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2011 SESSION
WHEREAS, when asked what the framers of the United States Constitution in 1787 had created and to the states conveyed for consideration, Benjamin Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it”; and
WHEREAS, “keeping” available for the people the principles of the Constitution requires the continuous transmission, from generation to generation, of the understanding of the text and also of the context of the Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Virginians were the principal authors not only of the Constitution, but also of the Anti-Federalist arguments against ratification of the Constitution, and also, after ratification, of the 10 amendments constituting the Bill of Rights; and
WHEREAS, James Madison of Montpelier in Orange County was the principal author of the Constitution; and
WHEREAS, the Montpelier Foundation’s Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier, among its many worthy endeavors, sponsors annually a “We the People” competition on knowledge of the Constitution for the public school pupils of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, the “We the People” competition includes rigorous questions, both written, and, before a panel of distinguished judges, oral; and
WHEREAS, the champion of the “We the People” competition for the 2010 - 2011 school year is a team of pupils from Midlothian Middle School, under the tutelage of teacher Manuel Rios; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Rios avows that “Midlothian Middle has the smartest and the hardest working students in all of Virginia”; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Rios observes that his students “worked after school since early November to conduct their research and write their response statements”; and
WHEREAS, “While other schools make ‘We the People’ part of the curriculum, Chesterfield Schools do not have the opportunity to incorporate it as part of our regular class” indicating the dedication, in an extracurricular pursuit, of Mr. Rios’ students; and
WHEREAS, the students comprising the Midlothian Middle School’s championship “We the People” team include Rohan Aibara, Imran Alam, Nicholas Albright, Nikhith Alkunte, Michael Andrews, Megan Campbell, Yen Dao, Pawel Durakiewicz, Joanne Ensley, Ruhan Farsin, Cameron Galligher, Nick Jarrat, Greyson Jones, Allen Lucas, Theodore Lutge, Josh Moody, Andrew Price, Andrew Setaro, Alan Zhang, and Elena Zhou of the eighth grade; of the seventh grade, Malik Bell, Sunita Ganesh, Jack Miller, Kelly Reilly, and Kimberly Russel; and, of the sixth grade, Mara Guyer; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Manuel Rios and his Midlothian Middle School statewide “We the People” champions of 2011 be commended and congratulated; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Manuel Rios and the Midlothian Middle School “We the People” Team as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration of their achievement in comprehending the history and meaning of the United States Constitution.