Garnet Valley High School, a school in the Garnet Valley School District, in Delaware County, took advantage of PennCORD's mini-grant, and staged a mock presidential/vice presidential debate and election to coincide with the actual presidential election in 2008.
As the presidential election quickly approached, GVHS student council thought it would be beneficial for the student body to hear about the issues and solutions proposed by each candidate. The goal was to provide information about the candidates in an interesting forum in and effort to maintain the attention of the student body.
For those who were able to vote in the election, the information provided was useful in making an educated decision. For those who were not eligible to vote, knowledge about the issues was still important as they are affected by them nonetheless.
The mock election following the mock debate also allowed those who could not actually vote on November 4th an opportunity to do so, and those who could an opportunity to practice before the big day.
The event took place during a study hall period and featured students who represented each of the candidates on stage. The debate was viewed by the junior and senior classes in person in the auditorium, and was broadcasted on closed circuit television to the rest of the student body.
A moderator asked questions similar to those used in actual presidential debates. These were responded to by students acting as candidates with well-researched and knowledgeable answers.
The student council was the main organization that ran the event. They also administered the actual debate as well as chose the candidates and oversaw their research. They also involved as many other groups within the school as possible.
The tech theater crew managed the staging and broadcast. The photography club posed as paparazzi and press to document the event. The newspaper club ran special issues and articles about the debate and election to promote it and report progress and results. The Speak Up club organized the mock election itself.
Local media, politicians, and school board will also attended the event.
