What does MX owe to democracy?

Middlesex can do more to emphasize its founding principles.

At every opening of the school Chapel, we are reminded that Middlesex was built on a foundation of non-sectarian and democratic principles. These very principles have guided our school. This year, a task force composed of trustees, faculty members, and students worked to update and distill our mission statement to articulate exactly what Middlesex stands for. 

In this reimagined version of the mission, Middlesex encourages students to “find their promise” through their  engagement “ in service of our community and the wider world.” With these core ideas in mind, Middlesex still tends to lean apolitical when it comes to addressing these political issues that rise up outside the MX bubble. However, in the last 10 years, Middlesex has witnessed an insurrection, 3 Trump elections, mass deportations, the harsh legislature of female autonomy, and more. 

As a school supposedly committed to upholding democratic ideals, Middlesex finds itself at a watershed moment: do we remain passive in our political standings, or do we recognize that this democratic crisis isn’t even a political issue, it’s an American one? Despite its often political portrayal in the media and by politicians, democratic principles are the foundation of the American identity. Indeed, democratic principles are not a partisan issue, and given that democracy is one of Middlesex’s foundational values, we need not tip-toe around what is at stake. 

In my AP Government class, Mr. Hoar prefaced our first class by saying that he felt obligated to shed light on the Trump administration’s abuses of our democratic system. However, in many of my classes people have been hesitant to critique any event that could be construed as “overly-political.” 

Middlesex’s 2024 election task force attempted to encourage respectful political discourse, yet the programming neglected to include general civics education and discussion of democratic norms—especially within classes. While staying educated and up to date on an election is pivotal, it’s not enough. If you want to understand civics, you need to understand democracy. Taskforces and politics clubs are not enough. We need real civics education embedded into our curriculum. While required to take four years of English and Math, Middlesex students are only required to take two years of history, in which you learn how democracy affected civilizations across millenia. Did that empire flourish or fail? This same historical question can be asked now. Is America in decline as our democratic systems weather these attacks? Middlesex has a responsibility to answer this question through teaching its students. 

Today, I sat in chapel listening to the names read of the young men who died serving our country and who died protecting democracy. As we sang Hymn 26 this line resonated more than ever: “What they dreamed be ours to do.” Middlesex’s responsibility is not just to educate its students, it's to make sure that every Middlesex student graduates having learned the value of one’s political voice. 

Abby Tribush '26