The We the People team placed third at the Regional competition on Nov. 9 and has qualified for State.

At the Regional, Fishers finished first and Plainfield took runner-up honors. The top four teams at each Regional advance.

Ms. Jill Baisinger, social studies teacher and We the People coach, said, “The team worked well. They came together in the last two weeks and put a lot of time and focus in. These students sacrifice a lot to be able to do what they do for the We The People program.

“The State competition is a two-day event on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11. There will be 12 to 14 schools from across the state competing for the State title to represent Indiana at the national competition in April.”

The team had been preparing for the Regional since August. That preparaion included work both in and out of class. “Outside of class work, students also do extra research, write political science essays, (and) practice the ability to hold a conversation with judges who are experienced or knowledgeable in their area of expertise,” Baisinger said.

The entire team will advance to the State competition at Union Station in Downtown Indianapolis. “You win or lose as a team. You advance as a whole team, so even though the team is broken into six Miller units who each specialize in a different area of constitutional history or current events, the entire team advances,” Baisinger said.

The team’s fiercest competitors all come from the schools that the We the People team went up against at the Regional. “The top four teams in the state all come from our region, and that includes Fishers, Plainfield, Hamilton Southeastern and us. We compete against them in (the Regional) and turn around and have to compete against them again at State,” Baisinger said.

With hard work, Baisinger said she believes her squad will be able to advance to the national competition. Baisinger said, “If this year’s team puts in the work and determination, they absolutely have a chance to win it.”