In the Sept. 14 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, several members of the senior class cast their first-ever ballots, making their first contribution to a democratic system beyond the borders of our Studio City campus. Our senior class’s involvement in school and statewide elections is part of a greater six-year trend of increased youth voter turnout in the state.

In the 2018 general election, 27.5% of Californians aged 18-24 voted, compared to only 8% in the 2014 general elections, according to the office of California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

Moreover, University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy reported that 47.4% of Californians in the same 18-24 age range turned out to vote in the 2020 general election. This uptick in civic engagement among youth voters is encouraging and begs the question: What type of voter is a Harvard-Westlake student?

With only 10 months until current seniors depart for college, we are confident they will bring the values attained in annual Prefect Council elections and election-related class discussions to different states across the country. These in-school experiences shape students’ habits and principles. They spur student action in our community and ensure that we will be a part of change on a national level.

As students embark on their post-high school journeys, we are confident they will continue to reflect the prevailing values they have learned and practiced as members of our school community. Most, if not all, of the students in the current senior class will be eligible to cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm congressional elections.

Attending various colleges across the nation, these students will cast votes from a wide array of states and play a significant role in the future of our federal government. In 2024, they will have the opportunity to vote in a presidential election for the first time.

Our mission statement says that the school “strives to be a diverse and inclusive community” and is “united by living with integrity and purpose beyond ourselves.” Looking back on last year’s Prefect Council election results, we can deduce that students vote with the school’s fundamental values in mind. This election marked the first time in school history that two women, both of whom self-identify as women of color, were elected as Head Prefects.

Each vote marked a commitment to our civic duty and contributed to change in our community. We participated in a free and fair election, voted with integrity and made school history. We can and will advance this positive change on a larger scale.

At The Chronicle, we strive to reflect this rectitude, commitment to inclusion and informed decision making. We report on a broad range of issues that affect all members of our community: We are committed to covering any elections, whether it be for Prefect Council or the highest office in the land, independently and impartially.

We are inspired by the prospect of the school community using the information we publish to make more informed civic decisions. We acknowledge the importance of this role and will prioritize transparency to ensure students are able to exercise their rights in a thorough and mature way.

Our generation has the potential to continue making history as we embark on our college journeys, and it is likely that several members of our school community will contribute to these historic decisions and moments.

As a school, we are inclusive, we value diversity and we act with integrity, serving a purpose beyond ourselves by fulfilling our responsibilities as Americans and Wolverines to participate in democratically held elections.

Courageous decision-making and historic reform is the Wolverine way. These interminable values shape our character as a community, and they stay with students throughout their lives. When it is time to check their ballot boxes, Wolverines will make choices that reflect them.