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October 6, 2004
Destrehan students vote early for president By Allen Lottinger, Jr. On Friday, Oct. 1, Destrehan High School students participated in the National Student/Parent Mock Election. The election, complete with computerized voting machines, was facilitated locally by Secretary of State Fox McKeithen and is part of a nation-wide effort to get students familiar with the election process. Nearly 1,200 of Destrehan’s 1,390 students voted in the mock election. Though the results will not be released until after Nov. 2, a random sampling of students showed there are differences of opinion when it comes to who should be the next President of the United States. Student Greg Pallaro said he was supporting John Kerry for president. He noted that he felt the Massachusetts Senator would be a better decision-maker for the country. Student Oliver Boule said he was also supporting Sen. Kerry. He noted that while he had been indecisive about who to support, the debate the previous evening helped make up his mind. “I thought that Kerry did well against Bush,” he said. “He brought up the fact that Bush had taken the focus off of Al-Qaeda by invading Iraq.” Student Michael Land said he was supporting Bush in his re-election effort. He noted that the President has done a good job in fighting the war on terror and has captured Saddam Hussein. He also noted that he supports Bush’s pro-life stance. Student Lauren Vidrine also said she is supporting Bush. She cited the way in which he is working to help Iraqis to build a better society. She also noted her support of Bush’s pro-life views and his support of lower taxes. “I think that Bush has shown he is his own person and is not just trying to finish the job his father started when he was president,” she said. Results from schools in all 50 states will be released on Nov. 3, the day after the presidential election. They will be broadcast on CNN. Officials said that the program is designed to get students interested in the political process. “We are trying to educate them about how easy the voting process is,” said Darlene Fields, Spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s Office. Destrehan Senior Trinece Williams worked hard to make the mock election a success by passing out brochures with descriptions of the candidates and by speaking to classes regarding the importance of voting. The mock election will also be the subject of Williams’ senior project, which is required of St. Charles Parish students before graduation. Williams said she is planning to attend law school and says politics has also been an area of interest for her. James Bertrand, Destrehan’s Social Studies Chairman, noted that the election was extremely efficient with 1,200 students voting. He noted that having the students become familiar with the candidates and issues was helpful leading up to the election. “We saw the fruition of our work with almost all students voting in 90 minutes,” he said, adding that while there were a few students who did not get a chance to vote due to test schedules, the vast majority were able to make it to the polls. “Fortunately no lawsuits have been filed,” he said. Fields said that the machines were making the rounds to four area schools on Friday, before traveling across the rest of the state. Letters were sent to all schools in Louisiana about the program. Schools were selected to participate on a first come, first served basis. Also on the ballot were third party candidates Gene Amondson (Prohibition Party), Walter Brown (Protecting Working Families), Michael Peroutka (Constitution Party), James Harris (Socialist Workers), Michael Badnarik (Libertarian), Ralph Nader (The Better Life), and David Cobb (Green Party). Students also voted for Louisiana Senate Candidates: Chris John, Richard Fontanesi, Sam Houston Melton, Jr., R.A. Skip Galan, John Kennedy, David Vitter, and Arthur A. Morell.
Allen Lottinger, Jr. can be reached at AllenL@heraldguide.com or at 758-2795, ext. 224.
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