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Cullowhee Valley’s eighth-graders debate war in Iraq
By Justin Goble
Eighth-graders at Cullowhee Valley School recently debated the ongoing war in Iraq.
The students led the debate about the war, which included many parents and members of the community. They were also tasked with surveying members of the community about their thoughts on the war as well as with writing songs and poems to express their support or opposition for the war.
Cullowhee Valley School eight-grader Edward Madill performs an original song for his classmates as part of a project on the Iraq War. Social studies teacher Leslie Dougherty said the students came up with the idea for the venture. “The kids asked for a debate, and we decided that Iraq was a good national topic,” Dougherty said. “They have a voice in my classroom, and I think that’s important.” – Herald photo by Justin Goble.
CVS social studies teacher Leslie Dougherty coordinated the effort. She said the idea came from her students, who were interested in discussing a topic that was current.
“The kids asked for a debate, and we decided that Iraq was a good national topic,” Dougherty said. “They have a voice in my classroom, and I think that is important.”
To get ready, the students researched the debate topic on their own to prepare their arguments. Many of the students said they really enjoyed this part of the project, since they got to find the information about the war and decide how they felt about it themselves.
“This project got me to go out and do the research,” said student Colton McGill. “I know the facts now. Before, I just thought what people told me to about this war.”
Student Edward Madill said he, like McGill, enjoyed discovering many of the facts about the war for himself. In doing so, he said his opposition to the conflict was bolstered when he found out the information for himself.
Sylva poet Dave Waldrop reads his poem, “Better Think Again,” to eighth-graders at Cullowhee Valley School. Waldrop read the work, which protests the war in Iraq, as part of a project the CVS students were doing on the war. Waldrop spoke to the children after they had presented their own poems and songs giving support or opposition to the conflict. – Herald photo by Justin Goble.
“If anything, this project built up my opinion of the war,” said Madill.
For her part, Dougherty was impressed with how dedicated the students were to the debates. She said it was their efforts that got the community involved, which is something that isn’t seen often during a class project.
“I did not know the students would go ‘full-blown’ and get their parents involved,” Dougherty said. “They went way above and beyond, and it was cool to see that.”
Though the debates showed a fairly even split among supporters and opposers of the war (both among students and parents), Dougherty said the findings of the survey, which was distributed among 162 adults, was more telling. Though covering a myriad of issues involving the war, Doughtery said the most interesting findings were:
– 45 percent disagreed that the war in Iraq would be viewed in the best interest of the world; 34 percent agreed.
– 69 percent disagreed that the war has helped the relationship between the American govenrment and the American people; 21 percent agreed.
– 27 percent disagreed that the war has helped women’s rights in Iraq; 49 percent agreed.
– 52 percent disagreed that the U.S. should handle future international problems the way they handled Iraq; 17 percent agreed.
– 46 percent disagreed that the U.S. shouldn’t have invaded Iraq three years ago; 41 percent agreed.
– 73 percent disagreed that the war has improved America’s international image; 17 percent agreed.
Yet, while students said the debate and the survey were interesting, the part of the project which got the most vocal response was the poems and songs, which were performed during lunch on Friday, March 3.
Madill, who performed with guitar in hand during the event, said the chance to for students to speak their opinions of the war was refreshing and is something they need to do more often.
“If we didn’t, I’d feel very guilty,” Madill said.
Sylva poet and former CVS counselor Dave Waldrop was on hand to hear the students works and songs, and he applauded their efforts.
“You’ve written some great poems and songs, and I just wanted to tell you that,” he said. “I hope things like this are going on in other schools. I don’t know if they are.”
Waldrop read his own protest poem, “Better Think Again,” and took questions from the students concerning his own views on the war.
“I can’t believe what we’re doing,” Waldrop said. “We’ve done worse than he (Saddam Hussein) has done, with things such as prisoner torture. When you stoop to doing things you’ve accused others of doing, you’re not as bad as them. You’re worse.”
Language arts instructor Paula Fox, who helped the students with this portion of the project, said it was nice to see the children being encouraged to speak their minds about something topical at school.
“This project was a breath of fresh air,” Fox said. “Wars have shaped our nation, so this project is dealing with something that is relevant to their lives.”
For her part in the project, Fox said she was more of a guide than anything. The kids brought in their ideas, and she helped refine them.
“You guide them through conferences,” Fox said. “You help them revise their thought process.”
Both Dougherty and Fox were hopeful they could do a project like this again in the future, since it encourages students to learn about a current issue and make up their own opinions about it. Given end-of-grade tests and other pressures, Dougherty said it was hard to fit it in, but she would continue to try since it gets kinds interested in the things they are learning.
“I hope we continue to do things like this,” she said. “With test pressure, it’s tough to take the time to make teaching like this a priority. But when they’re interested and go out and read about these things on their own, they get higher test scores.”
But, given the support from administration, she said there is hope for something like this to happen again.
“(Principal) Nathan Frizell supported us 200 percent,” Dougherty said. “He rearranged schedules and listened to the debates. Just from the standpoint of coordination, we couldn’t have done this without his support.”
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