CF Students Named Finalists in Iowa State Bar Association Competition
Seven Cedar Falls Schools students were named as finalists in The Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division “Know Your Constitution” Project. Pictured are the student finalists with their certificates, from left to right: Jacob Smothers, Vedanti Sankpal, Madeline Castings, CFHS, and Jillian Kellum, and Param Sampat, Holmes Junior High. Not pictured: Olivia Smothers and Emma Yarrow, CFHS. One hundred finalists were selected from the more than 1,000 students across the State of Iowa who participated in the “Know Your Constitution” Project. These finalists were honored at a luncheon held at the West Des Moines Marriott on January 13, 2020. They had the opportunity to hear about the development of our republic from this year’s Keynote Speaker the Honorable Justice Christopher McDonald of the Iowa Supreme Court.
From the finalists, five students and their teachers were chosen by a random drawing to attend the all expense paid, Close-Up Foundation’s five-day long education work session in Washington, D.C., in February 2020. The work sessions are organized to develop a deeper understanding of government and the political process.
Cedar Falls High School student Emma Yarrow and her teacher, Nina Grudt, were selected to attend the trip this year!
The “Know Your Constitution” Project is designed to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the Constitution. The students participating in the project were required to familiarize themselves with Constitution related issues. A quiz was completed by each participating student. An essay question accompanied the quiz in case of a tie. This year’s essay topic involved Constitutional questions centered on a restrictive student dress code at a public high school. Students were asked to consider the nature of the First Amendment as it relates to student conduct. Jillian Kellum was recognized at the luncheon as a finalist for having the best essay. This program is sponsored by The Iowa State Bar Association, with additional funding from the Iowa State Bar Foundation and many of the county Bar Associations across Iowa.
