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It Takes Integrity

Album: Gold Audio 13: It All Started When

Episode: 181

Lesson/Theme: Integrity.

Bible Verse: Proverbs 10:29

Characters: Bart, Lucy, Whit

Writer: Phil Lollar

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: January 18, 1992

Last Air Date: August 29, 2008

Description:
It all started when the Odyssey Middle School student council elections began. Lucy is upset that Curt Stevens is running for office again. This time he has his sights set on being student body president! He's asked Lucy to interview him for the Odyssey Owl, which Lucy refuses to do, she knows that all Curt wants is a fluffy story about himself. What really gets Lucy, though, is that Curt is running unopposed! Lucy's incensed that the only kid at Odyssey Middle School who cares enough to get involved in their school elections is Curt. She tells Whit that the students need someone who stands for integrity! Whit thinks Lucy is absolutely right. He says that the person the students need is Lucy! He convinces her to run for office against Curt, and the race begins. Both Curt and Lucy work hard to get votes. Curt says anything to get elected, while Lucy conducts an upright campaign that focuses on the issues. Curt begins to get creamed in the polls. He is desperate to save his sinking campaign. So at Bart Rathbone's suggestion, Curt digs up some dirt on Lucy. He parades Lucy's past misreporting of the facts in "Muckraker" using it in a debate to make her look like a first-class hypocrite. Lucy is devastated and decides the only honorable thing she can do is withdraw from the race. But Whit takes matters into his own hands and confronts Curt with his dirty politicking. Curt says all is fair in love and warÑuntil Whit makes Curt believe that Whit is going to reveal the truth about Curt's alcoholic father to the Odyssey Owl. Curt panics, begging Whit not to do it. Whit says he'd never do anything so cruel, unlike Curt. For once, Curt gets the message and ends up beating Lucy to the punch: He withdraws from the race, leaving the office wide open for Lucy.

Questions:
Why was Lucy so upset that Curt was running for office? Whit told Lucy, "If you're not willing to participate in democracy, then you can't complain when it goes sour." What did he mean? Do you agree with Curt's statement that "all is fair in love and war"? Why or why not?