EASTHAMPTON — They took the stage in formal dress — some in ties, others in suits — and debated some of this country’s most pressing issues.
From immigration to the economy and taxes, some 20 middle school students participating in a mock presidential debate at Hilltown Cooperative Charter School Friday afternoon played the role of Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Green-Rainbow party members before 200 of their K-8 classmates and teachers.
Watching over the four teams of five students each were other students posed as Secret Service agents, eyeing the crowd in black jackets and sunglasses, their arms crossed and faces tense.
The mock debate was the culmination of a four-week course at Hilltown Cooperative designed to teach students about political issues relevant to the election.
This election season has been especially challenging because of the nature of the debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, said Beth Adel, a language arts teacher who taught the course. She said issues have been outshined by mudslinging.
“The televised debates have been full of name-calling,” Adel said. “We worked hard as teachers to create an atmosphere of respect and an elevated conversation about what’s important, what our values are and focusing on the issues.”
Each student was assigned a topic to discuss. They spoke of national security, the economy, environment, social issues and education from the viewpoint of their represented party.
Every presidential year, Hilltown holds a mock election for students to vote for their favorite candidate or party. Adel said the mock debate provided students with information they’ll use to make an informed decision.
The students in the election course had four weeks to prepare for the debate in an election “mini-course” offered by the school for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. Mini-courses are like electives, but are open to students in different grades who meet once a week for four sessions. Students sign up for three different mini-courses throughout the year. During the first week of the course, Adel said students were acting out the candidates in a silly and caricatured way, picking up on what they’ve seen in the media and making fun of each other.
But that changed over time as the course focused more on the political parties rather than the candidates personalities and students spent time during the class to research issues on debate.
One issue was immigration.
“Gary Johnson does not want to build a useless and expensive wall,” said eighth-grader Hayden Freedland, 14, who represented the Liberation party. “Candidates who say they want to militarize the border, build fences and impose harsh punishments on good people are not thinking of practical solution.”
He added, “We should focus on creating more efficient system of providing work visas, conducting background checks and obtain proof of employment.”
Ways to improve the economy and tax plans were also discussed by students.
“We want to create a booming economy that will create over 25 million jobs over the next decade,” sixth-grader Miles Larkin-Ross, 12, who represented the Republican Party.
In response to a question on the party’s tax plan, Larkin-Ross said, “We want to simplify taxes into three brackets and cut taxes across the board. Of course we will ensure that the rich will pay their fair share, but they will not have to pay so much that it destroys their jobs or their ability to compete.”
Student Laila Kovacs represented the Democratic Party and discussed Hillary Clinton’s stance on education.
“Hillary will launch a national campaign to elevate and modernize the teaching profession by preparing, supporting and paying every child’s teacher as if the future of our country is in their hands — because it is,” she said.
On Election Day, students will vote on one of the four parties. Votes will be counted by students in a mini-course called “Rock the Vote” focused on the voting process.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.