By Andrew Huang ’15, Staff Writer

When one thinks of high school students being politically involved, rarely would holding actual public office come to mind. However, Millburn High School senior Chase Harrison has become youngest elected official in New Jersey. Harrison, 18, was elected to serve on the Millburn Board of Education. His election is monumental, as Thomas Pan ’14 puts it,  “A student actually winning a seat on the Board of Education is not only revolutionary in that students should be the ones deciding their own policies, but also for those traditionally not in power to be given a leadership position.”

From sophisticated questions for global speakers to the prevalence of heated political debate in classrooms, hallways, and dining tables, it is obvious that politics play a large role in Newark Academy life. Yet, no Newark Academy student has taken political involvement to Harrison’s level. And who can blame them? It would certainly be tough for a young 18-year-old student to take on the responsibilities of being a public official. Mr. Bitler, Physics teacher and father, explains, “If you’re a young person who wants to run for office you have a tough case to make… do [you] have enough life experience and know-how to run a school board? A lot of people would answer no.” In a country where most people become officials by appealing to adults, young students face a disadvantage.

Even students who would be interested in running for office may feel that it is not an 18-year-old’s position to do so. Young Republican Zach Persing ’15 believes that 18 may be a little too young. He said, “I wouldn’t be averse to perhaps seeking election after college when I’m 22. I think I have a lot to learn”. Some young students stick to more traditional views, and simply think it is not their place to run for office at such a young age.

So, what role should a politically conscientious student fill? Perrin Clark ’15 reveals one possibility, as he volunteered for Chris Christie’s gubernatorial campaign this past fall. When asked about his time on the campaign, he elaborated, “The campaign involved a lot of repetitive work. For example, I knocked on a lot of doors and answered a lot of phone calls. It was easy work, but nonetheless influential. In my opinion this work is the most important in a political campaign, because it is essentially mobilizing the turnout for an election.” He adds that students interesting in running for office “have to start somewhere, and [volunteering] is a stepping stone.” Volunteering for a campaign teaches valuable lessons about local political issues and networking, and is a more traditional form of political action for high school students.

Nothing is stopping an 18-year-old, however, from taking on a more active political role if they see themselves fit. Chase Harrison, when interviewed, had this to say about his historic run for office: “As someone who wants a career in politics, I recognized that, win or lose, this would be an incredible and unprecedented opportunity.” When asked why he ran, he replied that he saw the problems with stress that students at his school face, explaining, “I felt Millburn needed an advocate on behalf of students, who could dedicate himself to coming up with concrete solutions.” Chase sees real problems and hopes to fix them. His election is a fine example of the democratic process — even if he is younger than most.