On Wednesday morning following this week’s presidential debate, Upper School students gathered near Dominican Hall for SD’s first “Democracy Drop-In.” Squished together on couches and sitting in chairs, some students were asking questions, some were quietly listening, and all had gathered for an informal discussion about the trickiest of topics: politics.
Hosted by Upper School faculty members Matt Bristley and Ken High, the Democracy Drop-In sessions provide an opportunity for students to engage in moderated discussions about the upcoming presidential election. “We know that talking about politics is difficult,” shares Mr. Bristly. “Perhaps if you say the wrong thing, you'll lose your reputation, or people will attack you, or you might even fracture a relationship. But to live in a society of wise and informed citizens, we need to be able to talk about controversial issues, and we need to learn to have these conversations in a constructive and civil manner. What better place than school to learn these skills? And what better community than San Domenico to foster this environment?”
The sessions are open-floor format and relatively unstructured. Students are encouraged to ask questions, share opinions, and, above all, to listen to one another. Each session is moderated by social studies faculty, whose main role is to answer any factual questions, stoke the discussion if it falters, and intervene to ensure constructive and civil conversation.
The vast majority of the attendees at Wednesday’s Democracy Drop-In had watched the debate, with several of the students now being 18 years of age and able to cast their vote for the first time in November. Other attendees were international students in our boarding program, who wanted to better understand the American political system. “There was a good mix of students who were there to ask honest questions out of curiosity, to share their observations and analyses, to understand people who disagreed with them, and simply to listen and learn,” said Mr. Bristley. “It was a rich time, and we look forward to hosting the Democracy Drop-In once a week through November.”
The Democracy Drop-In is just one way in which our Upper School community is preparing for the presidential election. Faculty are working with student leaders (from clubs such as Model UN, Civic Leaders of America, Speech & Debate, and Interact) to guide our student body to be informed about the election through community assemblies, club sessions, and publicity campaigns. Our Government and Civics class is working on various projects to inform our community how to find reliable information and encourage us all to have constructive dialogue. Faculty are also taking part in professional development sessions on how to handle controversial issues in the classroom, and clubs like Civic Leaders of America are gearing up to lead voter registration drives.
Through these many efforts, we are hopeful that this election—rather than being a threat to community cohesion—can be an opportunity for us to learn good habits of citizenship.