I went around the school to get feedback from the students about what important current events that they think need to be talked about more at school. The students I interviewed touched on the importance of climate, politics, and global news.

An anonymous 9th grader at Lincoln spoke on the importance of the climate: ”I think an example of an important topic that needs to be talked about more often in all our classes is climate change.

“It is a current and necessary topic that is not talked about enough. Especially as members of the youth, we need to care more about it.”

He brought up a great point about the youth leading these conversations on the climate because, after all,  it is our generation who will have to deal with the repercussions.

Regarding the discussion of global news at school, KC Donaldson, a sophomore at Lincoln, stated, “We don’t talk enough about current news issues in school a lot.

“Things like the war in Ukraine and Russia were talked about briefly and then pushed under the rug. I think if kids aren’t taught it in schools, they aren’t likely to seek it out outside [of school].”

Schools all across the country withhold subject matter in lessons for the safety of all of the students, but is it necessary to teach these kids of topics even if they are uncomfortable? Absolutely.

The only way we as students can fully be open to learning about things happening in the world is if we discuss and implement them into the curriculum.

Like K.C said, a lot of students won’t seek out information on their own. Having collaborative discussions about what’s happening around us are really significant.

Benni Cicero, a 10th grader, at Lincoln said, “I really think we should talk more about the current war that’s happening at the Gaza Strip. Only one of my classes had mentioned it, and they only mentioned it for a moment.

“That alone is evidence of why we need to talk about it more because many aren’t educated on it. I feel that if we have more people educated correctly about it, we will be more likely to help, even if it’s only by spreading awareness.”

Some of the students said that the lessons on global news are usually brief and without any further discussion. Although specific topics can be very sensitive, it is still crucial we acknowledge that they exist.

Kai Blair, 10th grade, states, “Besides biology, we don’t really talk about the climate crisis. If we learned more about it throughout the year, I think people would be more motivated to create change and talk about global warming.

The media can do a good job of informing us about global issues, but it’s also important we talk about it in school.”

The main consensus I received is that students at Lincoln find these topics very crucial and necessary within the curriculum.

How we as students acknowledge the major events occurring around us will play a pivotal role in how we understand ourselves and the role we play in the future.