JADE | e Fourcast Magazine
Volume 8, Issue 1
ABOUT JADE
In 2017, e Fourcast added a new magazine to its traditional coverage. Named for the stone set in the ring of all graduating seniors, which was designed by Ti any & Co. in 1917, JADE o ers an in-depth look at the most pressing issues to the Hockaday community. Former Hockaday Dean of Upper School Ed Long once remarked that Ela Hockaday chose the jade stone because she considered it to be a symbol of wisdom. In honor of the stone’s legacy, JADE hopes to help inform the community and foster knowledgeable conversations about challenging topics.
Designed by Amitha Nair
Editor-in-Chief
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Background of candidates
The LatinX voter perspective
The Great Divide Seal of Approval
Voting Versatiliy
The Power of HER Vote
Switching States
The Global Gambit
The Digital Battleground
Youth, Use Your Voice!
The Race for Relevance
Student Q&A
Kamala Harris
A backstory into presidential candidate Kamala Harris
By Shreya Vijay | Print Editor In-Chief
Current presidential candidate Kamala Harris made history in 2021 when she was sworn in as the rst African American, South Asian, female vice president. However, prior to her work in the Biden-Harris administration, Harris has an extensive history in politics.
Harris was born in Oakland, California and has a sister, Maya Harris. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan was a breast cancer researcher, and in her political rallies and speeches, Kamala o en cites her mother as one of her greatest in uences. Harris graduated from Howard University and eventually received a law degree from University of California, San Francisco. In 2014 Harris married lawyer Douglas Emho and is the stepmother of two children: Cole and Ella Emho
Harris worked as a deputy district attorney for eight years. In 2004, she
became district attorney and in 2010 became the attorney general of California, the rst Black woman to do so. In 2015, she announced her campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate and won the 2016 election. Harris most notably became a popular name when in 2018 during a con rmation hearing she questioned Justice Brett Kavanaugh about his position in Roe v. Wade.
Harris announced in 2020 on “Good Morning America” that she would be running for president. However, by December, she had dropped out of the race. Later, in August 2020, Joe Biden chose Harris as his running mate, and in November, they won the election 306-302 in the electoral college as cited by the Pew Research Center. is past summer, a er Biden dropped out the race, Harris became the next Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election. While having
a relatively shorter time to campaign, Harris has focused on furthering the ideas of the Biden-Harris administration. Harris has also received endorsements from several celebrities including Taylor Swi and Hillary Clinton. For the past few months Harris has been campaigning all around the country with her running mate, governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.
Who is Tim Walz? A dive into the Democratic vice president candidate
By Sophia Salem | Staff Writer
Ever since Tim Walz was nominated as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee at the Democratic Convention Aug. 6, his name has been running through headlines; but who exactly is he?
Today, Walz lives in the governor’s mansion in St. Paul with his wife and two children, Hope and Gus, and has advocated for public education.
But 60 years ago, Walz was born in a small Nebraska town in 1964, growing up with his parents and three siblings. At 17, Walz joined the National Guard and served 24 years, traveling between his home state of Nebraska and Minnesota. His service overlapped with his part-time teaching career, spending a lot of time in the classroom as a high
school social studies teacher and football coach, a unique aspect he leans on in his campaigns. Later, he committed to his education career and became a full-time teacher and coach at Mankato High School in Minnesota. Education ran in Walz’s family, as his father was a teacher and school superintendent, and his wife, Gwen Walz, taught English in public schools for over twenty years.
In 2005 Walz retired from the National Guard to run for Congress. Two years later he became a member of the U.S. House of Representative, and beginning 2017 he served as the ranking member of the House Veterans A airs Committee. During his time in the House, he became known for his strong advocacy for public education
and bills passed to improve the lives of veterans, such as supporting legislation to improve their mental health services. Two years later, in 2019, he was elected governor of Minnesota in which he is still in o ce for and runs on the vice-presidential ticket.
Donald Trump A backstory into presidential candidate Donald Trump
By Elizabeth Farrell | Staff Writer
Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the 2024 election, takes on his third presidential campaign with running mate J.D. Vance, an American senator and author, hoping to restore his title as president of the United States.
Trump served for one term as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021 and lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Guided by the slogan, “Make America Great Again,” Trump focused on economic issues. According to https://trumpwhitehouse. archives.gov/, his administration made American history by manufacturing “a record-setting economic comeback” a er the 2019 COVID pandemic. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Trump was the fourth of ve children. He was raised by his father Fredrick Trump, a successful real estate developer, and his mother Mary Anne Trump, a philanthropist. Trump
attended Fordham University for two years, originally wanting to become a movie director, before transferring to the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in economics.
Prior to his political endeavors, Trump made a name for himself through many entertainment endeavors including owning the Miss Universe and Miss USA brands, being a co-host of “ e Apprentice,” writing several books, and appearing in many movies.
His most prominent source of business prior to his political career was his well-known real estate business.
With a background in real estate, Trump was the rst president of the United States to not have any former political or military experience before coming into o ce.
He is currently married to Melania
who is a former fashion model and jewelry designer. Together they have one child, Barron Trump; however, Trump has a total of ve children from his three marriages. In May 2024 Trump became the rst former president of the United States to be convicted of a felony, charged on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Despite these convictions, Trump hopes for a republican victory.
Who is JD Vance? A dive into the Republican vice president candidate
By Elle Myers | Managing Editor
J.D. Vance, born James Donald Bowman, was announced as Donald Trump’s running mate on the rst day of the Republican National Convention.
His parents, Don and Bev Bowman, separated when Vance was young. Vance was raised mostly by his grandparents as his mother struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. A er high school, Vance enlisted in the Marines, served in the Iraq War, attended Ohio State University and later, graduated Yale Law School in 2013. In addition, he worked for multi-national law rms including Sidley Austin LLP and other investment rms.
In 2016, Vance published his rst
book, “Hillbilly Elegy: A memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” is memoir, which highlights the o en overlooked “working-class whites living outside major cities,” was considered by some as an in uential factor in Trump’s 2016 election victory. While some supporters of the book commend Vance for highlighting this group of working Americans, others believe Vance perpetuates stereotypes about people living in Appalachia.
In 2022, Vance became a Senator for Ohio a er beating his Democrat opponent, Tim Ryan. While Vance outwardly disliked Trump during the 2016 election, he apologized for his previous statements and publicly aligned with
Trump a er announcing his race for the Senate.
A er being announced Trump’s running mate, Vance has backed Trump’s positions and been dubbed “one of the least-popular vice-presidential nominees of recent times” due to his polarizing statements.
Knauss
The LatinX Voter Perspective
By Melinda Hu and Sarah Moskowitz | Arts & Life Editor and Features Editor
The perspective of a Latin American history professor
Dr. Aaron Navarro, associate professor of history at Texas Christian University (TCU), teaches classes on Latin American history with a focus on 20th century Mexico.
Navarro became interested in Latin American studies because of his own family history.
“My family is Mexican American, so that has something to do with it,” Navarro said. “My dad was orphaned at a young age, so we never knew the Mexican side of his family, and there were a lot of question marks there for me.”
When Navarro was an undergraduate at e University of Texas at Austin, he discovered their Latin American library whichsolidi ed his interest in Latin American history.
“I was interested in history, and I had all of these questions about my family background,” Navarro said. “[Visiting the library] decided it for me that I was going to study Mexico.”
When thinking about the upcoming election, Navarro believes that LatinX voters should be considered the same as any other voter. He also believes that socioeconomic status matters more than
ethnic identity for voting behavior.
“I think [political campaigns] a ect LatinX voters the same way they do for any other group,” Navarro said. “ e kind of platform items or programs that candidates have either appeal or do not appeal to those voters.”
Navarro also emphasizes the importance of understanding that there is so much diversity within the LatinX group that it would be di cult to nd one way to appeal to the entire group.
“ ese groups are so diverse within themselves that the idea of a campaign having a plank in the platform for Latinos is hard to understand,” Navarro said.
“ ere are 36 million Latino voters eligible to vote in this election cycle, so there is a multiplicity of views.”
He also considers how many di erent types of people the terms Latino or LatinX encapsulate.
“A Latino or LatinX voter could be a Chilean couple that just got their citizenship yesterday or a New Mexico family who gained citizenship in 1848 a er the Mexican American war,” Navarro said. “ ose are counted exactly the same and they are both in the same group as Latino voters, and they have really di erent kinds of interests.”
Navarro also underlines the inherent di culty of trying to appeal to one group as a whole.
“ e fact that two people are Latino doesn’t mean that they are going to vote the same,” Navarro said. “I think that’s part of the challenge candidates have, especially in national elections, to try to gure out what a Latino voter wants, which depends on what state or community you’re in.”
Re ecting on the importance of voting to the LatinX community, Navarro shared an old saying among Mexican American activists.
“ e saying goes ‘tu voto es tu voz’ – your vote is your voice – and that was a big rallying cry for the Chicano movement in the sixties,” Navarro said. “I think that’s the main issue is that this is your chance to make your mark as citizens in this country choose our leaders.”
X Candidates work to secure LatinX voters
INFOGRAPHIC BY MELINDA HU
The perspective of Latin and Hispanic Student Union president and vice president
Senior Gabby Gaona and junior Nadia Guevara are the current Latin and Hispanic Student Union (LHSU) President and Vice President, respectively.
Gaona has noticed how presidential candidates try to attract voters from certain demographics by focusing on common issues or concerns within the community.
“Tailoring speeches or policies towards common concerns associated with Latinos such as immigration, diversity, fair wage and border control, I feel like are de nitely used,” Gaona said. “It’s to console people or make them feel connected or that their needs are met by that candidate.”
Pop culture and politics sometimes crossover, but especially during election season. Recently, Nicky Jam, a popular Latinx pop artist endorsed presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“ at’s de nitely one way of appealing to certain groups, by getting cultural icons from the community to back their political campaign,” Gaona said. “I think both [presidential candidates] have di erent ways of approaching how they’re reaching out to the Latino demographic.”
is year, Gaona and Guevara plan to host panels about politics and policies and how they a ect the LatinX community across the nation.
“We can’t just pretend everything is all sunshine and rainbows and pretend that these issues don’t exist and that they’re not a ecting our members,” Gaona said. “I think approaching it from a facilitated discussion and having that space is really important.”
e panels will incorporate techniques learned during the recent CloseUp training.
“I think something important is to write down what we hear from people just so people feel like what they’re saying, or the conversation is productive and proactive,” Guevara said.
According to the Texas Tribune, 40.2 percent of Texans identify as Latino or Hispanic.
“ ere are a lot of us, and our voice counts, and it needs to be heard,” Gaona said. “It’s very important to the community that we vote, that we make sure that our views are being expressed, that our wants, our needs, our goals are being met and are being listened to.”
What is the vision
Vice President Harris’s Platform:
As America stands at a pivotal crossroad, the starkly contrasting visions of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will impact the nation’s future, with each presenting bold ideas and distinct policies that re ect their unique approaches to governance.
Immigration:
Immigration is one of the key issues in the upcoming election, with both campaigns possessing distinctly di erent views. For Former President Trump, immigration was one of the key issues that propelled him to win the 2016 election, something he hopes will happen again this time around. During many of his public appearances, he has portrayed the immigration system as disorderly and advocates for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants.
Over the past four years, the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration of the Democratic Party has made their stance clear on many issues through their push for policies, coalitions and resource allocation. So far, Vice President Harris has aligned to Democratic values and Biden’s stances, however there is some disparity.
Immigration
e Democratic Party has long supported a more open immigration policy. e
However, SMU Professor Cal Jillson points out that these large deportations would present logistical and economic challenges to the U.S. economy and likely be unattainable.
“ ere is simply no way logistically to round up millions of people and usher them across the border,” Jillson said. “If you did that, it would have a dramatically negative a ect on the U.S economy because most of those people are workers and pay taxes.”
In contrast, Vice President Harris focuses on border security rather than border closure. Harris emphasizes the importance of providing pathways to legalized immigration instead of mass deportations. She announced that she intends to extend restrictions on asylum access while working to make the legal immigration process simpler.
Regarding the border wall, Harris’s policies include $lling in strategic sections of the wall while preserving humanitarian protections. Conversely, Trump promises to complete the border wall to keep immigrants from illegally entering the United States, arguing that it will keep American citizens safe from the dangers that undocumented immigrants bring. Economy:
With the economy being arguably the most important topic of the election cycle, it is also the topic most scrutinized, criticized, and debated. Both presidential candidates have starkly di erent visions for the economy, di ering on taxes, businesses and more.
One of the more signi$cant di erences between the two candidates is their approach to tax policy. Vice President Harris wants to raise the corporate tax, which is a tax on the pro$ts of businesses. Harris also wants to raise the income tax for people earning more than $400,000 a year and is very vocal about her plans for a small business tax credit. Another hotbed economic issue is trade policies. Harris plans to apply tari s on targeted industries and geopolitical rivals, including Chinese technology products.
Meanwhile, former President Trump wants to reduce the corporate tax drastically. Trump plans to extend the current rates for income tax and has centered his platform around business-friendly policies and the lowering of taxes. Trump also has a protectionist approach to his policies, proposing blanket tari s on more than half of China’s imports.
Fracking:
Fracking is also one of the few topics that both candidates agree on; both Harris and Trump claim that they will not ban fracking.
Vice President Harris, however, is in an interesting position, since she originally stated that she would ban fracking during the 2020 election cycle. In the recent presidential debate, Harris stated that her “values had not changed,” but she now feels that “we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy, so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil.”
In response, former President Trump denounced Harris as a liar, saying that “If she won the election, fracking will end on day one.”
Biden-Harris administration has emphasized adding more agents and human support at borders in order to reduce illegal crossings and expand the legal immigration process. According to the Democratic platform, an additional 24,000 agents were allocated to the Southwest border during the last presidential term, and there was a 40 percent decrease in illegal border crossings since Biden’s executive order limiting asylum in June.
In September’s presidential debate, Vice President Harris a%rmed her support of the Border Act of 2024, which would tighten border security by adding 1,500 border agents. e bill was not passed, due to being overturned in Senate, which Harris attributed to Trump’s in uence. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, she will likely continue e orts to prioritize improvement of the legal immigration system alongside containment of illegal crossings.
Unpacking Harris’s and Trump’s competing campaigns The Great Divide
By Anika Shah, Katie Ma and Sophie Cho | News Editor and Staff Writers Economy
Vice President Harris has aided small businesses and pushed to lower taxes for the middle class. According to the Democratic platform, the Biden-Harris administration oversaw the passing of the American Rescue Plan in the wake of COVID-19, which helped six million small businesses pay taxes and expanded the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit for those in poverty. Harris’s campaign website states that she has especially driven support e orts for businesses owned by minorities, tripling Small Business Administration lending to black-owned businesses and doubling small-dollar lending to businesses owned by women and Latinx.
Harris has continued these positions on taxing and small business support, saying in the Sept. 10 debate that she is planning to extend tax cuts for young families and give a $50,000 tax deduction for small, starting businesses. Her website also states her intention that no one with an income of under $400,000 per year will have taxes raised.
Former President Trump’s Platform:
Since 2016, former President Trump’s administration has made his stances clear on issues such as the economy and the environment by enacting policies like deregulation. A er losing the 2020 election and being convicted on 34 felony counts earlier this year, the former President has raised over $300 million to fund his 2024 campaign.
Immigration
According to ABC News, in February 2024, Trump urged the Republican Party to oppose a bipartisan border bill that would have cracked down on illegal immigration by adding hundreds of border patrol and ICE agents, funded construction of a new border wall, and closed the border when illegal crossings rose. He openly admitted that the upcoming election was the reason for his position. ough he supports all the actions of the bill, he bene$ts greatly from an extended border crisis as it makes immigration a larger issue in the election, which could help Trump gain votes from undecided voters.
According to Trump’s campaign website, if reelected he will seal the border and stop the migrant invasion. “I will send in federal law enforcement to rescue every town that has been taken over by migrant aliens and criminal alien thugs,” Trump said at a campaign event in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. “We will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.”
Another part of Trump’s immigration stance is his promise to build a border wall. According to BBC News, 654 miles of the 1933 miles along the southern border with Mexico have some kind of barrier along them. e Trump administration claimed to have built an additional 400 miles of border wall. Only 80 miles of this was built where there were no barriers before. According to NPR, a full border wall will cost over $11 billion and over $20 million a mile, making it the most expensive wall in the world.
Economy
According to the Trump Whitehouse Archives, Trump believes the best way to stimulate economic growth is through tax cuts, which would leave more money in the American’s pocket. During his presidency, the Job Cuts and Tax Acts reduced income taxes for each tax bracket. Most notably, he lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, the largest in history. Small businesses also received a 20% reduction on income tax and the Child Tax Credit doubled, supporting Americans with children. Trump has promised to further lower corporate taxes from 21% to 15%, to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, and social security bene$ts. Furthermore, Trump has declared that he will make America a ordable again by lowering prices on everyday goods such as gas and groceries. is promises targets those in lower- and middle-income classes who su ered under the in ation crisis of the Biden Administration.
“On my $rst day back in the Oval O%ce, I will sign an executive order directing every cabinet secretary and agency head to use every tool and authority at their disposal to defeat in ation and to bring consumer prices rapidly down,” he said during a rally in Asheville, North Carolina.
“
Celebrity endorsements are of more limited value. If stars from the flm, T.V. and music industries could reliably sway the outcomes of elections, Democrats would never lose.”
- Dr. Matthew Wilson SMU Politics Professor
How truly effective are political endorsements Seal of Approval
By Amitha Nair and Anjy Fadairo | JADE Editor-in-Chief and Web Editor-in-Chief
Every four years, a presidential election lls our minds and screens.
Piling on top of the constant ads and clips of politicians debating, prominent gures giving their approval toward one candidate is a staple of the American presidential elections.
According to History.com, the earliest recorded presidential endorsement was Al Jolson’s endorsement of Warren Harding in 1920. Jolson, with a group of actor friends, helped engage in door-to-door campaigning for Harding.
Jolson took an extra step and even wrote a political song for Harding known as “Harding You’re the Man for Us”
Since then, the use of popular gures increased and it became a way for celebrities to not only let their opinion be heard, but to increase the chance of winning for their preferred candidate. Celebrities spanning from Judy Garland to Megan ee Stallion have expressed support for their presidential candidate of choice.
While endorsements have been around for a long time, they have evolved into di erent forms. Endorsements can come from a range of individuals such as fellow highpro le politicians or celebrities as well as large groups such as labor unions or professional associations.
Some of these endorsers choose to stamp their approval in a formal way like through an o cial news source or contributing to a speci c politician’s support rally.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott o cially endorsed the former President Trump at the Texas-Mexico border. He spoke about the protection and security of the border, ultimately supporting Trump’s viewpoints.
“We need a president who is going to secure the border. We need a president who is going to restore law and order in the United States of America,” Abbott said. “We need a president who is going to restore world peace as opposed to this outbreak of warfare under Joe Biden. We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America.”
Other public gures choose to take a simpler route of posting their support on social media.
Celebrity Taylor Swi called Kamala Harris a “warrior” due to their alignment in views and Swi ’s advocacy for Harris instantly sparked conversations online.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she ghts for the rights and causes, I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swi posted.
According to BBC, 24 hours a er her post, more than 340,000 people had visited the voter website through Swi ’s custom link.
However, Dr. Cal Jillson, a political science professor at SMU, found Taylor Swi ’s endorsement of Kamala Harris to be particularly notable.
“A couple of weeks ago, some 400,000 people went to a voter registration website that she had linked on her online endorsement,” Jillson said. “And so, if those people did register to vote, and it turned out on election day, voted overwhelmingly for Harris, that might move the needle a little bit.”
Despite the o en-star-studded nature of endorsements, many argue that they’re not a critical part of elections.
“Political endorsements generally don’t have a large impact on the outcome of an election,” said Jillson “Most voters are pretty well committed
either to the Democrat or the Republican Party, and they’re hard to move o that commitment.”
e use of political endorsements is everchanging, the popularity of endorsements has changed over time.
Dr. Matthew Wilson, an SMU American Politics Professor, thinks that the role of political endorsements has a decrease in in uencing voters then it once did.
“Endorsements today mean less than they once did,” Wilson said. “We are a very polarized nation today, so many people will simply never consider a candidate from one party or the other, no matter who endorses them.”
But a place that seems to hold the power of endorsements at a similar level throughout the years is the local level, such as governors and mayors.
“Endorsements tend to matter more in local contests, where voters are likely less familiar with the candidates and have fewer campaign resources,” Wilson said.
Similarly, endorsements seem to a ect di erent act groups in contrasting ways.
“Endorsements of people focused on the younger generation are, for the most part, pretty irrelevant to older voters. How much they matter even to younger voters is an open question,” Wilson said.
But a good question to be asked is what are the most e ective endorsements? If endorsements are on the decrease and it is more helpful at a local level than national, then what is the point?
e truth is there is no right answer, each party interprets the need for political endorsements di erently and they receive this in di erent ways and from many di erent areas.
The Power of HER Vote
Women’s voting impact in the presidential elections
By Larkin Clouston, Danya Risam-Chandi and Alina Zheng | Arts & Life Editor, Managing Editor and Staff Writer
As voters across the country prepare to cast their ballot on Nov. 5th, candidates are ghting to earn their votes, especially the votes of women.
According to Rutger’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), about seven million more women than men were registered to vote in 2022. Women play a crucial role in local and national elections, having higher voter turnout rates than men in both presidential and non-presidential elections.
Director of the Institute for Social Impact Laura Laywell is
encouraging eligible students to vote in this upcoming election.
“ e opportunity to vote and to be politically engaged is huge,” Laywell said. “At an all-girls school, we want to empower women to live lives of impact, and voting is one way to take action.”
Inside classroom, Upper School students can become civically engaged through Social Impact social studies classes.
“Hockaday has the Social Impact government class that empowers students to be civically active in their communities and to be involved in di erent types of government,” Laywell said. “Social Impact at Hockaday equips students to understand how to have conversations around political issues or government roles or functions. We help Hockaday students understand what the government does and what di erent elected o cials do.”
force in her campaign.
“Like most mothers, I am motivated by my children,” Leeman said. “I want my son to grow up in a world that embraces acceptance, where our communities are safe, voter access is protected and respect is the
Hoping to advocate for women in Tarrant County, Leeman believes that women play a critical role as a voting block in the upcoming election.
“Women are the bedrock of society and have been for centuries,” Leeman said. “It’s time we take our seat at the table. Women deserve to be heard regardless of what political party we belong to.”
Key issues in her campaign include transparent nancial management, accountability and strong infrastructure investments. Leeman understands how women have played a historically critical role in money management and hopes to use that knowledge in the commissioner position.
In a survey we conducted of Upper School students; 74 percent said their community encourages them to vote. Additionally, 42 percent said they had begun researching local candidates.
Laura Leeman, a candidate for Tarrant County commissioner, hopes her story will inspire other women to make their voices heard. Spurring her candidacy for commissioner, Leeman’s experience as a mother is the driving
“Women have been putting bread on the table for years,” Leeman said. “We represent our entire families and are used to multitasking under pressure.”
Along with advocating for women’s role in government, Leeman also aims to mitigate bias against women during her time on the Tarrant Commissioners Court.
“I will not sit down and be quiet to any man or woman when it comes to doing the right thing for the sake of others,” Leeman said.
Where the 2024 Election will be Decided Switching States
By Mary Elise Estess and Anderson Rhodus | Staff Writers
e results of the 2024 presidential election, on Nov.5, lie in the control of seven states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
According to the Washington Examiner, “Just 44,000 votes in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin separated Biden and Trump from a 269-269 Electoral College tie” in the 2020 election. is election, the majority of votes are expected to be evenly split between Trump (Republication) and Harris (Democratic); therefore, the vote count in these states will swing more than ever.
e New York Times predicts a winning candidate for each of the seven battleground states. Each state is heavily dependent on its amount of elector votes, as it is very in uential to the outcome of the election. Although each state only marginally leans one way, the current predictions for election day follow:
Arizona: Trump (11 Elector Voters)
Georgia: Trump (16 Elector Voters)
Michigan: Harris (15 Elector Voters)
Nevada: Harris (6 Elector Voters)
North Carolina: Trump (16 Elector Voters)
Pennsylvania: Harris (19 Elector Voters)
Wisconsin: Harris (10 Elector Voters)
The Global Gambit
How the outcome of the 2024 election will impact America’s foreign policy
By Aadhya Yanamadala and Aanya Naini | Features Editor and Staff Writer
As global con icts escalate, the United States’ vital foreign policy position hinges on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris envision vastly di erent roles for the country on the global stage, which respectively re ect the engagement the government will have with other nations. e decision voters make this November will impact America’s foreign alliances, its leadership in playing global peacemaker and its role in mitigating economic and climate issues that a ect the entire world.
Relationship With Allies
If he wins the 2024 election, Former President Donald Trump’s foreign engagement will likely reinforce his nationalistic “America First” policy which he brought to fruition in his previous presidency. is ideology supports a focus on American domestic interests over foreign a airs.
In his potential next term, he has been threatening to change America’s commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He believes that the United States has been picking up a heavy nancial burden for the organization, while the other member countries have not “been paying their bills,” as he said at a February rally in South Carolina.
“Trump coming back to power could have signi cant consequences for NATO,” Lucio Benedetto, Hockaday’s Foreign Policy teacher said. “In terms of American aid to
European con ict, he’s thinking that, sure, Russia invaded Ukraine, but where’s the greater national security threat? China.”
In contrast to Trump’s threat to the NATO status quo, Kamala Harris believes that U.S. leadership in the alliance is vital to national security and to democracy on a global level. e
Vice President has frequently mentioned her dedication on the campaign trail to providing funding and weapons for Ukraine and has promised to continue supporting NATO while rejecting the “America-First” rhetoric she calls “isolationist.”
“History has also shown us: if we only look inward, we cannot defeat threats from outside; isolation is not insulation,” said Harris at the 2024
Munich Security Conference. “In fact, when America has isolated herself, threats have only grown.” Aside from the European stage, the Vice President has expressed her commitment to ending the war in Gaza and proposed a two-state solution during the 2024 Presidential Debate. While Harris supports Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas, who she has described as a “brutal terrorist organization,” she also rmly believes in the Palestinian people’s rights to “dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination,” as stated in her campaign.
Relationship with Adversaries
Trump approaches America’s international relations using an aggressive approach, harnessing both economic and military means to
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shaking hands at Helsinki summit in 2018
execute his goals.
In his previous presidency he imposed tari s on Chinese goods and put restrictions on certain exports to China, both of which were expanded under the Biden presidency. He also has ordered drone strikes to kill American enemies, such as his controversial termination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
“He was planning a very major attack, and we got him,” Trump said, following the announcement of Soleimani’s death.
However, this move has been heavily criticized for severely escalating tensions in the Middle East, further estranging Tehran from Washington.
“We don’t know for sure, but we can assume that Trump will continue with similar hardline approaches if he takes o ce again,” Benedetto said.
Benedetto said Harris, on the other hand, has reinforced the Biden’s more tempered approach to dealing with adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
Generally focused on employing diplomatic action over decisive blocks, Benedetto feels that the administration has worked to repair alliances with Asian allies, attempted to restore the Iran nuclear deal, and bolster European support to circumvent Russia.
ey have also continued to impose tari s to limit China’s growing economy— in continuation of Trump’s policies— and have placed heavy sanctions to weaken Russia in swi consequence for its invasion of Ukraine.
promote the president’s policies. If elected, she may choose to follow a di erent stance than exactly what was done by her predecessor.
Climate Change
In comparison to Biden, Harris has been described as an even more aggressive opponent of the fossil fuel industry, an approach evident in her goals for domestic and international policy.
e Vice President was heavily involved with globally combating climate change long before she ever set foot in the White House, helping to win tens of millions in settlements against multinational oil and gas companies as an attorney general. In 2022, Harris also worked to pass the In ation Reduction Act, which according to her campaign, is “the largest investment in climate action in history.”
climate change skeptic, but he certainly seems to believe that America is placing too many restrictions of fossil fuels,” Benedetto said.
Upon being sworn in as vice president, one of Harris’ number one priorities was to restore U.S. leadership in combating climate change. A goal that was promptly accomplished, as the U.S. re-entered the Paris Climate Agreement on her rst day as vice president.
If elected, Harris has promised to continue global cooperation with climate-friendly policies, and to challenge those resisting these e orts.
“Around the world, there are those who seek to slow or stop our progress,” said Harris at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference. “Leaders who deny climate science, delay climate action, and spread misinformation… In the face of their resistance and in the context of this moment, we must do more.”
e foreign policy teacher went on to mention, however, that Harris has had little opportunity to distinguish herself from Biden’s policies, as the role of the vice president is quite literally to
In contrast, Trump has previously claimed that climate change was a hoax. He overturned around 100 environmental regulations and withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.
“I don’t know if Trump is truly a
On the other hand, Trump emphasizes the importance of fossil fuels to the American economy. On his current campaign trail, he consistently reiterates the need to increase oil and gas production, using the slogan “drill, baby, drill” to promote this agenda. If reelected, he has promised to destroy Harris’s 2022 In ation Reduction Act, which is the greatest investment in climate-related policies in United States history.
He has also alluded to eliminating many domestic environmental agencies, which would re ect in America’s handling of climate policies on the international stage.
A Rising News Source:
With the election rounding the corner, nding reliable sources is more important than ever.
Traditionally, information on current events comes from newspapers or websites. However, social media has grown as a source of news, for two main reasons: convenience and accessibility.
Social media is also easily accessible. Instead of news stories being trapped behind a paywall, creating an account and hitting the search buttons is an easy way to nd information on current events more quickly.
Senior Samantha Wu was a social media manager for Summer at Hockaday for their Facebook and Instagram during this past summer. She was responsible for taking photos, producing content, and making the posts.
She recognized the importance of ensuring that the content made sense from every viewer’s perspective and being mindful of her audience.
“I was in the mindset of how someone my age would interact with information,” Wu said. “ en I realized I needed to think about it from the mindset of someone like a parent.”
She also emphasized the necessity of double-checking posts to maintain accuracy, because it was easy to make mistakes in a fast-paced job.
“I always double-checked everything before I posted it, and had someone else check it as well, to make sure everything was correct,” Wu said.
In addition, she explained how social media contributes to miscommunication and misinformation, because it is easy to not get the full story from
something like a small post.
Social media continues to grow as a source of news, with varied e ects.
A 2019 study by the Pew Research Center stated that over half of Americans believed one sided news or inaccurate news to be a problem. It’s all about grabbing attention to get clicks.
Determining the trustworthiness of a source is also more di cult on social media. Because a lot of news is reposted, it is o en hard to trace the information back to the original source, and even harder to test its veracity.
Presidents vs. Perception
Social media is not just a news source, but also a platform to promote political campaigns.
With Gen Z characterized by their digital upbringing, we see extensive e orts from politicians to bolster their campaigns via social media.
In an example of the intense “media war,” on Sept. 20th, former President Donald Trump reposted a doctored image of Kamala Harris on his Truth Social site – a platform he launched a er being banned from other mainstream platforms following the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. e image shows a younger
Kamala Harris posing with another woman and Sean “Diddy” Combs – who was recently indicted on charges of sex tra cking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. It included the caption: “Kamala, doing the Diddy? Madam Vice President, have you ever been involved with or engaged in one of Pu Daddy’s freak o s?” e actual photo, however, was taken in 2001 and includes Montel Williams – Kamala’s then boyfriend – and not Combs. e edit replaced Williams’ face with a photo of Combs. is is not the rst time Trump has used A.I. generated photos to bolster his campaign. In August, he previously came under re for reposting a series of doctored photos on his Truth Social account that showed Taylor Swi endorsing his 2024 presidential run.
Grady Trimble questioned the former president in an interview that aired on FOX Business Network’s e Evening Edit regarding the photos.
“I didn’t generate them. Somebody came out,” Trump said. “ ey said, oh, look at this. ese were all made up by other people. A.I. is always very dangerous in that way.”
On Sept.28th, he posted a 1 GRAPHIC BY EMILY LEROY
The Digital Battleground
Social media’s impact in the 2024 election
By Emily McLeroy, Aneeka Tansen and Shifa Irfan | Sports Editor, Staff Writer and Business Manager
minute, 30 second video on Instagram that criticized her position on immigration, implying that she is too ignorant to properly address border control concerns.
Although Harris mostly utilizes her social media accounts to promote her policies, she also engages in mocking her opponent. In consideration of the importance of perception, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris constantly use social media to bolster their campaigns. Both candidates have active social media accounts on multiple platforms that are used to either promote themselves or degrade their opponent.
Chris Leal
Chris Leal, the president of the Dallas County Young Democrats, currently works for a London based consulting rm. Previously a middle school teacher at Dallas ISD’s Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, Leal has signi cant experience in politics. Finding a passion in organizing young voters, Leal believes social media has the capability of reaching the young generation unlike any other platform.
“Having an e ective and authentic approach to social media is crucial for a campaign,” Leal said. “Sometimes that means being vulnerable or real.”
Leal, running for Texas House in 2022, has rst-hand experience in leading a campaign.
“ e biggest challenge of a campaign is to get your name and
your message in front of voters,” Leal said. “ ey need to know who you are and what it is you want to do for them, and social media is an incredibly important tool in trying to do that.”
Leal believes it is important for teams of both candidates to regard social media as a priority rather than an a erthought.
“For Kamala, I think there is opportunity for her to show voters who she is, what her values are, particularly among young voters,” Leal said. “I hear her social media team is led by Gen Z sta , which I think is perfect.”
For campaigns combatting misinformation, Leal thinks it is important to focus on building your own case rather than defending yourself to critiques.
“From my perspective, the ideal tactic is to avoid engaging directly with your opponent’s narrative,” Leal said. “Try to set your own terms and de nitions for the conversation that you’re trying to have.”
Leal feels that Young Dems, an organization focused on attracting young voters, is leveraging social media to ensure a higher voter turnout this year.
“We use social media to promote events, our actions, and ways to get involved. We also use it to make statements about our values on people, policies or positions,” Leal said. “We do that in order to try to show young voters that we see them and that we care and that we are trying to represent that perspective in this space.”
Rather than working to please everyone, Leal explains that social media is a platform for both convergent and divergent voices to express themselves. Earlier this year, when President Joe Biden was running for re-election, the organization posted a statement asking for Biden to step aside and let Kamala Harris be the nominee.
“It was a popular post. We put the statement out, and press covered it, and it got a lot of engagement,” he said. “We also got a lot of angry comments, mostly from older Democrats and from people involved with the local establishment.”
To Leal, social media has numerous pros and cons, but he believes it has been bene cial to reaching a wider audience.
“Overall, I do believe social media has been good for politics. It has helped democratize the political process,” Leal said. “Social media is free, and even if you pay to promote content on it, you can still reach a very large, targeted audience for very cheap.”
When Leal ran for the Texas House, he wanted to reach a wide base of prospective voters in his campaign.
“[Social Media] made it easier for people like me to run for o ce, for young people to run for o ce, for people without millions of dollars to run for o ce,” Leal said. “On that basis alone, it has been incredibly positive.”
Youth, Use Your Voice!
Students engage in election process
By Anya Aggarwal and Alexa Munoz | Assistant JADE editor and Copy Editor
Tied with buying a lottery ticket or serving jury duty, voting is one of the most exciting things an American can do once they turn 18. However, Daisies have been getting involved in the voting process much earlier.
Last year, senior Madison White worked the polls for the rst time at the Joint Primary Election. Her workday ran from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., lled with various opportunities to assist Americans in securing their vote.
White had numerous responsibilities at the polls, like assisting voters with the check-in process and verifying their eligibility, distributing ballots and explaining how to complete them.
A er explaining, she’d ensure voting procedures were followed and provide guidance on using the voting machines, enforce election rules and maintain order at the polling station, secure completed ballots and nally assist in closing procedures.
And she did it all with a smile. White deemed it a rewarding and eye-opening experience, and while the day was long, she was thankful to contribute to something so important and enlightening.
“Meeting such a diverse group of voters, from rst timers to lifelong participants, showed me the importance of every single vote— even in the small elections,” White said. “Real change happens at the local level: local elections directly
“Contributing to the democratic process has been a dream of mine since I was old enough to understand politics. I see participation in governmental decisions as not just a privilege, but a responsibility that every American has.”
- Anna Crook ‘25
impact our communities, and it’s where our voices make the most di erence.”
Not only does White encourage citizens of all ages to vote in local elections, but she also urges speci cally younger generations to exercise their voting rights in this year’s presidential election.
“I saw that most of the voters were elderly, consistently showing up for every election, while younger people were less involved,” White said. “ is year, I’m especially looking forward to seeing more people, especially younger voters, become more engaged in the process.”
Among the forty students of Hockaday’s Class of 2025 that are eligible to vote in this year’s election, senior Alex Baron looks forward to o cially having a voice in government.
“Contributing to the democratic process has been a dream of mine since I was old enough to understand politics,” said Baron. “I see participation in governmental decisions as not just a privilege, but a responsibility that every American has.”
Baron, who registered to vote when renewing her license over the phone, says she is grateful that it’s been especially easier for younger generations to get involved in the election this year. Furthermore, she will be campaigning and door-knocking for a candidate running for
Congress that represents her values—an action that takes little time but makes a great di erence.
“ is election presents an opportunity to advocate for policies that resonate with our collective aspirations to ensure that diverse voices are represented in our government,” said Baron. “Direct engagement with the community is essential to fostering informed electoral choices.”
Another Senior, Anika Kapoor, has also recently registered to vote and is excited to be an active voter for the rst time.
“Even from when I was really little, I always used to accompany my parents to the polls and watch them participate in the entire process,” Kapoor said. “To me, voting is the easiest way for us to voice our opinions and make a di erence in the policies that shape our community and daily lives.”
Organizations like United to Learn also support youth volunteers working with nonpro t organizations like March to the Polls. March to the Polls is working in eight school districts across Dallas County to increase voter registration numbers in youth populations in Dallas.
Juniors Allie Gerber and Anjali Konda, who spearheaded an e ort to form a student engagement club at Hockaday, are exploring ways for students under 18 to get involved in government.
ey have plans to provide templates on writing professional emails to government representatives to help high schoolers channel their voice more e ectively.
“Even though students may not think they’re making a di erence, if
“Hearing from our mentors and teachers does not necessarily convey the same message about voting as it would students in the same position as us.”
- Jayna Khatti ‘25
one rep gets more than ten emails about an issue, it does put pressure on them to take notice.” Gerber said.
is election year, Upper School Counselor Ashley Ferguson worked the on-campus registration event on Oct. 3. Registration forms were available to students on site—which almost all forty eligible-to-vote seniors lled out.
Following the event, Social Impact Board Chair Jayna Khatti said that excitement around the election was growing, and she is looking forward to her classmates exercising their voice.
“Hearing from our mentors and teachers does not necessarily convey the same message about voting as it would students in the same position as us,” Khatti said.
“It is so rewarding to know that we each can encourage others in such an important and monumental time in our lives, so I am super happy to help bring excitement to voting this fall.”
Upper School Counselor Ashley Ferguson holds registration ballot for elligible students
The Race for Relevance
The Momentum of Third-Party Candidates
By Ai-Vy Ho and Mary Bradley Sutherland | Staff Writer and Photo & Graphic Editor
!ird parties in the American political system are o en overlooked compared to the two main parties, Democrat and Republican. However, there are still dozens of recognized minor parties across the country.
Most o en, third parties gain recognition from presidential nominations and major elections. Although third-party candidates have yet to gain enough support to win a presidential election, many congress members opt to switch from their main party to an Independent once elected, leaving their previously a liated ideologies behind.
!e assumption that all parties fall on a spectrum between the two major parties hinders the individuality of each minor party. Many third parties center their campaigns on political topics that are not paid much attention to by the two main parties.
“For someone who isn’t familiar with the green party, I would say we are a grass roots organization,” Robin Lee Vargas, Green Party candidate for Texas State Senate District 27, said.
A grass root organization is one that is largely volunteer based and run by people whose priorities revolve around activism and social movements. Vargas explains that the Green Party refuses donations from corporate or lobbyist establishments.
“We’ve seen in the past how corporate donations can alter a candidate’s perspective
and change their political agenda,” Vargas said.
In the 2024 election, three candidates that identify with third parties are running for president: Chase Oliver, Jill Stein, and Cornel West. Currently, Chase Oliver appears on 47 ballots, Jill Stein appears on 38 ballots, and Cornel West appears on 30 ballots.
As the 2024 Presidential Election continues, these three candidates remain the only !ird-Party Candidates.
When asked their opinion, both Emily Mosley and Aisha Ashraf, upper school government teachers who have experience in educating their students on the origins and development of the United States government, o ered their insight. Both teachers believe that the election system creates obstacles for third parties since the system was developed on the idea of two parties and media attention favors the two major parties.
“Congress, even, is built around the two-party system. We do sometimes have independents that are elected to Congress, but they end up just having to get limited in with one [side] or the other,” Mosley said.
As a result, this leads to the mentality of the wasted vote theory: since historically third parties do not have a lot of success, people who want to vote for a third-party candidate o en feel as if their vote is a waste and will not in uence the election. !erefore, citizens tend to vote for one of the two traditional parties rather than a
third-party.
“It’s kind of a self-ful lling prophecy because if everyone thinks that they’re not going to do anything, and they don’t vote for a third party. !en, the third party doesn’t get elected,” Mosley said.
Although there is an increased number of people who identify as independent or have reported feeling dissatis ed with the two major parties, according to Pew Research Center, there is still a small amount of people who think it’s likely for third party candidates to win in the next 20 years.
“I don’t think they have a chance of winning the election just because it generally is a two party Democratic or Republican country. But they do in uence the votes, so they can take votes away from either party depending on
who is a candidate and what their platform is,” Ashraf said.
!is is known as spoiler e ect: if a third-party candidate enters the race, and they are ideologically similar to a major party candidate, people believe that the candidate can steal votes away from that major party. !is ultimately causes the opposing party to win and ‘spoils’ the election.
!ird-party candidates can also play a big role in in uencing public policy and bring awareness to new issues.
“!e candidates can write to their representatives or whoever does become president, and they will need to address [new policy issues]. As a result, third-party candidates indirectly have an impact on policy,” Mosley said.
GRAPHIC BY AMITHA NAIR
Q&A A dive into what students think
By Elizabeth Truelove and Lang Cooper | Print Editor-in-Cheif and Staff Writer
What policies do you think will determine how middle ground voters and swing states vote?
“De nitely economic policy as that is the main thing coming out of Biden’s last term. Many people weren’t happy with his policies so they are going to look to which candidate can better improve those rights. I think in some of the swing states, abortion will be a pretty big issue. I know 25 percent of Democrats said that they would vote solely based o of abortion. It’s a big issue that a lot of civil issue voters are going to look towards.” Where do you get the majority of your news from?
“My parents mostly. Sometimes I’ll see it on social media or hear about it in debate and go fact check.” Do you follow politicians’ Instagram accounts? Why?
Yes. I think they’re funny. I actually watched both candidates’ Tik Toks. But the interesting thing is that they are not normally policy attacks but more personal attacks.”
How do you think social media has a ected this election in particular?
“I think that with the adaptive algorithm on Instagram and TikTok, the more posts that you view, the more that type of post will be the ones that continuously get fed to you. So, you create this mindset of almost thinking that your opinion is the right one, because it’s the one that’s consistently shown on social media, but it’s only shown consistently on your social media. It creates this cycle in which you constantly have a righteous feeling against everyone else. If everyone has a righteous feeling, there’s no communication and there’s no growth, and it causes political polarization.”
Where do you get the majority of your news from?
“I subscribe to a variety of newsletters that I get emails from in the morning. I love !e Morning Brew. I also read extremely extremist news articles on both sides. I feel like it will help me get a very moderate view on topics.”
How do you see the impacts of the current political climate in your daily life?
“I mean, in conversations with friends and family I can de nitely see how politics has a ected more of our conversations. Over the summer, I remember they played the debate with Biden and Trump at a restaurant and the bar was lled with people screaming. Seeing that in person was wild, but a very clear representation of the divide in our country right now.”
Where do you get the majority of your news from?
“Since my mom works for FOX, I do get a lot of my news from there. I know it gets a bad rep, but I stay away from focusing on the opinion pieces at FOX. I also listen to a lot of Good Morning America.”
How do you think social media has a ected this election in particular?
“I think it has a ected this election a lot just because a lot of voters in our generation only get one-sided opinions on their feed. !en, a lot of people just assume that that’s the only correct answer and will not go out and do their own research.”
Where do you get the majority of your news from?
“Unfortunately, I get most of mine from social media, like Instagram. I try to diversify, but you know, as a high schooler, I don’t really have that much time to so it’s mostly Instagram.”
Do you think politicians should have unlimited access to social media?
“Honestly, yes. It is freedom of speech, but it also can depend on how they use it.
Overall, though, yes.”
Do you follow or seek out politicians’ social media accounts? Why or why not?
“Oh my goodness, yes! I follow so many personally. !e most interesting person I follow is Vivek. He leans very far right, but I just love learning from people with polar opposite views and opinions. I think a lot of young politicians are really trying to engage with our generation in new ways on social media, which makes it a very engaging experience.”
Lily Vollbrecht – Form II
Mischa Rutledge – Form III
Emmy Roberts – Form IV
Celine Ebert – Form IV
VOTE.
JADE is a magazine supplement to e Fourcast. e Hockaday School’s student newspaper. Magazine Editor: Amitha Nair; Assistant: Anya Aggarwal; Contributing Writers: Aadhya Yanamadala, Aanya Naini, Ai-vy Ho, Alexa Munoz, Mary Bradley, Alina Zheng, Amitha Nair, Anderson Rhodus, Aneeka Tansen, Anya Aggarwal, Anika Shah, Anjy Fadairo, Cece Johnson, Danya Risam-Chandi, Elizabeth Farrell, Elizabeth Truelove, Elle Myers, Emilie Illum, Larkin Clouston, Emily Mcleroy, Juliette Friguletto, Katie Ma, Lang Cooper, Mary Elise Estess, Melinda
Moskowiz, Shifa Irfan, Shreya Vijay, Sophia Salem, Sophie Cho; Faculty Adviser: Kristy Rodgers Editorial Policy: JADE Magazine is written primarily for students of the Hockaday
of
Fourcast.