Napoleon Students Take Top Honors
at We the People Competition
Unit 6 -
Pictured above are the Napoleon High students who won the overall competition, Dr. Donna Pearson addressing the students, and judges
taking a break between hearings from left, Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle, Aaron Nicholson, Justice Dan Crothers, Justice Dale Sandstrom
and James Hoy.
Pictured above are the advisors from each school, from left, Doug Margerum, Richland; Jennifer Kallenbach, Napoleon; Melissa Entzi,
Edgeley; Elliot Rotvold, Edgeley, and Brian Olson, Rugby. At center, Dr. Donna Pearson presents awards to participants. At right are Unit 3
judges Justice Lisa McEvers, Dr. Chad Litton and Illona Jeffcoat-Sacco questioning Edgeley High students Connor Entzi, Josh Geinert and
Breana Schlenker.
Napoleon High School students took top honors in the annual
We the People competition January 20 at the University of
Mary in Bismarck. A total of 125 students participated from
five North Dakota high schools. In addition to Napoleon,
the students were from Hillsboro, Edgeley and Rugby high
schools, and Richland High, located in Colfax.
The We the People program is sponsored by the State Bar Association of North Dakota and is coordinated by State Senator
Ray Holmberg, Grand Forks, and Dr. Donna Pearson from
the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Pearson
told the students participating in the program, “You are what
makes North Dakota strong and wise.”
Serving on panels of three, a total of 18 judges participated in
hearings with the students, questioning them on their knowledge of the six u;nits in the program:
Judges included nine SBAND members, Chief Justice Justice
Gerald VandeWalle, Justice Lisa McEvers, Justice Dale
Sandstrom, Justice Daniel Crothers, Jodi Bjornson, James Hoy,
Illona Jeffcoat-Sacco, Aaron Nicholson, and Zachary Pelham,
all of Bismarck.
The Unit topics covered the following areas:
Unit 1- What are the philosophical and historical foundations
of the American Political System?
Unit 2 - How did the framers create the Constitution?
6
THE GAVEL
Unit 3 - How has the Constitution been changed to further
the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence?
Unit 4 - How have the values and principles embodied in the
Constitution shaped American institutions and practices?
Unit 5 - What rights does the Bill of Rights protect?
Unit 6 - What challenges might face American Constitutional
democrary in the 21st century?
Teachers who use the We The People program in their high
school classrooms are Elliot Rotvold, Hillsboro; Doug Margerum, Richland High, Colfax; Melissa Entzi, Edgeley; Jennifer Kallenbach, Napoleon, and Brian Olson, Rugby.
In addition to Napoleon High taking the overall competition,
unit winners were:
Unit 1 - Napoleon - Emily Bitz, Jacey Dewald and Adrienne
Rodlund
Unit 2 - Napoleon - Katelyn Long, Jonathon Grunefelder
and Kaityn Breidenbach
Unit 3 - Edgeley - Breana Schlenker, Connor Entzi and Josh
Geinert
Unit 4 - Hillsboro - Evan Kritzberger, Ben Knecht and Taya
Schadler
Unit 5 - Edgeley - Emily Bopp, Tanner Mathern and Cody
Trent
Unit 6 - Napoleon - Katelyn Long, Tyler Moser and
Katelyn Horner.