Sean McGarrity ’18: Amidst a heated political climate, EA students are eager to voice their opinions on politics and the future of our country. As they near graduation, many seniors will have the chance to vote next November to decide who will become the next president. In addition, many juniors will be eligible to participate in the political process by November. One way students are able to voice these opinions is through the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs that Episcopal is home to.
Robert Trumbull – faculty advisor of the Young Democrats – explained the core issues covered by the club: “Abortion has always been a topic of conversation, as has gun control. We don’t talk so much about the economy, although that has come up in previous things…It could be that [the students] are more affected by social issues than economic issues.”
Kathryn Wilson, ’16, the co-President of the Young Democrats, said, “As students at the Episcopal Academy, very few of us are actually affected by the issues that are deemed controversial on a larger political stage…Social issues immediately come to mind because we actually experience their impact in our lives.” In terms of her views on current candidates, Wilson used the following three words to sum up her feelings toward Republican front-runner Donald Trump: “Racism, misogyny, general immaturity.” Chris Stein ’16, the other student leader of the Young Democrats, takes a more “pragmatic” approach to the way he looks at politics. “I have determined that Secretary Clinton is, by all accounts, more likely to achieve the goals and policies set forth in her platform.”
“First, I would like to go on record stating my discomfort sharing any of my views in a public forum,” said Lee Billmyer, the faculty representative for the Young Republicans. and English teacher, “Several years ago I was made aware of the fact that many students felt ostracized for siding with the Republican party; for example, students said they felt silenced and intimidated by teachers who carried opposing views.” Billmyer also went on, saying “At our meetings we have not discussed what we do not like, but we have identified strengths and weaknesses of all the candidates on both sides.”
Phillip Humann ’16, the co-President of the Young Republicans Club, outlined a typical club discussion, expressing that “I think people are concerned about reinvigorating the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and the environment, all core issues that will be affecting our lives in the future. I’d definitely say we are fiscally conservative almost unanimously, but I’d say a large number are socially liberal, but not all. Right now my favorite is Kasich due to the fact that he is really the only candidate I think is an honest and good person.”
With a clear divide between the students and faculty at EA, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming election affects the school dynamic.
Faculty representative for the Young Democrats and the AP Government and Politics teacher, Robert Trumbull, discussed the curriculum of the AP government course, “This will be my third year teaching the course. It covers six main units. We start of with a sort of a history of the Constitution, why it came about and the way that it did.” He continues noting that, “We [also] get into the actual political science part of the government.” As a result, students can form their own political opinions.
Trumbull, along with the Young Democrats explained their amazement “at the fact that Donald Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican Party.” While there are certainly many democrats, Trumbull explained that among the faculty, “there are certainly a lot of republicans as well.”
Chris gave an interesting answer when asked about whether he thinks EA faculty lean one way or the other. “I think that there are many views on both sides of the isle amongst members of the faculty. Some are more obvious than others.”
The differences in the style in which the two clubs hold their meetings does force students to choose a side. When asked about the faculty, Ms. Billmyer said, “I do not enjoy political discussions at work. I prefer to discuss literature and our fine students. I am not being paid to come to work and talk politics or push a political agenda.”