TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Carrollwood Day School Gets Political

ADVERTISEMENT

By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 14, 2009

LAKE MAGDALENE - As America prepares for a new president to take office, Carrollwood Day School looked back on a historical campaign on Monday.

The private school hosted its first political forum, the brainchild of high school humanities teacher Kenneth Grodd. He assembled a nine-member panel with seven teachers and two students who spoke about election issues before a middle and high school audience.

They dissected why Barack Obama won and mistakes John McCain made during the campaign. They talked about how the environment, the economy and the Middle East affected voters' choices, and what was ahead for Republicans and Democrats in the future.

"This is part of that rigorous education that we owe you," high school humanities teacher Kelly Benedetti told students at the assembly. Teachers want to go beyond a traditional high school curriculum and force them "into the world that awaits you," she said.

Carrollwood Day School offers an International Baccalaureate program for all of its students, from preschool through high school. International Baccalaureate follows a global curriculum and emphasizes community service, culminating in an intensive diploma program in high school.

Stephen Orbison, who coordinates the school's diploma program, moderated the political forum and said it was a great way to recap a campaign season that was "electrifying, exhilarating and polarizing."
"One cannot deny the 2008 campaign has rejuvenated interest in American politics," Orbison said.

Speakers sat on the auditorium stage, microphones before them, and gave five-minute speeches at a lectern on their topics. Students peppered them with questions afterward, asking if four years was enough time for the president to make major changes and if the media influenced the results.

One student asked how the political parties could work together after such a divisive campaign. Grodd said they may not have to – the Democrats have enough votes to pass legislation without relying on Republicans.

Matt Liller, a high school senior, spoke about a different twist to the election. Carrollwood Day School polled its high school students, and McCain came out the winner.

Young people generally are assumed to be more liberal, Liller said, but the ninth-graders bucked the trend, with McCain getting almost twice as many votes as Obama in that class. McCain did not do as well in the upper grades, but the ninth-grade vote put him over the top.

Liller said the results reflected their households. Everyone with Democratic parents voted for Obama and most students with Republican parents chose McCain.

"I know we all want to be independent and different, but we're all with our parents on this one," Liller said.

Nationally, McCain had a lot working against him, said middle school humanities teacher Steve Spaulding. His campaign did not spend enough money or appear well organized, he did not target Obama's political inexperience, he was not as charismatic as his opponent and was linked to an administration presiding over an economic collapse.

Obama benefited from a well-financed campaign, dissatisfaction with President Bush, youth and minority support, a "presidential personality" and opposition to the war in Iraq. Dino Leto, academic liaison, listed those reasons and then said no one could discount a sixth reason: the will of the American people.

"We can all agree we are not only witnessing history but taking part in it as well," Leto said.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT