The Tower Hill school day is filled with a lot: education, sports, art and theater. However, this is not all. There are many clubs students can choose to join, and they can even start their own club based on their own interests.
This year Josie Buller sought to “engage Tower Hill in our nation's democratic process, demystify voting and elections, foster a passion for politics with our peers, and create a community that not only accepts disagreement but values it.” Throughout the world, we are watching arguments and protests occur on our college campuses and community spaces. How different it would look if more high schools began to foster respectful dialogue.
During meetings, the Young Voters Club discusses current events, such as the Supreme Court rulings, major headlines (gun control and rights of criminals), and what future events might look like.
“It is absolutely critical that students are aware of the power of our voice. It is our right to be able to determine how our nation functions, it is a right that thousands have fought for across centuries, and so we have to exercise it. The youth vote consistently has the lowest turnout of any demographic, despite often being a deciding factor in elections. So in an attempt to combat this I wanted to give Tower Hill not just an easy path to voting but also a love for it.” Josie explains.
During the week of February 26 through March 1, the club planned a series of debates on a variety of topics, including AI development, affirmative action, labeling identity, the electoral college, and the LNG gas projects. At these debates, structured by the Harkness method, participating students actively engaged in leading discussions and learning from one another.
Photo of one of the debates hosted by the Young Voters club
As the nation gears up for the next presidential election, Josie sees The Young Voters Club playing a vital role. “Given this will be a highly contested election, we plan to operate under the theme “Unity in the Face of Controversy.” The Young Voters Club plans to grow the discussions, provide student poll workers, run mock elections, and bring in high-profile speakers. Josie’s hope is to engage THS students “in a fashion that allows for civil discourse without repercussion.”
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