As we all know by now, President Barack Obama has been reelected for a second term after overcoming the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. A portion of the Hewitt community held a different hope on the outcome of the election, which we learned during the 7th and 8th grades’ participation in mock elections and debates.
Mr. Iannacone asked his 7th grade History class to put themselves in the shoes of a voter in Election 2012 and cast a ballot for the candidate of their choice. What the class viewed as just one of the typical “Do Nows” that Mr. Iannacone requires during the first ten minutes of his class period actually helps us gain insight into how Hewitt students in the 7th grade would vote. If it were up to them, Mitt Romney would be the new President (26 7th-grade votes for Romney triumphing over Obama’s 20).
An anonymous 7th grader who participated in this mock election said, “My whole family is Republican, but this year we are for Obama because we don’t agree with Romney’s ideas. I’m for Obama because my family is too.” This student demonstrates influence of family on her personal political decisions, and the situation could very well be the same for the rest of the grade.
Ms. Knight’s 8th grade History class was challenged when assigned to predict the number of electoral votes each candidate would win and to decide which states would be Republican or Democratic. Ruby Seavey ’17 was closest with the popular vote and electoral vote, and she celebrated this victory with some candy! The 8th graders also participated in a heated debate of their own. Each section was divided into two teams, one for each candidate, and each student chose a major topic that she researched and argued effectively from one point of view; this was enlightening.
When asked to predict which debate team won in her class while waiting for the judges’ decision, Amanata Adams ’17 stated, “I think Romney won in my class because even though many people don’t like his ego, the 8th graders who debated for his side did a good job and presented ideas that the Democrat side had a hard time rebutting.” One student even said she reconsidered her support of Obama to Romney after hearing several pro-Romney arguments in the debate. Ms. Knight however stated, “I never selected a winner because all the students did so well; it was impossible! I would say the winners were the girls themselves, who did an amazing job of researching issues, preparing articulate statements, and arguing with poise.”
The majority of the Hewitt students in 7th and 8th grade viewed Mitt Romney as the better presidential candidate, but would they feel safe sharing such ideas with peers inside the Hewitt community? Being a New York City school, it is inevitable that most students consider themselves Democrats. Most of these girls openly admitted they were prO-bama during election time, but the Republicans remained hesitant. When I spoke to a 7th grader whom I know fairly well, she told me she was Republican, but refused to offer further information on why this was her political stance and asked to remain anonymous. Others stared at me and looked away as if they felt awkward.
What does this says about political freedom and acceptance in our community?
Many could be afraid of criticism or just ashamed that the candidate they fervently supported lost or was probably going to lose. Samantha Hott ’16 stands up against the idea that we should keep our opinions to ourselves: “If someone asked me my political preferences, I would openly tell them. There is no reason to be ashamed. It’s your opinion.” Perhaps with age comes the confidence to express one’s ideas; yet again, who knows for sure how many Upper School Romney supporters were not as honest as Samantha in sharing their political views?
With the election over and Obama to serve another term as President, it will be another four years before the Classes of 2017 and 2018 will once again be able to voice their views about a presidential candidate. Hopefully, in the next election, four years from now, I will be able to write an article that lacks this much anonymity and the shame or fear that underlies it. If the Republican majority opinion will once again prevail in the next election, I want people to know it. And more importantly, I want the majority to want others to know it.