A trip to the 'polls'
Crystal NelsonArticle Photos
Students at Bingham Academy for the Arts headed to the polls Friday to vote for the next president and for new playground equipment in their school-wide mock election.
The students were able to register to vote, pick up their ballots, vote in booths and drop their ballots into a box to be tallied. After 95 students cast their vote Sen. Barack Obama was chosen as the next president of the United States, 64-31.
Principal Sarah Prevo said the fifth-sixth grade had mixed feelings about Obama winning the election, the first grade cheered and the second grade booed.
"It was cute because they actually thought their presidential vote counted until we explained that you have to be 18 to vote," Prevo said.
Prevo said the students were still excited after it was explained to them that it was a mock election.
"I'm sure they'll be talking after school, you know, 'I voted for that one' ... I'm sure it will spark more conversation and debates," she said.
The students gathered for an assembly in the morning before the election where Beverly Bodem, district representative for Sen. Tony Stamas, emphasized the importance of voting and the power of one.
After the assembly the students filed into the gym with their class and voted with their class.
Prevo said the mock election was done as part of the schools civics unit in its social studies curriculum. She said the school tried to get as close as it could to what a real election looks like and that the students were excited about it all week long.
Jenna Talbot, a student in the sixth grade, said she had a lot of fun and knew who she was voting for.
"I think it was nice for our school to let us vote and get our opinions in who we're voting for," she said.
Sixth grader Maren Hines said she liked the mock vote and that it was fun. She liked it because it was the first time she's ever done it and thinks it's kind of cool to see who the school voted for.
Fifth grader Sinjin Neiman said that voting was an important event and that "it's sort of like we're voting for rights." He said doing the mock vote will help them when they have to vote the next time.
The students were also able to choose a new piece of playground equipment. According to Prevo, they chose a climbing wall over a spiral slide i a 61-34 vote, and cheered when the results were revealed. She said each piece of equipment cost between $3,000 and $5,000 and is be expected to be at the school by the end of the year.
Crystal Nelson can be reached via e-mail at cnelson@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693.
