By Leah Johnston

“While the absence of other politically marginalized groups has been investigated for decades, the standing of youth among decision-makers is a nascent research topic.” –Aksel Sundström, Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

On Thursday, March 6, students from grades 9-12 gathered in AC 108 in the Saunders Family Library during Community Lunch. Students who arrived early enough claimed seats, while others who strolled in halfway through the lunch period stood at the back of the room or sat on the floor. Every time the door opened, as more students joined the conversation, noise from the library flooded the classroom. At the front of the room sat debaters Justinas Petkauskas (‘26), Jake Apelt (‘27), David Dabney (‘26), and Avi Soin (‘27), all of whom were unfazed by the constant movement among spectators. 

Two days earlier, President Donald J. Trump had addressed a joint session of Congress with remarks on his first six weeks in office. Nielsen TV Ratings estimated about 36.6 million people watched the address. According to Nielsen, 70.7% of viewers were aged 55 and older, while only 5.7% of viewers were between 18 and 34 years old. No data was provided for viewers under 18. Especially hot topics of the address were the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), foreign policy, and immigration. 

An online announcement for the forum posted on March 5. Image credit: Justinas Petkauskas.

A day following Trump’s address, Petkauskas announced the pop-up debate, titled “The First Six Weeks: a Public Forum,” at 8:24 p.m. via his Instagram. The discussion would feature Dabney and Soin in support of Trump’s policies, contrasting Petkauskas and Apelt in opposition. The forum was originally set to take place on the patio north of the Academic Commons and Octagon but was moved inside due to weather.

Curious on how four students would approach discussing controversial topics at school without a faculty member present, I quickly finished my lunch in order to watch the debate myself. By the time I arrived, a conversation on the United States’ involvement with Ukraine was in full swing. I walked into the classroom with my own opinions but still found that each position made successful points based on concrete facts. Even more impressive, the debaters treated each other with respect, and the conversation felt both civil and productive.

It turns out that this conversation was not the first semi-underground debate to take place at Collegiate this school year. On November 5, 2024, election day, Evan Mangin (‘26), Dabney, Petkauskas, and Apelt had an informal debate on which candidate, Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, was better suited for the presidency. In an interview with The Match, Apelt and Dabney explained the differences between that first debate and their more recent meeting. Dabney said that this time, “Our crowd was a little less raucous, and I’d say just in general that it ended a little better: we had more fun and got more done.” 

To stay informed prior to the debate, Apelt read from AP News and The New York Times. Dabney sourced information from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Fox News television channel. 

According to a 2023 study from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, young people “continue to say they don’t feel well-informed or qualified enough to participate in political life.” Changing this narrative is Dabney and Apelt’s rationale for why they hosted a completely student-run forum. To Dabney, the event was important in “getting us as a school more used to having civil dialogue” and “making it okay to talk about politics and see different opinions.” Like Dabney, Petkauskas felt strongly about hosting opportunities for young people to “allow our generation to engage with the issues we care about and forge a new political identity.”

I estimated about 30 students, including moderator James Bonbright (‘26), were sitting and listening to the conversation. No teachers, staff, or administrators were present. After Petkauskas, Apelt, Dabney, and Soin finished responding to Bonbright’s prepared questions, the panel opened the floor to audience members.

Unlike in Virginia public schools, at Collegiate there is no graduation requirement in the area of civics. The Upper School classes that could most likely be described as civics classes, in that they detail the functions and processes of governing in the US, are AP United States Government and Politics and Honors History: Civics and the Responsible Citizen. 

In a survey sent to the Collegiate Upper School student body, with 95 responses, only 56.8% of students who responded will graduate having taken one of these classes. The survey also found that out of Collegiate students aged 18+ who responded, only 53.3% are registered to vote. 

Elijah Lee speaking at TEDxYouth@RVA in November. Photo credit: @elijah_4justice_lee via Instagram.

In correspondence with The Match, youth activist and Virginia Voters of Tomorrow (VOT) Co-President Elijah Lee explained that VOT is “striving to make a Virginia where all young people are able to write their own legislation, influence the policies and priorities of campaigns, and hold a seat at the table.” Lee, a member of the class of 2027 at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, was a presenter at Collegiate’s annual TedXYouth@RVA speaker event in 2024. At TEDx, Lee spoke of his beliefs that “young people have the full power and capability to lead America into a new era governed by empathy and passion.”

Lee recently protested at Richmond’s “Hands Off” rally in Monroe Park on April 5, part of a nationwide day of protest against the Trump administration. Lee said he will “always fight to make sure the voices of younger generations are heard and respected.” At Collegiate, the entirely student-run forum seemed like a step in the direction of further youth and student involvement in politics.

The informal, yet organized debate set-up will return to the Academic Commons later this semester. While no specific date has been set, Apelt suggested that students interested can expect to hear about another debate “after all our AP exams are over.” Beyond that, Dabney said, “Justinas and I had talked about making it a quarterly thing.” Despite no definite plans, it remains likely the forum will return due to popular demand.

Featured image courtesy of @cnn via Instagram.