Young people came out in record numbers for this year’s primary elections, and students at Dana Hall School joined the masses and jumped into the political arena.

Dana Hall social studies teacher Heather Panahi presented an opportunity for students to volunteer at the Wellesley polls on February 5, and she was very pleased with the response; 15 students signed up to participate. This election marked the first time the town of Wellesley allowed high school students to volunteer.
 
“Women have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go,” Panahi said. “The sooner girls get involved in politics, the more likely they are to stay involved as adults.”

Panahi believes this volunteer effort gave students a glimpse into the political process and the upcoming presidential election. She also hopes the students come to understand the importance of voting and what it means to be involved in politics.

It seems as though that is already happening. E. Soukas ’09 had her own reasons for volunteering on Super Tuesday: “As a student in AP U.S. History, I understand more than ever the relevancy and importance of elections. I have read about hundreds of years of United States history, and by volunteering to work at the polls, I am in a way making history and being a part of it, which is a really cool concept for someone who is only 16 years old. I feel like it’s my civic duty.”

More than anything Panahi hopes the students walked away with a desire to use “their political voices.”

The students are finding their voices; they also are developing opinions and trying to figure out who is the best candidate to run this country.

“The most exciting thing about these elections is that they have the potential to break down boundaries that people have been fighting for years,” A. Howland ’09 said. “Two of the top candidates at the moment are changing politics just by running. Hillary Clinton could be fulfilling every little girls’ dream by the becoming the first woman President, and Barack Obama is doing something, which 50 years ago would have been cause for riots in the street. The fact that these elections are so different and promoting such extreme change is exhilarating.”

And change seems to be what these girls are looking for in the next president.

“I'm looking for someone who is unifying instead of polarizing,” said E. Gilbert ’08. “My candidate needs to convince me that he/she can bring our country out of the situation we’re in now.”

J. Gayle ’08 who just turned 18 and plans on voting in the November, wanted to get a first hand look at what happens before she heads to the polls. She also has an idea of what she’s looking for in a candidate: someone who is “not afraid to defend what he believes and really wants to make a change.”

A. Brown ’09 has determined what she’s looking for in a candidate: “I want a president that has a very clear set of principles. This is the only way that his or her reaction to unforeseen circumstances can be judged. Also, I look for sincerity. I want a president that is more devoted to the ideals he or she stands for than catering to special interests and voter demographics.”

Super Tuesday produced many more questions for voters and candidates, but one thing is clear: after the students’ involvement in Tuesday’s primary, they will remain interested in the ever-changing campaign and because they volunteered on February 5, they could be chosen to volunteer for the presidential election in November.