Students Learn Lessons From Presidential Debates
By: Sarah Hatten
Updated: October 17, 2012
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) The debates leading up to the November election have grabbed a lot of negative attention in recent weeks. High school students weigh in and say it's not just about what the candidates say, it's how they say it.
Central High School students are preparing for an upcoming debate. Not on a political platform, but one of their own.
The advanced debate team is handing over advice to first-time debaters in the classroom.
Outside the classroom, their attention turns to the match-up between presidential candidates.
The students watch, then review how each candidate performs. They say style goes a long way.
"I'd say it's very important. It's the only unscripted moments in the whole campaign so it's really important to portray yourself as a kind and considerate individual. You need to be aware of what other people are doing so you don't come off as abrasive," Helen Cargill, Central student said.
"If we can't present ourselves the best possible way, no matter what we say, it's going to be lost," Keifer Martin, Central student said.
They say after watching the first Presidential debate, they anticipated changes.
"More arguing and clashing. Last time, I felt like they were feeling each other out and Obama was more relaxed than what people like to see," Joseph Kellogg, Central student said.
The students discuss current events in the classroom, and the debates have given them a lot to talk about.
"It was more of an argument than a debate about which side did better, but yes, we talked about it," Martin said.
"I did notice at times they looked down a lot. Not a lot of eye contact, or one made too much eye contact and I'd suggest usually not interrupting your moderator that much," Cargill said.
Even though most of the debaters are too young to impact this year's election, they say watching a high profile face-off helps them in the classroom.
"Helpful to see what people of that caliber are like in debates and we can take that and use it in our tournaments," Cargill said.
The Central High School Debate Team is hosting a tournament at Central on November 10th to test out their skills.
Central High School students are preparing for an upcoming debate. Not on a political platform, but one of their own.
The advanced debate team is handing over advice to first-time debaters in the classroom.
Outside the classroom, their attention turns to the match-up between presidential candidates.
The students watch, then review how each candidate performs. They say style goes a long way.
"I'd say it's very important. It's the only unscripted moments in the whole campaign so it's really important to portray yourself as a kind and considerate individual. You need to be aware of what other people are doing so you don't come off as abrasive," Helen Cargill, Central student said.
"If we can't present ourselves the best possible way, no matter what we say, it's going to be lost," Keifer Martin, Central student said.
They say after watching the first Presidential debate, they anticipated changes.
"More arguing and clashing. Last time, I felt like they were feeling each other out and Obama was more relaxed than what people like to see," Joseph Kellogg, Central student said.
The students discuss current events in the classroom, and the debates have given them a lot to talk about.
"It was more of an argument than a debate about which side did better, but yes, we talked about it," Martin said.
"I did notice at times they looked down a lot. Not a lot of eye contact, or one made too much eye contact and I'd suggest usually not interrupting your moderator that much," Cargill said.
Even though most of the debaters are too young to impact this year's election, they say watching a high profile face-off helps them in the classroom.
"Helpful to see what people of that caliber are like in debates and we can take that and use it in our tournaments," Cargill said.
The Central High School Debate Team is hosting a tournament at Central on November 10th to test out their skills.
