LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating the New Visions Law & Government
Class, a program of the Capital Region BOCES upon the occasion of
capturing First Place in the New York State We the People: The Citizen
and the Constitution competition and qualifying for the 2015 National
Competition

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend young people who, by achieving outstanding success in an educa-
tional competition, inspire and bring pride to themselves and to their
school, their community, and the great State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratu-
late the New Visions Law & Government Class, a program of the Capital
Region BOCES, upon the occasion of capturing First Place in the New York
State We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition, and
qualifying for the 2015 National Competition; and
WHEREAS, For the first time in the 28-year history of this prestigious
competition, a Capital Region team has won the We The People: The Citi-
zen and the Constitution New York State Finals; the 10 dedicated
students competed against, and defeated nearly 150 students from five
other regional Champion teams, ranging from 12-36 students from Long
Island, New York City, and Western New York; and
WHEREAS, From April 24-27, 2015, the accomplished New Visions Law &
Government Class Team competed against top teams from the other 49
states and the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., and are to be
commended for their accomplishment; and
WHEREAS, Each year, schools from across the country participate in the
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program, sponsored by
the Center for Civic Education, is an intensive curriculum which
provides students with a fundamental understanding of the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights; and
WHEREAS, Students who participate in the competition must learn all of
the intricacies involved in the creation and application of the U.S.
Constitution, beginning with the Constitution's foundation in Enlight-
enment thinking and Colonial history and extending to the ways in which
all of its Articles and Amendments have historically been and currently
are implemented by the executive, legislative and judicial branches of
both national and state governments; and
WHEREAS, Each team is comprised of six units, each focusing on a
particular area of Constitutional interest, from the philosophical
underpinnings and Constitutional Convention to modern day implications;
in preparing themselves for the competition, the students must become
experts on the text of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, United
States history, Supreme Court decisions, and current world events to
meet the demands of the program and each tier of competition; and
WHEREAS, Since the inception of the program in 1987, more than 28
million students, and 90,000 educators have partaken in its instruc-
tional program, and over 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers have partic-
ipated in the National Finals; over the years, more than 10,000 parents,
grandparents, friends and neighbors have traveled to Washington, D.C.,
to celebrate the accomplishments of the students; and
WHEREAS, At the regional and state levels students demonstrate their
knowledge and critical thinking skills in one round of competition in
front of a single panel of three judges; at the national level, students
participate in at least two rounds of competition and the top ten teams
compete in a third round; and

WHEREAS, New Visions Law & Government is a college-level career-explo-
ration program for academically-competitive high school seniors which
offers college as well as AP credit and integrates AP United States
Government & Politics with English, Law, and Economics; the class inte-
grates college credit through the State University of New York (SUNY) at
Albany's High School Program (UHS); and
WHEREAS, The students are placed in internships where they can gain
real-life experience and career insight in places such as the Albany
County District Attorney's Office, various State courts, the State
Legislature, and numerous public and private interest and advocacy
organizations; and
WHEREAS, These dynamic students also participate in both mock trials
and congressional hearings, and visit with many judges and lawyers over
the course of the year; the program emphasizes critical thinking, analy-
sis and writing; and
WHEREAS, The outstanding members of the New Visions Law & Government
Class Team have devoted hours of their free time after school and during
vacations to perfecting their opening statements and to preparing for
the competition's six minute period of spontaneous follow-up questions;
and
WHEREAS, The New Visions Law & Government Class We the People Team,
ably guided by Instructor Richard Bader, Esq., includes Kenneth Steven-
son, Austin Czechowski, Keily Linger, Keefe Watson, Vincent Caruso,
Emily Taylor, Thomas Fisher, David Simon, Emilia Sacco, and Jeremy
Clement; and
WHEREAS, Poised eagerly with enthusiasm and determined purpose, these
scholars now stand honorably, with just pride in their achievement and
in eager anticipation of future challenges, understanding and appreciat-
ing the caring counsel and support provided by their teachers, coach and
parents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the New Visions Law & Government Class, a program of the
Capital Region BOCES, upon the occasion of capturing First Place in the
New York State We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competi-
tion and qualifying for the 2015 National Competition, and to offer them
best wishes in the National Competition as well as for a future of
purposeful success and well-being; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Richard Bader, Esq., Instructor, New Visions Law & Government
Class, and the aforementioned honorees.