By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

SHARONVILLE - Saddam Hussein's capture took center stage Monday in classrooms across Greater Cincinnati as teachers set aside regular lessons to discuss the Iraqi leader's arrest.

Princeton Junior High School 8th grader Jerry Johnson comments on the capture of Saddam Hussein during a classroom discussion. (Glenn Hartong photo)

"Appearances can be deceiving,'' said Jerry Johnson, 13, of Springdale, a student at Princeton Junior High, noting Saddam's unshaven appearance. "He lived like a king on the run, and they found him in a hole. He was no king. He was just some ordinary dude who came to power.''

"I'm surprised we got Saddam alive,'' said Dan Jacobs, whose Fairfield Senior High School American government class spent about 40 minutes talking about the news.

Students had mixed opinions about Saddam's punishment.

"They'll probably do something to him like he did to (Iraqi people)," said Joel Leach, 18, of Fairfield Township. "It's too easy to kill him. We need information. I don't think he's going to give anything up.''

Students in Oak Hills High School's global studies class noted eerie similarities between Saddam's capture and a book they're reading. The Portage to San Cristobal by George Steiner is based on the fictional premise that Israeli Nazi-hunters capture Hitler in the middle of the Amazon jungle.

"Of course, the struggle these former Holocaust victim/Nazi-hunters have is what to do with him. Should he be tried?" said Kevin Ridder, an English teacher who presides over the sophomore course with history teacher Jeff Neal.

Students will be doing a mock trial of Saddam Hussein using ideas from the book.

Steve Poitinger, a government and history teacher at Lebanon High School, tabled his regular lessons Monday and instead had his students write an essay on Sunday's events.

Junior Tabitha Bond said she appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the news in school.

"I'm not one that has a lot of time to keep up with the news. I enjoyed discussing current events in class, and now I understand it better."

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Enquirer reporters Michael D. Clark and Cindy Kranz contributed. E-mail suek@infionline.net