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JOSEPH HULET (CUTTER’S FATHER, OUT HUNTING WITH CUTTER)): So buddy, how’s that class We the People going for you? What are you practicing?

CUTTER: Q and A, like the questions that the judges ask you. He tells us we have to answer the question more directly, so next week we run through each one again and then we go to State.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

Each year, high schools across America compete in a civics competition. 

It’s called We the People. 

JOSEPH HULET: Are you guys excited, confident for State?

CUTTER: There’s this school, Cheyenne South, and I think they’re our biggest competitors. But it’s going to be a lot of work. If we win State, we go to D.C. and we compete. It’d be really cool to go to D.C.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

Teams are questioned on their understanding of how our democracy works.

CUTTER: There’s a variety of different political ideologies you know, in my group.

JOSEPH HULET: And life.

CUTTER: Yeah, true.

JOSEPH HULET: Nobody can meet in the middle. It’s tearing our country apart. We might have to make a move. Yeah we gotta go, that’s a nice buck. Chase him.

CUTTER: Is he a big one?

JOSEPH HULET: Yeah, he is.

TITLE CARD:

A RETRO REPORT SERIES: CITIZEN NATION

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

SHERIDAN, WYOMING

31 DAYS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

MIKE THOMAS (TEACHER): Hi guys. Ready to rock and roll?

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): We have one month and one day before competition from right now. I’m feeling pretty stressed, honestly. I mean, there’s a lot of pressure. The kids don’t want to let me down and I don’t want to let them down.

MIKE THOMAS: Okay, folks, listen up. We’re going to go ahead and get started.

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): When it comes to competition, it’s pretty cutthroat.

MIKE THOMAS: Why is there this, more of a push towards censorship in Republican states?

MAKENA: A lot of those books that are being debated currently have L.G.B.T.Q.+ ideas, and that’s something that doesn’t really go with the agenda that the Republican Party is trying to push.

TEACHER: What do you think the most important principles of justice are?

STUDENT: The most important principle of justice is probably habeas corpus. And the right to know why you are being imprisoned if you are possibly being imprisoned.

STUDENT: I personally would disagree. I believe that without rule of law and an equal application of the law to the rulers of. . .

MIKE THOMAS: Today was much better. It was cleaner. There was more evidence, you were speaking more directly to the questions, which I told you has been a problem. So I really appreciate you taking what I’m telling you and at least attempting to remedy it. That tells me that you’re coachable, that you’re buying in, and that you’re trying to get better every time that we do this. You made really good progress, but you gotta keep going. We got to go back to the drawing board. Let’s go!

TEXT ON SCREEN:

CHEYENNE, WYOMING

ERIN LINDT (TEACHER): No lie. Bye Elias. Okay. Has the bell rang yet? I do want you to think about this. You score better as a team if you look like a team, right? So it’s really important to me that we look similar.

ELIAS: The A team.

ERIN LINDT: And so like I don’t want somebody to like to stand out too much, okay? Not that I don’t believe in your individuality, I normally do.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): We don’t have as many resources as Sheridan.  

ERIN LINDT: I don’t want it to be our outfits that disqualify us, right?

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): Most of my kids have jobs because they have to economically help their families out.

ERIN LINDT: Looks really really nice.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): The very first time I brought kids to compete, I think we were judged in many aspects on what we were wearing. And it broke my heart. Because we didn’t have things to dress nice. And I said, we’re not going to do that anymore. So I went to a business on the south side, got them to sponsor some blazers, so I have full uniforms for my kids.

ERIN LINDT: Go ahead, all rise. You know, and then you’re like, ok. And then we all wait, okay? Now, something I want you guys to keep in mind is your body language, okay? Yes, when you’re competing, okay, sit up, you’re confident, you guys know your crud. How hard have we worked, right? So be confident. But also if you’re in the audience, I want you to watch your body language, okay? Last year I had this issue where when we were competing, the judges can see you guys, right? And we had people last year who were like [ROLLS EYES] at people’s responses. And I’m like—ooh.  Because the first thing you did is you’re not being supportive of your teammate, and you’ve just scoffed and rolled your eyes, but now the judge has seen you too, so you’ve just now cued in the judge that we did something probably wrong, okay? We’re all doing the same thing, for the greater good, so everybody good there.

ELIAS: Because remember, it’s we the people not us the people.

ERIN LINDT: Amen, thank you Elias, yeah. Say it with your chest bro. Um, does everyone know how to shake hands? Firmly grasp it, and stare them intently in the eyes to see who backs down first. No I’m just teasing.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): The ability to overcome, and practice grit and resilience is something that runs strong in all of my kids. You want kids who’ve experienced life to be your next generation of problem solvers.

Mario has been M.I.A. for about a month. It’s hard because we kept just, like, rooting for him. But he wasn’t being a part of the team at that point. Mario is super bright. I just think Mario has a lot of demons and bigger issues that come into play that I have no control over. I don’t want to kill somebody’s willingness to learn. But if he doesn’t show up, I can’t allow him to compete. So I’ve had to put him on probation.

MARIO (PHONING HIS MOTHER): Hey mom. [ECHO] Hey mom.

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: Hi mijo, how are you?

MARIO: I’m doing alright, I’m doing good. How are things over there? [ECHO] How are things over there?

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: Good… business is really, really slow.

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): Recently I had a serious last lapse of judgment, did something incredibly stupid. I drove drunk and I hit a sign. Totalled the car that was driving at that moment. I blacked out and I woke up in jail, confused and stuff.

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: Mijo, let me see you?

MARIO: I’m doing fine. [ECHO] I’m doing fine.

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: Are you eating okay?

MARIO: I could be doing better. [ECHO] I could be doing better.

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): I felt terrible and like, remorseful, genuinely remorseful cause I could have hurt somebody. I could have hurt myself. I could have killed someone, you know, like something serious could have happened.

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: I’m thinking maybe it’s better if you come over here with us?

MARIO: Maybe. [ECHO] Maybe.

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): I got pretty lucky. When they arrested me, they gave me a youthful offender charge, which means the charge gets removed from my public record when I turn 18.

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: But emotionally, are you ok?

MARIO: Oh yeah, I’m doing good. [ECHO]

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: You sure?

MARIO: Yeah for sure. [ECHO] Yeah for sure.

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): Now I have to get an ignition interlock restricted driver’s license, which means that I have to get one of those breathalyzers installed in the car. It could be worse.

MARIO: Listen mom, I gotta go so. . . [ECHO] Listen mom, I gotta go so. . .

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: Hijo, Cuidate mucho. I miss you.

MARIO: I miss you too, mom.

ROSA ANTUÑEZ: Bye, love you.

MARIO: Bye, I love you, too. [ECHO] Bye, I love you, too.

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): I’m a teenager. We party. That’s just like, that’s something that kids do, right? But going to jail made me, like, reflect on all that stuff. I was like, I really should not be touching any of this.

There’s never one term, one sentence, one page of a book that could actually explain who someone is. I feel like you gotta deeply understand them.

Miss Lindt was telling me, like, I really want you to compete, but I don’t know if you’re going to be able to, so I’ll like this is the last, like, chance I can give you. I do like We the People. So I wanted to compete. So it kind of hit me like, I kind of got to get my stuff together if I want to, like, if I want to participate, you know? It was just something that I realized on my own. Like, yeah, she’s right. I need to, I need to get my stuff together.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN

BEN (PRACTICING LINES FROM A PLAY): Hee-hee! Today is lucky for you! Half off of, uh…

BEN (IN INTERVIEW): I’ve done theater 11, 12 years now. I’ve played cello for 10 years. I work a lot academically. My parents are both professors at Marquette. We’re a family that believes in high level education.

JOURNEYLOVE (IN INTERVIEW): My full name is Journeylove. I got the name from my mom. She was like, life is full of love. And a journey.

JOURNEYLOVE (GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR SCHOOL): Come on Mari.

JOURNEYLOVE (IN INTERVIEW): I’ve lived in Milwaukee my entire life. I grew up in a very Black neighborhood. Despite redlining barred in 1968, Milwaukee is one of the most segregated cities in America. Being in a community where it’s only people that look like you is limiting. At my previous school, I would say 95% of the school is Black. Going to Wauwatosa, like, it really made me like code switch and adapt.

CHAD MATESKE (TEACHER): Obviously creating congressional districts is a hot topic all over the place right now. When are we talking about racial gerrymandering and when are we talking about political gerrymandering? Journey?

JOURNEYLOVE: I feel like it’s both political and racial gerrymandering. Black people typically lean like blue and vote Democrat. The people who create the maps are, the word they used was cracking like Black districts to dilute their vote.

CHAD MATESKE: Okay, alright.

BEN: As far as partisan gerrymandering and how to distinguish between racial and partisan gerrymandering, there is a lot of entanglement there. . .

JOURNEYLOVE: (IN INTERVIEW): Ben is a very hardworking person. I’m glad to be in his group somewhat, but I feel like we kind, of, like butt heads. I told him, you challenge everything I say. And he was like, do I? I like, ahhh! I was like, Exhibit A.

BEN: Under Davis v. Bandemer, there is no jurisdiction by the courts over partisan gerrymandering, even if there is a racial element.

CHAD MATESKE: Okay. Thanks guys, let’s make sure we get all the clusters put back together please, they’re groups of four, except this one is a group of five.

JOURNEYLOVE: (IN INTERVIEW): I think about dropping We the People every single day because I kind of feel out of place. As a minority, as a woman, it’s hard to get my voice out there and be confident. I go back to why I wanted to take this class.

VERONICA TAYLOR (JOURNEYLOVE’S MOTHER): Journey just always was about her books and just wanting to learn. She just really felt like she wanted to be something strong. When Obama was in office she’s like, well how come there hasn’t been any woman president ever? And then in her mind she’s like, well I’m going to be President.

JOURNEYLOVE: I have AP Lit homework. . .

VERONICA TAYLOR: She stood up and just been wanting to take charge.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

3 DAYS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

JOE JULIANO (TEACHER): Have any of  you watched your district video?

STUDENTS: We did!

JOE JULIANO: So right there, Ethan answered the question. Alright. So he gave evidence, and then he puts the reasoning at the end. That’s where you win state, is like, not answering it, not giving evidence, but how do you end it?

ELI: When we won first place, I was so happy, like, all our hard work had paid off. But at the same time, I feel like I kind of faltered a little bit. We got our scores back and we were like nines across the board. And then it was just one judge. . .

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: What role does the federal judiciary. . .

ELI: You see, I look angry. I’m not  smiling.

AYMA: A little bit.

ELI: Okay.

AYMA: A little bit.

ELI: Okay.

AYMA: You just look very focused.

ELI: The number one rule is you do not say sorry when you slip up. You keep going and you move forward. That was my biggest mistake. I get so hard on myself because I’m like, you know this, you know what you’re supposed to be doing. I know what I believe in and I want to defend that.

In order to do that, you have to come with confidence because you have to be correct. So you can’t, you can’t falter. I’m defending human rights, I’m defending abortion, I’m defending the rights of L.G.B.T.Q. people, I’m defending the rights of immigrants. In order to do that, I have to remember all of those facts. I have to remember all those numbers, statistics, dates.

My head is like a little library. So like we’re in my head, and it’s just like these bookshelves. There’s aisles like women’s rights, racial issues, gender issues, Nigerian issues, international politics. Like right now I’m just walking towards the education section. Nevada is actually 47th in education.

Okay, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce did a study and surveyed and said that people post-COVID stayed, 27% of people post-COVID stayed home because they had somebody to take care of, 28% of people said post-COVID said that they had to take care of themselves. In August of 2023, 3.6 million people left their jobs, and it was referred to as quit talk.

We spend $4,000 in comparison to the rest of the world. With jobs there is a 1.7 million missing gap. The highest rate of drunk drivers. It employs 9.6 million people. The highest rate of teen pregnancy. One out of three people do not have access to childcare. And yeah, that’s one of the few that I know.

JOE JULIANO: Alright, how’s everyone feeling?

STUDENTS: Good.

JOE JULIANO: Right now, you’re just trying to build your confidence. You’re prepared, you know what you’re talking about, and then, the more that you can just go with that.

ETHAN: Okay. I have a question. So do you think it’s possible that a partisan Congress could leverage this to undermine votes from states that they don’t want.

ELI: Well, we already see this happening, with the fact that the Supreme Court refuses to step in.

JOE JULIANO (IN INTERVIEW): January is a crazy race to the finish line. All across the country, you’ve got teams just like mine that are scrambling, pushing it to the limits because they all want a chance at the national title. The state competition is just this huge moment.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

GRAHAM MCBRIDE

FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL, CA

GRAHAM MCBRIDE (TEACHER): A lot of my stress goes into the preparation for the state competition because then it’s it’s, it’s, it’s over if we don’t advance.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

ANGELA DIPASQUALE 

GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, OR

ANGELA DIPASQUALE (TEACHER): I feel some of that pressure. Gosh, what if this is the year that we don’t advance to nationals?

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

STACEY SKLAR 

AMADOR VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, CA

STACEY SKLAR (TEACHER): You can’t fake it, you really have to be good.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG

GLEN ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL, VA

SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG (TEACHER): We’re talking about losing by the smallest of margins or winning by the smallest of margins.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

ERIN LINDT

SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL, WY

ERIN LINDT (TEACHER): We didn’t even make it to state my first year here, but then I was like we’re coming back with a vengeance.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

MARC MONDRY

EAST BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL, NJ

MARC MONDRY: It gets tougher every year. You know, teachers get better, schools get more competitive.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

SAM ULMSCHNEIDER

MAGGIE L. WALKER GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL, VA

SAM ULMSCHNEIDER: You may have a stellar, amazing group of students, but someone else may have an even more stellar and amazing group of students.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

MIKE THOMAS

SHERIDAN HIGH SCHOOL, WY

MIKE THOMAS: Everybody wants to win and that’s just the way it is.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

12 HOURS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

ROHINI: I think we’re all just facing a general exhaustion from repeated like information. So I think we should calm down.

SKYLAR: This is unit bonding time.

ALICE: Yeah.

ALICE (IN INTERVIEW): Maggie Walker has a history. . .

ROHINI (IN INTERVIEW): Twenty-five years is a long legacy.

ALICE (IN INTERVIEW):. . . and now we have to kind of prove ourselves.

AVERY (IN INTERVIEW): We’ve pretty much been having a practice round every day and prepping for states by, like, really beefing up our study guide. It’s intense, but I have never felt smarter in my life.

SKYLAR: Can I tell you guys some of the random things that I pulled up that I feel like I should share with everyone?

AVERY: You should.

SKYLAR: One thing is the cube rule. Do we know what this is? Because I did not know what this is.

ALICE: The what?

SKYLAR: Cube. Rule. Like a square, but in 3D. [LAUGHS] Sorry.

SKYLAR: We’re passionate for learning in a very nerdy way and all we talk about is the Constitution.

AVERY: But do you have the scholar that came up with this rule, because that would make it even more impactful.

ROHINI: We have so many scholars.

AVERY: Like established by. . . Mr. Guy.

AVERY (IN INTERVIEW): My unit, they drive me, one hundred percent.

ALICE: Nixon versus Fitzgerald’s like, the consequences of your actions, you can’t be prosecuted for.

SKYLAR: It’s not presidential immunity.

ROHINI: If it’s ever brought up, I have the actual Roman history behind it, because it’s the Roman principle. It’s the reason Rome fell down.

SKYLAR: Don’t get too, rabbit hole with it.

ROHINI: Yeah, the only reason, if I’m going to mention it, I’ll say destruction of–

SKYLAR: It’s good evidence but it’s quick evidence–

ROHINI: The destruction of Democracy because it allowed the executive to become a dictator.

ALICE: I disagree with this.

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): I am exhausted. Stressed. Mentally drained. I am pretty sure I am talking about the Senate in my sleep these days.

SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG: What we got?

CADEN: Pasta with green beans.

SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG: Nice. How was your day? How’s the competition?

CADEN: Stressful. We have had so many practice rounds this week. At least one or two a day.

SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG: During school or after school?

CADEN: Both

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): My dad has said he’ll try to be there.

CADEN: Question two is not my favorite.

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): I know he’ll be going back and forth between Glen Allen and Maggie Walker throughout the day. I’ve tried to convince him to tell me what, how his unit four does, but he’s refusing.

CADEN: I guess that’s our argument. Keep it quiet from your team.

SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG: I won’t tell them.

CADEN: We’ll still beat you.

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): I hope my dad will be there just so I can show off a little bit, prove that I actually do know what I’m talking about, I was not lying to you.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

WYOMING

24 HOURS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

BUS DRIVER: How you doing today?

STUDENT (TO PARENT): I love you.

PARENT: Keep us posted.

STUDENT: Alright, thank you.

PARENT: Have fun.

MIKE THOMAS: Ok, wave out the window we’re leaving. Listen up. I want you to relax and have fun till we get to Casper. But once we eat lunch, we’re fully engaged, understand? So if you want to go to sleep, or listen to music, or talk. . .

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): We’re trying to get kids to think.

MIKE THOMAS: How is the three-fifths compromise connected to the Electoral College?

STUDENT: They have more representation in the House so they have more members in the House.

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): It’s the best part of teaching We the People. It’s really getting kids to think about their own ideas about these different topics. And these are hard topics.

MIKE THOMAS: Which is why slavery didn’t end in 1808 like it was supposed to.

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): You got to do a lot of work on your own.

MIKE THOMAS: They screwed up big time.

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): And you got to figure out both sides because the judges are going to say, well, you said this, but what’s the other side’s going to say? So it’s not enough to just know your side. You have to know it all the way around.

STUDENT: This is why the Senate is not representing the states and this is why the House should only. . .

CUTTER: Senators now, they are appealing just to their voters to get votes.

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): I think that teaching students to critically think about government. . .

HARPER: Who should regulate the second amendment?

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): . . . helps them better find their way into society.

MIKE THOMAS: I think last time I checked. . .

MIKE THOMAS (IN INTERVIEW): I just want to create better citizens, better thinkers, more engaged citizens. That, to me, is much more important than anything else.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

ERIN LINDT: It’s 10 minutes in your life, okay? Get out of the gates hot. Say something to begin with, so then you’re not thinking during Q and A, oh, my God, I need to talk. Oh, my God. I need to talk. Okay.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): I will outwork and outwork and outwork til I get the result that I want with the kids.

ERIN LINDT: I want two examples of maybe states or specific districts that have banned books.

ELIA: New York. They banned Slaughterhouse-Five, Down the Mean Street. They banned 11 books. This was directly what, Pico. . .

ERIN LINDT: So You have one. Do you want to do another one?

STUDENT: Yeah.

ERIN LINDT: Okay.

ELIAS: So we’re going to split it, me and. . .

ERIN LINDT: Yeah, so you have yours and then Audrey will come up with another one.

ELIAS: I’ll memorize all these books. They’ve banned 11 books.

ELIAS (IN INTERVIEW): We’re all very concise and well integrated. We’re not really having too many dramas other than, like, Mario not showing up to class and a couple of people procrastinating. That’s why Miss Lindt thinks we’re going to nationals this year.

ERIN LINDT: Ok, so let’s move one over. [CLAPPING AS MARIO ENTERS THE CLASSROOM]

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): Mario came in and I sat down with him and I was like, I almost cut you. And he’s like, I know.

ERIN LINDT: Mario, give me a sec and I’ll get you your binder. Hey, tomorrow, be here at 6:45. It’s at the capitol.

MARIO: Okay.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): I asked his team before he showed up, I’m like, do you want Mario to compete tomorrow? And they were like, yeah, because I do think he provides a different perspective than we have. So I gave him one more chance. I kept just extending the olive branch.

ERIN LINDT: All right. Ready?

MARIO: Yep.

ERIN LINDT: How do we achieve democracy with so much diversity today?

MARIO: In the world’s third biggest country with–there just simply isn’t a way for everyone to get what they want out of politics if it’s being ran in a centralized area like the Washington, D.C. controls of the entirety of the U.S. despite it. . .

ELIAS (IN INTERVIEW): Mario Antuñez, that’s a really smart kid. He’s definitely an asset to unit three.

ERIN LINDT: Would you have been a federalist or an anti-federalist? And why?

MARIO: I suppose I would have been an anti-federalist because I just don’t want a large government in my business.

STUDENT: Agreed. I like, I like my rights. I like them where they’re at.

STUDENT: I would like to disagree. I would like to be a federalist, as I believe that the system of checks and balances would prohibit any form of national government to prohibit my rights.

MARIO: I would like to build on what my colleague said by further, further disagreeing. Part of why I actually dislike the federal government being so, so powerful is because of the massive amounts of grievances it’s put on other groups of people that we also just ignore because they’re not Americans. We see this with the invasion of Iraq and the invasion of Afghanistan. And it’s allowed because we have such a powerful government.

ERIN LINDT: Nice. Great job coming out the gates Mario. That was good.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

SHERIDAN HIGH SCHOOL

TEACHER: Come on guys, let’s go.

MIKE THOMAS: Examples of restrictions on freedom of religion.

STUDENT: Reynolds v. U.S.

MIKE THOMAS: Caucuses like what?

STUDENT: The congressional Black caucus…

MIKE THOMAS: Bicameralism.

CUTTER: Two houses and a legislative body.

MIKE THOMAS: How many senators?

STUDENT: Two.

MIKE THOMAS: Social contract.

STUDENT: Covenants with God.

MIKE THOMAS: American Democracy.

STUDENT: The Magna Carta.

MIKE THOMAS: Fed 10.

STUDENT: Ratification, Federalists.

MIKE THOMAS: Protestant Reformation.

STUDENT: Luther.

MIKE THOMAS: Tensions that arise from bicameralism.

STUDENT: Funding for Israel.

MIKE THOMAS: Student freedom of speech.

STUDENT: Tinker v. Des Moines.

MIKE THOMAS: Censorship.

STUDENT: The Dixie Chicks.

MIKE THOMAS: Good job, go get out of here, keep prepping. Good job.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): Typically, on a week where we’re preparing for competition, I’m putting anywhere between 20 to 40 extra hours a week. It’s hard because I don’t have boundaries. And like, I try to explain it to my husband, I’m like, it’s my core, it’s just who I am.

CHRIS LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): Like, I’ll get off and I want to go do something. I’ll want to go eat dinner. I’ll want to go to a movie on Friday night. And she can’t always do that, she’s got to do her stuff at work.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW):  It’s frustrating to him because in many ways his love language is time. And I feel like I can never satisfy that.

ERIN LINDT: I know you’re pissed.

ERIN LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): And I don’t think Chris understands it because to him it is a job and I can’t separate myself from it.

CHRIS LINDT: Every season we go through, and I know you’re passionate about it and you love it, but. . .

ERIN LINDT: Okay, I’m sorry. I’m kind of one track mind on everything I have to get done. And then my life goes back to normal when this is over.

CHRIS LINDT: Unless you make it to nationals.

ERIN LINDT: Yeah.

CHRIS LINDT: And then we’re in it for four more months.

ERIN LINDT: You know it’s going to be busy in November, and you know it’s going to be busy in December. And I thought we had it figured out, and like I hate having this discussion over and over again.

CHRIS LINDT (IN INTERVIEW): If you ask Erin, she’ll say it’s her last year. She says she’s done, but I don’t think it’s anything she can ever give up.

ERIN LINDT: I would like to say I’m gonna put less effort in it but I know myself and I can’t turn it off.

CHRIS LINDT: It’s not putting less effort in, it’s finding a balance.

ERIN LINDT: Do I know balance with anything? I’m like an all or nothing kind of person, it’s just who I am.

CHRIS LINDT: We’ll get through this year and we’ll figure out next year later.

ARCHIVAL:
NEWS REPORT: The first big snow of the season: Southeast Wisconsin is bracing for it. Between heavy snow and strong winds, poor visibility poses risks on the road.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN

24 HOURS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

CHAD MATESKE (IN INTERVIEW): It’s been a stressful 24 hours. Well honestly it’s been a stressful week. We’ve been at school every day at 6 a.m. before our first hour period kicks in so we can get extended time together.

CHAD MATESKE: Okay, so guys, let’s do a unit check-in real quick.

CHAD MATESKE (IN INTERVIEW): Fatigue is starting to kick in, and then the uncertainty of the competition.

CHAD MATESKE: Whether we have everyone accounted for. Tomorrow – if the weather is going to start to take a turn for the worse, they’re only going to maybe do one round and that is going to determine the winner of the competition.

JOURNEYLOVE (IN INTERVIEW): In this class, they put a lot of pressure on us because they’ve won 18 out of 19 state competitions. And I really don’t want to be the second out of 20 years to lose.

CHAD MATESKE: Let’s embrace our philosophy just for a second. Trust our process. We prepare ourselves to be ready to compete no matter what that looks like, in person, online. Our job. . .

JOURNEYLOVE (IN INTERVIEW):  I’m a very competitive person. I go into competition mode, and I really lock in and like, get the job done. And I want to go to D.C. I want to experience that.

CHAD MATESKE: I have all the confidence in the world that you guys, going into tomorrow, no matter what form, we’re going to do it tomorrow. You know everything that you need to know to be dangerous. Go home, relax, and just wait for the word as to what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and where we’re doing it.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

24 HOURS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

HANNA (AT THE AIRPORT WITH HER TEAM): And we’re going to go to Reno.

JOE JULIANO: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

HANNA: Welcome to Southwest Airlines. I’m feeling ecstatic, bro. We’re at the plane now.

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

WYOMING

24 HOURS BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

HARPER: Do you want to spray some in your hair? I brought a clip for my hair.

MAKENA: Okay.

HARPER: Legally Blonde is the most influential woman in the United States. The message behind it is quite amazing. She’s not mean. And she literally proves everybody wrong because, you know, and she just does it looking amazing in cute pink outfits, which – that is such an inspirational message.

MAKENA: Truly.

HARPER: Like, I think I’m like most nervous for is just like the questions, like what kind of questions are they going to ask?

MAKENA: I think it’ll be good for us to have some adversity.

HARPER: Yeah no, exactly.

MAKENA: Okay, is that good?

HARPER: Yeah, ready.

MAKENA: Is there a dance at this thing or just at nationals?

HARPER: It’s nationals.

MAKENA: Oh. Shame.

HARPER: Kena and I saw some really cute boys.

MAKENA: See the good part about the tie is that it always evolves. In the beginning, it’s not looking too great. Towards the end, it gets a little better.

HARPER: That’s just like We The People. It doesn’t start out great, but it ends amazing.

MAKENA: Let’s roll.

HARPER: Oh, there he is. The man, the myth, the legend. Michael Thomas. In the flesh.  

TEXT ON SCREEN: 

RENO, NEVADA 

STATE COMPETITION DAY

JOE JULIANO:  I’m feeling emotional.

STUDENTS: Aww.

STUDENT: Stop, I’ll start crying.

JOE JULIANO: I think this group is just – has been so special. And no matter what happens, be proud of yourselves.

STUDENT: Bro, why’d you have to say that?

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): What I’m most worried about is the other schools up north, like Reno High School. The competition is stiff.

TEACHER: Ready. 1, 2, 3. [STUDENTS SING SCHOOL FIGHT SONG]

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): Being closer to the legislature, having that kind of generational support.

STUDENTS: Red Blue! Reno! Huskies! Woo!

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Good morning. I know today is going to be an incredible day. I can just feel it.

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): There is a competition between North and South, but really just Vegas and Reno. We have more diversity because we are like an epicenter for immigration.

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): Our community tends to be more of a first generation, just foot in the door kind of team.

JOE JULIANO: Make sure your phones are on do not disturb.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: What advice would you be providing to some of our leaders in terms of their international relations at this point?

ELI: An overwhelming majority of Americans are anti war. We don’t stand for this and we would like to call for a ceasefire. 

TEXT ON SCREEN:

SOUTHWEST CTA

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): I was scared. I knew I had to be more interpersonal with the judges instead of being so, like, standoffish.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

RENO HIGH SCHOOL

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Do we as a nation emphasize individual rights to the detriment of our social responsibilities?

STUDENT: The First, Third and Fourth Amendments of our U.S. Bill of Rights all protect individual rights, declaring the freedom of expression such as speech, press and religion. . .

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): Reno High School, like yeah, they were polished, but when you’re cross-examining our team, you’re going to get like real passion about the subject. You’re gonna get personality sprinkled in there.

ELI: I don’t know if you can see how excited my group is, but this is something we heavily discuss.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: What might the Framers have to say about what’s going on today?

ETHAN: I think the framers would be absolutely appalled at what’s happening today because they specifically included mechanisms in our Constitution to avoid the political gridlock that we see today. There is an amendment process that exists in Article Five. . .

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): We were all pulling up things that we had all studied that the other person didn’t know we had studied.

JONATHAN: Anti-imperialist Mark Twain once said that we have gone there to conquer, not to redeem.

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): When Jonathan pulled out that Mark Twain quote, all of us were like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: What steps should the United States be taking in order to continue our Bill of Rights be used as an impact in the world?

ELI: We as a nation should not impose ourselves onto people. In Nigeria, there was a very heavy. . .

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): Our entire team just had like a lot of spot-on responses. Like, they just really hit the nail on the head.

ELI: And while we continue to be a beacon of democracy in the world, we should be a stencil, not a pen.

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): America should be a stencil, not a pen. Everybody was just wowed by that. It really just gave us confidence that, like, I think we have what it takes to win this thing.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Fabulous job, I truly enjoyed that.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: It was like a dance. Didn’t always agree, but you kept going. You scaffolded your ideas. Our future is in good hands.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Thank you so much!

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Thank you.

JOE JULIANO: How are you guys feeling right now? 

STUDENTS: Really good!

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): I was nervous. I couldn’t contain my anxiety.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Alright here we go! You ready? Unit one goes to. . . Reno High School!

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): When we heard the first unit announcement, we were like, [EXHALES] we’re all cooked because unit one is like our best unit.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: I am so honored to give unit two award to Reno High School.

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): And then you hear the second one and you’re like, okay, well, that’s upsetting.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Okay, unit three goes to Reno High School.

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): When we heard Reno win for the third time. We were like, okay, they swept. They’re going to go to nationals, not us.

JOE JULIANO: I think I see where this is going.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Unit 6 goes to Reno High School.

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): I really had believed up to that point that Southwest had a chance at the nationals.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Alright I’m going to need a drumroll here. Ready?

JOE JULIANO: Um, I think we know.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Our state champion for Nevada is… Reno High School! Let’s go Huskies!

ELI (IN INTERVIEW): I’m not going to be the type of person who’s like, this is the worst day of my life. I tried, tried so hard. Like, I know I tried hard. Everybody here tried hard.

ETHAN (IN INTERVIEW): I could just be you know trying to like, cope with my loss but I kind of wish the judges had factored in, like the human element into it more.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

WYOMING

MIKE THOMAS: There you go, you look good.

ERIN LINDT: You know more than most American citizens now at this point. Don’t stress. You’ve done the hard work. So close your eyes. Close your eyes. Okay, I want you to imagine tonight. Okay. You guys are going to kill it. At the end of the day, all that I care is that you guys have grown. And every year I say, this is my best team yet, this is my best team yet. This is my seventh year, and I have to tell you, this is my best team yet. Yeah.

MIKE THOMAS: You have to show what you know. We’re at that point. Trust what you’ve been taught to do, and you’re going to be just awesome.

ERIN LINDT: Finale, let’s go, lay it out on the table guys, you got this, you prepped, you’re ready to go. Let’s do it.

MIKE THOMAS: Just take a deep breath, you’ll be fine.

ELIAS: Mario Antuñez, if you can hear me, you are allowed to have one Dr. Pepper.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: All rise!

ELIAS (IN INTERVIEW): The switch is seamless for me. This is like normal me. I’m all hanging out, like, just sitting back, relaxed. And then like professional Elias is like, I’m sitting up straight. I’m looking at you straight in the eye. Yes, yes, sir, I got you, sir. This is how it’s going to go. Boom, boom, bam.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Our question today: the United States Supreme Court recently ruled that under the Second Amendment firearms regulations must be, quote, consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation, unquote. Do you agree?

ELIAS: Your right to own guns is very well a private matter, in my opinion. It is important that we keep our privacies to ourselves with our laws that we make.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Do you guys think that having our two party system is the right way to be?

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): Competing was a little nerve wracking because I’d never been in that type of environment before.

MARIO: For that exact reason, I’d like to disagree with my colleague. . .

MARIO (IN INTERVIEW): You know, you have to come up with quick rebuttals to the questions they’re going to ask you. I just tried to keep my cool and keep my thoughts concise and short.

MARIO: We’re so polarized that we refuse to see eye to eye with each other, and it’s hard for anything to get done in the government with the current state of our factionalized government.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

SHERIDAN HIGH SCHOOL

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE:  Are there benefits for restricting access to certain books that you believe outweigh concerns about free speech?

MAKENA: The more important thing here is the students’ right to education, and the students’ access to library materials.

HARPER: We have an opt-out policy that requires the book in question to be read by the parent.

ELIAS: We could use the Miller test with these certain books, which has three prongs. The first is if people do not find it appropriate. Number two would be if it is overtly sexual in any way, like Fifty Shades of Grey. And finally, the third prong is if it has educational, literary, artistic, or historical value.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Great, good job!

MIKE THOMAS: Let’s go sit down in the auditorium.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Ladies and gentlemen, teachers, coaches and most importantly, the bright and talented high school students in this room.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Wyoming is fortunate in that we have a wild card to the national competition. That means that our top two teams will receive invitation to compete at nationals.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Scoring in first place for Wyoming We the People 2023. . . Congratulations. . . to Sheridan High School.

ERIN LINDT: Good job Sheridan!

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: In second place. . . Cheyenne South High School.

STUDENTS: [SINGING] We are the champions. . .

ERIN LINDT: Okay, you guys better start packing your bags.

ELIAS (IN INTERVIEW): We kicked butt because of Miss Lindt. We kicked our own butts so that we could kick butt. We scored higher than East. We scored higher than Central. That silver looks gold to us.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

10 MINUTES BEFORE WISCONSIN STATE COMPETITION

JOURNEYLOVE: Hi!

STUDENT: I’m glad you’re here.

CHAD MATESKE: So here’s what we, here’s what we’re going to do. Read your statement. Go over any last anticipated follow up questions.

STUDENT: You want to make sure that, obviously you set the tone. Make sure everyone is good on quotes, cases and quotes, you really want to enunciate those things, because those are the things the judges are really looking for.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: We’re having trouble, we’re having logistical problems getting the judges together. So I’m going to have to cancel, and you will get more official information via email I think shortly. Just this commute with the snowstorm is affecting everybody, so. . .

CHAD MATESKE: Basically, the weather just was not cooperating. This isn’t where the road ends, though. You put all this work in, and we’ll be ready to go whenever they ask us to be ready to go.

CHAD MATESKE (IN INTERVIEW): We’re going to be in-person, we’re not going to be in person. We’re going to be on Zoom. We’re going to do one question only. We’re canceled.

Life throws you curveballs and you just adapt and overcome.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 

30 MINUTES BEFORE STATE COMPETITION

STUDENTS (IN UNISON): Big black bugs bleed blue black blood. Big black bugs bleed blue.

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): Nervousness and adrenaline. Is it gonna be good, it’ll be fine, it’ll be fine. Hopefully. . . My dad, my mom, and my sisters are all sitting in the room.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: All right. Good afternoon everybody.

STUDENTS: Good afternoon.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: How we doing? Alright. This is Maggie Walker Unit four. Is that correct?

CADEN: Yes, I’m Caden VanValkenburg.

NATALIE: I’m Natalie Xue.

EMMA: I’m Emma Notarnicola.

REHAAN: I’m Rehaan Jain.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: I take it from the VanValkenburg that there’s there’s a whole bunch of competition anxiety here, a little. . .

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): I just, like, take a deep breath, try to, like, get my face back in order because calming myself is just nearly impossible.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Can you explain the 17th Amendment and how it can be used for corruption, and citing the exact. . .

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): My least favorite question. This is not something that’s like a legal question so much as it is like a moral, ethical question.

CADEN: Now senators have to worry about money when it comes to their elections and managing to get out the word of their campaign, which leaves them more vulnerable to the influence of lobbying groups and super PACs.

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): I could just see judges nodding along. And it was just like, yes, I think I think our point kind of just like landed.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: How do we prevent from the court to essentially side with whatever the president does, because he’s the one that gave him their job?

CADEN: There are some small checks on this, such as the fact that Supreme Court judges have a lifetime appointment, meaning that they don’t need to follow that president’s commands because they still will hold their jobs no matter what they do.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: You really did a good job.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: How did the the courts or Congress attempt to limit Lincoln’s power during the Civil War, and were they successful?

ROHINI: Congress was actually in recess. So Lincoln made the decision with the legislative branch completely not being there. However the court ruled that both actions were unconstitutional. . .

ALICE: The Court decided that Congress did not have to baptize it with a name.

SKYLAR: So It kind of dictates the idea that the court is kind of a reactive body.

ALICE: The executive has the power of the sword. Congress has the power of the purse. Yet the judicial branch has the power of mere judgment. 

AVERY: We see this even in Trump versus Hawaii.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Do you think that presidential power and privilege should extend beyond the term in office?

SKYLAR: When you commit a crime that is not related to your job as president, you should not have immunity.

AVERY (IN INTERVIEW): We were just on fire. We were locked in. We were answering every single question with evidence that we had gathered over-over weeks of hard work.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: I felt like you were like James Madison. You came to the party prepared. Right, excellent.

ALICE (IN INTERVIEW): We killed it. It’s our best performance, like, ever.

VOTE COUNTER: Alright, the scores can go to Jen.

JEN PATJA: 40.

EMILY VOSS: Yes.

JEN PATJA: 42.

EMILY VOSS: Yes.

JEN PATJA: 40.

EMILY VOSS: Yes. 49, 37. Fascinating.

JEN PATJA: Uh, just to be doubly sure. Can we double check everything?

EMILY VOSS: Yes, we can. Who do you want to check first?

JEN PATJA: Publias first. We’re going to go through the whole stack.

EMILY VOSS: Yes. Okay.

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): Internally, I’m basically repeating two sentences. One, we’ve got this. We’ll do fine. And the other one is, but what if we don’t do fine?

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: We will recognize the first through fifth place teams in reverse order. For fifth and fourth place teams, please stand where you are and be recognized. Fifth place goes to Western Albemarle High School. Fourth place goes to Maggie Walker Governor’s School. [AUDIENCE GASPS]

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): There’s a collective gasp. The team’s shocked. Mr. U.’s shocked. Everyone from Glen Allen’s shocked. I’m shocked.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Please come to the stage. . .

CADEN (IN INTERVIEW): And it’s just like, what just happened?

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: Third place goes to Freeman.

AVERY (IN INTERVIEW): It was very still. You’re trying to compose yourself and it’s kind of robotic in a way.

COMPETITION ORGANIZER: We are excited to announce that Virginia has a wildcard invitation to the national finals, so our second place team also can also attend this wonderful event. Second place goes to Glen Allen High School. Our Virginia state high school We the People champion is. . . Douglas Freeman.

While our competition is over, your civic contributions do not end today. In fact, this is just the beginning. Thank you and good afternoon to you all.

ALICE: Okay, we need to wait for Mr. U. . .

SAM: No it’s not it. We spent all year together. It’s not it.

AVERY (IN INTERVIEW): Constitutional knowledge of the depth that you gain in We The People is not something that you can simply cast aside. It’s not like a consolation prize. It’s nice to know that all the hard work that we put in is still there. And it’s also good to experience disappointment. But this disappointment hasn’t necessarily broken me, or made me swear off constitutional law in any way. I want to do it again.

TEXT CARD:

12 DAYS AFTER THE BLIZZARD…

WISCONSIN STATE COMPETITION 

BEN: And how’s audio in here, is it less echoey?

CHAD MATESKE: What was that?

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Yeah, you’re good.

CHAD MATESKE: Hello judges, can you hear us?

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: We can hear you, good evening.

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Well, okay, I’ll cut to the chase. You guys won. [CELEBRATORY SCREAMS]

WE THE PEOPLE JUDGE: Congratulations. And we’ll, we’ll see you at nationals.

(END)