This past December, the Maggie Walker We The People (WTP) team won first place at the Central VA Qualifiers at Randolph-Macon College. They competed against two other high schools, Douglas S. Freeman High School and Glen Allen High School. Not only did the MLWGS class return with their gold medals, but they also had the highest performing unit across all teams participating in the competition.

The competition is made up of simulations of Congressional hearings to demonstrate understanding of the Constitution. For these “hearings,” students in the WTP class are split up into six units, each focused on a different topic of the Constitution. Each unit has three specific questions they must answer: one question for the regional competition and two for states. Students must present a four-minute speech, then go through an eight minute Q&A session where students are grilled by a panel of judges with professional experience dealing with Constitutional law.

Preparation for the regional competition “was intense and spared no expense,” according to Sonia Chornodolsky (‘25), who competes in Unit 4 in the class. Senior Sriyutha Morishetty, who was in Unit 6, explained, “...for the first quarter, we basically experiment[ed] with all the different units…then we decide[d] on what’s most suitable for us and… [got] paired in units.” In the second quarter, preparation becomes much more detailed and is unique for each unit. For Alexis Paraschiv (‘25), books and papers on JSTOR are a major resource, as “...it’s all about getting as much information as you can so you're not caught off guard when one of the judges lobs a question at you about Vermont.” Anusha Rathi (‘25) said, “Practice rounds in the early mornings, group calls throughout the week, and meeting up have all become a normal routine for us to efficiently and effectively prepare for competition day.” Aside from independent research, Morishetty said, “Something that was really helpful was reaching out to a University of Richmond professor, Dr. Spalding…he hopped on a Zoom call with us and helped flesh out our argument, give us examples to write about, [and] really streamline what we wanted to say.”

On the day of the competition, emotions were varied across all students. Some, like Morishetty and senior Katie Watson, felt nervous, especially in the moments leading up to their units presenting. On the other hand, others like seniors Winston Crane and Rathi felt calmer, with Rathi saying, “I knew that those months of hard work and practice were going to pay off that day and I was completely confident in that.” Calmness or nerves aside, once students entered the room in front of the panel of judges, most reported that they immediately felt a lot more comfortable and confident in their abilities. Paraschiv remarked, “My unit was scheduled to go last, so it felt like the dread just kept piling on with each round that went by. But then, once you get in that swivel chair, you feel the nerves just drain out of you and you get into the zone.” Watson echoed this, saying, “It was a lot of nerves leading up to it, but the moment I sat down I felt a lot better.” From a teacher's viewpoint, Mr. Ulmschneider commented, “[T]he emotions of the moment aside, when I watch the students responding I am proud of and impressed with how fast We The People students can grow in their eloquence, capacity to articulate their political, legal, and historical analysis improvisationally.”

Although regionals were an incredible victory for the WTP team, preparation has not slowed down. In fact, ahead of the state competition in February, students stated that they were working harder than ever to give their best effort. For regionals, each unit only needed to present and answer questions about one of their assigned three topics. For states, however, all of the writing, research, and preparation is essentially doubled. In the words of Paraschiv, “Since now we have to write two papers and address two completely different questions, you now don't need to know everything about one thing, but just everything about everything. As one alum put it, [we are] ‘running and never looking back.’” Furthermore, at states, Maggie Walker will compete against the best teams across Virginia, adding more pressure on the team. “We know that with the regional win, other teams are going to come back stronger, so we need to make sure not to lose any more momentum or passion,” stated Morishetty. Even over the extended winter break, each WTP unit continued to research, collect study materials, and quiz each other over FaceTime or Zoom sessions with Mr. U, showing just how dedicated each student is to the class and each other. Chornodolsky quoted, “Mr. U always says, ‘If a day goes by that you don’t think at all about We The People and you don’t do ten minutes of work, you’re doing We The People wrong.’” 

Despite all the work and stress, the team is resoundingly positive about their experience. Rathi reflected, “The class pushes you to think above your own opinions, think outside of the box, and the importance of teamwork and collaboration.” In regards to the subject matter of the class, Watson said, “WTP is especially important because it is a lens into civic engagement that I don’t really see anywhere else…I am a lot more aware and understanding of the political and international situation.” Morishetty added, “...it’s really important to be informed…and to know what you believe and why you believe it.” Mr. U summarized the impact of WTP by stating, “We the People is an important class (not an important competition) because it forces students to engage in deeper research, longer form writing, more complex discourse, and stronger self-interrogation of their political ideals than any other classroom experience,” adding that “We The People is a way to practice being a well-informed and well-engaged citizen in a democracy.”

Congratulations to Mr. U and the We the People class, and we wish you best of luck at the state competition! 

Information retrieved from VA Civics.