By Josie Buller ’25
Despite being a deciding factor in elections, young people consistently have the lowest voter turnout rate of any demographic.
Regardless of generation, this disparity can be attributed to a lack of knowledge regarding the registration and voting process, feelings of insignificance and an indifference to the political world. However, it is absolutely critical that students are aware of the power of our voice, both here at Tower Hill and in our nation.
The Young Voters’ Club was founded this past year here at Tower Hill to address this very issue. Every school needs a space where students can talk openly and enthusiastically about politics, alongside resources to help them better understand the voting process. This is what the Young Voters’ Club hopes to provide here at Tower Hill.
We kicked off the club’s inaugural year with an assembly on Oct. 4, which focused on empowering students in politics. We were honored to host Delaware Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend. The Senator was an outstanding speaker, sharing the impact of young voters on his campaigns and offering suggestions on how students might involve themselves in politics. Seeing so many students raise their hands for questions and rush up to meet the Senator solidified the club’s core belief that students want to be involved in politics-they just need the opportunity.
This excitement kept the club invigorated throughout our meetings as we prepared for the week of discussions we hosted in February.
We were determined to create a space where students could feel confident expressing their opinions, challenging others and being challenged themselves. Creating an environment that encourages open dialogue and vigorous debate can sometimes lead to shouting and hostility. But our Tower Hill peers showed up with laughter and passion for the topics at hand. There was certainly disagreement, but I can’t emphasize enough how great it was to watch students disagree and continue to hold immense respect for each other.
Arguing isn’t a bad thing. It allows students to be met with new perspectives, to reflect on their beliefs-to find that even if we are divided in opinion, we can still be united as citizens. A large part of the reason that these debates were so successful was the strong community that we have here at Tower Hill.
Our last event of the year was on May 20 when we brought in voting machines for students to try. Throughout the day, THE Hub filled with students from every division, all waiting in line for their chance to vote. Around campus, I heard Lower Schoolers excitedly telling their parents about how they “got to vote today!” Fostering that excitement early is so important to ensuring that future voters feel significant and heard. I would like to thank Dr. Brown, Ms. Carter and Ms. Dixon from the Delaware State Department, Tower Hill’s administration and the amazing club members who made this event possible.
This inaugural year for the Young Voters’ Club was so inspiring. Getting to watch the student body recognize and utilize the power of civic engagement was incredible. While I’m sure many students got tired of announcements about elections and registration deadlines during Morning Meeting, I truly think we made an impact here on campus. This upcoming election will be intense, but I know that the Young Voters’ Club and its dedicated members will play a vital role in ensuring that we can have open dialogue about the issues at hand and that students will feel empowered to use their voices this fall. We hope to grow our discussions further, provide student poll workers, run mock elections and bring in a high profile speaker for our fall assembly in the 2024-2025 school year. I can’t wait to discuss current events and issues with my classmates, and I can’t wait to vote!
