PV students have recently shown their engagement with politics through social media and political marches. On Jan. 22, the annual March for Life, in Washington, D.C. occurred. A few PV students attended the march in order to take a stand for their political views. There, they were able to immerse themselves in what they believed in. Others took to social media to spread the word on what their side of the argument entailed.
Senior Lily Dumas was one of the students that took the trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the event. “March For Life was extremely eye-opening,” Dumas stated, “Something as simple as the march can spark change and impact on so many organizations.”
An environment such as the March for Life protest can be very impactful, no matter the cause. Dumas found her views to be strengthened after attending such a large movement. Connecting students to outlets where they can express their views is important in promoting a healthy political discussion.
With so many eyes on the March For Life protest, part of the student body felt the desire to post rebuttal arguments on their social media, specifically Instagram. Using this platform is a great way to reach other peers with similar or opposing views. The prevalence of social media creates an environment for students to discuss and get involved with their political views.
Senior Hannah Harrison was one of the students who used her platform on social media to speak on her opinion.Her motivation for the post was centered in the following, “I wanted to stand up for what I believe in. I’m definitely an advocate for women’s rights and posting was a way to portray that to a large group of people.” Harrison’s goal was to elaborate on the topic through her perspective, not cause further division. By posting on her social media she was able to reach a large audience.
Teens are often eager to get into politics, and having accessible resources is important. Senior Lily Law was another student to attend the March for Life protest. “I think it was definitely cool to be a part of the DC march because of the symbolic reference and how many people were able to make it,” she said.
Despite the significance of the location, Law felt “It would be awesome to have some more events closer to the area.” Creating an environment for political conversation within the Quad Cities is important, and having outlets at school could really encourage students to talk amongst each other. Law is active in politics, inside and out of school, “I think PV tends to have good opportunities for people of all political parties,” she said, “I think that it is very open to letting people create them too if they desire.” There is value to traveling to one of the most politically influential places in the world; however, it is important that the opportunities locally continue to encourage a healthy discussion.
The March for Life protest is not the only political event that has recently sparked political discourse among youth. Continuing to encourage political discussion among students is extremely important, and marches as well as internal school groups are a great medium for this.
