The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

November 10, 2012

Shady advances to state civics contest

By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter

BECKLEY — Shady Spring High School received the overall highest school award Thursday in the third Congressional District Civics Competition at the Raleigh County Judicial Annex and will advance to the state competition in December.

During the competition, 60 students from Shady Spring, Woodrow Wilson High and Scott High in Boone County had to give a four-minute oral response to two different questions and were then cross-examined for six minutes by a panel of judges.

Lawyers and other area professionals served as judges. These included attorneys James Anderson, Robert Baker, Chris Davis, Rusty Wooton, Kevin Robinson, Matt Fragile, Chris Crews, Robert File, Clyde Smith, Tom Tinder and professors Bill O’Brien and Keith Lilly.

The research presentation and questions are based on an understanding of the U.S. Constitution and correlate to the “We the People” curriculum materials produced by the Center for Civic Education.

Shady Spring student Augustus Graff was recognized by the judges as an outstanding competitor.

“We found the competition tough, but the judges were great and we left with a feeling of success. We are anxiously waiting for the state competition,” he said.

The state competition will be Dec. 19, and Shady will compete against George Washington High School in the Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse in Charleston.

The state winner will advance to the national championship in Washington, D.C.

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com

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