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Election 2008
Seton students see lessons come to life in election night coverage
By Joyce Coronel, news@catholicsun.org
November 5, 2008
CHANDLER — The books were closed and classrooms fell silent as Seton Catholic High School students gathered in the campus library to watch the election returns Nov. 4. The lessons of U.S. government and history, however, were far from over.
Michael Vetti, who teaches American government and history as well as a course in philosophy at the school, had organized Seton's first ever election night watch party for students and faculty. The results are in: students said hours of studying paid off as they watched the dry facts of the classroom come to life while the election unfolded.
Tasty incentives made the evening even more appealing for students. The Spicy Pickle provided dinner and those who attended were given extra credit points by their teachers.
Red, white and blue balloons and ribbons lent a festive air to the school library where students, mostly seniors, sat in folding chairs watching television coverage of the election on a large screen at the front of the room. Some had electoral maps they were filling out as various states were called for either candidate, and it was clear that many of the students had strong opinions.
Senior Sean Lawlor, student body president, sported a McCain-Palin T-shirt. He said his fellow students debated presidential politics in the classroom, but that in his estimation, the crowd was "overwhelmingly McCain."
Katie Baglini, a fellow senior, had a different view. "I like Obama because I'm a Democrat. It seems like his social policies agree more with my Catholic faith," she said.
While students may have disagreed on which candidate would make a better president, they all seemed to enjoy learning about the issues and the way in which the U.S. elects its commander in chief.
"It's fun," said Baglini. "It's cool to see everybody get involved in politics. I think it's important."
Sergio Moncada, a student who describes himself as "very conservative" and passionate about politics, said he took part in the Kids Voting on campus earlier in the day. "I really have no preference for either McCain or Obama—I really don't agree with their views on most things," he said. Moncada said he chose a write-in candidate instead: himself.
The senior class athlete hopes for a career in law or politics and is in the process of applying to West Point, Vanderbilt and Dartmouth.
Morgan LaBine, who turned 18 at the end of October, was one of the few students able to vote in the actual election. She said she paid close attention to what the candidates said, did a lot of research and watched the presidential debates. For her, the economy was the number one issue in the race.
"I'm not really towards one party, I'm more interested in listening to what the candidate has to say," said LaBine.
Amanda Mulheron also recently turned 18 and describes herself as a traditional Catholic.
"I'm really conservative," Mulheron said. "I like McCain because I'm pro-life," she said, adding that her peers' feelings are more mixed. "I went through all the [ballot] propositions with my dad on Sunday and we talked about the Church's view."
Boos and cheers erupted from the crowded room as the results trickled in. Some students objected to the CNN coverage and began chanting "Fox!" Later on, other students called for turning back to CNN's coverage and both sides accused the other network of partisanship. Students kept a running tally of the electoral vote on a white board stationed near the front of the room.
As the evening wore on and results poured in, it became clear that Sen. Obama would be the victor. The social studies faculty members held a panel discussion to dissect the election process and outcome.
Vetti posed a question about voting and the extent to which identity politics played a part in the election.
Dennis Clinch, the department chair, said that "in a perfect world, I'd like to think you wouldn't do that. But if I were a 70-year-old black man, I'm not sure how I could pass up the opportunity to vote for Obama. It would be a proud day," he said.
Clinch, a self-described conservative Republican, also referred to Ed Hermes, a candidate for local office. Hermes, a Seton graduate whom Clinch described as very involved in the school and a good person, was a liberal Democrat, but because he was part of the Seton community, Clinch said he deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Tom Darby, who teaches American history, world history and sociology at Seton, said he tries to have spirited debates in class once a week about a variety of topics. He said that some students volunteer to take a side, but he sometimes just assigns them a position.
"I challenge them to think critically for themselves," he said, adding that he tells them everyone has a bias of some sort and the goal is to decide what they themselves think.
Steve Hart, a world history teacher, said a couple of his sophomore students were on hand for the evening.
"I'm just excited about the turnout," he said, adding that he thinks some voters may not be as well informed as the Seton students. "It's great to see they have that kind of enthusiasm."
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