Every day, news on every scale rumbles through the streets of our great nation. Democrats took over the majority in the House of Representatives, making history with the most diverse group to ever take their seats in Congress at the beginning of January. The government shutdown is also breaking records, becoming the longest shutdown in the United States’ history. Locally, The New York Times voted Huntsville as number 22 on their “52 Places to Go in 2019” list.  With so much knowledge at students’ fingertips, does the student body use the resources around them to stay current with the news? More importantly, do they care?

 In a student survey, almost everyone said they care about what happens in our government, but sophomore Chloe Puhalovic discussed older generations believing that the young are ignorant of government issues. She explained, “Many assume because of our ages that we are naive and uninformed regardless of where we stand on the political compass.” When individually asked about how knowledgeable they felt concerning political events, 73.8 percent of the 62 students surveyed felt they were politically aware, but many also felt that the greater student body displayed a more apathetic attitude. Freshman Aparna Bhooshanan remarked, “[Many] do not believe that what happens in the government affects them, so they do not attempt to acquaint themselves with politics.” Similarly, Toni Glover, a junior, argued that “students are more aware of what is going on in the world entertainment wise than politics.” If students think themselves informed, but their peers and their elders say otherwise, perhaps it’s time for Bob Jones to take a closer look at student news and awareness.

In this age of biased news and outrage culture, it can be hard to form a clear picture of events, and according to senior Kafui Sakyi-Addo, “it’s difficult to hear unbiased voices…there is a lack of people genuinely listening to one another.” In some instances, students found they have the necessary tools to stay updated on current events, but feel they are too young to do anything about it. Either way, the path to being a well-informed citizen becomes clouded, and some believe that the culture of opinions at Bob Jones isn’t helping. Shelby West, sophomore, stated, “There is definitely political awareness at Bob Jones, but it’s so opinionated and heated that politics don’t often get discussed because people start yelling at each other.”

Clubs such as Young Advocates for Equality, Young Republicans, and Young Democrats are attempting to provide a venue for debate, despite declining attendance rates, and senior Jasmin Watson suggested “a politically neutral discussion patriot path or [sending] students weekly neutral news articles” may also be an effective way to educate the student body. Some students suggested watching different news channels in history classes to hear a variation of voices in the media, and having peaceful talks about issues in class to hear everyone’s opinion in a positive way. Sophomore Madeline Dobbs felt that “there should be as many opportunities for getting politically involved as there are for college fairs. There should be more awareness for voter registration, and more incorporation of a peaceful political climate at Bob Jones.”

Students like those at Bob Jones are leading the charge on changing and bettering the future, like last March, when millions of young advocates marched around the United States in a stand against gun violence. If Bob Jones were to adapt to an environment where being aware might be more important to students, it could influence the diplomatic atmosphere of the future.While there will always be some political difference and an absence of information being shared, the youth of today influence the outlook of tomorrow.