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Chattanooga: Students dive into political pool

By: Kelli Gauthier
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By: Andy Johns
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The day before the election, presidential politics turned to child’s play.

Fifth-graders Adam Davis and Michael Brown squared off Monday as Barack Obama and John McCain at The Bright School, supported by their faux-spouses, running mates and nine pint-sized Secret Service agents surrounding the stage.

Both students researched their candidates’ platforms and even studied the nominees’ mannerisms and expressions to properly portray them in front of 300 classmates.

Michael, as Sen. McCain, criticized his opponent’s lack of experience, while promising to keep troops in Iraq as long as necessary, keep taxes low and expand offshore drilling.

“Let me put it a way you younger children can understand,” he said, explaining that Sen. Obama’s bid for the White House was like a teacher who had taught at the school only 140 days trying to become headmaster.

Adam, as Sen. Obama, fired back, promising to create jobs, pull troops out of Iraq and reduce health care costs.

“It’s time for change,” he said. “It’s time for a new America.”

Across the region, many school administrators say they are using this historic election to get kids pumped about politics. Whether students are researching campaign platforms, debating domestic policy or casting a “ballot” years before they turn 18, teachers hope that participating in the government process will hook kids on civic engagement for life.

“This gives them a taste of what their parents will be doing tomorrow,” Barger Academy principal Greg Bagby said. “If you can hit kids with knowledge even before they can vote, it helps.”

At Barger, students had to fill out a voter registration card and show it to a teacher before voting at one of several polling stations in the school’s computer lab. Teachers voted, too, and represented the Electoral College, while students made up the popular vote.

Each grade represented a certain region of the country, based on whether the class size was relative to the area’s population, teachers said.

Assistant Principal Kelly Coffelt said the school decided to hold its election the day before the real deal, hoping to increase awareness.

“We did it purposely the day before so the kids could really talk it up at home,” she said.

Fifth-grader Jeremiah Welch, 9, wouldn’t say which candidate got his vote Monday morning, but said the time he spent with his parents critiquing the debates helped him make his decision.

“I watch the news a lot,” he said.

Ms. Coffelt was hesitant to project a winner of Barger’s election, but many students voting Monday said they were doing so for Sen. Obama.

“I’m voting for Obama because black people have never had a black president,” said 8-year-old Mihonor Sales, who is black.

Meanwhile, an enthusiastic “Go McCain” echoed through Bright School’s auditorium as students filed in and the Democratic delegation glanced around nervously. The school planned to hold a mock election today, and Headmaster O.J. Morgan said he was unsure which way the student body would vote.

“It’s hard to tell,” said Mr. Morgan, who opened the debate as George Washington with a colonial-style wig and blue uniform. “I think the McCain folks are usually the loudest.”

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