Boarding Schools Politically

Prep School Admissions
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Second the student newspaper stuff.

The was one school we looked at that is touted here as super liberal, and which in theory would have been a great match.

One of the turn-offs for me were some opinion pieces (at least, I hope that they were opinion pieces) in the student newspaper that I found… cringy - not conservative American POV, but nevertheless cringy. My kid would find them annoying. (Granted, my kid finds me annoying.)

A school may have a casual dress code and still have some subset that thinks… inflexibly.

The question is, is the place somewhere where the student will be able to find their tribe (and the whole school doesn’t have to be their tribe), with few enough of the types that are sheer torture to be around.

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23

Just reporting what my not-conservative, not rich, normal kid who is a current student at Deerfield feels. But by all means, just call me names for my stupid comments.

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24

I had a nice comment made about NMH, which seems pretty liberal. A current parent told me her kid doesn’t feel any pressure to join in political rallies and events. If you want to great, but it’s ok to pass on them too.

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25

My three students all had fairly strong political opinions in high school. Gen Z can’t help but pay attention.

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26

I actually like to see the cringe stuff, it tells me the students can write what they want and it actually gets accepted and printed. Some high school and college newspapers are way too curated (or censored) which is just boring and does not bode well for diversity of speech on campus.

I assume OP is learning conservative and is worried about that, which IMO can be valid because there are certainly places where if your views are not progressive you are quickly labeled racist, sexist or Trump supporter, even if that is not the case at all. The ability to foster discussion among various opinion that does not lead to name calling and labeling is definitely not present at all schools, be it boarding schools, regular private or public high schools, or colleges. And there are absolutely students who avoid participation in any political discussion for fear of being labeled.

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27

What I found “cringy” was the dripping-with-condescension prose.

We’re not talking future Ben Shapiros - he was a quite entertaining read in UCLA’s Daily Bruin.

But I agree, the issue has long been that those of us who are even moderately moderate find ourselves self-censoring, lest there be negative consequences. Some of us would prefer to be viewed as vapid - “complex sentence structure, shallow content” than engage in constant conflict.

Back in the day, I knew kids (yes, plural) who were expelled from BS due to outbursts that I suspect were fueled by the stress of being overtly conservative on a liberal campus. I believe most campuses now have sports facilities that include punching bags, so there are alternatives…

Day students can go home every day to a (potentially) safe haven. BS students are in a fish bowl.

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I actually lean pretty Liberal, but I just don’t want an environment like my current school, where people are socially shunned for different views.

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29

It is no way that at schools like Andover or Exeter, you can tell people that you don’ t appreciate the pronoun thing and refuse to use it.

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30

(Sorry, meant to Reply to this Topic and not directly to Windyz).

I think there is actually a significant diversity of social and political thought among boarding school students. Some of it is nuanced, but it exists. Many schools recognize the importance of freedom of speech and open, respectful, debate.

From Hotchkiss’ website: Chicago Principles - The Hotchkiss School | An independent boarding school for grades 9 through 12.

Diversity of Thought

In a diverse community, differing points of view are welcome. Protecting the scope of open discourse and the courageous exploration of ideas has always been, and continues to be, an important part of the Hotchkiss culture.

In order to foster an environment in which varying ideas and points of view can be openly shared, we work to incorporate a set of tenets put forth by the University of Chicago called The Principles of Open Discourse (“Chicago Principles”). These principles advocate for free, robust, and uninhibited debate among members of learning communities. Administrations at 55 college-level institutions across the U.S. have endorsed the principles.

Importantly, the Chicago Principles were written for adult students at the university level, while Hotchkiss is a community of adolescents. Therefore, the Principles must be applied in a way that encourages open discourse while ensuring a civil and respectful atmosphere that protects the well-being of students.

In September of 2019, Head of School Craig Bradley led a delegation of students and faculty members to the University of Chicago’s “Conference on Freedom of Expression and Open Discourse in High School.” Hotchkiss was among 12 independent schools…to participate. A key element of the conference was investigating how the Chicago Principles can be safely and effectively used within a secondary school.

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31

Yes, intentionally disrespecting people because of their gender identity is not allowed. I’m not sure why you’re surprised.

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37

This was the original question. The OP did not ask about pronouns. If someone wants to start a pronoun thread, feel free. But individuals can correctly or incorrectly use pronouns regardless of their political PoV. So let’s not devolve this thread into a straw man argument.

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38

This is an interesting thread, so hope to stay on topic….

Boarding schools have an interesting dynamic, not only because you have a community of students from around the US and the world, but also because you are living with them 24/7.

I believe there are many opportunities to dive into political conversations and hear a variety of perspectives - including those from students on the other side of the globe. I do think that students also realize that they are living with a roommate or on a floor where comments could have wider implications compared to statements at a local high school. You can’t just go home and leave it behind for the day. Students realize this. You might, at 14 years old, have a roommate that is totally on the other end of blue-red color palate. At some schools, you have the chance to have formal sit downs and hear many political points of view. Because you are part of a community living with each other at boarding school, I do think there is more opportunity to discuss and debate outside of a formal classroom setting.

Cheers,
UAG
UAA
UGA
(If you get this, you are brilliant - not colleges :roll_eyes: )

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39

Just one other idea to check out that you may or may not find interesting. You can look for student political organizations at each boarding school. There used to be both Democrat and Republican student clubs - but have not heard of these since COVID happened at DA. Both gave out swag, but think the young Republicans had more expensive swag :rofl:

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40

I will avoid the absurdity of denigrating someone because of whatever pronouns they want to use for others to refer to them.

However, I do want to make this point about the “politics” of boarding schools or really anything. EVERYONE should be entitled to their POV, regardless of what that might be. It is precisely because of that diversity of opinion that a truly open education experience makes you grow.

However, the further point is that education, whether at boarding school or elsewhere, is just, that, meaning EDUCATION. None of us, myself included, are correct in everything we believe. I “lean quite liberal”, but I am absolutely willing to be persuaded to another POV if my factual basis is wrong.

Regardless of whether one is conservative, liberal, or apathetic, the fundamental point of education is to open our minds. I have learned so much, for example, about education merely by being here on CC. I am the first to admit that I know very little about US higher ed anymore, but I am willing to learn. If my factual basis is wrong, I would love for folks here to tell me that, as they often do.

Life is about learning, not about being “liberal” or “conservative”. Simply calling something “fake news” because one doesn’t agree with it is ludicrous; that is what I call a “thought stopper” that closes your mind to the objectively realizable facts. And there are indeed objectively realizable facts (although my IB-enrolled DD tells me her ToK class says otherwise! :rofl:)

At one stage in my life, from my early teens to my first year in college, I was a bit conservative. However, I was exposed to some extraordinary things, particularly in college, that revolutionized my view. I frankly saw things in person that undermined my previous belief system. I am so glad I did.

Indeed, as John Lennon sang, “Just Gimme’ Some Truth”…if you go into education with that spirit, you will be AMAZED at how much you will grow, regardless of political persuasion. That is all I want: the truth. And John’s song applies regardless of your political bent.

It’s a fair point to ask if you will be shut out because of your POV, whether in BS, college, or life. But always ask yourself if the factual underpinnings of your belief are valid.

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