Young voters ready to step up to ballot box in Hopewell
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Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette Sen. Hillary Clinton poses for photos after her campaign appearance April 9 at Hopewell High School.
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Bill Clinton made a campaign stop at Center Area High School March 11.
Barack Obama made one at the Community College of Beaver County, also in Center Township, March 17.
Hillary Clinton held a town hall meeting at Hopewell Area High School April 9.
Talk about your teachable moments.
"It was a fantastic opportunity for them [senior high students] to participate in the process," Hopewell Area Principal Michael Allison said.
The district arranged to have all seniors invited to Mrs. Clinton's meeting, and when there were seats still available, Mr. Allison went classroom to classroom sending underclassmen to attend. He said they also allowed students to go to Community College of Beaver County to hear Mr. Obama speak.
John Hineman, a economics and government teacher in Center Area, said he's seeing more kids register to vote than ever before, and is getting more acute questions about both the candidates and the process than he's used to.
"It's given them a close look at the primary process," he said. "We've been talking about delegates and super delegates, and how states differ in how they handle primaries."
Both the interest level and the attention from candidates have been spurred by Pennsylvania's key role in deciding between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Both educators said they've been impressed with the feedback they're getting from students.
"It interests me as a principal how many students have an intense interest," Mr. Allison said. He was especially taken by the comments he heard from supporters of Mr. Obama and Republican candidate John McCain in response to Mrs. Clinton's visit, they way they dug into legitimate issues.
"I have kids asking me about issues all the time," Mr. Hineman said. "It's been nice to have it be such an important primary; it's given us a chance to really get into the candidates themselves."
Both men said they can see this election having a significant impact on this generation of students who have grown up with the Iraq War; a generation that has only ever known presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Mr. Allison said he's come to realize that the Iraq War for today's students has a mental place that is not so very different from the place the Vietnam War held for the students of 40 years ago.
They can see its impact on an economy they will soon be entering, and many of them know people who are serving there. It may not spur the negative emotions that Vietnam did, but it has students asking very real questions about significant issues.
"Vietnam was at the heart of everything going on in our nation at the time," Mr. Allison said -- and it's not so different for today's teens.
Couple that with the fact that Pennsylvania has a key role in the primary for the first time in decades, and there is sudden feeling of empowerment among young people.
"They have an opportunity to vote in an election where their vote actually makes a difference," Mr. Allison said -- an experience few in their parents' generation have ever had.
"They want more than just the sound bites, and that's good," Mr. Hineman said. They are also media-savvy, aware of how the candidates try to use media to their advantage. They are also used to sifting through information online, and are learning to differentiate real information from rumor.
He believes the result will be a more critical generation, less willing to take candidates at face value, more willing to seek information.
Mr. Allison said he also saw one other huge, though only partly related, teaching moment in Mrs. Clinton's visit.
"How about modeling the things we want to teach students about public speaking?" he said, noting that Mrs. Clinton's ease and command were unmistakable.
"I was inspired, because I have to speak publicly at times," he said. "For such a small female she carries herself with such confidence, has such a presence."
First Published April 17, 2008 12:00 am
