Seniors enrolled in government classes this semester are currently running mock elections to get the school involved in learning about how the democratic system works.
The students are representing the Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Green Party, and are trying to find the best way to reach out to the voters
“You’re basically trying to sell a person. It can be kind of hard to evoke different emotions from people, whether it’s worry, fear, or hope, and that can make it difficult to keep a solid image for someone to make voters want to vote for them,” said senior Andrea Hesse.
They are working in small groups to portray their candidates in a way that will make people excited to vote for them.
“Each group has to submit a door hanger, a flyer, a pamphlet, a poster, and a commercial. Beyond that, they are the ones deciding the tone, the message, and the target audience, so they are the ones that are really packaging the candidates,” said government teacher Erin Wise.
This project gives students the opportunity to learn how to make sure their opinions are being heard in the government.
“It is important to learn about elections because if you don’t get involved, you don’t have a voice. Your vote is your voice,” said senior Jack Miller.
Students are learning skills that they will be able to apply to their lives no matter what they decide to pursue in the future.
“Some people are going to be mathematicians. Some people are going to be historians. Some people are going to be writing novels or working in labs, but 100% of the students that graduate from my class are going to be citizens in their communities. I think it is really important that they know how the democratic process works in order to fully participate in it,” Wise said.
Voting will take place on November 8, and anyone in the school can vote for their favorite candidate. Links to the voting website will be sent out to students’ emails on the day of the election.