Politics impacts everything, from grocery prices to fashion trends. When walking through the Schwartz Student Center, you can hear students debating over major issues from various perspectives. While eating lunch, you can observe students conversing about the morality of politicians. But, as soon as you step into a classroom, that frankness shuts down. Classes hold discussions around economics, healthcare, and immigration, but the discourse lacks detail: no mention of Democrats and Republicans or explicit names of politicians. Unstructured conversations show that students do care, so why don’t we talk about politics in class?

In a recent Measure survey of 80 students, over 80% of Upper School students reported that American politics affects their mental health. When asked how politics influence friendships, Isla Hamory ‘26 said politics is “blending with fundamental morals…and it is completely valid and possibly even essential to rethink what you want to surround yourself with.” Nonetheless, 72% of respondents stated that politics should not dictate friendships. To Sam Nunes ‘28, “political beliefs don’t determine whether or not someone is a good person.” This widely adopted mentality sheds light on how we, as a community, navigate the compromise between values and relationships. The quest to find this balance often manifests itself as emotional exhaustion. For many people, it is not the disagreement itself that causes anxiety but the tension of wondering how voicing one’s opinion might affect their reputation.

Division creates weakness; internal cracks within a group can be attributed to the collapse of nearly every civilization. As the chasm between political parties continues to widen, it’s impossible to not feel its effects. “It's hard to care [about politics] when people are just screaming at each other that the other is evil or immoral for their beliefs,” Equity & Inclusion Program Manager Yann Kumin said. Screaming is a major factor in political polarization, but so is the lack of communication entirely. If we cannot explain or defend our beliefs, do they still hold validity? History teacher Katharine Millet agreed that our current political climate has even impacted her methods of teaching, stating, “I feel that it has become increasingly more important to supply students with valid evidence for their chosen stance.”

Our classes are designed to prepare us for higher education and academic careers. These opportunities require critical thinking and deep analysis; to use them to the fullest, we must not shy away from using them as a place to talk about conflict-laden issues. There are undeniably long-term mental benefits to exploration, but also psychological costs. Debating controversial issues can intensify stress; disengaging can cause guilt or isolation. The cycle of pressure to care deeply about current events, as well as to preserve mental stability, defines our generation’s relationship with politics.

What makes a solid community? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “community” as “a unified body of individuals.” But “unification,” though ultimately essential for our well-being as a species, can become fraught with difficulty. John Malkani ‘28, a sophomore at St. George’s School, shared that “there are many varying viewpoints on the matter here [at St. George’s], and at times this can cause a divide.” “I’m engaged in our progressives club, and we’re working to close [that divide]. I think this is a major issue that we as a nation need to fix,” Malkani explained.

In order to promote passionate and unfiltered political discourse, we must not let opposing opinions slip into division. The landslide into black-and-white politics is what threatens division— that which hovers precariously over our mental health and keeps our mouths zipped in classes. If we, as a community, do not recognize that people and views come in every color—vibrant, valuable, and capable of shifting hues—we promote an performatively uniform and (dare-I-say) bland mentality.

Amidst governmental chaos, Milton remains a neutral ground: a sanctuary for intellectual discussion and for prioritizing health and humanity above all else. As we step into an age of waxing mayhem, we must critique our own response. How do we rewrite the narrative of differing viewpoints to promote discussion while protecting our mental health?