Our Wildwood, Volume 52

STUDENT VOICE Giulia P. ‘25

Lessons from Election Season

AS THE FALL SEASON APPROACHED, THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL election was always on my mind, much like it was for many others. Over the past few years, I have volunteered as a poll worker during the midterm and primary elections. This experience has enhanced my understanding of our electoral system and allowed me to engage with passionate residents in my district. This year, I aimed to extend this experience to my school community, helping Wildwood students grasp the importance of participating in our democratic process. Working with Human Rights Watch on their Student Taskforce, I created a ballot highlighting issues concerning the rights outlined in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I also obtained access to official election materials, such as county voting booths and voter registration forms. Something that floats around Wildwood’s zeitgeist is our tendency to agree with each other rather than have difficult conversations. My ulterior motive for creating the

“” MANY STUDENTS EXPRESSED EXCITEMENT AND GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS SURROUNDING VOTING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

mock election was to start a productive conversation. The largest margin any measure or candidate received was 87.4% of the votes in the mock election, proving that differing opinions exist throughout the upper school. Election season is a tense time for all, which made it the ideal time to roll out the new civil discourse guidelines, giving students another set of tools to aid in safe, respectful conversation. As I worked on the mock election, I received a

range of feedback from students and faculty. Many students expressed excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions surrounding voting and civic engagement. Teachers also praised the effort, with some mentioning how they saw parallels in our Advisory discussions about the importance of understanding diverse viewpoints and

viewing the 2024 election through a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) lens. Several teachers even suggested incorporating similar interactive activities into future curricula, inspiring me to think about how we can continuously cultivate these conversations beyond election season.

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