Amy Powell, a high school photography teacher in Ohio, asked her students how they felt about the presidential election during a time when they are not yet old enough to vote.
Many of us adults are fatigued by what’s being called “election depression” and can’t wait for this to be over. Friends online have posted about needing to do yoga or drinking copious amounts of wine to stomach the third debate, and I admit, this particular election season has made me feel a bit anxious too.
As a high school photography teacher in Ohio, I’ve struggled with how to talk about the election with my students. Generally speaking, teachers don’t usually share their own political beliefs and it’s often easier to steer away from controversial topics in the classroom. When things get uncomfortable for me, however, it’s typically a signal to do something.
On a whim following the final debate, I asked students to sit for a portrait expressing their feelings about the upcoming election. These pictures offer a snapshot at how suburban Ohio teens feel at a time when they’re old enough to have opinions about what’s going on in the world, but not old enough to vote.
This experience gave our class an opportunity to be silly and make light of what seems to be a troubling situation for many of us.
