By Jordan Zucker’16, Staff Writer

At Newark Academy, if you aren’t talking about what courses you’ll be taking in five years, it is more than likely that you will move on to the dreaded topic of politics.  The strong political views of our students and faculty range all the way from “Bleeding Heart” liberals to the most “Tea Party” conservatives; you may even find a Libertarian once in awhile.

What’s great about Newark Academy, a community of half a thousand students, is that everyone is safe and free to form and express their own opinions. When asked why political diversity was important to her, Mollie Wohlforth ’15 replied that, “the benefits are to have discussions that aren’t just people agreeing with each other. This also isn’t a totally real world situation, so we get to practice expressing ourselves while our opinions are still forming when we have something to say.” It is clear that students like Mollie  admire their ability to speak freely at Newark Academy, especially in an environment where opinions are still taking shape. When Ben Goodman ’16 was asked the same question, his response was similar to Mollie’s, claiming that “political diversity is great for Newark Academy, and any other environment. People who all agree can talk to each other for hours and learn nothing, so accordingly I enjoy talking with those who disagree.” Ben did not have concerns about political diversity at the school, but did want to invite more students to participate in political discussions when he said, “I do think there’s a lot more political diversity at Newark Academy than some give it credit, but I wish more kids our age would be politically literate.” Perhaps then, most students can realize that having some kind of competition of ideas is a good thing; it sparks and fuels discussion, allowing students to formulate and receive feedback on their own proposals.

Posting an article on Facebook will generally generate some kind of controversy, and through the recent “Food Stamps Discussion,” it has become clear that this community has a fire. With the recent re-start of the Young Democrats Club, there is now an opportunity for Young Republicans and Think Tank to meet and talk about domestic and global issues. These three clubs, in tandem, should lead to some lively discussions about more controversial issues in the United States, including abortion, gay marriage, and healthcare. Teachers also have some strong opinions, ranging from Ms. Gordon to Mr. Bitler, two teachers always willing to provide their own insight on how things should be run and done. Model Congress is an example of a club which can really make you feel like you’re part of the action by passing policies you believe will save the United States. Not limited to United States politics, Model United Nations allows students to be assigned a country and talk in front of other students about proposals to help the world. The larger the congregation, the better; more people means more ideas, and more ideas generally means a better solution.

As Newark Academy continues to grow as a community, students firmly believe that political diversity is a defining trait at the school. Steve Bonsall ’16 commented that it’s important “to know and understand different perspectives”. Will Hayward ’18 agreed, and added that it is important to bring a “variety of perspectives and arguments to formal in-class discussions, as well as informal chit-chat.” It is apparent that politics are deeply rooted in Newark Academy’s foundations; here’s to another year of political discourse to positively influence the community.