Knowledge seekers: Students in popular We the People program at Easthampton High tout its benefits

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton High School’s We The People team has returned from yet another year competing at the national level in Washington, D.C. While the team did not make it to finals, as they did last year, the students in Kelley Brown’s class say they’ve obtained knowledge, skills and friendships more valuable than any title.

We The People puts students’ civics knowledge to the test, requiring a deep understanding of the U.S. Constitution and other topics ranging from philosophy to current events. Each student is assigned to a “unit” focusing on a different topic, and must work with teammates inside and outside of that unit to formulate polished testimony for their competitive mock hearings.

Brown’s students say these hearings have pushed their research, teamwork and critical thinking skills to the limit, making them stronger, more informed citizens in the end. The class also encourages students to think in an analytical fashion, rather than distilling issues down to what is “right” versus “wrong.”

“When you think deeply enough, sometimes you’re not going to come to a clear answer,” said We The People student Oliver Oparowski. “It’s more about making connections than having answers.”

Competing at a high enough level to travel to the nation’s capital for nationals requires months of intense preparation. Student Leia Halfacre said that when the units first receive their questions leading into a hearing, everything feels “scrambled.” But once they start to collaborate, research and practice, “everything comes together,” and “you feel really proud of what you know.”

“One of the most challenging and rewarding things about it is just the confidence involved in it,” said Halfacre.

A large focus of the class is the virtue involved in pursuing long-term goals. Members of the class endure long hours of studying, meeting up after school and venturing frequently out of their comfort zones to eventually deliver powerful testimony at their competitions.

The students said that a favorite mantra of Brown’s is “your future self will be thanking your now self.”

Aside from developing a steel-clad work ethic, Brown explained that one of the best parts of We The People is that students get to work together in a way that goes far beyond what’s involved in traditional classroom “group work.”

“Actually having to collaborate and work off of your different strengths doesn’t happen that often,” she said.

Through their thorough collaboration and studying, students in the class have also developed new interests. For example, Morgan Wijnhoven said she became enamored with studying secession, and Anthony Incampo said that he now has a “favorite Federalist Paper.”

Of the students who competed in this year’s competition cycle, a swath of them plan to return to the class for their senior year to serve as mentors to a new group of scholars. In the class, each mentor works with a unit to guide them through their research and competitions.

Hailey Siv, who competed last year and served as a mentor this year, described her previous mentors as “goddesses of knowledge,” and said that she came back to the class hoping to take on that role for someone else.

Some of the students in the class have also changed their intended post-graduation paths because of the passions they found through their studies. Logan Crasnick said that before We The People, he thought he wanted to pursue a future in STEM. But the class expanded his horizons.

“During nationals in D.C., I decided I was going to be a lawyer because of this class,” he said.

Sophie Slaghekke, who also served as a mentor this year, said that We The People has had a big impact on her view for the future, including where she wanted to go to college. The senior mentioned that she began shifting her college search to schools where she’d be able to have “real” conversations with classmates about the topics she finds important. She is also now considering a path that will allow her to continue her studies in policy and politics, such as a political science or law degree.

Another mentor, Devin O’Brien, said that she dreams of returning to the classroom and becoming a We The People teacher herself.

Each student expressed their gratitude to their instructors, Kelley Brown and Taylor Dadmun, as well as the support that has come from the Easthampton community in the form of donations and encouragement.

“It’s incredible how much everyone in the community supports this program,” Brown said.

Everyone in the We The People classroom agrees that those connections formed between classmates and community members will be just as enduring as the civic knowledge they’ll take with them when they graduate.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.