From left: Mentors Eric Darling and Tom Schneck with Wauwatosa West students Simon Ng, Anna Baisch, Chris Monty, and Ellen Schaefer
March 2, 2016 – With the help of mentor attorneys, 29 students from Wauwautosa West High School are headed to Washington, D.C., in April for the national “We the People” program, after winning the state competition for the ninth consecutive year.
The “We the People” competition tests students’ knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, including its philosophical underpinnings, amendments, seminal case law, and modern-day applications.
The students divide into units specializing in particular constitutional areas, with each unit responsible for an opening statement to a panel of judges who work in law, history, education or government. Like oral arguments, the students must answer questions from the judges that range from historic or philosophical interpretations to current events.
The state competition, held Jan. 9, 2016, at Marquette University Law School, simulated a congressional hearing with students testifying before panels of judges, answering questions, and demonstrating their understanding of the constitutional principles of our democratic government.
In 1987, the Center for Civic Education started the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” program. Since then, more than 28 million students and 75,000 teachers throughout the U.S. have participated.
Lawyers as Mentors
The Wauwatosa West team is led by history teacher Chad Mateske and by mentor attorneys Mark Young of Trapp & Harman S.C., Brookfield; Tom Schneck of Andrew C. Ladd L.L.C., Waukesha; Eric Darling of Schmidt, Darling and Erwin S.C.; and Rebecca Salawdeh of Salawdeh Law Office.
These attorneys became involved with the group when their children were on the team. Young has been working with the team for nine years, Schneck eight years, Darling four years, and Salawdeh joined the group this year because her daughter, Nadiyah, is on the current team. All say they find the students’ commitment to learning about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and government inspiring.
In addition to spending five class periods per week with Mateske preparing for the competition, students work with their mentoring attorneys in brainstorming sessions and research. The attorneys provide feedback during dry runs and help them with their statements. As the competition draws near, it is common for the attorneys to volunteer 10 to 15 hours each week.
Rewards for Mentor Attorneys
“What draws me back from year to year is the joy of watching the kids put out an extraordinary effort, and realizing the benefits which flow from working hard on a project like this,” said Young. ”They are very bright, but also great fun to be around."
Benefits for the students including honing research skills, sharpening writing skills, and thinking more quickly on their feet.
“They routinely bring a smile to my face in the competitions as I see how accomplished they have become during the year,” Young said. “I like to tell them at the end of the year that, despite being juniors, any one of them could easily step onto a college campus with confidence, which I genuinely believe, because they are functioning at a college level.”
From left: Mentors Mark Young and Rebecca Salawdeh with Wauwatosa students Steven Anthony, Andjelika Milicic, Allison Wendler, Jessica Willson, and Nadiyah Salawdeh
It’s about sharing a love of constitutionalism and government with the next generation, said Scheck. It’s something that betters society.
“Civic education and more importantly, civic virtue, are essential for self-government,” Scheck said. “Mentoring these exceptional students, and seeing them make connections between these constitutional concepts and what’s going on in the world today in a deeper way, is very thrilling.”
The students are inspiring to watch as they work hard and become excited about the Constitution, said Salawdeh.
“These are kids who can tell you who is their favorite founder or Supreme Court justice, and get angry when the news media or even presidential candidates make incorrect statements about the provisions of the Constitution. I know that no matter where these kids go in the future, they will continue to be engaged citizens,” said Salawdeh.
It is also an education for the attorney mentors, as they recall Constitution Law classes in law school.
“In working with the students, I have revisited some areas and have taken the opportunity to learn more about other areas of constitutional law and history with which I had previously been less familiar,” said Salawdeh. “Having the opportunity to read and discuss the cases and the history, without the pressure of a final law school exam or legal brief has been very fulfilling.”
The program also instills self-esteem as well as increasing the knowledge of the students, said Darling.
Wading into the subject matter is also pleasurable for the mentors.
“We the People invigorates history lessons that seemed dry in high school and college, combines them with legal concepts that I learned and then forgot in law school, and engages these students in a way that I never would have thought possible if I wasn’t there to see it myself. Chad Mateske has built a legacy that Tosa West can always be proud of,” Darling said.
Fundraising Required to Attend National Competition
In addition to the intensive preparation needed for the national competition in Washington, D.C., students are currently involved in a variety of fundraising activities. They are approximately halfway through a campaign to raise $60,000 to ensure that the entire team can travel together to the national hearings.
Donations to the group can be made via a secure website.
And volunteers are always needed. Attorneys interested in volunteering for the We the People Competition should contact James Kegal.
Student members of the Wauwatosa West team include: Steven Anthony, Anna Baish, Lauren Casper, Vian Faith David, Clarence Diogo, Alizabeth Fassbender, Alison Hanus, Max Herteen, Maximilian Ho, Sarah Holmer, Clare Honan, Clare Jennings, Kayla Madritsch, Josette McMurphy, Andjelika Milicic, Christopher Monty, Ian Newton, Simon Ng, Bridget Obligato, Eileen Reetz, Steven Ross, Nadiyah Salawdeh, Ellen Schaefer, Sarah Schuster, Richard Sear, Saul Soriano, Noah Suchy, Allison Wendler, and Jessica Wilson.
The group is lead by teacher Chad Mateske, with teaching assistants Adam Fendos, Aubrioanna Mierrow, and Nicole Mystrow.