Cheyenne South finishes second in statewide civic education contest

Dec. 5—CHEYENNE — It's not every day a mini dance party is held in the Wyoming State Capitol, but Tuesday morning, Cheyenne's South High School teacher Erin Lindt played classic '90s R&B to help ease the nerves of her students.

Wyoming held a two-day "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution" competition — a nationally-recognized civics contest for high school students — where 16 high schools from across the state came to the Capitol to compete. The six top-scoring teams announced on Monday (three of which were Cheyenne high schools) competed in a second round during State Finals on Tuesday.

The students from South High knew the stakes were high, and Lindt said she saw their nerves were starting to get to them.

"After the first round of questioning, I noticed that my kids were in their heads a lot," Lindt said. "So, we just played some music and had a dance party to kind of get them out of their heads. And I think it worked."

Nearly 200 students and teachers filled the seats in the Capitol's auditorium as they waited to hear which teams would move on to nationals. The room exploded with cheers when Cheyenne South was awarded second place, with Sheridan High School taking first. Both schools will move on to compete at nationals next spring in Washington, D.C.

"It's definitely nerve-wracking. And mostly because I don't want the kids to be disappointed," Lindt said after the award ceremony. "But, at the same time, I'm just so proud of them."

Breaking through barriers

This year was particularly challenging for the We the People class at South High. If studying for the intense, college-level questions weren't hard enough, imagine trying to do it in front of a camera.

South was one of two Wyoming high schools chosen to be in a documentary film by the Center for Civic Education.

Throughout the semester, and all day during the finals, a documentary crew followed students as they prepared for the We the People competition. On Tuesday, a small crew filmed the kids during their presentations and followed them around during breaks.

"We're one of three, maybe four states that were selected by the Center for Civic Education to appear in this documentary," said Matt Strannigan, We the People state coordinator.

Strannigan recommended Sheridan High School and South High School for the film. He said he nominated Sheridan High because of its competitive track record, having made it to nationals eight out of the past nine years.

South High was also recommended, Strannigan said, because it was the team "from nowhere."

Lindt, who arrived at South five years ago, said it was her mission to "break" stereotypes.

"There's a lot of stereotypes about the south side of Cheyenne," Lindt said. "My whole goal was to break that."

Lindt led the first South High We the People team in 2019, but said they didn't even make it to state.

"I think part of it was because of what my students were wearing. So, I was like, we're going to solve this right now," Lindt said.

The high school teacher said she went to Town and Country Supermarket Liquors and was able to secure a $2,000 donation, which was matched by the principal.

"We bought all new uniforms, and now they're matching. They look great," she said.

This year will be the second year in a row this team has followed Sheridan High to nationals. After the awards ceremony, Lindt told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle through tears that her mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at the beginning of the semester.

"I told the kids since day one," Lindt said, wiping her eyes. "I was like, 'Listen, my mom is sick, and I can't be the best teammate for you this year. So I need you to be the best teammate.' And they pulled through for one another."

Shaping America's future

Brenda Lyttle, a Cheyenne attorney who helped judge the competition, said she was deeply impressed by the students' presentations on Monday.

"My impressions were that this state is in very good hands," Lyttle told the WTE after the first day. "We have a hopeful future with the young folks that are coming up in our schools right now."

The students spent months researching questions that addressed issues such as gerrymandering, gun laws, protections under the 14th Amendment and abortion rights. In their presentations, students referenced historical events and landmark Supreme Court cases to develop their answers.

"(This program) empowers the kids. It's truly one of the most authentic pieces of learning," said Bryce Strampe, a We the People teacher for Cheyenne's Central High School. "They have less than a semester to just study from the foundational documents, even before American history ... all the way up to modern day."

Several students who spoke with the WTE said their ideologies and views on American politics had changed since the beginning of the semester. Brayden Metcals, 17, a senior at Central, said he gained a more empathetic understanding of American politics.

It's more than being left or right, Democrat or Republican, he said. Taking a deep dive into historical precedents made him see these challenges "as a whole."

"We're all in this together," he said. "We have to understand, whether it's a partisan issue or a nonpartisan issue, we need to take the most holistic and encompassing approach."

Two students from South said they identified as far-right Republicans at the beginning of the semester. After months of studying Supreme Court cases and combing through the National Archives as part of their research, their own political views started to shift.

Samuel Crouch, 16, a junior at South, said he still leaned to the right, but he gained a new perspective on political beliefs he didn't previously align with.

"I would say I still fall more to the (right) side of the political spectrum, but I definitely understand a lot more of every side coming from it," he said. "In my groups, I play the contrarian. So, I have to research the other side, even if I don't align with that political belief or those beliefs. It just gives you a lot more viewpoints on every side of the argument."

His classmate, Kyle Gallo, 18, who is a senior, said he used to identify with the far right, but now considers himself a centrist.

"I would've said I was more Republican to start off, but as time went on, I'm more centrist," he said. "Both sides hold the accountability."

Strannigan, the state We the People coordinator, acknowledged the importance of gaining an in-depth understanding of the Constitution and American history to shape future voters.

The key isn't whether a person leans right or left, he said, but to have a deeper understanding of the issues that divide this country.

"Our civility with our fellow citizens, or lack thereof, will ultimately determine if our Constitution survives the 21st century, and can guarantee the rights of both the governing majority and the minority," Strannigan said Monday night at a dinner. "What (the students) are doing is really important work. Because, from what I saw today, you guys need to be the leaders."

Hannah Shields is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3167 or hshields@wyomingnews.com. You can follow her on X @happyfeet004.