Trump beats Clinton 91 – 84 in mock presidential election
Donald J. Trump won Shalhevet’s lunchtime mock election today, winning 91 votes to 84 for Hillary Clinton and reversing the results of a September poll which showed Mrs. Clinton with a narrow lead.
Voter turnout was 71 percent, according to Dr. Keith Harris, who with Mr. William Reusch ran the event as part of their U.S. History and Government-Economics classes.
“I am a little surprised, but hey, the people have spoken!” Dr. Keith Harris, history teacher said.
The news was announced on the Boiling Point Instagram just before Mincha. Some students claimed to have voted for Mr. Trump as a “joke,” though none would say so on the record.
But freshman Joseph Klores, wearing a Trump T-shirt, said Mrs. Clinton would “bring this country downhill.”
“I feel that Trump is the only one that can help,” Joseph said.
He was surprised at the mock election’s result.
“The school is heavily liberal, and of course Hillary will be favored at Shalhevet,” Joseph said during breakfast.
Election Day spirit had been felt throughout school today as a political season that tested the unity of the United States and the bonds within families drew to a close.
Television screens set up in the foyer greeted students with live feeds of CBS and CNN News news and analysis. Continuing up the stairs, the halls were filled with chatter about candidates and the occasional “TRUMP” or even “Kanye for President” T-shirts.
“It’s really fun and really interesting, especially because I can’t vote, and it makes me really excited because I feel like I’m a part of it all,” said junior Jonah Sanders.
The mild buzz and excitement of the morning hours set the stage for the mock vote, which took place with paper ballots in second- and third-floor hallways from noon to 1 p.m.
Ballots were counted in Mr. Weslow’s office beginning at 1:05. Four were deemed invalid because the student either voted for both candidates or wrote in names that weren’t actually options on the ballot such as “Mickey Mouse” and “Mark McMillan”.
The project was a collaboration between Mr. William Reusch’s 11th and 12th grade Economics and Government class and Dr. Harris’ 10th grade U.S. History class.
Students with last names beginning with A-J lined up on the second floor, and students with last names beginning with K-Z lined up on the third floor to cast their votes. Sophomores Jordana Glouberman and Abbi Sentchuk moderated the third-floor voting, while sophomores Asher Dauer and Bailey Mendelson moderated the second floor.
“We live in a democracy — this is practice for the real thing,” Dr. Harris said. “When you go out into the real world, you’ll know what you’re doing.”
Most students viewed the mock-election process as a chance for the student body to reflect on how it compares to the rest of the country.
“A flaw in our education is that we don’t give students the capacity to understand political issues,” said senior Maya Golan. Voting, she said, “gives people a sense of pride and also a sense of responsibility.”
And sophomore Asher Dauer was glad to have the opportunity to do more than just watch and learn.
“It’s good to flex our political knowledge as young people and prepare us for actual voting,” Asher said.
Lucy Fried was co-editor-in-chief during the 2018-19 school year and went on to study at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. She is now a junior at UC Berkeley.
