November 23, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 13 Debate club reinstated; Quigley to supervise by Jennifer Crusco A debate club is re-forming at the HoHo-Kus Public School, where 25 students in grades seven and eight have already signed up to participate in the first event. Last week, the school board approved a $1,121 stipend for club supervisor William Quigley, who will assist the group for the 2011-12 academic year. According to school trustee Colleen Federer, the club will take on the ques- School uniforms (continued from page 12) regarding the correlation between uniforms and improved academic performance. Federer added that the discussion of school uniforms is an ongoing, collaborative process. She said the debate club, which is now re-forming in the district, would be tackling the issue of uniforms. “Ho-Ho-Kus has no shortage of good intentions,” resident Lori Plasker said. She cautioned that the district should be careful about taking away opportunities to teach children about diversity. “There are very few ways to express individuality in a small town,” she said, adding that clothing is one such form of expression. She said diversity and differences are beautiful and teach children about tolerance. Caroline Richards said she does not favor the proposal. She added that many things have already been taken away from the students, including how they celebrate the holidays. Richards recommended that, if there is a problem with attire, the district should enforce the existing dress code in a fair and firm manner. “I don’t want to be told how to send my kids to school,” she said. Resident Steve Blood added that he was shocked when he heard about the proposal. “We have a (dress code) policy. Police it as needed,” he said, adding that any problems should be corrected by the parents. Pointing to the board’s handout, he noted a passage that said students’ clothes could not be too tight or too loose. “Who decides what’s too tight and too loose?” he said, adding that everyone should not be penalized for a few individuals who need to correct their students. A Cleverdon Road resident said she is against the concept of uniforms, but strongly for a dress code. She said there was no empirical proof that uniforms would improve learning, and offered her view that uniforms would take away freedom for children and parents. The citizen added that uniforms might have a positive effect in inner city schools, where similar dress would eliminate the possibility of students dressing in gang colors or make it difficult for a student to carry a concealed weapon. She said Ho-Ho-Kus does not have those problems. Arbor Drive resident Ken Gold said the example of the soccer teams’ pride in wearing the same outfits was about choices the students had made, not clothing that had been forced on them. He commented that a uniform requirement could send students a prejudicial message that their uniforms are the way students should be dressing. Amy Langevin asked the board if a potential dress code might be extended to Northern Highlands High School in Allendale, which is the receiving district for high school age students from Ho-Ho-Kus. Cindy Johnson questioned what the teachers would be wearing. A Lloyd Road resident commented on the financial impact of a uniform requirement. She said she would not realize a savings because she would still have to buy her four children the clothes with logos they want to wear after school ends. She also said a bully is a bully, regardless of the clothes he or she wears. “If this goes through, what’s next?” she said, adding that there are many trends with hair and hair accessories that the district might try to regulate. A resident of Hollywood Avenue said that, although the district’s proposal would eliminate logos on clothing, the clothes on the boa rd’s list of recom mend at ions (continued on page 16) tion of school uniforms, an issue that is currently under consideration at the K-8 school. Several parents packed the school auditorium last week to discuss their views on the topic, and even a few students provided input on the question. The school had a debate club in the past, but it was cut along with other extracurricular activities during the recent financial crunch that left the district with reduced state aid. The Ho-Ho-Kus Home and School Association has since agreed to fund the debate group. “When the board started talking about a uniform policy, I had suggested to the board that it would be appropriate for our students to weigh in through a debate,” Superintendent Deborah Ferrara explained last week. Quigley then volunteered to take over supervision of the club. Asked about a timetable for the debate, Ferrara said she would like to have the showdown be something the school’s other students or the board of education can watch, so others see the product of the debaters’ work. She said the event might take place in February. Earlier this year, the Cavallini School in Upper Saddle River established a debate club and held its first event. The club at Cavallini was promoted by Arya Majum- der, a student at that school who passed away before the club was formally established. Majumder’s father, Kumud, and language arts/science teacher Stephanie Chamberlin collaborated to get the club off the ground. The club’s first topic was the use of Facebook by middle school students. In an interview earlier this year, Chamberlin indicated that her school’s club is an after school program, and the students do not receive any grades for their work. Because there were no other local middle school debate teams at the time Cavallini held its debate, the students were compelled to face their peers. The event featured approximately 13 students who participated on two teams. Kumud Majumder donated T-shirts, which the students sold for $1 each to support the Arya’s Kids Foundation. The organization’s goal is to fund pediatric cancer research and immunotherapy. Majumder noted that middle school-level debate clubs are practically non-existent both in New Jersey and New York, though high school debate teams are common. He added that he hopes to expand the program to the county and state levels. Majumder believes debate leads students to open their minds to logical analysis and think beyond preconceived notions and emotions.