This year, through the various clubs that I’ve joined, I was reminded of the power that discussions and sharing opinions had to educate people. I started to think about advocating for more discussions in our classes, and political discussions about topical issues as well. Yet I also felt as though in the past I only came out of these kinds of discussions feeling good because I was surrounded by people who shared similar beliefs and values. I sometimes had some disagreements with others, but because we knew that we shared certain core beliefs, we were able to peacefully agree to disagree. We knew that sharing those core beliefs was much more important than agreeing on any particular issue. But I wondered how people feel when they are in a similar setting, but their core beliefs and values don’t align with the majority of people around them. While that’s probably happened to all of us at some point in our lives, I couldn’t recall a time where I felt completely alienated this way at ASIJ.I spoke to several members of the community about how they felt about the ASIJ community’s acceptance of their views. Nate Thomas, Grade 10, who identified as politically moderate, explained that he has met other members of the community who share similar values. However, he regards ASIJ as a majority liberal school, and doesn’t believe that everybody would be accepting of his views and beliefs, although he doesn’t believe he would get a hostile response. Another student I interviewed, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed a similar opinion, telling me that while he doesn’t believe people would be hostile if he expressed himself freely, there would be some people who wouldn’t accept him. Allen Edmunds, Grade 10, who identified as liberal, explained that while people would be accepting of his views, ASIJ students are often influenced by media and pop culture which leans liberal.

The idea that people are still learning what their values and beliefs are is perhaps the strongest argument for adding topical discussions into our classes. Schools not only have a responsibility to teach students more about the world, but also a responsibility to create an environment in which students can discover more about themselves as they grow older. Through such discussions, students can learn to be sympathetic and understanding of how other people view the world. At the same time, students can learn more about themselves. And while political discussions don’t always go well, our school undoubtedly has the resources, qualified teachers, and intelligent students that will allow discussions to run peacefully and smoothly. Ultimately, this exchange of ideas will build students’ character, compassion, and courage.