Kids debate issues

By Denise Dick

All pupils will participate in a mock election within the next couple of weeks.

POLAND — Tina Fey has nothing on Sarah Summers.

Sarah, 13, an eighth-grader at Holy Family School, took her role as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, very seriously.

Eighth-graders at the school staged a presidential debate Friday with pupils playing the roles of the candidates, moderator, press corps, U.S. Secret Service agents and campaign managers.

Sarah-the-eighth-grader skipped the “you betchas” and “Joe Six Packs” used by “Saturday Night Live” star Fey impersonating the Alaska governor. But she did wear a navy blue suit, glasses, red pumps — and her hair was in an elaborate updo.

“My teacher did my hair,” she said with a smile.

Sarah shared the Republican ticket with Laz Frisone, 14, as Sen. John McCain, the presidential nominee.

On the other side were Rita Rehak, 14, as Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, and Mary Kate Stevens, 13, as Sen. Joe Biden, the vice presidential nominee.

The debate was part of social studies class. Teacher Linda Taylor said the pupils have been watching and researching the campaigns as part of class.

The whole school will soon conduct a mock election.

Though Friday’s debate was a school assignment, the four pupils say they support the tickets of the candidates they portrayed.

“I just think John McCain has more experience,” Laz said.

“I think Sarah Palin is a good speaker and she knows what she’s talking about,” Sarah said.

Rita and Mary Kate support Obama.

“I like his ideas a lot more than I like McCain’s,” Rita said. “I don’t want another Republican in the White House.”

“I think he’ll bring change and make a difference,” added Mary Kate.

The four learned the positions and platforms of each candidate and even memorized some of their better-known quotes.

Their classmates, as members of the press, pelted them with questions, such as: What will you do about the war in Iraq?

There is a need for U.S. troops to stay there until Iraq is stable, Laz said.

“If we pull out now it will be a white flag of surrender,” Sarah said.

Obama and Biden, however, would begin removing troops with a plan to have all out of Iraq in 2010, Rita said.

Leaving Iraq would also free up more troops for the war in Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden, the man behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is believed to be hiding, Mary Kate said.

What about gas prices?

“We would push for alternative fuel sources,” Rita said. “John McCain has voted against alternative energy 23 times.”

McCain also has voted with President Bush 90 percent of the time, she said.

Gas prices have already started to decrease without government intervention, Laz said.

“If we stay the way we are, gas prices will keep coming down,” he said.

Why do you think you will win?

“We need to look ahead, we don’t need to focus on the past,” Rita said. “We need to focus on the future for our children.”

“You say you’re focusing on the future, but then you say that Sen. McCain voted with the president 90 percent of the time,” Sarah said. “That’s looking at the past, that’s not looking toward tomorrow.”

denise_dick@vindy.com