By Emily Williams
Twenty students from Vestavia Hills High School will be traveling to the nation’s capital April 22-25 for the national We the People competition.
The journey isn’t new for the mock congressional hearing team’s coach, Amy Maddox. This will be her 12th time seeing students to Washington, D.C., but she says it is always a trip she looks forward to.
“I love the content and I love watching them make their historical and governmental studies relevant,” Maddox said. “They apply it to what they see in the news, what they see happening in our state and in the nation. I love seeing these kids be the best versions of themselves. It challenges them on a whole different intellectual level.”
For students, the trip is the culmination of daily hard work studying U.S. political history and current events. Amy Zho, Jay Wall and Jackson Robinson make up Unit Five of the six-unit team.
“We’ve had Mrs. Maddox for two years and see that she really loves the U.S. and its founding Constitution,” Zho said. “I think her dedication toward the subject itself is what led me to join the team.”
Maddox is quick to voice her admiration for her team members as well, especially the values she sees them display.
“They sink or swim as a team and there is no real individual component,” Maddox said. “I love watching them have to depend on each other.”
Each unit is given a topic to focus on and three questions to prepare responses to for the competition. In addition to an opening statement and response time, the last 10 minutes of their competition slot will be devoted to open questioning on any topic the judges choose.
“Our questions for nationals are about freedom of speech, freedom of religion and right to bear arms. They are very controversial and timely topics,” Robinson said. Though they are focusing on those three issues, they have to stay on top of current events and issues that have anything to do with the Bill of Rights. Luckily, members of Unit Five love the subject and see the impact their studies will have on their future.
“The more I learn about politics, the less I want to do it,” Wall said. “I want to major in history and then go into law school. We’ve learned a lot about cases and I think that will definitely help me if I want to become a lawyer.”
Zho and Robinson both plan to pursue political science degrees in college.
“It’s a way of thinking,” Robinson said. “When we read all of the things we have to read, it kind of changes the way you think about politics. One of the major aspects is public speaking, which is important for everyone. You also need to be able to think logically and reason with others and discuss big ideas civilly.”
The students said that the topics they are delving into are especially exciting at this point in the presidential race. Not only are the 18-year-olds able to vote for the first time, they know just what their vote means.
“It is definitely important,” Robinson said. “It’s the easiest way to express your voice in government.”
Wall said he is quick to voice his opinions to anyone who doesn’t feel their vote is necessary.
“They don’t have any faith in the system and they don’t think it represents them, unfortunately. That’s a problem with the electoral college,” he said.
Unit Five may not be debating the right to vote at nationals, but their studies for the We the People competition have prepared them for any political discussion that is thrown their way.