If RCDS students were eligible to vote, would they turn out at the polls? Would there be a strong divide down party lines or would it be based more on specific issues? And would the RCDS student choose a candidate based on their beliefs or their parent’s values? Experts attribute the outcome of the recent midterm elections, in a large part, to young people showing up and voting. While most members of the RCDS community are still a few years away from participating, these students still have opinions, not only on candidates and current events but concerning the political process itself. A junior at Rye Country Day wrote that “Political discussion at RCDS is mostly productive and friendly, however disagreements at times lead to heated arguments and strained friendships.” They aren’t alone in this experience. Another anonymous student confessed how “Everyone today is very critical about who their friends are and how they associate with people based on what they believe.” Regardless of voting age, controversy over politics in the Upper School can lead to a division. To discover where these lines are drawn, the Rye Crop took an unscientific poll about where students stand, revealing 42.5% Republican, 42.5% Democrat, and 15% independent or other positions within this sample. 

The poll, which reveals an even split of beliefs at Rye Country Day, magnifies a split range of viewpoints that all want to be heard. Another anonymous student explained that “There is a clear divide, and the question then becomes: will people be open to debate when politics is so red-hot and polarizing nowadays?” Political debate is often dodged in the classroom and avoided for convenience, says another student. “I definitely feel there is a separation in political beliefs at RCDS. I would appreciate it if the school was a little more bi-partisan and looked at issues from both sides of the political aisle.”

Although political conversations, which students specifically characterized as “grim” and “cruel,” are difficult to uphold, many students expressed that this discourse is important to have at a young age. One student in particular claimed they are necessary, “especially in times like today where women’s rights are at jeopardy. This is a really relevant topic as young adults are starting to be more affected by the laws passed by the government and by states.” Another student agreed that “issues that will continue to concern us in the future like those affected by climate change and longer-term issues, will be more likely to make educated, informed decisions and participate in our democracy.” However, not all students feel that political discussion at a young age is useful at all; one student emphasized how “At too young of an age, it’s clear that kids are strictly voicing their parents’ beliefs and discussions will get overheated for no reason.” Another student claimed that political discourse “often leads us, a fairly vulnerable age group with regards to misinformation, to fall into pit holes where we forget how to think critically about the information we consume.”Gen Z has more technology and information readily available than previous generations were ever exposed to. Representing these ever changing ideologies in today’s society, students at RCDS also have a wide ranging opinion on what they’re seeing in the political landscape. If RCDS students do agree on one thing, it’s that politics are polarizing; little middleground exists. One student wrote “At this point, voting is increasingly becoming a ‘pick this person because I hate the other candidate’ instead of a thoughtful process in which you pick the candidate that best aligns with your own political beliefs.” Another described how the  “us” vs “them” mentality “creates division and an obstinate political climate.” The opinion universally expressed by RCDS students, however, concerned the decline of civil politics. “The interference with basic rights and health issues – even science – has been politicized and that’s absurd to me. In recent years, elections have been less about policy issues than they should be.” Even if students are too young to vote, their strong views and opinions, which will impact our society for years to come, are undeterred.