After months of heated debates and campaigns, the elections are finally coming to an end. In the past few months, students have been actively engaged whether it is through watching debates, discussions in history classes, or outside activities. 

Dublin High students have been actively keeping up with the presidential elections. While history teachers offered extra credit to students who watched the presidential debates, many have also taken the initiative in being politically engaged. Many students recognize the importance of the presidential election and have urged others to vote through their own social media platforms and online resources. 

Locally, candidates running on the city and county level have offered students internships. These internships allow students to have first hand experience of the electoral processes, campaign events, and community issues. 

“I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and become more involved in the local government,” Katherine Lim explained. Katherine has been interning under David Haubert, who is running for Alameda County supervisor.  “The overall experience was new and interesting to me. I mostly contributed to the campaign by calling voters and asking them for their support in the election. Through this I practiced my interpersonal communication skills and I also learned about the different attitudes people hold toward political callers; some were extremely appreciative while others made sure I knew they were annoyed.” 

Many clubs at Dublin High School have also participated in the election. The DHS Democrats held a voter registration drive earlier in October and the Dublin Political Coalition released information on voting pre registration. The Green Earth club discussed the environmental facts from presidential debates and interviewed a candidate running for Dublin City Council. 

“When the election campaigns for Dublin City Council started, Dawn Plants caught my eye because I saw that she was endorsed by Sierra Club, a reputable nature conservation organization. I brought this up to my friends at Green Earth, Helena and Polly, and we all decided to interview Dawn about her campaign” Trisha Moorkoth, a member of the DHS Green Earth club, explained. 

The team researched Plant’s campaign as well as environmental policies in order to cover as much as possible in their 30 minute interview. “Our experience with interviewing Dawn Plants was educational and we learned the importance of taking part in local political events such as elections because the people we elect now are the ones who will shape the space we inherit when we grow up.” 

Although many Dublin High students may not be able to vote yet, they are actively participating to spread awareness and promote civic engagement. Make sure to check out the election results and continue to stay politically engaged.