Over the past three months, Proctor's Social Science office has leveraged social media to engage the student and faculty populations in an ongoing discussion regarding the Election of 2012. While politics can often be one of the most polarizing issues within a community, the intention of the social media campaign was to teach about bias in the media's coverage of the presidential election, while also sparking discussion around some of the key issues that will determine tomorrow's election.



Through the @PASocialScience twitter handle and the Proctor Social Science Election 2012 Facebook page, more than 300 students, parents, and teachers were engaged in a consistent feed of articles, videos, and posts from a variety of perspectives. While not everyone agreed on the position of each post that was made, the opportunity for conversation around the articles was tremendous. US History teachers, like Ted Mastin, brought many of those conversations into the classroom while studying the Constitution and details regarding how government officials are elected.



On Friday, Social Science Department Chair, Phil Goodnow, provided the entire community with an overview of the Electoral College system and urged everyone who is able, to vote - either in person, or through the electronic mock-election set up on campus. For many students, this will be the first presidential election that is front and center in their lives. Understanding how a president is elected and the processes that come into play should there be a tie in the Electoral College provide social literacy to our students.



Tomorrow, approximately two dozen Proctor students who have already turned 18 will walk with advisors to the Andover Elementary School to complete their civic responsibility of voting. The remaining 300 or so students on campus will have the opportunity to take part in a mock election at voting stations around campus throughout the day. As students (and faculty) cast their ballots, it is our hope that their perspectives have been crafted by intentional, educated analysis of the issues at hand.



Perhaps more importantly, however, it is an appreciation for, and understanding of, social and civic engagement that we hope students take with them. Beginning in ninth grade World History with a culminating social justice project (like the students in the photo above) all the way through upper class electives in Social Activism (like the photo below), off-campus programs like Mountain Classroom, and on campus student-led clubs like Proctor Environmental Action and Triple I, students are encouraged to take notice of the world around them and to act on what they see.



Regardless of who is elected as the 44th President of the United States, this generation of students will play an incredibly important role in shaping America in coming years. Therefore, the responsibility of ensuring that our students graduate not only with the ability to cut through bias to the heart of an issue, but also with the confidence to wrestle with difficult issues, like politics, is taken seriously. Learning how to act is one of the greatest skills we can teach our students and we hope this election season has done just that!