All essays are in format.

6th Grade

• First Place: Nathan Shellhamer—Edwardsburg Middle School, Edwardsburg—Teacher: Erin Souchick
• Second Place: Emma Kern—Tappan Middle School, Ann Arbor—Teacher: Wendy Raymond
• Third Place: Ashley Sokolowski—Bangor Middle School, Bangor—Teacher: Catherine Kimbler

7th Grade

• First Place: Haley Anne Bennett—Gagie School, Kalamazoo—Teacher: Joe Myers
• Second Place: Zachary Whiting—Paw Paw Middle School, Paw Paw—Teacher: Lyn Brown
• Third Place: Angela Furton—L’Anse Creuse Middle School North, Macomb—Teacher: Sheryl Furnas

8th Grade

• First Place: Maura Tova Levine—Gagie School, Kalamazoo—Teacher: Dr. Gagie
• Second Place: Nicole Stawasz—Walnut Creek Middle School, West Bloomfield—Teacher: Tracy Jackson
• Third Place: Emma McClory—St. Thomas School, Ann Arbor—Teacher: Kirstin Boettcher

Six Supreme Court Cases

• West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette , 319 U.S. 624 (1943)
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Sch. District , 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
• Bethel Sch. District No. 403 v. Fraser , 478 U.S. 675 (1986)
• New Jersey v. T.L.O. , 469 U.S. 325 (1985)
• Vernonia Sch. District 47J v. Acton , 515 U.S. 646 (1995)
• Board of Educ. of Independent Sch. District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls , 536 U.S. 822 (2002)

"Should" Questions

1. Should a religious group of students be allowed to gather outside at the school flagpole before school starts?

• See Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District

2. Suppose that some students want to show support for a political candidate by wearing campaign pins to school. Should a school be allowed to have a policy against wearing items that show support for political candidates?

• See Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District

3. Suppose a school has a dress code that allows female students to wear open-toed shoes to school, but requires male students to wear close-toed shoes. Suppose further that a student group organizes a protest of the policy by encouraging male students to wear sandals to school for one day. Should a principal have the right to penalize male students for violating the dress code?

• See Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District

4. No question.

5. Suppose a parent reports that a student was showing off a hunting rifle in the school parking lot. Should a principal have the right to conduct a search of a student’s backpack?

• See New Jersey v. T.L.O.

6. No question.

7. Suppose that a public school policy allows students to refuse to submit to drug testing as long as they do not attend the school prom. Should a school be able to require students to consent to random, suspicionless drug testing as a condition for purchasing prom tickets?

• See Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton
• See Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls ,