There was a strong media turnout for Teen Voter Registration Day at Leo on September 10, with more than a half-dozen TV stations, radio stations and newspapers sending reporters and filing stories about an event that added more than 250 new voters to the rolls in Cook County (see the September Leo newsletter).
Pop mega-star Taylor Swift’s same-day announcement that she was backing the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket in the Presidential race brought reporter Jasmine Minor and an ABC-7 camera crew back to Leo on September 11 to measure teenage boys’ reaction.
“I wasn’t sure if we had any ‘Swifties’ in the building, but we all know who she is and how popular she is,” Leo President Dan McGrath said. “The Channel 7 producer said they chose Leo because our guys are so well-spoken and comfortable talking to the media.”
Senior Keith Smith, one of the leading voices in the world-renowned Leo Choir, said he applauded Ms. Swift for putting her name and reputation behind something she believes in. Fellow senior Josue Rios said it was likely Ms. Swift’s popularity would have some effect on the race, but it was important for voters to study the issues and decide for themselves whom to support.
Sophomore Gabriel Sims, a cross-country runner, displayed some Swifty tendencies, explaining that he listens to Ms. Swift’s music while he runs and while he does his homework.
All three interviews were included in the story, which ran on Channel 7’s early-evening newscasts on September 11.
“A lot of people told me they saw me on television,” Rios said. “It was pretty cool.”