This or That: The Polls Taking Over Tower Hill

By: Aarush Vakalapudi

If you’ve been roaming the HUB recently, you’ve most definitely come across the polls that line the Upper School. From thought-provoking questions on philosophy, “Would you rather time travel to the past or future?” to less serious questions, “Maple or Pumpkin Spice,” the Tower Hill community has contributed to making the school day considerably more engaging.

But why did the polls begin, are they going to last, and, more importantly, what do they say about us? We’ve uncovered some honest opinions, funny takes, and even some surprising insights that reveal what makes Upper School life so interesting. 

Considering the polls around the school, your mind most likely travels to the whiteboard in front of the theater. 

A poll taken on October 10th, 2025, outside of the DuPont Theater

The idea behind this constantly changing display began during the first week of school, by the girls who sit at the white table right outside of the HUB. Junior Hudson Brockstedt, a regular feature at the white table, explained that the creation of polls began as a joke. “It wasn’t serious, and I don’t remember what we were talking about, but we were just playing around. To our shock, people liked to vote a lot, and that gave us motivation to keep going!” Furthermore, Hudson explained that generating polling ideas was a team effort. “It isn’t just one person who makes them. We all just take turns when someone has a good question to ask. I think the reason I love doing it, though, is because I get to interact with more people, teachers, students, and staff.” 

When asked what makes creating polls so fun, Hudson recounted an experience she had with Junior Liam Duke. “Liam Duke and I don’t talk every day. However, when I created my poll, ‘What is more important in life: Love or health,’ we had such a great conversation about what we each thought regarding the topic. I am very interested in this type of philosophy, so I had a lot of fun that day.” 

What began as a lighthearted conversation among friends quickly has quickly grown into something bigger. Polling has become a schoolwide phenomenon, sparking conversations and laughter across grade levels.

Ask anyone around, and they’ll have a poll that stuck out to them. Some remember the heated poll about Conrad versus Jeremiah, the two male stars in Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, while others were indeed outraged by the fact that more people would rather become millionaires in a year than find true love right now. Junior Ansh Kapoor likes the polls because they make him feel like everyone isn’t constantly stressed about school. “It’s nice to see people taking a moment in their day to add to the conversation,” he says. “It brings a glimpse of joy and excitement to my day, sometimes when I, or someone else I know, need it the most.” Sophomore Eva Cai shares similar sentiments. “I honestly really like them. They give people something to talk about.”

A poll taken on October 8th, 2025, just outside of the HUB.

Teachers have also joined the fun, adding their own tally marks or even creating their own polls. Ms. Grotti, for example, leaves a poll on her HUB desk every day, encouraging students to express their opinions. This ultimately makes the polls feel more communal, seeing the teachers be just as engaged with polling as us students. One junior who participates in these polls daily admitted that they have grown on them. “In the beginning, I thought they were random. Frankly, I thought they were a waste of time. But, as I navigate Junior year, I have found myself looking forward to them. It’s something about the way I never know what to expect. The responses can be shocking,” they say.

At a school like Tower Hill, these polls do a whole lot of good. We easily get caught up in grades and routines, making sure that we live up to our motto, Multa Bene Facta or “many things done well.” They bring forth our vibrant student body and make a bold statement about our community. People’s voices want to be heard, and they look forward to connecting with each other. In a world consisting of college stress, due dates, and rubrics, these polls are all it takes for people to share a small piece of who they are.

So maybe the skeptics are right, and the polls won’t last forever. But their impact definitely will. They’ve made the HUB feel a little bit more like home, and connected the people within its walls just a bit more. In a way, the tally marks have become a reminder that we at Tower Hill, the students and faculty, value everyone's voice being a part of the conversation.