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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Civics in the time of MAGA: Junior high kids get right what we adults have gotten wrong
So, I'm sitting here on a Thursday afternoon, watching a bunch of junior-high-school kids answering questions about American government and constitutional rights. And the sad irony is they know more about it than at least 90% of the politicians and elected officials I cover on a daily basis. It's called the National Civics Bee. It's like a spelling bee, but with civics. And Thursday was the state finals, held at the downtown Wichita headquarters of the Kansas Leadership Center. What made this a lot more fun than the usual 'bee' format was it was set up to allow for audience participation. Attendees (in a separate group) could play along with the competitors and test their own knowledge. I talked with Chris Green of the Leadership Center and we both agreed it would be fun to invite some of our elected officials next year to see see how they stack up against the sixth-, seventh- and eighth graders in the contest. I wonder how many would accept the challenge. The questions ranged from fairly easy, like . . . Q: A new education reform bill was introduced in Congress and successfully passed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate. What is the next step before the bill can become law? A: The president must sign the bill into law or take no action for 10 days, after which it will automatically become law. . . . to the detailed and difficult, for example. . . Q: In Federalist number 39, how does Madison distinguish between a federal and national government, and what does this distinction suggest about the nature of the Constitution as a product of the convention? A: Madison claims that the Constitution is both federal and national, with the House of Representatives representing the national and the Senate representing the federal, suggesting that the constitution will balance power between the state and national. (I got that one wrong. I picked the answer with the House representing the federal and Senate national). In addition to the multiple choice, the five finalists had to read from and answer judges' questions on an essay they wrote on a current issue, ranging from saving rural hospitals to reforming state policy on driver's license revocation. When all was said and done, Tanya Ramesh of Wichita won the competition, a $1,000 giant check, and a ticket to Washington for the national finals. Madeline Stewart of Overland Park took second and $500, while Zane Hoff of Salina got third and $250. I thought the Civics Bee was one of the coolest events I've been to in a while, so I hesitate to even bring this up, but some of the questions probably need updating in this era of MAGA. For instance: Q: How did Afroyim versus Rusk in 1967 affect the government's power regarding citizenship revocation? A: It limited the government's ability to to revoke citizenship. Afroyim v. Rusk was a landmark case that ruled: 'Congress has no power under the Constitution to divest a person of his United States citizenship absent his voluntary renunciation thereof. ' The court's revised that stance since, to allow citizenship to be revoked (called denaturalization) if it was granted on false pretenses that would have prevented it in the first place, for example, terrorists or Nazi war criminals living under false identities. Now, denaturalization has become a key part of President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to deport as many non-white immigrants as possible, whom he accuses (echoing a former world leader named Adolf) of 'poisoning the blood of our country.' During his first term, Trump created 'Operation Second Look,' a program to comb immigrant citizens' paperwork for misstatements or errors that would allow them to be denaturalized. This term, his top immigration advisor, Stephen Miller, has vowed to 'turbocharge' Operation Second Look, which could also lead to denaturalization and deportation of American-born children of immigrants, under Trump's executive order that purports to end birthright citizenship. Another Civics Bee question that caught my attention was this one: Q: Which statement best reflects the application of federalism in the Clean Air Act, considering the following quotation, 'the Clean Air Act represents a partnership between federal and state governments to improve air quality and to protect public health.' A: The federal government sets national standards, while states can implement stricter regulations based on local needs. That's the way it's supposed to work. But it brought to mind a recent press release I got from Kansas 1st District Rep. Tracey Mann, taking a victory lap over Congress rolling back California anti-pollution regulations. At the time, I remember thinking, 'What business is this of Tracey Mann's?' given that he represents a district that sprawls from Colorado to one county away from Missouri, where there are about four times as many cows as people and the largest city, Lawrence, would be a minor suburb of Los Angeles. What he knows of the pollution challenges facing California I'm guessing would fit on a microscope slide, but he couldn't care less as long as he can own some libs and send out a press release titled: 'Rep. Mann Reverses Biden Green New Deal Policies.' When I was growing up, we didn't have civics bees. We barely had any civics education. Truth be told, most of what we ever knew about the workings of government came from 'Schoolhouse Rock,' three-minute educational cartoons sandwiched between Jonny Quest and Scooby-Doo on Saturday mornings. Cue the music: 'I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill, and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.' I can't help thinking if we'd had civics bees back then, we wouldn't be in this mess we're in today. So it lifts my heart to see these earnest young kids competing over who knows the most about the people and ideals that built America. It gives me great hope that their future will be better than the present that my generation has handed them.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Three local students will compete at the National Civics Bee Texas State Finals
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – The Odessa Chamber of Commerce announced that three students from the Odessa and Midland area will compete in the National Civics Bee Texas State Finals. it is a live competition hosted by The University of Texas at Austin School of Civic Leadership on, May 17, at 1:00pm. During the live event, contestants will answer 20 civics multiple-choice questions during Rounds I & II. The top 5 finalists from Rounds I & II will advance to Round III and each finalist will deliver a 3-minute pitch of their original essay to a panel of judges followed by Q&A. This prestigious event is organized by The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Representing the area are: * Shreeya S., Young Women's Leadership Academy * Asha A., Young Women's Leadership Academy * Abhinav B., Nimitz Junior High The first-place winner of the Texas State competition will win $1,000 and advance to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Civics Bee Championship, where they will compete for a $100,000 education savings plan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbia County Chamber hosts 2025 National Civics Bee
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WJBF) – The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce presented the local round of the 2025 National Civics Bee. The Civics Bee took place at Grovetown High School and featured 20 Middle School students from across the CSRA. These students were selected after submitting essays about their ideas on how to improve their local community. I spoke with the President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, Russell Lahodny, about the importance of students being educated in civics. 'I think one of the biggest things for us is we want to make sure that we have kids who are educated, and we want to build good citizens. This is a great opportunity to get them involved to start understanding what it means to be a good citizen and even what it might mean to be a leader themselves in their community, and I think this is a great way to do it.' said Lahodny. Civics is the understanding of the government process as well as the rights and duties of being a citizen in the United States. Lahodny said it great to see these students taking an interest in our government. 'Now we get an opportunity to see really what their education is on that level, but again to me it's the excitement that they've gotten out of the competition just to this point and to have that opportunity to move on to the state round possibly and even the national round.' Lahodny said, The judges were Dr. Tom Clark with Fort Eisenhower, Jodi Lott who is a former Georgia State Representative and Dr. Jackson Drumgoole with WellStar Health. While the competition is an analysis of the students it is also a display of the teachers. 'I think it's a great reflection of our schools, I think the participation, they really appreciated the program and what we were doing and they really expressed a lot of excitement over it.' said Lahodny. The top 3 students from the event will advance to the state finals in Atlanta with the potential to move on to the national championships in Washington D.C. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania senator asked child ‘pornography' question during civics competition
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. (WHTM) — A Pennsylvania State Senator is apologizing after posing a pornography question to a sixth grade girl during a civics competition. On Wednesday, a local National Civics Bee competition was held at Penn State Schuylkill in Schuylkill Haven, giving students in grades 6-8 a chance to 'flex their civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and cash prizes.' According to the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce website, these student competitors came to discuss a variety of essay topics. Rapper Azealia Banks says she regrets Trump vote However, one student's topic of Book Banning drew a bit of controversy, not because of her topic, but because of a question asked by one of the participating judges, who happens to be a State Senator. According to a Facebook post by the mother of the girl whose essay was about book banning, State Sen. David Argall (R-Carbon/Luzerne/Schuylkill) asked the sixth grader if it was 'appropriate to give pornographic magazines to kindergarteners.' The mother says her daughter asked what the senator meant, seemingly because the young girl did not know what pornography was. Argall, the mother says, then responded by telling the young girl that pornography was 'naked pictures of people.' 'This discussion has no place at the Civics Bee,' the mother shared online. 'I am further appalled and furious that I now have to explain pornography to my fourth grader who was there to cheer on her sister.' Facebook sending out $40 payments to users over 'Like button' issue In response to the incident, Argall told abc27 news the following: During last night's local round of the National Civics Bee, I posed a question as a volunteer judge to a participant that was not age-appropriate for this setting. I apologize to the young lady, her family, and all the participants who worked hard to get to this point, with excellent presentations by the students who submitted entries on book bans and many other important subjects. I was attempting to ask if some books and magazines are not appropriate for some age groups, a subject which has received considerable attention in the general assembly in recent years. In hindsight, my obvious mistake was in citing an example that was itself not appropriate for this age group, a mistake which I will not make again. State Senator Argall The next round of the Civics Bee will be held in Harrisburg. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Students flex civics knowledge at local round of National Civics Bee
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Several of the region's brightest young citizens demonstrated their civics knowledge and community service Wednesday at the Schuylkill County chapter of the National Civics Bee, hosted by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. The event — the first-ever Schuylkill County edition of the civics bee — brought together 18 local students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades to compete in two rounds of multiple-choice quizzes, followed by a panel of questions for the top five contestants. The event was held at Penn State Schuylkill's John E. Morgan Auditorium. The students were selected based on essays they had submitted to the Civics Bee on a topic of their choice, exploring community service projects they wanted to undertake. Those essays were read by National Civics Bee judges across the country. The local event consisted of two initial rounds of multiple-choice questions on topics related to the federal government, citizenship and history. Audience members also had the chance to participate by joining on their phones. Topics included the role of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, the president's cabinet, the role of the president and the Senate in the treaty ratification process, the Little Rock Nine, and the impact of U.S. Supreme Court decisions like Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Munn v. Illinois (1877). The five students with the highest cumulative scores — out of 20 questions — advanced to a third round and answered questions from a panel of judges on the essays they had submitted to the Civics Bee. The top three students received cash awards and trophies: 1st place: Aaron K., Tamaqua Area — $1,000 prize2nd place: Mihir P., St. Ignatius Loyola — $500 prize3rd place: Mary A., North Schuylkill — $250 prize The three will advance to the state level of the competition om Harrisburg on June 13. The first-place winner from that round will be invited to compete in the national championship this fall in Washington, D.C. * The three winners include Mary A., Aaron K. and Mihir P. during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Mary claimed third, Mihir second and Aaron first. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * State Representative Jamie Barton speaks before the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Ava K., Schuylkill Haven, answers a question on her tablet during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * A question is projected onto a screen during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Mihir P., St. Ignatius Loyola, does a double fist pump after answering a question during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Student competiros listen as questions are asked during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Mary A., North Schuylkill, looks down at her tablet during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr. calls out a question during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Show Caption 1 of 8 The three winners include Mary A., Aaron K. and Mihir P. during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Mary claimed third, Mihir second and Aaron first. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Expand SEE THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY: The local finals for the National Civics Bee Aaron, whose essay topic was inclusive recreation, told the judges that he wants to work with local educators, leaders and community members to build inclusive sensory equipment for his old elementary school playground. He said he was inspired by his brother, who has autism. He stressed the importance of recess as a time to unwind and relax, and said it's crucial to have good equipment for it. '(My brother) has definitely needed a lot of care and attention, especially in a school setting,' Aaron said, 'and I think that this project could really benefit people like him.' Mihir P. talked about his proposal for an outdoor lighting project, which he said would improve safety, reduce crime and improve physical and mental well-being. When asked about how some property owners would object to having lights installed near their homes, Mihir pointed out it could raise the value of their homes due to the enhanced safety and, additionally, some sort of compensation could be provided to them. 'This will be a collaboration between local authorities, energy companies and residents, while honoring civic virtues,' Mihir said. Mary A.'s essay focused on book banning. She proposed raising awareness to protect access to books by writing, getting the word out and collaborating with librarians, politicians and school boards. 'All students deserve the right to read (books) by people like them,' she said, 'and authors, they deserve to have their voices heard.' The other students who made the final round were Aaron E., of Blue Mountain, whose topic was public safety; and Ava K., of Schuylkill Haven Area, whose topic was homelessness and poverty. Other entries from the local finalists included topics such as fighting blight, better life for strays, student mental health and lead contamination. The judges were state Sen. David G. Argall (R-29); Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess; Evelyn Datte, district coordinator at the office of Congressman Dan Meuser (R-9); Maureen Donovan, board member of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership; and Thomas Teles, human resources manager at the Walmart Distribution Center in Schuylkill County. While 20 finalists had originally been selected for the event, two dropped out on short notice, and there was not enough time to replace those students, according to chamber President and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr., the event's emcee. Per National Civic Bee policy, students were identified at the event only by their first name and last initial, along with the school district they attend. According to the competition rules, one of the finalists — Mihir P., who attends St. Ignatius Loyola in Berks County — was allowed to take part in any county civics bee of his choice, Carl said. Carl congratulated the students and their parents, and advised them to remember the importance of the government and their education. 'Government never was intended to have a ping pong match of one side against another,' Carl said. 'It was created to be able to work in partnership to better be able to work together and make the right decisions, most importantly, on behalf of the people that elected officials serve.' The event also included remarks from Cory Scherer, interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill; state Rep. Jamie Barton, R-124; Mike Shaner, vice president of lending at Hidden River Credit Union, which sponsored the monetary awards; and Jim Cooksey, president of the Rotary Club of Pottsville, which sponsored the trophies. The National Civics Bee is hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The state and local rounds of the bee are held in partnership with the U.S. Chamber, the PA Chamber of Business and Industry and local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania.
