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Plainfield students to represent Indiana at We the People national finals in April
Summary
Members of Plainfield High School’s We the People team told the school board they will travel to Washington, D.C., in April to compete at the national finals after winning the state championship.
Plainfield High School students who won the state We the People competition told the Plainfield Community School Corp. board on Feb. 13 that they will represent Indiana at the national finals in Washington, D.C., in April.
The team’s unit captains and members described their preparation and thanked the community for support. "I just wanna start by thanking all of you for all of your support that you have given us, whether that be donations, prayers, anything like that. It has all been helpful," said Xander De Gallio, identified at the meeting as Unit 2 team captain.
We the People is a civics competition made up of six units, each focusing on a different period or theme in constitutional history. Students deliver a four-minute prepared statement followed by ten minutes of follow-up questioning, often from panels that include former legislators and other civic leaders. "We actually participate in, like, a mock congressional hearing," a team member explained at the meeting. Several student speakers said the team is preparing statements and research for the national event and that they may livestream or post portions of the competition online.
Students who spoke included Xander De Gallio, Unit 2 team captain; Will Taylor, Unit 3 team captain; Noah Karim and Derek Chep Bowser, both Unit 3 members; and Chad Gibson, a Unit 2 member. Teacher Adam Ferguson was introduced as a co-teacher accompanying the students. The students said they appreciate donations and community support that helped them prepare. "Currently, we are working on preparing statements and doing other sort of research to prepare for DC in April," De Gallio said.
Board members and administrators in the meeting congratulated the team before moving on to the evening’s other agenda items. The students encouraged community members who want to see the competition to watch posted videos or a livestream if one is available.
The board did not take any formal action related to the team’s travel or funding during the meeting.
