Yesterday, an election was held on Nov. 4 for US Senate, State Senate, State House and more. Seniors who are eligible to vote were able to participate in this election if they so chose. However a large portion of people don’t want to get involved. Some students find voting in elections like these to be an effective first step into involvement with politics.

“Start self-educating yourself on candidates and parties and certain big issues,” senior Sydney Vanourney said.

Classes like American Government are set up to introduce students to how government works and is an entry level course just to touch ground on the basics of politics.

Students who do well in these classes are also known to get involved in government in the future. The class itself can even offer ways for students to get involved in other clubs such as, Young Democrats, Young Republicans and Young Libertarians club.

“It’s real life, it’s what affects them everyday, just like the stuff going on in Ferguson,” American Government teacher William Crow said. “The biggest issue there is people aren’t getting involved and when other people start making decisions for them and they don’t like that, now they’re reacting with people protesting and getting upset.”

Some students around the school are taking steps to prevent this lack of involvement by taking part in FHN’s political organizations. The aforementioned clubs are raising awareness and getting involved in their own ways. Students can use these clubs as stepping stones to start on the path of government involvement.

“Last year we went to a benefit at Tucanos and I know a couple of students helped with elections and stuff,” senior Lauren Hogan, a member of the Young Democrats, said. “Like going to people’s doors and putting up signs.”

The clubs use simple events like this to inform and draw in students. The American Government class used to require students to actively participate in events around the community.

“We used to have an active participation part of our class where they had to go be a part of a city council meeting or see a school board meeting or see some type of government in action,” Crow said. “I wish we could go back to doing that again.”

Even though the active participation in class has been dropped in the classroom, it continues on in the respective clubs.

Students are still getting involved, but in smaller numbers. This is something that the clubs are looking to change. However the clubs are facing problems of their own. All three clubs are looking for new members to help get off their feet. Leaving an opportunity for students looking to get involved to lend a hand and join.

“Kids who are involved in the clubs are kids who are already interested in the politics and would take the interest that far anyway, and actually this year there hasn’t been much development of those new clubs,” Crow said. “The only new one has come out is libertarian that’s under the direction of Danny Dilber. The Republican and Democrat clubs I don’t think are doing that much, mainly because most of the kids who were involved last year are all graduated.”