Shawna Sullivan, A&S '06, can still pinpoint the day she became involved in politics. Three years ago, a referendum on a proposed new high school in her hometown of North Andover, Mass. faced vocal opposition from town watchdog groups. By coordinating a voter registration drive for her high school classmates, Sullivan and a handful of classmates added 150 new voters to the rolls and helped sway the vote back in favor of the plan. "Now my little brother and sister can enjoy a brand new school I never got," she said.
With this past experience under her belt, Sullivan joined a group of Boston College students to tout the benefits of political involvement to local high school students this week. That group, called Project Open the Door 2004, has spoken in front of social studies classes at high schools around the Boston area, including BC High School and West Roxbury High School. It is the brainchild of Joe Sabia and Michael Parker, both A&S '06.
"Our age group is viewed as disengaged, not caring, and apathetic - you have the opportunity to change that. You have the opportunity to make a difference," said Sabia to a group of high school seniors at BC High on Tuesday morning. Sabia contacted the class teacher, who agreed to let Open the Door speak for an entire class period.
The presentation focused on three different campaign issues - foreign policy, health care, and the economy/taxes - and featured a mock debate between President George W. Bush (Sullivan) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), BC '76, (Andrew Walsh, A&S '06). Before beginning the discussion, the group asked a series of question that revealed the class' political leanings. Contradicting the perception that young people vote overwhelmingly Democratic, the majority of the class said they would serve in the military if a draft were reinstated and said they approved of the use of preemptive military strikes. "We live in America and get so many freedoms. It's a matter of respect that you're willing to serve," said one student.
Despite their patriotic bent, the students did have qualms with the handling of the War in Iraq. "We should have the ability to intervene, but the situation we are in right now isn't fair," said one student.
Michael Cherkezian, A&S '06, who is of Middle Eastern descent, explained to the audience that he is constantly interrogated at airport checkpoints. "I don't really see it as that big of a deal. It's a minor inconvenience. But at what point does it go too far?" he asked.
Many of the students were well-versed in foreign policy issues but unaware of the domestic implications of the war on terror, such as the issue of the possible reduction of civil liberties through the Patriot Act. After learning more about the act, one student said he reconsidered his view of the war on terror. "Once the government gets that power, you don't know if they will take it too far," he said.
Both of the BC High classes addressed were sympathetic to the increasing rift between the rich and the poor. "I don't think you can honestly say that kids from inner-city Boston have the same opportunities as people from Weston," said one student.
Organizers of the project said they tried to present both sides of the political spectrum and let the audience make up their own minds. This emphasis on bipartisanship came as a welcome break from the current political scene on campus, said Sullivan. "With a lot of these events, it's catered exclusively to Democrats or exclusively to Republicans," she said. "When people are actually challenging you, you're forced to sharpen your arguments and defend your stances. We have learned so much from each other by doing this," she said.
Paul Logan, a teacher at BC High, said the presentation was meant to remind his students that they do have a voice in the political process. The trend of increasing college political involvement has yet to fully trickle down to the high school level, he said. "These kids are bright and can formulate opinions," he said. "But they don't always feel like they have a voice."
A number of students lingered after the class period ended to comment on the presentations. "I had three kids from the first discussion coming up to me afterwards saying 'I had overrides in my town, too,'" said Sullivan. "After today they might actually be more curious about getting involved on the local level and trying to make a difference within their communities."
Sabia said the presentation also allowed the high-schoolers to gain a better grasp of what their college years might entail. "The key thing is to remain in touch with these kids to get some mentoring lined up for the future," he said.
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