Guantanamo Bay Debate

Jessica Fiddes

Posted November 20, 2008

Students and faculty gather during M Block for the debate on Guantanamo Bay.

Mark Micchelli, on left, and Scott Ruesterholz went head to head on the topic.

Other students join in with questions and opinions.

From left, Mark Micchelli '09, Scott Ruesterholz '10 with History Club Moderator John Thompson.

On November 20 the Delbarton History Club sponsored an M Block debate in the Gregory Room on whether the US government should continue to operate the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Students Scott Ruesterholz '10 (pro) and Mark Micchelli '09 (con) conducted a lively debate mediated by AP European History teacher and History Club Moderator John Thompson.Issues like national security, ethics, human rights, habeas corpus and civil vs. military trials factored into the discussion. During the question and answer period that followed students continued to press specific points and the two debaters fielded all queries with intelligence and candor. Thompson closed the debate by encouraging students to suggest other controversial topics for the History Club to debate this year.