As many MSMS students prepare to cast their first ballot in the Nov. 5 presidential election, some have become increasingly politically active through both the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs.
Students at MSMS hold varying but strong political beliefs. As our nation approaches an election, these clubs give students an outlet through which they can participate in discussion with peers who have both like-minded and opposing views.
Chuck Yarborough, a history teacher at MSMS, sponsors both clubs. He has been sponsoring the Young Democrats for 30 years, and he started sponsoring the Young Republicans this year. He said the clubs have been rejuvenated by current events.
“The clubs seem to be particularly active when students are enthusiastic about a position, candidate, or a certain issue,” Yarborough said. “In recent years the Young Democrats have been more active, but it is dependent on the year, and this was true 30 years ago.”
Yarborough said MSMS is a special place for clubs like these to exist.
“We tend to have an environment where, more often than not, people hear what [other students] are saying and then challenge them by asking respectful questions,” Yarborough said.
For the leaders of the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs, the biggest focus for this year is on cooperation.
Young Democrats President Morgan Smith said nuance is important when MSMS students are discussing political issues.
“A lot of people get it in their heads that they are right and everyone else is wrong, but that’s not true. Everything is in shades of gray. At the end of the day, it’s about coming to a compromise,” Smith said.
Young Republicans President Logan Lechner said there is a need for respect between students with different political beliefs.
“We want to dispel some of the polarization in politics and have the best representation of ideas from the right and the left,” Lechner said. “A lot of students have a caricature of Republican ideals in their head, and they look to far-right republicans and try to characterize the ideology [onto the party as a whole].”
The Young Republicans and Young Democrats have been working to bridge this gap, co-sponsoring a series of politically relevant watch parties, including the presidential and vice presidential debates.
Both the Young Republicans and Young Democrats have agreed to debate twice on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23.
