Ashe County Middle School Host Foxx and Carter in Student Led Debate

By Ron Fitzwater

Ashe County Middle School has seen its share of the spotlight recently by earning several state and national

awards for excellence in education.

It can arguably be said that ACMS students are among the best prepared to excel in their continuing education and in life.

It was no surprise to those familiar with the students and their curriculum when it was announced that Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and challenger Roy Carter would hold their only area debate in the gymnasium of ACMS, or that the debate would be led by students.

Assistant Principal Sue Richardson welcomed the audience and the candidates and thanked them for being there to assist the students in the unique learning opportunity.

After informing those in attendance of the rules of attending the debate, the program was turned over to the students.

Following introductions of both candidates, the students heard their opening statements.

Foxx was first to give her opening statement, addressing the students directly:

"I want to start out by thanking you for doing this and congratulating those of you who have been involved in putting together this debate.

"This is not my first visit to this school. When it was Northwest Ashe [High School], I came here almost every week and occasionally in the summertime because of my position at Appalachian State University. I have admired the community ever since."

Foxx spoke of her youth in nearby Avery County, lamenting on the rural lifestyle she knew and telling the students, "this is the greatest country in the world to grow up in because a person with my background can grow up to be elected to the United States Congress."

Foxx told the students that they, too, could do the same and better because of the opportunities that were open to them by virtue of growing up in America.

Addressing female students, Foxx explained that she is one of only 260 women who have ever served in the Congress out of 12,000 men, calling it a tremendous honor to be running for her third term.

"My focus has always been serving the constituents of this district. I have been helped over my lifetime by people with that attitude and that is the approach that I take."

Carter followed Foxx with a statement full of nostalgia for his years spent teaching and coaching boy's basketball in the gymnasium he now prepared to debate in.

"What a great honor it is to be back in my home county in one of the schools I taught in. Three years of my life was spent roaming these halls and the gym floor and the football field, and it was three of the happiest years of my life. And I have been fortunate enough to find my way back to spend the rest of my years in Ashe County.

"I have been asked many times on the campaign trail 'Why are you doing this after teaching and coaching for 40 years?' My answer very simply is 'I'm looking at the reason I'm running for congress.'"

Carter told the students that he was running because he wanted to see them flourish and own homes and have health care and afford college educations.

Carter said that, like Foxx, he also grew up poor on a tobacco farm in Madison County and was able t work his way through college, "which is hard for someone to do today.

"I think our system is broken. We have a financial system that allows CEOs to earn four-hundred times what your teachers earn now. I think we must make educational changes in this country. I disagree with No Child Left Behind it's damaging many aspects of education and we need to refocus much of our attention on education.

"Thank you for what you have done. I am very impressed with what you are doing and I look forward to hearing your questions."

Following the opening statements the students began their questioning of Foxx and Carter on nine topics ranging from the war on terror to the current economic crisis in the country.

The candidates took time to answer the questions presented to them in detail and in a matter-of-fact manner that informed, but did not patronize.

As for the students, the questions presented were thoughtful and caused the candidates to carefully consider their answers.

All in all, the event was successful, and Principal Bobby Ashley was proud but characteristically humble.

"We are not a boastful school in any way, shape or form and that is part of the criteria that makes them [faculty] so wonderful. I like to say that we under promise and over deliver, and I am blessed to work with such wonderful and talented people."

After the debate, Carter commented that the event had been a "great experience. It is so exciting to see kids of this age this interested and this involved. If I live as long as I would like, one of these kids could be governing me," he said.

For her part in the event, Foxx said that she too was proud of the students and what they had accomplished.

"They were so very well behaved. The questioners asked their questions with poise and confidence and from the students who did the introductions to the young lady who moderated, I thought they did a wonderful job," she said.