Know Your Constitution preparing to follow on last year’s successes

Cedar Falls students have been attending the Know Your Constitution for many years now and according to Kevin Kuker, U.S. history teacher at Holmes Junior High, has been hosting the Know Your Constitution Program for ninth graders at Holmes for the past eight years now, if not more.

Know Your Constitution is an educational program sponsored by the Iowa State Bar Association and the Young Lawyers Division out of Des Moines. Finalists are chosen based on two program submissions: 50-question multiple choice quiz over the U.S. Constitution along with an essay that deals with a hypothetical question regarding a constitutional principle. 

Students have a large window of time between when they receive materials and the final deadline. According to Kuker, “From once the program materials are sent out to students to the deadline on when the materials should be submitted, students generally get around two to two and a half months to complete the program materials, which in time is from mid-September to around early December.” 

As early December rolls around, 100 finalists are selected from across the state, yet the larger urban areas tend to get more finalists because more submissions come from areas like the Cedar Valley, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, etc. 

Last year, Lydia Rusley-Hanesford, a CFHS sophomore, was one out of the five finalists that was drawn out of a hat to win the $1,000 scholarship.

Now a junior,  Rusley-Hanesford said, “I was definitely shocked to hear my name called. I had been joking all day that day about how funny it would be if I just so happened to win because I never went with the expectation that I would win anything especially since that was my second year in the program. Being drawn as one of five out of this huge group was very surreal. It was even crazier because there were also two winners from Holmes, so three out of the five winners were from our district. It seemed so coincidental.”

 Rusley-Hanesford has already started prepping for this year’s contest and is quite far along in the questionnaire. “I would love to improve my time management this year. Last year I waited until close to the deadline to start my essay and quiz, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t have enough time to submit thorough work.”

According to  Rusley-Hanesford, the quiz questions are open-book, which makes it easier since she can check her answers. For her, this reduces the time needed and helps the writing process for the essay run smoothly.

According to social studies teacher Traci Walsh, the Know Your Constitution program is an essential initiative for schools. Walsh is a sponsor for this program and said, “To me, the Know Your Constitution program helps students develop their critical thinking and writing skills in a thoughtful and argumentative way. Additionally, students come to appreciate a document that, despite being centuries old, continues to influence us daily. Furthermore, providing finalists with a $1,000 scholarship for their college years serves as a fantastic incentive. It motivates students to engage with the program throughout high school and can help offset some of the expenses of college.”

This program has garnered significant positive attention and is highly valued by students, who are encouraged to participate. Kuker said, “I definitely recommend that students get involved in this program. It allows students to explore a piece of history that remains relevant to Americans today. There’s nothing better than making a learning experience as practical as possible.”

 Rusley-Hanesford encouraged students to join. “Even if you don’t know anything about the government or the Constitution, you can still participate. This will be my third year competing, and I’ve enjoyed it every year. I’ve learned so much that I didn’t know before.”

Kuker expressed his excitement for the program too. “One of the aspects I’m most eager about this year, with the program taking place at Holmes, is the prospect of strong student participation. Last week, nearly 30 ninth graders signed up to learn more about the program, and 25 attended our first work session during Tiger Time this week. I’m also hopeful that Holmes, along with Cedar Falls Schools, will have several representatives again this year who can attend the awards reception in Des Moines and receive recognition. Ultimately, it’s the students who put in the effort for this program, so it’s always rewarding to see their hard work acknowledged.”

 Rusley-Hanesford, an aspiring doctor, said, “I’m definitely looking forward to the new essay prompt. I think it will be a very interesting topic to do research on and write about. In the past two years of competing, my favorite part about the process has been looking up different court cases and lesser-known laws to apply to the essay. It’s very interesting to learn about. I’m holding out hope to be selected for the lunch