CONCORD – Four students sponsored by The Telegraph were finalists in the annual New Hampshire Constitution Day Essay Contest.

In the high school catetory, the finalists were Shannon Morin, Pelham High School, and Joseph DeGraffenried, Milford High School.

In the middle school category, the finalists were Nilaani Pazhaniappan, Elm Street Middle School, Nashua, and Alex Thibeault, Fairgrounds Middle School, Nashua.

Ben Brown, of Keene Middle School, and Terran Campbell, of Lebanon High School, were the state winners. They and the finalists were honored at a reception on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

In 2004, Congress declared schools should observe Constitution Day each year on Sept. 17 with programs about the history of the Constitution. The essay contest is part of New Hampshire’s Constitution Day observance.

This year, students considered whether dress codes or restrictions that ban messages such as those that might be displayed on a T-shirt violate the First Amendment.

The essay topic was: "In your opinion, do such bans or dress restrictions violate First Amendment rights of free speech? Do such messages or choice of clothing, in fact, constitute ‘speech’? Are there valid reasons for such bans, such as safety considerations? Does the subject matter of a message make a difference? Who should be responsible for determining whether such messages do violate free speech rights?"

Both statewide winners said they believe dress codes and restrictions in public places are constitutional, but both cautioned that restrictions should be im­posed and enforced thoughtfully.

The finalists were chosen from essays submitted to participating newspapers whose circulation areas include their schools. The state Supreme Court chose the statewide winners.

Campbell was sponsored by the Valley News, and Brown was sponsored by the Keene Sentinel.