Before the election, seniors were encouraged to look at the candidates, take a 2020 political party quiz, and write a reflection on their results.

“We talked about the importance of knowing where you stand on issues, and being an informed voter and voting for candidates who will represent those viewpoints in office,” economics teacher Jessica Montgomery said.

Many of the students were surprised by the results they received from the quiz. Most of this surprise came from results that weren’t necessarily Democrat or Republican.

“I was surprised because I grew up thinking that I was one party, but once I took the ‘istandwith’ quiz in class, it told me that I fit into a party that I did not know very much about,” senior Courtlyn Brown said.

Some students weren’t surprised by their results, even if the party they had identified wasn’t the first option.

“I was actually not surprised by my results,” senior Cerenity Exline said. “What I thought would be my topic result was actually listed as third, but the two above fell into the same category, so basically my top three were all the same and very high percentages.”

This quiz asks hard questions to get the taker the closest result to their beliefs as possible. This is one reason that many of the seniors believed the test was a great idea.

“I thought that it was a really good idea,” senior Breanna Flournoy said. “Most of the time kids just say that they are the same political party as their parents because they don’t do their own research to find out what they actually are.”

The results of this quiz are meant to be extremely detailed and accurate. Most seniors would agree with this sentiment.

“I do agree with the party it gave me,” Exline said. “I have some very strong stances based off of my biblical beliefs which led me to answering the questions the way that I did.”

This activity was meant to be educational. It was meant to teach seniors about politics, and how there are more to the world than one side against the other. It was meant to show that there is middle ground and most people fall there.

“I learned that we really don’t know as much as we think we do about politics,” senior Elizabeth Kimberlin said.

It is also important for teenagers to do their own research into the candidates that they are voting for. This quiz activity emphasized the importance.

“I mostly just look at all of their policies and what they have done in the past,” Flournoy said. “From there, I decided which I believe would be the best candidate.”

Sometimes this research can affect their opinions on how the world of politics really is.

“Research made me realize that I did agree with many different parties with some topics, which was surprising to me,” Brown said.

Young people can make a big difference in elections; however, they are the group that shows up the least. This is why it is important for them to stay informed, and they should be encouraged to make a difference and vote.

“One day, they are going to start voting, and they need to know what’s going on within the country,” Kimberlin said. “I wish I knew a lot more before the election came around because it really made it tougher because I had to learn about it quickly and form an opinion.”

This election might be one of the most influential for young people. This could shape the future of the country they have grown up in, and it can permanently shape their opinions. This election has caused a lot of revelations in the minds of younger people.

“I learned that you need to do the research on your own, educate yourself on your leaders, and don’t expect the news or media to do it for you,” Flournoy said, “Go and look on their pages at their policies, and whichever you agree with, you should vote for. No matter what others think, you need to follow your own morals and not others.”

Some seniors have realized how important it can be to keep your beliefs to yourself.

“This election was so suspenseful and full of drama,” Kimberlin said. “I didn’t share or argue my views with others or tell them who I voted for to keep away from all the drama. I plan to do that in the next election as well.”