MILFORD HIGH SCHOOL bested Nashua High School in the final round of the New Hampshire Bar Association's We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution competition held Friday, Jan. 10, 2003, at the Legislative Office Building in Concord. Milford now is preparing to compete at the national We the People championship in Washington, D.C., April 26-28.

The competition, based on a national curriculum, involves the study of the U.S. Constitution - its history, principles and application to historical and contemporary situations - through study and a competition at which students, in a simulated congressional hearing format, present "testimony" and answer follow-up questions on particular areas of study.

Nashua High School, which won the state title last year, was awarded a special prize this year for the highest score on part of the program, the unit dealing with the question "What are the roles of the citizen in a democracy?" The Nashua team received a "Freedom Flag" - a flag designed as a memorial for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks - presented by longtime We the People volunteer and judge Paul Leary and his wife, Margaret.

The Milford team consists of 18 11^th and 12^th graders who are part of a non-honors constitutional law class taught by David Alcox, who is also the coach of Milford's Mock Trial team, which is a regular contender for the state Mock Trial championship.

The day began with a preliminary round to select two finalist teams, completing a preliminary round held in December that was cut short due to weather-related travel problems for some teams. The two finalists then competed in the afternoon for the state championship. In addition to Milford, which won the state title for the fourth time in six years, and Nashua, teams from Gorham High School and Laconia High School also competed.

The Law-Related Education program of the NH Bar Association, supported in part by grants from the Center for Civic Education and the New Hampshire Bar Foundation, sponsored the competition for the 16th year in New Hampshire.

In the competition, students, working as a team, make presentations that explore, explain and apply principles of the U.S. Constitution to modern-day situations. Panels of volunteers from the legal community and government pose follow-up questions to the students. Every student in a class must make a presentation and assist in answering questions.

This year's volunteer judges for the competition included U.S. Rep. Charles Bass, NH Supreme Court Associate Justices Joseph P. Nadeau and James E. Duggan, former NH Rep. Keith Herman (now a policy advisor to Gov. Craig Benson), and NH Supreme Court General Counsel Howard Zibel, a longtime volunteer of the We the People program.

According to the Center for Civic Education, which funds the program with federal dollars, the primary goal of We the People is "to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary and secondary students. The instructional program enhances students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy and at the same time, students discover the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights."

The culminating activity of the program is the competition, a simulated congressional hearing where students "testify" before a panel of judges. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have the opportunity to evaluate, assert or defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.

Since the program's inception in 1987, more than 26 million students have participated in this innovative course of study.

In addition to practicing and preparing for the nationals, the Milford students are now also raising funds to cover the expenses of traveling to the national competition in Washington. Following the state finals, NH Bar Foundation Chair Emily Rice presented a check for $1,000 to Milford High School to help defray those costs. Other contributions are welcome. Send a check to Milford High School - We the People, 100 West Street, Milford, NH 03055.

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