period of follow-up questioning from a panel of judges who probe students’ civic understanding and their ability to apply Constitutional principles. 

The group’s introductory essay explained that since the early days of the Constitution, voting was not seen as a fundamental right but as a privilege. 

A similarity that characterized opposition to expanding the right to vote, the team said, was the refusal to give up power. 

“People who have the right to vote understand that the more voting becomes easier for others, then the more they use their power, and historically that power has resided in the hands of white powerful men,” Sharqawe said. ​“As voting becomes easier the more that power spreads and the more they lose their control over society, over the economy, and over politics.”

They used examples like a letter written by John Adams stating that expanding the right to vote to women would result in the ​“surrender of ranks to one common level.”

They also referred to past limitations like literacy tests and current ones like strict voter ID requirements and limits on early voting. 

In January of this year, New York Congresswoman Grace Meng reintroduced legislation to lower the voting age in America to 16 years old, Sharqawe said.

“Though many believe that young people do not have the mental capacity required to vote, the same was true in regards to other oppressed groups until laws and social understandings changed,” Sharqawe said. ​“Young people being underrepresented in politics have already demonstrated the capability to advocate for themselves with protesting proving their involvement in the democratic process.” 

While the students practiced, Grindrod noted that the group went 33 seconds over the four-minute introduction time limit which will not be allowed at the competition.

Grindrod noted that the teams must offer their introduction quickly but not too quick that it can’t be understood.

When asked why voting is important, the group said that voting is important to a democracy in which discussion and understanding differences in opinions play such an important role. 

Chester asked the group what voting restrictions are necessary. 

Sharqawe said restrictions should be in place against large companies with international employees. Zhang said citizens under 16 should also be restricted from voting. 

“Do you think someone who has a felony conviction should be allowed to vote?” asked Assistant Principal Garfield Pillner, who joined the class lesson halfway through with fellow Assistant Principal Angela Brunson. 

Sharqawe argued that felons should be able to vote because they are citizens and reserve the right to participate in democracy. 

“We’ve treated felons as these non-people almost,” he said. 

He added that giving felons the right to vote would allow them to advocate for those in similar positions to improve the prison system and decrease recidivism. 

After the group’s testimony, staff offered feedback. Grindrod suggested the teams use more examples to make their arguments stronger. 

“Current events will make your argument a little bit stronger,” Grindrod said. 

“A strong voice gives a perception that you know what you’re talking about,” Pilliner said. ​“Own the space, it’s your space.” 

Grindrod and Chester suggested the class could offer additional examples of voter suppression arguments made over mail-in ballots, changing election days, states’ signature verification requirements, and same-day registration.

What About Direct Democracy?

A second group made up of seniors Jade Pickerstein, Lila Kleppner, and junior Dave Cruz-Bustamante also practiced testimony for the first question of unit six. 

Grindrod posed the question: ​“What challenges might face American constitutional democracy in the 21st century? Citizens are more likely to get the politics they want when initiatives are available than when government decisions are the monopoly of elected officials. Do you agree or disagree with this claim? To what extent are ballot initiatives democratic? Is direct democracy an appropriate way of making public policy in the 21st century? If states vary int heir use of such things as initiatives and referendums, what challenges might arise, if any, due to the structure of federalism?” 

In their already prepped introductory essay, Dave defined direct democracy and gave examples like ballot initiatives giving citizens the power to propose laws rather than legislators in a representative democracy. 

Lila agreed that citizens are more likely to get policies they want through direct democracy. ​“A representative cannot actually represent every single person,” she said. 

Jade added to the team argument that direct democracy places power in the people’s hands and gave the example that in a state like Kansas, which is overwhelmingly Republican, on August 2, 2022 voters voted against removing abortion protections. ​“This vote makes it clear what we know the majority of Americans agree, that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions,” Jade said. 

The team argued that the majority of Congress does not represent their voters and are not understanding of the average American’s concerns as many are millionaires and seniors, Cruz-Bustamante said. 

The trio also offered the downsides of direct democracy, arguing that the process could pose a threat to the lives of marginalized people and compared this to Jim Crow laws and could pose a problem if unchecked. They added that everyday working citizens would not be able to vote on a frequent basis due to daily responsibilities.

The team ended their essay with, ​“Thank you and we are ready for your questions,” and began a practice eight-minute question and answer period. 

“Do you think people have time for direct democracy today?” Grindrod asked on Tuesday.

“No, I think we can’t use direct democracy to make every single decision,” Lila said. ​“I think you would see that each decision, depending on the vote, you’re going to have a lower turnout and each individual vote has less meaning. And you’re going to see the people who have the time and money.” 

Cruz Bustamante added that direct democracy could result in ​“extremist populism” due to a lack of political literacy in America. 

When asked which referendums they personally would like to see happen in Connecticut, Jade said decriminalization of all recreational drugs and Cruz Bustamante said lowering the voting age to 16 years old. 

To accomplish this, Jade said communities would need more harm reduction education and education on the prison system and mental health. 

When offering feedback, Grindrod told the students they went 10 seconds over their introduction essay time and needed to use more examples of ballot initiatives like early voting changes, and voting on local town budgets. 

“I think you guys did ​‘direct democracy’ really well. You know what it is, you know what a ballot initiative is,” Grindrod added. He also discussed ballot initiatives and referendum examples like those in ​“Bleeding Kansas” and 2014’s The Cal 3 plan.

“You guys were a little quiet at first but then you got really passionate at the end,” Grindrod said. ​“Use that passion.” 

Grindrod and Chester said they plan to spend the remaining days before nationals helping the students to build their confidence and familiarizing themselves with historic examples. 

In addition to the $10,000 scholarship from the Center for Civics Education, the Cross team also received another $10,000 donation from Civics First CT, $500 from UKS Law Firm, $1,000 from the New Haven County Bar Association, and are raising the the remainder on GoFundMe. Click here to donate. 

Grindrod has planned for the students to also tour the Capitol Building with Connecticut U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy during the trip. 

For this year’s state competition, Grindrod used his experience from being a mentor for the Trumbull High School civics team last year, which won this year’s states competition. 

He said he mimicked the suburban school’s use of community resources. He brought in guests like Yale graduate and past We The People competitor Isabelle Aboaf, longtime city public school teacher and current teachers union president Leslie Blatteau, and Magistrate Judge for the District of Connecticut Maria E. Garcia to help prep the students. 

“I want them to be invested in their community and to know that their voice has power,” Grindrod said. 

Click here to donate to the class’s GoFundMe campaign.

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