Dear Readers,
As the Marlborough community comes back together for the 2024-25 school year, change is in the air. After a long summer full of political developments such as a controversial first presidential debate, President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his reelection campaign, Tim Walz and JD Vance’s nominations as presidential running mates and, of course, #KamalaisBrat, the upcoming election looms large over the community.
We can feel the Marlborough community buzzing with excitement and anxiety about the upcoming election. Because of this, we have decided to add an additional issue to The UltraViolet’s volumes this year. By adding “The Elections Issue,” we hope to address all of your biggest questions and guide our community through the changes we are facing both at school and in society.
Our first feature, “Regionality in Politics” (page 14), explores the importance of the Midwestern vote and how America’s perception of California’s politics have impacted Los Angeles and the Marlborough community. In our second feature, “Social Media and the Election” (page 24), we delve into the impacts of social media on the political landscape, addressing a significant increase of political campaigning content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram and changes to the role of influencers in presidential campaigns.
As a community of predominantly non-voters, this moment can feel overwhelming and we recognize that many may experience feelings of helplessness and despair. The UltraViolet believes that the most important thing to do is to focus on education, so that when the time comes, we can be informed citizens who will cast mindful votes based on well-researched opinions, education and unique perspectives.
In order to achieve this goal, The UltraViolet aims to provide an accessible way to stay up to date with current events through live election night coverage on our website and Instagram this November. We collaborated with the Community Partnerships Council to offer comprehensive voter guides explaining what’s on the ballot in California this November. We hope to make the complicated political climate of our country as approachable as possible and provide the student body with ways to contribute to social change.
While political news has caught the attention of our country, The UltraViolet remains Marlborough’s number one resource for updates about the changes to our school community. Whether it be the introduction of a cellphone ban, a modified grading scale or the implementation of an Academic Integrity Council, this year marks the beginning of many distinct administrative initiatives. In our News and Opinion sections, you can find the facts (and our feelings) about these new developments.
In light of division and disagreement throughout our nation, we urge you to advocate for your opinion and educate yourself on the issues impacting our country and community. We are witnessing a pivotal moment in our nation’s story and we hope you take advantage of the many opportunities to get involved. From election night coverage to conversations about school policy, we urge you to turn to The UltraViolet and to each other for support in navigating a changing landscape both in our country and our campus. We are so excited for you to read “The Elections Issue” and look forward to what is to come in the 2024-25 school year.
Signing off,
Millie and Stella
