Students sat down in their seats as the quiet glow of laptop screens flickered to life and notebooks opened to blank pages. No one expected anything different ... just another day in A.P. Government class.

After welcoming everyone to class, A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Teacher Mr. Jim Haske announced to everyone’s excitement that we would be participating in an online simulation based on the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). This case involved students receiving disciplinary action for wearing black armbands to school in protest of the Vietnam War. The question at hand was whether their First Amendment civil liberty of freedom of speech (symbolic speech) was violated by the school district. Spoiler alert: it was. 

However, the court case in our student simulation was called Ben Brewer v. Hamilton High School. In this case, Ben Brewer wore a T-shirt to school that supported a band, and this was against school rules because of disruptions such T-shirts had caused to learning in the past. Students were divided into three groups: Supreme Court justices, petitioners (plaintiffs), and respondents (defendants). Each justice was given a guiding perspective to help them develop questions and to inform their decision, while teams of lawyers composed oral arguments and prepared for the justices’ potential questions. 

What appeared to be a straightforward case stretched across nearly two full class periods before a verdict was finally reached. This was largely in part because of the incredible service offered by the simulation creator, VoxPop. With video briefings on the case itself, time for collaboration amongst judges, and time to question the legal teams, the courtroom had no idle time during the proceedings. Throughout the case, justices clashed, debates erupted, and the stakes felt real. United States Supreme Court justices rule in a chamber with towering columns holding up the ceiling (and justice), rich wood furniture, and stately leather chairs, but in Mr. Haske's class, the student justices sat in plastic chairs with a Smart Board glowing behind them. Even without the grandeur of the real chamber, the simulation captured the essence of the Supreme Court case perfectly. 

Reflecting on the simulation, Jeffrey Sproull ’26 said, “As someone who’s involved in the political sphere, it was interesting to approach a different side of the government, which is not often seen by others.” Caleb Morrison ’26 said, “It was fun to apply things we’ve learned in class to a hands-on situation.” The simulation provided students with an opportunity to experience courtroom proceedings and to have a deeper understanding of how the Supreme Court operates. As students head into the final marking period and begin thinking about the May exam, they hope there is an opportunity to do one more VoxPop simulation before they graduate.