THE BALLOON MAN

Circus clowns teach Watertown students about voting

 

The "Boss Clown" candidates debated in Watertown over proper clown attire, shaving cream pies versus real pies, and how each would handle head honcho clown responsibilities.
by Jaclyn Reiss
from--boston.com
October 11, 2012
Watertown’s Cunniff Elementary School students received a lesson in voting this week, but not in the traditional sense.

The school’s third, fourth and fifth graders filed into the school’s gymnasium, preparing to watch a mock debate Wednesday afternoon, before the vice-presidential debate airs tonight.

But instead of encountering two men in suits with slicked-back hair, both candidates in the debate arrived in red noses and comically oversized shoes, running after each other in circles as the moderator tripped over his microphone stand and jabbed himself in the face.

Part of a four-city national tour, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus brought “The Greatest Election on Earth!” to participating schools to teach young students the importance of voting and learning about political candidates.

The mock debate pitted two circus clowns against each other – Todd Voting, a traditionally-dressed clown who stood for wigs, costumes, and real cream pies to the face; and Mike Matters, a young, fresh face with new ideas, favoring minimalist clown clothing and shaving cream pies for throwing. The two lobbied the students to vote for them to be the next "Boss Clown" of the circus.
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http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/watertown/2012/10/circus_clowns_teach_watertown.html