Cleveland’s Constitution team just wrapped up months of hard work at their state competition Jan. 31, where they proudly walked away holding the title of third in state and the best Unit Five award. The top three schools in the state were all Portland Public schools, with Lincoln placing second and Grant placing first.
Competitors described the competition as “one of the best performances” the team has given. “Everyone was excited and well rehearsed, there was so much support for each other throughout the entire day,” said Unit Five mentor McKenzie Vo.
Many competitors were nervous that they wouldn’t even make it to state, but the results of the competition showed that Cleveland’s Constitution team was worthy. Their triumph did not come without obstacles thrown at them. At the regional competition, during Unit Two’s prepared response, a judge came in late while the students were speaking. The judge was eventually kicked out for continuously disrupting their presentation.
The state competition presented new challenges of trying to manage in a chaotic environment. “The event was very poorly organized,” said Indra Fox, member of the team’s Unit Two. “Two teams didn’t know where to go due to the rooms being decided right before everyone went up to their floors.”
The competition was held at Multnomah County Circuit Courthouse, a different location than it has been held in previous years. Constitution team is a nationwide civics competition, taking forms as a class, club, or in the case of Cleveland, both. Students are expected to know not just the Constitution, but a multitude of court cases, laws and current events.
The team is divided into six units, ranging from Unit One, which discusses philosophical questions that shaped the Constitution, all the way to Unit Six, which tackles the threats the Constitution faces in the future. With all six units, students are expected to have a vast range of knowledge, and have to rely on collaboration to successfully work as a team.
In the state competition, each unit has to give two, four minute prepared responses, followed by an eight minute period where the judges ask follow up questions to each prepared response. This follow up period is very challenging, as students don’t know what questions the judges may ask, and have to be prepared for everything.
The Constitution team expands much deeper than a typical civics course. Students learn how to not only memorize facts, but think quickly on their feet in stressful situations. Cleveland’s team is run by teacher Sadie Adams, and is supported by various coaches per unit who typically have a background in law. Cleveland is unique, because the seniors in the class serve as mentors for the sophomores on the team.
“Me and the other mentors set expectations high,” said Vo. “They struggled productively and built themselves on the foundation we set.”
All this work is greatly appreciated by the students participating on the team. Zadie Swinehart, a member of Unit Six, shared her appreciation for her coaches Amy Alpern and Diane Sykes, as well as her mentor, JD Appleyard. “My coaches taught me so much … and they’re both such sweet people, and JD was such an amazing mentor,” Swinehart said.
“I think Mrs. Adams needs a shout out,” said Claire Regenstreif, coach of the team’s Unit Four. “None of this would be possible without all the tremendous amount of time and effort she puts into this, outside of her duties as a teacher. She is the reason we have a team and a team that, despite not being around for nearly as long as many of our competitors, is right in the top! She advocates for the students and the values of the program like no one I’ve ever seen!”
Constitution Team is popular at Cleveland, not just because of the rigorous academic content the class provides, but also for the big supportive community, one that leaves a great impact on students’ lives.
“Con team was an incredible special and formative experience; everyone cared about learning and lifting each other up. It was unique in that everyone really wanted to be there, so we all got to be really close as we worked towards the competition,” said Anna Thornton, member of the previous team’s Unit Five.
The Constitution team has undoubtedly been a formative experience to many students at Cleveland. Students who take the class urge freshmen to give it a chance, noting that even though it’s hard work, it’s incredibly rewarding and worth it.
“Con team taught me about what I wanted to be. It was the best year of my life and I would do it every year if I could,” said Isaac Rudiger, former member of Unit Six.
The team performed exceptionally well due to all the pieces of the team working in harmonious conjunction with each other. The team is now moving onto a semester of honors economics, where they get to use their knowledge in a more traditional classroom setting.
If you see a member of the Constitution team, make sure to congratulate them on their achievement, and pray for them as they start to draft their lengthy Econ-paper.
