Teens value right to vote (Newspapers in Education)

About 5,000 South Mississippi students are following The Sun Herald's election coverage through the Newspapers in Education (NIE) program. Classroom teachers who registered for the NIE Election 2004 five-Sunday package will receive today's edition on Monday with a 16-page Election Extra Education Supplement inserted in their newspaper. Classrooms will follow the election right up to the inauguration with four additional Sunday editions. For more information contact Kris Irby at 896-2178 or e-mail kirby@sunherald.com.

But some students in South Mississippi are focusing on issues such as the war in Iraq and taxes as they prepare to vote for the first time in November's presidential election.

Some have always been interested in politics. For others, the interest began when they turned 18 this year and registered to vote. Still, they all say voting is a privilege everyone should be proud to exercise.

Renee Bacak of Moss Point was anticipating her first vote long before she turned 18 on Sept. 3.

"My family members are huge Republicans, and my parents work at the polls and we watch all the debates," she said.

Bacak also belongs to the Teenage Republicans, a group that meets each year in Washington, D.C. She plans to vote for President Bush.

Bacak, a senior at Resurrection High School in Pascagoula, believes everyone who is old enough should register and vote.

"People who say they're not going to vote because Bush is going to win or (John) Kerry is going to win need to realize they can make a difference," she said. "It could be that one vote that helps."

Merlin Williams, 19, a senior at Gulfport High School, leaves Nov. 1 for boot camp for the Marines in South Carolina, days after he finishes a course required for graduation. Because he's leaving the day before the election, Williams plans to vote absentee in his first election.

Williams has been learning more about the candidates and the issues and said he likely will vote for Kerry.

"Kerry seems like he's a laid-back person who has a lot of concerns," Williams said. "George Bush seems like he's just concerned about the war."

"You just have to decide which one to vote for," he said. "That way, you know you at least voted for the person you wanted."

Stacey Sternberg, also a senior at Gulfport High, said she likely will vote for Ralph Nader, the third-party candidate, because she doesn't like what Bush and Kerry are saying.

"Neither of them are telling me what they're going to do," she said. "They're just bashing the other candidate."

The students are excited about the prospect of voting, but they're also interested in issues, such as the war in Iraq, taxes, abortion and gay marriage.

Tiffanei Dedeaux, a student at St. John High School in Gulfport, turned 18 on Sept. 10 and registered a couple of weeks ago. She hasn't decided yet who will get her vote.

"It's exciting to me because I'm really into politics, and I think it's important for young people to vote in order to change things in government," she said. "Both Kerry and Bush are well qualified, but I haven't made up my mind yet."

Rachel Newton graduated from Stone County High School in May and turned 18 in July. Now a student at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, she said she doesn't care for either candidate but she likely will vote for Kerry.

"I've always enjoyed talking about politics," she said. "For the first time, I'll be able to make a difference with my vote. I'm not too carried away with Bush or Kerry. I don't agree with the war in Iraq, and I think Kerry will get us out of there faster than Bush will."

Madison Murr will turn 18 on Oct. 23 but has already registered since her birthday is within 30 days of the election. She has watched the first two debates and plans to watch the third one before deciding how she will cast her ballot.

"There's not two really good candidates," Murr said. "Bush has unclear goals for the war, and Kerry flip-flops, and he doesn't have specific budget plans. I also think more money needs to be given to education."

Drew Bagwell, a senior at Gulfport High School, said he doesn't understand why people don't exercise their right to vote.

"The politicians and their politics affect you," he said. "If you don't take the opportunity to vote then it's just a waste."

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Teachers Hit Road To Get Out The Vote***OCOA, Fla. -- The National Education Association, the nation's largest teacher's union, is hitting the roads in the name of public schools.

The NEA is conducting a national bus tour to talk to more than 120,000 educators and students about the importance of education in this election, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.

The first stop on their Vote for Great Public Schools tour was Endeavour Elementary in Cocoa.

NEA President Reg Weaver is leading the tour. He believes state-mandated testing, like the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, unfairly characterizes a school. Endeavour is a former F-rated school. ...***

Newspaper in Education (NIE)

The year is 1795. In Portland, Maine, an editor at the Portland Eastern Herald puts pen to paper. His thoughts launch an initiative that will eventually circle the globe:

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected, we mean that of reading them in schools, and by the children in families."

At the Daily Herald we couldn't agree more.

From politics to perfidy. Religion to raves. Government to gardening. The list of topics covered every week in a newspaper is nearly endless. The Daily Herald "Big Picture Local Focus" format gives suburban educators a link connecting the learning process to real life events.

With the Daily Herald, teachers answer the student lament "why do I have to learn this stuff?" each time they turn to a story from around the world and across town. And they've been doing just that since 1993 by participating in the Newspaper In Education program.

NIE at the Daily Herald is more than delivering newspapers to classrooms. Its mission includes stimulating life-long learning habits for students and parents. It encompasses providing tools and training to teachers. And it provides a platform for business to support education in our own communities.

Teacher, student, parent or business...come take the journey of education along with us. There's something for everyone in NIE!

http://nie.dailyherald.com/

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NIE ecourages common good, essay writing about community need to help each other, etc. etc, etc.

"Monthly themes, such as Black History Month, Finance, and Earth Day, make it easy for you to use the teacher's guides and your local newspaper as weekly teaching resources."

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