University School’s mission statement begins with the sentence, “University School inspires boys of promise to become young men of character who lead and serve”. In pursuing this goal, one important blindspot has emerged: political life. The administration has toed the line of staying fairly apolitical with skill. The only time I can personally remember political issues being directly raised to the student body as a collective was when, during his time with us, Mr. Murray made an impromptu announcement to the school during assembly about the dangers of voter ID requirements in the wake of a particularly strict law passed in Texas. However, a legitimate desire not to alienate students by avoiding endorsing any particular political belief has wrongly evolved into an unwritten rule of avoiding political discussion altogether. The coming election has hardly even been acknowledged to the students by the administration.

For a school that intends to create men who lead and serve, embracing political discussion is essential. Spirited debate about government cannot be avoided for the sake of communal harmony. An active discussion about pressing issues of leadership and service are the only way that our students can actually come to understand these issues as they relate to their own lives. Indeed, leaving political conversation out of community-wide forums does not prevent it, it only makes it less meaningful. If teachers are the sole sources of political conversation, each student is left with a totally different foundation for discussion, preventing cohesive conversation, and instead forcing students to keep their conversation only inside a set environment. Worse, if students are left to navigate political discourse with each other only, their discussions are bound to be less educational, less structured, and more personally charged. Organizations like the Society of Skeptics, the Speech and Debate team, the Mock Trial team, or even multi-cultural affinity groups are terrific starting points. However, ultimately, only students who are already politically interested, and often politically educated, participate in these groups. Instead, organized opportunities for education on pressing political conversations and issues that the entire community participates in are essential to accomplishing the school’s mission. The administration is the only real vehicle for this, and rightly so. It is their mission to accomplish.

With the election season in full swing, there is no better time to start such an initiative to spark political discourse than now. Showing the upcoming presidential debates, airing January’s presidential inauguration during the school day, giving daily updates on both the presidential and senatorial races at assembly, and having diversity day assemblies that address ideological diversity, and thus invite discussion of these things, are all possible forums. For a cause so clearly aligned with the school’s mission, it is incumbent on the administration to propose and offer even more.

Leadership and service are difficult to instill at a school that seems reluctant to talk about our leaders and public servants.