North Hills Christian School high school students Caley Boggs, Taylor Kriminger and Mark Sebastian placed first in unit at the state finals for ěWe the People,î a mock congressional hearing academic competition sponsored by the North Carolina Bar Association.
Overall, North Hills placed fourth out of eight teams competing at state finals. These eight teams represented approximately 120 competing schools in eight districts throughout the state.
Student participants sat before panels of judges comprised of approximately 30 state legislators, N.C. Supreme Court justices, attorneys and professors from Duke University School of Law, Campbell University School of Law and others.
After reading their prepared answers to questions about the formation and structure of the United States government, students participated in a question-and-answer session in which they were called upon by the judges to expound upon or defend their answers. During this timed exchange with the judges, students were expected to appeal to case law, historical examples and current events.
Students and their chaperones visited the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh and met with North Carolina Appellate Court Judge Linda McGee, who talked about the judicial process in North Carolina and fielded student questions.
ěSeveral students who attended this event intend to pursue a career in law,î said Matt Mitchell, chaperone and Head of School. ěThis trip provided a remarkable opportunity for these students and their classmates to get an up-close look at our countryís and stateís political systems.î