As the elections occur on Nov. 5, millions of people across the country fill the voting booths to cast their votes. It is one of the most important days of the year as the nation chooses the president for the next four years. This election presents a unique opportunity for Upper Schoolers. For some seniors, this is their first chance to participate by casting a real ballot. For juniors, they can register to vote. However, for some students in the Upper School community, the culture towards voting and the election sway towards indifference. “I personally don’t really care…the stuff mentioned in the speeches mentioned by political candidates don’t really appeal to younger voters” said Sulayman Syed ‘26. Syed is not registered to vote. Aidan Atmore ‘26 agreed, stating, “I think a lot of [Upper School students] don’t care for politics.” For many students, this low care comes from the belief that the issues don’t impact them. As high schoolers, things such as taxes and immigration policy don’t directly affect day-to-day lives. For Aaron Ellis ‘26 “I don’t really care at all who wins the election.”

Christian Hovard ‘25 is one of the many seniors who are registered and eligible to vote in this election. Hovard will be casting a ballot. “I think that people want to vote, but it’s really bad that everyone is always asking one another, I think that’s casting a lot of social pressure on one’s personal decision.” Hovard said.

Many factors that influence a person’s choice to vote. There are constant ads and campaigns encouraging people to make the choice to vote.

However, even with these influences, a large part of the student community has little regard towards voting. This brings up a larger question; why do we not care for these national issues?