10/30/2006
Students answer the question: 'Why Vote?'
John H. Gendron , Daily Times

COVENTRY -When the Coventry town debate was cancelled, the function's co-coordinators, Joe Brown, a resident of Coventry, and Marie Hennedy, voter service chairperson for the League of Woman Voters of Rhode Island, were determined to see to it that something positive would still happen.
Brown said he and Hennedy, when planning the debate, had felt it was important to get the town's children involved.
The two reached out to Donna Raptakis, principal of Washington Oak Elementary School, and together came up with the idea to have the school's fourth- and fifth-graders create posters covering the subject of "Why Vote?"
The posters, which 220 students were involved in making, were to be hung in the foyer at the high school, where the debate was to be held.
And although candidates dropped out with objections over the debate's organization and organizers' communication, Brown, Hennedy and Raptakis said they still wanted the children to be recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
"I wanted a culminating activity so that they could bring closure to this subject they studied for many weeks," said Raptakis. "I felt as though just because the debate was cancelled, these children, who went through this process, they needed to be awarded in some way."
Hennedy, through a grant provided by the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, was able to award nine children, one from each participating classroom, with $15 gift certificates to Barnes and Noble.
On Friday, the awards, along with encouraging words from Sen. Leonidas Raptakas (D-33, were distributed.
"It's too bad that the students and the members of the community did not have the opportunity to see the debate happen," said Leonidas Raptakis, whose wife is Donna Raptakis. "I hope that this is a lesson to the adults that the next time around this doesn't happen again."
"I think the students did a great job in demonstrating the importance of voting and getting involved in the voting process," he added.
The winning students from grade five were Marissa Denigris, Kendra Perry, Victoria Ward, Alexis Magiera and Tristen Jussaume. Those from grade four were Jessi Ring, Brooke Taylor, Zach Denman and Melanie Howard.
"For the children, I think this turned out to be better than if the debate had gone on," said Brown. "Much better."


©Kent County Daily Times 2006