Every year, Mark Gorey's junior students engage in a graded debate to learn how to make persuasive arguments using logic, reason and facts. The students are pitted on either side of an issue, and have to do research to support their side of the argument. These debates take place over a week of class time.

They are not necessarily arguing from their own, personal beliefs – students have to pick a specific person who they are representing out of a hat, and may have to argue against their own feelings.

This year, the students will also reenact portions of their debate at a school-wide assembly Monday, Dec. 21. Parents and community members are welcome to attend.

Last year, with the election of Maine's governor, the subject was which candidate was best suited to improve Mainer's quality of life. This year, the topic is one that has polarized the nation – gun control.

“I like to call upon my colleagues to decide on topics,” Gorey said. “We collectively decided on gun control as an appropriate topic. It's increasingly on the radar of American society, and it seems like the students have very strong opinions on the subject.”

Gorey stresses that the purpose of this debate is not to argue for one side or the other, but rather to teach students a “valuable life skill in crafting persuasive arguments.”

“What they see on TV and in Washington D.C. are people who argue with a lack of reasoning and using emotional attacks,” Gorey said. “People dying because our leaders are unable to discuss rationally and compromise.”

The debate, which began Dec. 14, will continue through the week in periods three and four during the school day in the library. Students, parents and community members are welcome to attend during the week, and will have an opportunity to ask questions of the students.

According to Gorey, students in his class already have strong opinions about this issue.

“Some of the students are staunchly opinionated on this issue,” Gorey said. “Some are sportsmen, or feel strongly about the Second Amendment. In Maine we are somewhat shielded from the urban violence that is so common, so many young black men dying and the mass shootings we see on the news.”

This is the first year the debate has been expanded to school-wide. Gorey said he hopes to teach students, not just the ones in his classes, to “model a town-hall like discussion, where you have to participate in a thoughtful manner. People take turns, and you listen to everyone.”

As in years past, the Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor is helping students with their projects. Bill Bailey has been involved with the project for the past seven years, helping students with their opening statements and helping judge the debate every single day. Skip Kreahling has also come to help out, meeting with students to go over their presentations.

Gorey talked to the school committee about the project at their meeting on Dec. 9, and invited members of the committee to attend the school-wide assembly.

“The amount of real-world applications being taught makes me very proud of our schools,” Superintendent of Schools Eileen King said.

“I want everyone to understand that the purpose of this is not to advocate for one side over the other,” Gorey stressed. “We are not in the business of making students' minds up for them. We are in the business of helping students become independent, critical thinkers who come to their own conclusions after hearing every side. That's what we are teaching.”