The majority of students at Morton East didn’t really know much about the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
According to the Democratic National Convention website, demconvention.com, the DNC is a major event held every four years by the Democratic Party in the U.S. Interestingly, this year’s DNC was held in Chicago, Illinois. Its purpose is to officially nominate the party’s candidates for President and Vice President, which are Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Recently, important figures spoke at the DNC, mentioning their beliefs, progress, unity, and the future direction of their party. Some of the speakers included President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and others. In a random survey of 107 Morton East students, 71 students reported that they did not watch or hear about the DNC, while 36 reported that they did.
“I didn’t watch a lot of it. I mainly watched the speeches late at night, like the one President Obama gave and then the acceptance speech from Kamala Harris. From clips I saw online and highlights of it, I thought it was well organized and included many people from diverse communities to speak. It looked really engaging and fun! We had a Current Events assignment in my Civics class with an article Ms. Sandoval shared. It was a great article that explained to the kids what was happening during the DNC and why it was happening. Overall, I wanted them to know that it was an event the Democrats were having to officially nominate their candidate for president,” said Civics teacher Brenda Lopez.
While some teachers wanted their students to know what was happening at the DNC and why it was significant, other teachers focused on the history of the DNC in Chicago and the protests that occurred outside.
“The main takeaway I want students to have from the DNC is to keep in mind why this year’s DNC was such a big deal. It wasn’t just because of the nomination but because of the history of the DNC in Chicago. The last time this happened, protests outside the DNC turned very ugly and violent. Although there were protests this year in support of Palestine, thankfully, things did not get out of hand like the last time the DNC was in Chicago,” said Civics teacher Moises Bernal.
Even though teachers were worried about the DNC being hosted in Chicago due to the protests, some students felt it helped raise awareness of the possibility of Kamala Harris becoming the first woman U.S. president.
“In my opinion, the 2024 DNC was good for Kamala Harris’s party. Kamala Harris’s platform stood out to me the most, seeing how calm and composed she was compared to Trump. I feel that Kamala Harris being the first female president would be a big accomplishment because there have been 46 U.S. presidents, and her being the first female president after all these years shows how much society has changed over time,” said senior Andrew Arteaga.
While some focus on how society has changed in many ways, except when it comes to electing a U.S. president—which has never changed—many people want change. Others focus on her platform and what she had to say about her beliefs.
“A candidate’s platform that stood out to me the most was Kamala’s because she takes small crime very seriously and harshly penalizes anyone who partakes in it. Also, she wants to make communities safer,” said senior Kimberly Arellano.
Traditionally, students believe Kamala’s platform stood out to them the most because of her commitment to making communities safer. Meanwhile, other students think it encourages young individuals to vote.
“I think the 2024 DNC was good; it brought attention to a lot of young audiences, which can motivate them to vote,” said junior Leonardo Gutierrez.
