4 minute read
Civilizing Civics
How Mayfield students are becoming informed participants in our democracy
In the 2020 presidential election season, in which the public debate was unusually contentious, Mayfield students found ways to sort through the noise. This doesn’t mean they are disengaged in the issues of the day—far from it! This generation of students is proving to be more civic-minded than any class in recent memory. And, grounded in Holy Child goals, these young women have been developing tools for better discernment and their own empowerment.
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Dean of Faculty Tina Zapata has been teaching U.S. Government classes to high school students since 2006, and though she changes up the material every year, the early days of the course are always the same. “I ask the students to write me a letter of introduction at the beginning of the year,” she says. “Some of them respond that the government seems intimidating for them” or that politics “is out of their reach.”
Ms. Zapata encourages a curious, nimble mindset. “I explain to the students the importance of civil political discourse and the importance of both contributing to the discussion and listening.” She emphasizes listening because very often the best lessons are learned from people who disagree with you. Ms. Zapata lays out her motivation in her approach clearly: “I want them to learn that their voices matter and the significance of their political participation in the system, especially as young women.” Sophia Labrador ’21 explains that one of the main reasons she enrolled in U.S. Government was to find her power as an active citizen, saying, ”Because 2020 is a presidential election year, I wanted to take this class because I knew that there would be a lot of conversation about candidates and elections, and I wanted to better understand the discussions around me.”
In a recent U.S. Government class, Ms. Zapata randomly assigned her students to camps, either for or against the use of the electoral college in the presidential election. Students moved into online breakout rooms to hone their points for an in-class debate. When the class reconvened, these seniors were ready to argue their opposing cases, with Ms. Zapata acting as an impartial moderator. They asked nuanced questions, aired thoughtful opinions, and made concluding arguments. Then Ms. Zapata opened the floor for discussion. Free of their assigned debate teams, students finally had an opportunity to express their honest personal assessments and concerns.
Ellery Hotchkis ’21 spoke up, suggesting “this was a difficult conversation to have” because there was plenty of evidence to “argue for either side and find its flaws.” And Adrianna Greenup ’21, who only moments earlier had made a persuasive closing argument for the electoral college, expressed some of her own personal wariness of the institution. However, she had no complaints about the forum itself. “The thing about this class, it makes it easy to bridge the divide,” says Adrianna, adding, “Ms. Zapata allows for a safe and comfortable space for everyone to express their views.” U.S. Government classes are not the only places girls are engaging in the political process. There is also the Vocal Voters Club at Mayfield. Though most high school students aren’t eligible to vote, this club works with The Civics Center, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, helping pre-register teens so they are ready to vote on their 18th birthdays. Co-heads Sofia Olona ’23 and Lucia Avila ’22 are quick to point out, “We consider ourselves non-partisan,” adding that “many issues our world is facing today are not a matter of Democrat versus Republican.” Sofia and Lucia sincerely hope that their club gives Mayfield students “an opportunity to voice their opinions,” because “our world is too complicated to make these issues black and white.”
— ADRIANNA GREENUP ’21
Erica Vasquez ’21, a student in Ms. Zapata’s U.S. Government class, makes it clear that “Mayfield students— and more broadly my generation—have been very active with political issues.” And she has nothing but praise for Ms. Zapata for “keeping the class unbiased,” which allows students “to learn more about the thought process of both sides and more importantly...be able to form our own opinions.” As tensions abound in public arenas, Mayfield girls are uniquely equipped with Holy Child guiding principles and, with compassion and reverence at the forefront of any discussion, the emphasis is kept on what unifies us as a community of love and faith. Acknowledging the civic strength of listening, even to an unpopular idea, Ms. Zapata adds, ”Everyone comes from a different background... so they may see the situation differently.” And she offers the timeless advice that it is okay to “agree to disagree.”
In so many ways, Mayfield students are already displaying a strength lacking in more adult forums—taking at least one step forward toward civilizing civics.
