By Paige Cooper ’16, Staff Writer

A couple weeks ago, Morning Meeting ran in the hands of Newark Academy’s Young Republicans’ Club, a group that sometimes feels voiceless in a community of mostly liberals. The presentation included a video on the opinions of many club members, including thoughts on President Obama, healthcare, and foreign policy. Other members were filmed stating why they are Republicans. These students included: Jared Caputo, Zach Persing, Perrin Clark, Andrew Adler, Patrick and Shannon Peters, Will Schwartz, Ben Barba, and Mike Gibbons. In a community composed mainly of liberals, the conservative student body expressed their beliefs, receiving a mixed reaction that they had anticipated, while still being respected by students of opposing political opinions.

The video presented an explanation of right-wing views, and most notably, thoughts on the Obama Administration. Specifically, Zach Persing ’15 stated, “I believe in a small federal government, individual responsibility, keeping the fruits of your labor, and I believe that we need to protect the Constitution because if we don’t, then it wont be there to protect us.” Other students gave their opinions on the Second Amendment and gun control.

Some students misperceived the video as an attack on liberal views, however, it was merely a chance for a minority perspective in our school to speak their minds. When asked about the purpose of the presentation, incoming club president Zach Persing ’15 explained, “The purpose of the presentation was not to preach our ideas, we merely wanted to make our voices heard.”

Persing also commented on the audience reaction: “The response was essentially what we expected. We knew some people would commend us for being honest about our beliefs in a school where those beliefs are in the minority. We also knew that a lot of people would resent our presentation. We were OK with that because we felt getting our voices heard outweighed potential backlash.” Some students, also Republicans, agreed with the beliefs in the video; however, many felt that the ideas could have been presented more objectively. Others criticized the video for a lack of basis in fact.

The Young Republicans presentation was not an attempt to persuade any members of the Newark Academy community to reconsider their political alignment. The students recognized that a presentation would not dramatically change anyone’s principles or cause a revolutionary reaction. Rather, the presentation was created as a medium through which a minority standpoint could be expressed. The video represents a bold willingness to share opinions, regardless of political ideology, that characterizes the Newark Academy student body. Although not directly connected to the presentation, a slew of quarrels on Facebook occurring around the same time, which ultimately included discussion of equal rights, rape, and gun control, indicates the same sense of outspokenness and confidence in our freedom of expression.

The Facebook arguments and school discussions expose not only political controversy and a wide diversity of beliefs at the Academy but also the means of communication accessible to all students regardless of political affiliation. The Young Republicans club’s expression of its views shows that students feel comfortable sharing strong opinions at Newark Academy. The critical yet respectful reception of the video exemplifies tolerance even among those who disagree in our school community.