Getting 100% of the eligible members of its senior class registered to vote is becoming a habit for Friendship Christian School in Lebanon as it received the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award for the third year in a row.
“It has gotten easier and easier to get the kids interested because it’s becoming one more of those activities that you do as a senior,†Friendship Christian Government Teacher Chris Link said. “When I call them together to register, I say, ‘Well, you can’t be outdone by last year’s class. We’ve got to get 100% in here.’ They’re glad to do it.â€
Seniors Jon Richerson and Brayden Ham both voted in the March 5 presidential primary election and shared their experiences voting for the first time with their classmates.
“It’s pretty cool because you see the names in the news on the (ballot) in front of you,†Richerson said. “At the end you get a picture as a first-time voter. When I told them I was a first-time voter, they made a big deal about it. It was a really cool experience.â€
District 46 State Representative Clark Boyd congratulated the seniors on their accomplishment.
“I’m so proud of y’all for registering,†Boyd said. “That’s just part of being a good citizen. Involving yourself in the political process is paramount and I’m proud of you guys for getting out there.â€
The presidential primary election had an 18% voter turnout rate in Wilson County.
“That means that the other 82% of people are just relying on that 18% to make the decisions for them,†Boyd said. “I don’t know about y’all, but I like to be control of my life and I like to be in control of my future. One way to do that is to get out there and vote.â€
Link said that when the Wilson County Administrator of Elections came to present to the seniors, the students immediately began to ask questions.
“That as much as anything encourages us,†Link said. “We may not have all the answers, but if we can get them interested and asking questions, then that really clicks for them.â€
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett told the Friendship Christian Class of 2024 a story about trying to get students at Middle Tennessee State University to vote. One student — who Hargett says wasn’t registered to vote — told the secretary of state that he “doesn’t do politics.â€
“I looked at him and I said, ‘You can say that you don’t do politics, but politics will be done to you,’ †Hargett said.
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