Your opinion matters. From politics to school issues to sports, your peers want to know what you think. That’s why, today, Eastside Polling is being officially established.

Through polls, surveys and more, Eastside Polling will aim to accurately gauge the opinions of Cherry Hill East students regarding various topics. This coverage will give a voice to the students of East in as many ways as possible. While “student voice” surveys go around once in a while and Student Government elections are open to all once per year, those methods of feedback can only do so much. Hearing directly from you on the issues that matter most will add a new level of participation and elevate the voices of all types of students. If you’ve ever wanted to express your strong support for a political candidate, voice your disapproval (or approval) of a school policy, or let the world know about who you think should win at the Oscars, Eastside Polling will give you that opportunity.

You can expect various regular (and non-recurring) publications from this new branch of Eastside. For one, biweekly polls will be published gauging approval ratings for both the U.S. President and school administration. Generally, these will be simple surveys with a single answer. Periodically, however, Eastside Polling will take a deeper dive into why students feel the way they do on those issues through interviews and extended surveys. These regular functions will provide a window into how the school community views leaders at different levels, with periodic coverage exhibiting the driving factors behind those views. Furthermore, their regularity will allow for the examination of trends and fluctuations in students’ feelings.

Another regular staple of Eastside Polling will be the Eastside Polling Podcast. Monthly, a podcast will be released examining the results of the past month worth of polling data. Examining surveys from both Eastside and other publications, the podcast will highlight interesting findings and the most important bits of public opinion from the month.

Alongside recurring coverage, Eastside Polling will produce various special survey reports. For example, in the next few months, semi-regular polls will assess the student body’s opinions regarding the ongoing Democratic Presidential Primary. Other special coverage will center around special events and issues. A poll may be conducted to assess East’s view on who deserves to win big at an upcoming awards show, or whether a new school policy is beneficial to students.

In all of its work, Eastside Polling will put transparency first. Information on methodology, sample size, and other key polling factors will always be made public. Readers should always remember that a poll of part of a population may not represent the views of the entire population.

If you are interested in helping to conduct polls for Eastside Polling, come to F087 to find out how.
Eastside Polling’s first poll, evaluating the Democratic Primary, the President’s approval and what issues are important to students in politics today, is available now. (link)