“I try to press home to my students that Congress would function much better if they did what we do in this class. That is, discuss, debate, deliberate with civil discourse and then make decisions on what is best for the American people,” said Westfield Academy and Central School teacher Greg Birner.

Each year, Birner takes 18 students from his We the People class to compete in a statewide competition focusing on the Constitution of the United States. The competition was held in December in New York City and Birner’s students returned after taking fourth place in the state, and placing first in Unit 3 of the competition.

Students who take part in the “We the People: Bill of Rights and Constitution” program participate in a mock congressional hearing, Birner said. Teams prepare a four-minute presentation and must be prepared to answer six minutes of follow-up questions, he said. Judges for the competition include lawyers, politicians, professors and educators.

Birner stresses the importance of knowing the Constitution to his students. “It is very important whether your politics run toward the left, right or up the middle, that you understand how our government functions and what your role in it is,” he said. “I am proud to say that our democracy, if these students are any measure of the matter, is in capable hands.”

To prepare themselves to take part in the competition, the students work for months. “Preparing for the competition felt like endless hard work,” said Maleri Kelsey. “I decided that I enjoyed this type of work. For the entirety of the week before, all I could think about was ‘We the People.’ ”

Kelsey said she was disappointed in the outcome of the competition. “It was really hard for me to understand that we worked very hard and the judges gave us zero negative critiques, and we ended up with no unit award,” she said. “After I was given time to think about it, I am very proud of how our group performed.”

Grant Beadle also commented on the difficulty of the preparation. “It took months to write a speech, memorize it and learn content about the follow-up questions,” he said. “I was a little disappointed at first, then I realized that even though we didn’t come in first or second place, it was still a great honor to be competing.”

The inspiration for taking part in the class came from many sources. “We, as a group, wanted to win, so that’s the inspiration for everything,” said Tahner Stow. “As for me, it would be the love for this subject and my quest for knowledge.”

Lanie Schofield said her motivation came from being a part of WACS. “Being a small class in a competition with big city schools motivated me to work my hardest and prove that our school is worthy enough to compete,” she said.

Several students said that they found their inspiration in their teacher. “Me. Birner pushed me to work hard and it was due to his support that we performed as well as we did,” said Lincoln Thomas.

Emma DeGolier agreed. “I have worked so hard because Mr. Birner always pushed me to do the best that I can,” she said. “Through his encouragement and constant help, we were able to prepare as a class to do as much as we did in the competition.”

Savannah Frudd said she joined the class for the challenge that it offered. “I wanted to push myself and now I am glad I did,” she said. “If it weren’t for Mr. Birner showing his faith in us and telling us how far he thought we could go, I wouldn’t have wanted to take this class or work as hard as I did.”

The experience was not all work, however, as the students had the opportunity to experience New York City as Christmastime. “They were able to see the Rockefeller tree all lit up, the light show and Saks Fifth Avenue, and see where the ball is dropped in Times Square,” Birner said. “I have found that letting the kids enjoy the city and relax a bit before the big day beats hitting the books one more night.”

Addie Lendt said she appreciated this aspect of the trip. “It was an amazing experience and I will always be grateful for the things I learned and what I gained from attending the ‘We the People’ trip,” she said. “It was really fun to walk around the city with my classmates and see the city lit up with Christmas lights.”

Sophia Wolfe said she couldn’t agree more. “I really enjoyed the trip and the overall experience,” she said. “Being able to spend time in New York City during the holidays is truly something magical.”

Grace Graham summed up the group’s feelings about New York City and the experience of the We the People competition. “If I were to rate the overall trip on a scale of one to 10, I would easily give it a ten,” she said. “I loved spending time in the city with my friends the night before the competition. It was so cool seeing the Christmas tree in the Rockefeller Center and I still can’t believe how tall all of the building are in the city. It was such an interesting experience!”