On Friday, October 18, the Westridge History department held an “Election Assembly” with Michelle del Rosario Martinez, who was at the time running for California State Assembly in District 41, and Steve Gibson, the president of the Democrats of Pasadena Foothills and a Trustee for Pasadena City College. They represented Republican and Democratic voices, respectively.
Administrative Assistant to Upper School Ms. Kali Spicer sent out an email on November 14 on behalf of the History department notifying students about the assembly. She said, “[This assembly] will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions, engage in civil dialogue, and learn about local and federal politics.”
Upper School History Teacher Ms. Jennifer Cutler noted the importance of having these civil conversations during an election year. She started this initiative back in 2020, her first year teaching at Westridge. She said, “[Westridge] was sort of an echo [chamber]. So I was like, ‘Okay, how can I get in all different voices to class.’” Because that year’s assembly was hosted online, she found that “people were super willing” to speak to Upper School students about their party and beliefs. Ms. Cutler was able to host four separate assemblies, each with a representative from the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and Green parties.
At the beginning of the assembly, the two visitors introduced themselves. In Ms. de Rosario Martinez’s introduction, she identified herself as a Republican and heavily religious person. She is affiliated with the Salt and Light Council, whose goal is to restore America’s biblical and moral foundations, and has been a member of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena. Mr. Gibson introduced himself by explaining his passion for sustainability and his work with organizations such as the Berkeley Ecology Center, Pasadena City College, and the Democrats of Pasadena Foothills.
After, student moderators Fiona Z. ’25 and Spyglass Copy Editor Miranda F. ’25 posed questions about Proposition 33, a 2022 California measure that would allow insurance discounts for continuous coverage.
Soon, the questions started coming from the student audience. Grace W. ’26 asked a question about tax bracketing, while Micaela R. ’26 asked a question about how the two guests felt supported at the RNC (Republican National Convention) and DNC (Democratic National Convention). In total, only four students were able to ask questions during the assembly due to timing constraints. Afterward, Ms. del Rosario Martinez sat in Ayrshire Courtyard to answer any student follow-up questions.
Both teachers and students agreed that the assembly, which was only 30 minutes, would have benefited from being longer. Moderator Fiona Z. ’25 said, “For candidate forums specifically, we want to get in as many questions as we could.” Upper School history teacher Mr. Bill Harrison said, “There wasn’t enough time to hear enough from both of them.”
