In the days leading up to the 2020 Presidential Election, the Young Democrats hosted a viewing of the final presidential debate during study hall. As someone who was closely following the election, I planned on stopping by and texted my Housemates for some company. However, with major assignments coming up, many were reluctant to spend their evening watching the debates. Fast forward a couple of days to Election Night, and the Young Democrats hosted the watch party in the Kirby Arts Center. As I made my way out of the House, people were in the common room playing Madden NFL. It seemed like no one really cared about the election––at least in my nearby community. It is clear that the School needs to better encourage campus-wide political discussions. Acknowledging the importance of Election Day by designating it a non-instructional ‘Democracy Day’ should be the first step in addressing these civic engagement issues.
Studies have shown that voting, as well as civic engagement on a broader scale, reaps enormous dividends for the people, students, and schools that succeed in encouraging it. Moreover, participation is a habit; choosing to vote in one election substantially increases one’s likelihood of voting in the future. For people who are not eligible to vote, which includes the majority of students at Lawrenceville, investing time to engage in civic education before voting allows them to better equip themselves with the knowledge they need to effectively participate in the democratic process when the time comes.
Despite Lawrenceville’s range of political clubs and diverse curriculum offerings, Lawrenceville students fail to display a respectable level of knowledge about voting and civil discourse. The First Amendment recently conducted a 10-question survey to test Lawrentians’ political literacy covering both domestic and international topics. The results were concerning; out of 100 responses, the average number of correct answers was merely four, which means that 80 percent of respondents would have failed such a test. These statistics not only expose the isolating aspect of Lawrenceville’s ‘bubble’ but also show that there is much room to improve civic engagement on campus. Understanding current events and keeping in touch with the political landscape are integral traits in Lawrentians’ development as global citizens. Thus, we must give students the time, space, and motivation to prioritize civic participation, recognize the importance of engagement, and understand their role in continuing our democratic republic. On Election Day, instead of preparing for the future, students should be taking part in deciding it.
Indeed, there is a precedent for a break of this kind at the high-school level. The Sidwell Friends School, Georgetown Day School, and the Bullis School, all located in the Washington, D.C. area, do not hold classes on Election Day, encouraging those who are eligible to vote and others to engage in other educational activities. Lawrenceville would fall well within the mainstream of public opinion, and the rapidly expanding national movement to make Election Day a federal holiday gives Lawrenceville an opportunity to lead by example for other educational institutions in the Eight Schools Association, Ten Schools Admissions Organization, and beyond. As the next generation of leaders, it is important for all Lawrentians to understand the significance of voting in maintaining and cultivating our democracy.
Creating a so-called Democracy Day would send the powerful message that Lawrenceville values—and indeed expects—civic engagement among its students. Lawrenceville’s recognition of a Democracy Day would also benefit society more broadly and serve as an opportunity for students to participate in civic education activities. With that said, it is crucial that we also address a significant impediment to student voting and civil engagement: a lack of time. Lawrenceville students are incredibly busy, and their schedules often prevent them from taking the time to inform themselves. Therefore, Lawrenceville must lessen the burden on students—by cancelling academic and extracurricular activities for that single day—to allow students the opportunity to become more excited to vote, serve as poll workers, promote youth activism, inform themselves about the candidates, and encourage their peers to do the same. Election Day is one moment in which the ordinary roles of student, faculty, and staff should be shed in favor of our shared role of citizen. Now more than ever, we must come together as a community, putting aside our ordinary tasks to support each other in fulfilling our duties.
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