"I was surprised that Obama was going to give free health insurance for kids," she said. It was one of the reasons she cast her vote for the senator from Illinois in Tuesday's mock presidential election at Annapolis Middle School.

Apparently, a majority of her peers at the school on Forest Drive agreed with her. Sen. Obama won the school's student mock election by a landslide, garnering 396 votes to Arizona Sen. John McCain's 73. Four students wrote in their vote for Independent candidate Ralph Nader.

Social studies teacher and mock-election coordinator Chalia Belt declined to speculate how much race or gender weighed into students' decision-making while the nation's historic general election unfolds, including the first African-American presidential nominee of a major party and the Republicans' first female vice presidential nominee.

She said that, at the school, students focused on the candidates' stances on the issues. "They wanted to pick who they thought would do the best job," she said.

Nearly half of the school's 510 students in sixth through eighth grades, 46 percent, are African-American, and minorities make up another 20 percent of the student population, according to school administration. As for gender, the breakdown among the students is 256 girls and 254 boys.

AMS students didn't go the way of the nation four years ago when they overwhelmingly picked contender U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., over President George W. Bush by a ratio of 31/2 votes to 1. But that's not the point.

Principal Carolyn Burton-Page said the value of the mock election is that it gives students a chance to make their voices heard. "It's an opportunity to see what they're thinking," she said. "They've studied the candidates and they're prepared to vote, to make some informed decisions."

To prepare for their big day, students researched the candidates' campaigns and compared and contrasted their views. They learned the requirements necessary to run for the highest office in the land, and what the rules are for voting. They also watched video clips of the presidential and vice presidential debates.

"They're very opinionated," Ms. Belt said. "They have a clear understanding" of what's going on.

Eighth-grade students wrote speeches designed to persuade peers to vote their way. Students also learned about the election process during the homeroom period. The information benefits those students who are currently taking science instead of social studies, the subject area in which that information is usually taught, Ms. Belt said.

Throughout the school's election day, students trooped in, one class at a time, to cast their ballots in the media center, which looked more like an official polling place than a repository for books. Red and white "Vote Here" signs pointed the way, and after students folded their paper ballot and put it in the ballot box, they received the same oval "I Voted" stickers real voters get.

Parent volunteer Sharon Zingler, whose son, Noah, is in sixth grade, staffed the sticker station and monitored students' reactions about participating in the faux election process.

"I just think it's a great opportunity for kids to be part of everything they've been hearing about ... It gets them ready for the future," she said.

Another parent volunteer, Donya Maria Twyman, set up special election displays. One display case showcased some of teacher Larry Harris' collection of political memorabilia. There were familiar buttons, including "I Like Ike," from the Dwight D. Eisenhower era, on a corkboard, as well as some more obscure relics. One button read "No Third Term-ites," a protest against President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's unprecedented run for a third term. (He went on to be elected to four.)

Mr. Harris estimated he has from 2,000 to 3,000 buttons, signs, souvenirs and trinkets, some from campaigns he worked on. "I've been collecting since I was a kid," he said.

His sixth-grade social studies students created their own campaign buttons and bumper stickers leading up to the mock election.

A political science major in college, he said what intrigues him most about politics is that "it's a reflection of society."

Eighth-grader Alexis Powell did a little reflecting herself after casting her vote for Obama. "It's an important day," she said. "You want to know who's leading your country."

For that answer, Annapolis Middle School students - and everyone else - will have to wait until the real Election Day on Tuesday.

Eagle Scout

Congratulations to Matthew McClain, son of Dr. Cliff and Ruth McClain of St. Margarets, who achieved Scouting's highest rank of Eagle despite some daunting physical and mental challenges. Matthew, who's 41, is a member of Boy Scout Troop 216, which serves Boy Scouts with special needs. The troop is sponsored by the Holy Trinity Council of the Knights of Columbus in Severna Park.

Scoutmaster Jim Dunne said Matthew is the troop's second Eagle Scout in 29 years. Few Scouts reach the rank of Eagle, and among Scouts with mental and physical disabilities, only about 1 in 5,000 make it, Jim said.

For his Eagle project, Matthew worked to beautify the Knights of Columbus campus and picnic area, improving safety and drainage and planting 10 trees along the walkway to the outdoor chapel, on Ritchie Highway. The project took about two years to complete.

When Matthew was born in 1967, doctors didn't give his parents many reasons to be optimistic about his future. Today, he works as a customer service representative at Food Lion in Edgewater and is active in his church, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Annapolis on Ridgely Avenue.

"He certainly does extremely well in an adult world, but his IQ places him down (at the level of) a young child. His challenge is to continue to measure up," said his mother, Ruth. She credits Scouting for giving him a boost in life. "The Scout leaders have been devoted to helping the boys achieve as much as they can," she said. Currently there are 22 Scouts in the special-needs troop.

About 150 people, including County Executive John R. Leopold, attended Matthew's Court of Honor on Oct. 19 at the Columbian Center on Ritchie Highway. "We were overwhelmed," Ruth said.

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Got news? Send it to Diane at aroundannapolis@comcast.net.