Elizabeth Zhang

Regardless of what type of election or level of politics they engage with, students have a civic duty to advocate for their local communities.

The intricacies of politics go ignored too often, especially among the youth. Take, for instance, a decision by your local city council to scrap a plan to build barriers for bike lanes you frequently use. Although you feel angry and dismayed, you think to yourself: “What could I have possibly done? Is there any way I could have made a difference?”

The International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences defines being politically active as participating in activities with the purpose of “influenc[ing] public policy, either directly or by affecting the selection of persons who make policies.” According to a schoolwide survey shared via Schoology, of the 145 student respondents ineligible to vote in the 2024 US election, over 79% considered themselves politically inactive. Only 41% felt that the community as a whole was “very” or “fairly” politically engaged.

At Harker, students do make a difference through research, volunteer work and other impactful activities, yet few actively use their voices to advocate for their political beliefs in their local communities.

Opportunities exist for students to learn and engage with their peers about civics and politics at Harker. In classes like AP U.S. Government and organizations like the Civil Discourse Club, students learn and discuss important topics that shape our society. But, they should bring those skills outside of the classroom and turn their ideas into actions. Fifty-four percent of politically inactive students under 18 reported that they were motivated to engage in political activities: members of the community do have a desire to have their opinion heard. Age does not render one’s voice silent: inaction does. 

Student civic engagement plays an especially important role in local elections of state and county policymakers as well as propositions up for votes because they are the ones that shape the everyday lives of Bay Area residents the most. Whether they be housing policies or public transit, the issues that impact us the most are the ones that are the closest to us. When considering how to be more politically active, we must consider these local offices and measures in just as much depth as national races like the presidency. 

Important perspectives on major topics like climate change, social media regulation and LGBTQ+ rights can fall to the wayside if the American youth let the older generations’ priorities dominate the conversation. Students must bring awareness to issues that matter to themselves the most: since they are the ones who will inherit the future, they have a responsibility to shape it.

If a student feels less comfortable participating in politics publicly or has few opportunities to do so, they can simply contact their county and state representatives via phone or mail to help get their message across, a way of advocacy already widely used in the student body. Among politically active poll respondents over 18, over 73% stated that they had directly reached out to their representatives to advocate for their beliefs, an indication of the ease and flexibility of speaking directly to government officials.

Regardless of what type of election or level of politics they engage with, students have a civic duty to advocate for their local communities. Whether by actively participating in political campaigns and public forums or just by getting in touch with their elected officials, we all have an obligation to use our rights as residents of the United States to work toward political change.