At Philadelphia's Masterman High, mock debate and serious citizenship

Though most of the country will wait until Tuesday to cast ballots in the presidential election, students at J.R. Masterman High School will take to their own polls Monday afternoon.

In an effort to increase political awareness, the 45 students enrolled in two U.S. government classes held a mock debate Friday between two classmates portraying President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. The goal was to spark an interest in the electoral process among the school's 450 students.

"We've been doing the debates since I began working here 14 years ago," teacher and organizer Steve Gilligan said. "I figure if we can get the students involved in the political process now, they will hit the ground running once they turn 18. This experience helps students become more complete and informed voters in the future."

The two Advanced Placement class sections, made up entirely of seniors, flipped a coin to decide which party they would represent.

"Being nominated as the candidate, I thought I would be doing most of the workload," said Tim Green, 17, who portrayed Romney. "But everyone in our class had very important roles, like speechwriters, researchers, and campaign managers. It was a real group effort."

With their roles determined, each AP class amassed a $125 budget through student contributions for the campaigns. Each party used the money to hold events complete with free food and lessons on each candidate's platform leading up to the debate.

Although Hurricane Sandy made a stop along the campaign trail, canceling school for two days, the students were determined to get their message out while away from the classroom.

"We did the majority of our campaigning online through Facebook and Twitter due to Sandy," said Jacquee Aragon, 17, a campaign manager for Green. "A lot of students really enjoyed this and frequently commented on our posts."

The issues were considered the heart of the debate, which featured nominees tackling questions on the economy, health care, and education. Only factual information was permitted, as a way to better educate those in attendance.

"Voting is the essential aspect of citizenship and being a good American," said Mayor Nutter, who addressed the students in Masterman's auditorium along with Councilman David Oh. "There is no legitimate excuse for anyone to not exercise that right."

On Monday, the students will collectively cast their ballots - even though most of them are under legal voting age. It's an exercise they feel will put them ahead of the curve next election season.