New York City Elected Zohran Mamdani. How Does HSAS Feel?

Mirabelle Medwed, Grade 11, News Editor and Lior Austrian-Jacobs, Grade 11, Staff Writer

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Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as Mayor of New York City on January 1st, 2026 following his historic election two months prior in November. Mamdani is the first Muslim American to hold the office, and a self-proclaimed Democratic-Socialist. Common Sense takes a look at the reactions among our students to this historic vote.

    Mamdani’s campaign was unprecedented, with the former assemblyman rising from near obscurity to becoming the frontrunner in the mayoral race. His unexpected success drew attention across the city and the nation, including at the High School of American Studies (HSAS). 

    Many students followed the election with interest, especially because Mamdani was markedly different from other politicians: “I was excited to see somebody young who actually seemed to care about the city running rather than a lot of older people who wanted to take us back or stay where we were,” says Aisling Coleman(‘27). 

     Others highlight Mamdani’s ability to connect with his constituents. “I think he’s really good at talking to people. I think he’s very persuasive,” says Ida Louison-Belsky(‘29). 

     Much of Mamdani’s popularity came from his promises to lower costs. 

    “I think that his new policies, while radical, are also common sense, especially when it comes to ideas like affordability, which so many New Yorkers grapple with on a day-to-day basis,” says Daniel Bryndle-Khym(‘28). 

    Still, some HSAS students express concern over Mamdani’s ambitious goals.

    Kaela Glaser(‘26) reflects on how her knowledge from Mr. Mansdorf’s economics class influenced her perception of Mamdani’s policies: “I love his ideas, but a lot of them don’t seem very realistic. Concepts like freezing the rent and free buses are great in theory, but how does he plan to execute that in real life?”

    She also shares that "maybe I’m just jaded by Mr. Mansdorf’s economics class, but I don't know how that will work out.”

    Bryndle-Khym further voices concerns over Mamdani’s past statements that have been labeled antisemitic. 

    “New York City has a large Jewish population, so it's important that we cultivate and protect our Jewish communities. There are some things that Zohran has said in his past that are explicitly antisemitic and anti-Zionist…things like that are concerning” Bryndle-Khym adds. 

    When asked to consider how Mamdani’s policies might affect HSAS, most students feel that there will be few direct changes.

    “Most of his policies don’t seem to…have a lot to do with specialized high schools," says Louison Belsky. 

    Although many students express similar ideas, Coleman mentions the debate over the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), which HSAS uses for admissions: “I think, obviously, [abolishing the SHSAT] would directly impact our school…, and I really wonder how our school would function from that point forward with an abolished SHSAT.” 

    Mamdani discussed eliminating the test system before this campaign but softened on the issue during the mayoral race, instead proposing programs to make the SHSAT more equitable. 

     Despite concerns, Coleman and other students interviewed feel cautiously optimistic and hope Mamdani will make choices that are in the city’s best interest: “I think it's important to give people a chance to see what they can do. So I'm excited to see how it goes.”

Zohran Mamdani speaking at his inauguration on Thursday, January 1, 2026