Freeport High School juniors who take the American Studies course were assigned a project recently – pick a topic they were concerned about and write a letter. The letters had to be modeled on the structure of the Declaration of Independence, to include rhetorical devices they had been taught.

Concerned about protecting their driving rights, they sent out letters to a number of individuals. One of them happened to be Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, who is accustomed to fielding questions about a state policy that stipulates a nine-month waiting period between the time someone obtains a driving permit and when the new driver can have a passenger.

Dunlap called Freeport High School and asked if he should answer the letters individually, in one letter or go to the school and speak with the students. The students chose the latter, and for a half hour Nov. 5 in the high school gymnasium, Dunlap answered questions based on some of the letters, as well as more questions from an attentive audience. He told them that he gets letters on the nine-month issue “all the time,” but few phone calls.

“So this type of interaction really matters,” Dunlap said. “When I got my license on the third try in 1980 I could have gotten a truck full of kids and gone to California. It’s not that way anymore.”

Dunlap read a letter from Laura Pierce, who made her plea not to change the minimum age for obtaining a license from 16 to 18.

Dunlap then fielded a familiar question from the audience with a different twist. Drew Michaud asked him why the state Legislature raised the speed limit to 70 miles per hour, but won’t allow teens to drive with other teens. Dunlap responded that vehicles are made to go faster and safer now, and that the highways are suited for the faster speeds. It’s the distracted driver that worries him, Dunlap said.

“We spent 25 years fighting drunk driving, and now we’re fighting texting,” he said. “That’s why we said no to cell-phones’ use for young drivers.”

April Asselyn asked Dunlap why the state changed the waiting period for passengers from six to nine months two years ago. The original proposal in the Legislature was a year, Dunlap answered.

“It comes up every year,” he said, “and it’s reconsidered every year.”

Following the assembly, Dunlap presented teacher Rich Robinson with a new state flag. Robinson teaches the literature half of the American Studies class, and Charlie Mellon teaches the history.

“We teach collaboratively,” Robinson said prior to Dunlap’s arrival. “We don’t want the students to know when it’s one subject or the other.”

The Freeport High class based its concepts for the communications on a unit of study called “Foundations of American Ideals.” They studied the structure of the Declaration of Independence, and broke it down to purpose, beliefs, complaints, redress and a summary.

“We went through the Declaration of Independence, broke it apart, discussed its meaning and intent and the rhetorical devices the Founding Fathers used,” Robinson said. “The Declaration of Independence led to a study of the Constitution, but we used the Declaration of Independence specifically for this project. The kids were invited to present complaints. The gamut ran from study hall protocol to the early start of school.”

On the latter subject, some students wrote to Ed McDonough, superintendent of Regional School Unit 5, complaining about the 7:50 a.m. starting time for classes. Brianna Bellefleur was one of the students who wrote McDonough.

Bellefleur said she gets up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to make it to school on time. She’s in bed by 9:30 or 10 p.m., though sometimes later would be good, to finish her homework, Bellefleur said. She’s tired at school, especially in the morning.

“I hope that it changes before I’m a senior,” Bellefleur said.

Robinson said that an article on the high school starting time in the Nov. 4 issue of the Tri-Town Weekly got some attention.

“Between the article in the Tri-Town and Secretary Dunlap’s appearance, the point we’re trying to make to the kids is they can make a difference,” Robinson said.

Drew Michaud, in center gesturing and wearing a hat, poses a question to Secretary of State Matt Dunlap during an assembly for juniors last week at Freeport High School.

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