Written By: Mia Hertz and Isabela Pierry

“Harris or Trump?” “What did you think about the debate?” “Are you voting?” These questions have been common around the halls of Rye Country Day in recent weeks. With the Presidential election fast approaching on November 5th, 2024, it is almost impossible to avoid these discussions from zipping around the student body. It is no secret that this election is particularly  polarized, drawing attention to heated topics currently facing the United States. So how will this tension manifest at Rye Country Day School, and what steps are administrators taking to keep this environment a bipartisan one? 

Following the recent presidential debate between Harris and Trump on September 10th, many history classes at RCDS have discussed this important moment in US history. This debate brought up many controversial issues and opinions, but the school environment has remained relatively neutral. Teachers have not campaigned or supported a specific political party or candidate, as that goes against RCDS policy. However, the presidential debate has been discussed in all history classes. Humanities Department Chair and teacher, Ms. Everett states that “the goal of being an educator is to teach your students about the situation and how to think critically.” Although educators in the humanities department are not directly sharing political opinions with students, they are giving them life skills. Teachers are helping students learn how to form and support their own opinions either with evidence or personal belief. They are also providing students with an opportunity to engage with current issues and understand how the election is unfolding.

Ms. Everett explains that “US history is unfolding in front of us” and “it is our task as teachers to help students broaden their understanding.” The humanities department has been helping to facilitate conversation and dialogue between students, teaching students to listen to their peers even if they have conflicting opinions. Some RCDS seniors who have turned 18 before the election will be able to participate in voting for the first time and Ms. Everett explains that “democracy requires educated citizens, so this is our job as a school.”

Ms. Everett ensures that although discussion is encouraged, a teacher will step in if a student crosses a line by saying something hurtful or discriminatory. Recently, she noticed that in one of her classes discussing the debate, almost all students referred to Donald Trump by his last name, and Kamala Harris by her first name. Ms. Everett addressed this issue because referring to women by their first names reflects a subconscious bias. Shouldn’t both candidates be treated equally, including how students refer to them? Teachers have been facilitating a bipartisan environment, yet this small difference in addressing the candidates suggests unfairness and inequality towards the female presidential candidate.

In terms of student influence on the election climate at RCDS, the Current Events Club, a fairly new club focused on the discussion of current events, has been holding weekly meetings where they comment on recent occurrences related to the election. The topics have ranged from reflections on the debates, analysis of each team’s economic and immigration policies, and candidate stances on international policies. Miles Dinger ‘26, one of the club leaders, reflects on how past discussions in the club have been “able to foster conversations that look past others’ political beliefs in order to discuss the election in a respectful manner.” Dinger hopes that he can continue to create an environment that “allows for RCDS students to come together in a respectful manner to discuss their beliefs.” Current Events Club has proven to be an excellent outlet for student expression and is a valiant effort to create respectful spaces that foster productive, important discussions.

Although this all sounds great in practice, what do students really think about RCDS’s political environment? After 41 students completed a survey The Crop sent out, the results were as follows: 53.7% of people feel comfortable sharing their political views at school, 61% believe school is an appropriate place for sharing and discussing political views, 75.6% have engaged in discussions with peers from opposing political views, and those discussions were mostly reported to be “respectful” closely followed by the word “heated.” Barely over half of surveyed people feel comfortable sharing their political views, revealing how the school still has ways to go in achieving an environment where students feel confident in their opinions. This lack of security in self expression could be attributed to how 85.4% of students reported that they believe their peers lean a certain political way. If one’s political views do not match the perceived majority’s views, one could feel insecure about sharing  them at school.

When one thinks of the election, it’s easy to think of “debate” or “argument,” hence the tentativeness to share any opinions that could face backlash. However, the school has recently seen a push to promote dialogue instead, encouraging respectful conversations amongst the student body. Mr. Murray, the Director of Global Studies, a Latin teacher, and the founder of the Global Dialogues program at RCDS, has helped facilitate this switch at school. Dialogue will have a vital role in fostering a comprehensive and respectful environment at RCDS these next few weeks as Mr. Murray believes “it provides a framework to voice perspectives but not in a way where they are trying to convince you or sell you something. It’s this ability of being able to share your authentic perspective but also accepting and valuing the fact that we don’t all feel the same way about things.” He hopes to see students and faculty alike embracing the spirit of dialogue. 

The election has been a scathing topic as of late, and as people from across the country prepare to vote, it is only natural that different feelings will arise. RCDS as an institution is trying its  hardest to create spaces where these emotions can be acknowledged and addressed respectfully  to keep the community unified in times of great polarization.