Politics have always made a major impact on students’ lives, and this year’s mayoral election was no exception. 

November marks the month that changed history for New Yorkers, with XX million people casting ballots. The New York City mayoral election took place on Nov. 4. Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won against his opponents, Republican Curtis Sliwa and Independent Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Some of Mamdani’s proposals included free buses, affordable housing and government-controlled grocery stores. Although the election had great importance, many students at Art & Design said they felt they didn’t learn much about it during their classes. 

“I feel like we don’t talk about it as much as we can in class,” says Phoebe Burke, a Freshman at A&D.

Burke says she felt that seeing people voting for mayor at school was inspiring, and stressed the importance of choosing our leaders wisely. But most of her information about the election had come from her parents rather than school.

Ben Schwartzburt, a sophomore, said didn’t really know much about the election except for the candidates.

He showed lots of excitement for Mamdani, though.

 “I don’t know. He seems like a good guy,” Schwartzburt emphasized.

When asked why A&D students aren’t taught more about local politics, history teacher Mr. Kepler gave insight from a teacher’s perspective. 

“We have to hit certain benchmarks at different times. So, I think talking about the election is hard,” Kepler stated, stressing the fact that it’s not really the teachers’ jobs to teach about current politics especially in content-heavy classes such as AP World History or AP U.S. History. 

Even so, after Mamdani’s win, students at A&D said they are feeling excitement and hope for the future. They’re also curious where this new leader will take New York City. Marco Monthena, a senior, highlighted how Mamdani’s victory is “a very significant turning point in the history of the city and also in the country.”