WHEREAS, The students of Tahoma Senior High School who are enrolled in the program known as "We The People: The Citizen and Constitution" have exhibited an exceptional grasp of the Constitution of the United States and the lessons our forefathers taught; and
     WHEREAS, On Saturday, January 7, 2012, the state "We The People" competition was once again won by the team from Tahoma Senior High School – the school's 16th championship in 17 years; and
     WHEREAS, From April 27th to May 1st these students will represent their state at the 25th Anniversary We The People National Finals in Washington, D.C., where they surely will uphold the standard of excellence for which Tahoma Senior High School is known; and
     WHEREAS, Just as these students are inspired to immerse themselves in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, their extraordinary knowledge of the Constitution and formidable debate skills have inspired those who watched them progress to the level of state champions; and
     WHEREAS, The Tahoma team is again coached by Gretchen Wulfing, who was named Washington's Civic Educator of the Year in 2011, and who continues to successfully impress upon her students the importance of learning about American constitutional democracy and the contemporary relevance of the nation's founding documents; and
     WHEREAS, These students and their advisor were aided by countless hours of help from We The People alumni, former students who helped prepare this year's debaters by volunteering as guest judges; and
     WHEREAS, Studies have shown that 80 percent of high school seniors participating in this program have registered to vote, compared to an average of 37 percent among other high school seniors, proof that We The People promotes a greater interest in participating in government; and
     WHEREAS, Tahoma Senior High School has a distinguished record in competitions beyond the state level, having placed fourth in the nation in 2000, capturing the Western Regional Award in 2002 and 2008, and taking the top Unit Two in the Nation Award in 2003;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate honor these "warriors of the Constitution": Nathan Farnsworth, Sarah Fuller, Mark Gato, Katie Hartke, Matt Horne, Kristen Jamieson, Oliver Kombol, Kaitlin Lowe, Emily Martin, Allanah Miller, Sadie Nelson, Emily Page, Julianne Reilly, Thomas Reinhard, Justin Ross, Lora Sonnen, Grace Taylor, Kendall Thiele, Clara Tibbetts, Harrison Waldock, Caitlyn Ward, and Barrett Weston; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the members of Tahoma Senior High School's We The People Team, team advisor Gretchen Wulfing, and the principal of Tahoma Senior High School, Terry Duty, to further show the respect of this body for a job well done and wish them success in their endeavors.