OLD TOWN – Leonard Middle School seventh-graders dazzled their audience in the fourth annual Lincoln-Douglas Debates on May 17 and 18. The Leonard Middle School library sponsored the debates with the intent of allowing pupils to showcase research, writing, thinking and speaking skills.

Seventh-grade teachers Shelley Tuttle, Misty Burgess and Liz Mares coached each student.

Topics included capital punishment, cell phone use, video game connection to youth violence, animal testing, junk food in schools, steroid use, recess, length of the school day, legal driving age, Leonard Middle School electronics policy, dress code, homework policy and open campus lunch.

Josh Moul, Marcella Britton, and Caleb Ward earned top honors in the team competition, debating that video games do not contribute to youth violence. Grace Gonnella, Taylor Ogden, Carrie McLaughlin, Brittany Curtis and Maggie Irwin comprised the team opposing the use of animals in testing.

In addition to team awards, individual medals were awarded. Judges were Gerald Herlihy, Anita Haskell, Betty Robinson, Sara Dufour, Jean Roberts, Dan Shanihan, Cathy Fox, Jeannine Peters, Barbara Plisga, Roberta Littlefield and Arthur Lidral.