Danielle Lyon ‘26
EE Managing Editor
Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Editor-In-Chief
On January 24th, 2026, Trumbull’s We The People students arrived at the historic Connecticut State House in Hartford, full of excitement, and a few nerves, as they prepared to showcase the knowledge they had spent months researching. Each unit had prepared three opening statements in response to questions from the We The People program, but only two of the three questions would be asked by the competition judges: one in the morning round and another in the afternoon. Students debated endlessly over which questions they might face, but in the end, there was no way to predict which statements they would deliver.
The competition began with Unit 5 in the morning, kicking off a strong and smooth flow through that remained for all six units. As head coach Ms. Boland always emphasizes, “Six units, one team, one goal” is what truly elevates the group’s knowledge and expertise. Under her guidance, the team worked seamlessly together throughout both rounds, even when challenged by stressful moments and unexpected follow-up questions from the judges.
Suhani Jhala, member of unit 5 expressed, “it was definitely very stressful” as she had a hiccup on during her afternoon round. But despite her minor mistake, she was, “able to redirect and get back on track”, bouncing off her teammates impeccably well. Alongside the students, parents and Trumbull High teachers and mentors including Ms. Kremzar and Mr. Alloy, traveled to Hartford to support the students, helping to ease their nerves and reminding them to simply do their best.
After the two rounds, the team gathered at the Hartford Library, anxiously awaiting the results. Months of preparation and a long day of competition had brought them to this moment, with the hope of securing Trumbull’s 14th consecutive state-level victory. They had been evaluated not only on the delivery of their opening statements but also on their ability to respond to judges’ follow-up questions on a wide range of constitutional and contemporary political topics.
Since the inception of the We the People program in 1987, Trumbull High School has been a dominant force in the Connecticut We the People circuit. Across 4 decades, they have won 30 state championships, taking home the gold and representing Connecticut at nationals numerous times. This past Saturday, Trumbull brought home yet another banner, winning their 30th state championship and 14th championship during the tenure of Coach Katie Boland. This now marks the 14th time in the last 15 years that Trumbull has won states and represents the culmination of a legacy 30 years in the making. For those of you who are not familiar with the We The People Program, let me lay it out for you:
Intended as a cross between comprehensive civic education and friendly competition, We The People is both an academic class and a competitive team. It remains the only class in Trumbull High School that you have to audition for and the only one to actively engage in competitions. With a team size around 18-24 students, a wide variety of individuals, ranging from valedictorians to football captains are divided into 6 units. Each unit deals with a specific aspect of history, spanning from philosophy to the Civil War and even modern-day challenges to democracy. Together, these students form a cohesive, well-functioning unit of history-packed machines able to spit facts and arguments out at a moment’s notice. However, even the smartest students aren’t able to get there immediately. It takes time, effort, concentration, and constant practice and rehearsal. Across the year, students participate in “Night With The Experts” in which they run practice rounds in front of guess judges to prepare for the actual competition. These individuals include BICEN alumni, teachers, and even state senators! Similarly, students are motivated to meet with their unit at least once a week and spend time perfecting their craft. Earlier in January, the BICEN team was even able to take a trip down to New York to present their arguments in front of panels of New York lawyers! In addition to the challenges of mastering such a complicated subject area, Trumbull students face the added challenge of living up to Trumbull’s illustrious legacy. Unlike other schools, Trumbull consistently has pressure put on it to be the best team in the state. Any time that expectation is not met, students’ morale and passion can decrease. However, what makes Trumbull students unique is not just their incredible minds, but their grit, passion, and determination to succeed. When all that pressure comes to a boiling point at States, these students stay calmed and composed, ready to face the daunting panel of judges ahead of them. Luckily for us, we have someone here at Eagle’s Eye who can give us an even more in-depth look into last Saturday’s trials and tribulations…
In the end, their hard work paid off! Trumbull emerged victorious, beating archrival Staples High School by more than 50 points. But beyond the win, Trumbull High School was left with something even greater, 20 exceptionally informed young Americans, ready to shape and contribute to the future of our country “It was an incredible experience, the best part was getting to see all the hard work myself and all my teammates put in come to fruition.” -Ali Hassan, Unit 4