Philadelphia Middle Schoolers Debate Immigration Reform
by Justin Udo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dozens of Philadelphia middle schoolers face off in a debate about immigration reform.
On Tuesday evening, students from nine Philadelphia schools gathered at Hardy Williams High for a debate on whether or not immigration reform should include a path to citizenship.
"They're learning that there are multiple sides to each issue, that it's not just black and white, there are grey areas. You could possibly change your mind. Everything isn't just one-sided. I think that's an incredibly important skill that our students are developing," said Sarah Morningstar, with After School Activities Partnerships, the group in charge of the debates.
"Each school is a little bit different. they've spent some time building up the popularity of debate at their school and some of them are just starting out to build that culture," Morningstar said.
Tatyana Turner is an 8th grader at Andrew Hamilton.
She says getting ready for debate is a lot of hard work, but she enjoys it.
"I prepared by doing a lot of research, a lot of writing, and preparing my speeches," she said.
Tatyana says she's grown a lot as a student and a person since starting debate.
"It actually helps my speaking skills, public speaking, my writing skills, and I just find it really fun," she said.
