Here at school, as well as across the nation, the modern-day political scene has been cause for much debate and action. The Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans clubs have arisen as prominent places for politically active students to share their views with like-minded individuals and to act upon them collectively.

As described by the president of the Young Democrats, senior Chris Wells, and a senior leader of the Teenage Republicans, Will English, the two clubs serve as places for students of similar political values to engage with one another and the Arlington community through political activism.

“[Young Democrats] is a political club based in grassroots organization and volunteer work. We go into the Arlington community and help campaign for Democratic candidates. We also have political discussions and speakers at club meetings to learn more about the realm of politics,” Wells said.     

“It is essentially getting people who have a conservative viewpoint to join in and participate in some of the issues. We try to do stuff in the community as well to support Republicans up for election and work with the GOP [Grand Old Party] of Arlington for volunteer opportunities,” English said.

On the topic of goals for the upcoming school year, both clubs are focused on furthering sparking interest and gaining members as well as supporting the candidates of their respective parties in the upcoming election to decide the Governor of Virginia.

“Our main focus right now is canvassing for Ralph Northam as the election is less than a month away. We are working with the Northam campaign in Arlington to get our members out and helping the cause. We had a lot of participation in Hillary Clinton’s campaign last year and we are hoping to generate a similar type of enthusiasm for this election,” Wells said.

“We have been knocking on doors and working with the GOP of Arlington ahead of the election. It is important that we go out and work in Arlington because it is important that the small population of Northern Virginia conservatives turn out to support Ed Gillespie in this tight race,” English said.

Juniors Caroline Platt and Beyla Richman originally joined Young Democrats in the midst of the 2016 presidential race because they wanted the opportunity to become more politically active and work with students who share their views.

“I joined Young Democrats at the beginning of last year because of the polarizing election and it was a very interesting time in politics.… The election sparked my interest in politics and it was a good opportunity to join,” Platt said.

“[I joined] to get involved in school and to meet new people that have the same views as [me],” Richman said.

The pair also shared views on the importance of the club and political activity as a whole. A goal of educating and involving students at a younger age was a shared sentiment as well.

“A lot of people are uneducated on the topics and issues at hand, and I think more people need to be educated in order to understand the full spectrum of all the issues,” Platt said.

“[In the club] you learn about other groups of people who are not similar to you, and you learn about how you can help them and why you would want to help them. It puts you in a spot where you are part of something bigger than just you,” Richman said.

Sophomore Jonathan Short, a member of the Teenage Republicans, shared the view of the Democrats regarding the necessity of political activism amongst American citizens, as he feels that it is a First Amendment right.

“I feel that political activism is important because I believe that this country was founded on the proposition that people participating in government is a right that we have, and it helps make our country unique,” Short said.

Short, a passionate conservative, cited his reason for originally joining the Teenage Republicans as seeking peers who shared his viewpoints in a very blue area like Arlington.

“I joined because I am in the minority as a Republican at Yorktown and in Arlington, and I thought it may be interesting to see what other kids would be in that same minority,” Short said.

As shown in the past presidential election, politics can separate and divide those of opposing ideologies, which can create an environment in which it feels like sides must be chosen and common ground cannot be reached. However, at the end of the day, people on both ends of the political spectrum seem to agree that the overall welfare and prosperity of their shared nation–the United States of America–should be preserved.

Club meetings for the Young Democrats are held every other Thursday after school in Patriot Hall. Club meetings for the Teenage Republicans are held on Thursdays during Patriot Period in Patriot Hall.