In a small town such as Scituate, students become very involved in sports, clubs, religious activities, and community service. Unfortunately, this active lifestyle limits the amount of time students have to follow current events. History teachers at SHS agree with this statement. According to Mrs. Messner, students tend to live in the “bubble” of Scituate. Even some students agree with this observation.

SHS sophomore Emma Dwyer states, “we don’t really watch the news as much as we should. No one tells us current events.” Do SHS students know that there are several rocket strikes per day in Israel?  Do they know there are airstrikes going on in Syria against ISIS right now?

Students can easily learn about current events from any website or social media app, yet they may not choose to stay in tune with the news. Instead of downloading a news station app, students might be more inclined to download a game or a social media website such as Twitter or Instagram. People who follow news stations on Twitter may only look at the 140 character tweet. They might not read other articles.

History teacher Mr. McNeil said, “To be involved you have to start by being aware.” He feels there is a sense of irony because students have access to technology that makes news quickly accessible.  But this type of media encourages people to look at headlines and short, brief explanations, rather than read entire stories.  Mr. McNeil added that instead of reading an article or watching a half hour news story on a topic, “students will read a tweet and make assumptions based on a small amount of information.”  Mr. McNeil wonders if SHS teachers could help students learn how to be more media literate.

Some students may follow the news, but they may not understand it or know how to distinguish quality sources of information. History and psychology teacher Mr. Roberts said, “A few students are aware, but most don’t know as much as they would like.  Nightly news every night, regardless of the station, will help inform them more.”

Junior Anastasia Hayes said, “I watch BBC news all the time.  Some students aren’t aware by choice.  They know there’s something going on, but they don’t have control over it, so they tune them out.”  If students take the time to follow the news, they might have a greater appreciation for speakers, such as General George Casey, when they come to speak.

After General Casey’s presentation, Mrs. Messner said she wanted her students to know “it’s their responsibility to be aware.” She said once students turn 18, they have the right to vote, and in order to make a more informed decision, they will need to know about different election issues. If following the news becomes part of their daily routine, students will be more educated about topics before they go to the voting booth.

Whether students are reading full news articles or not, they’re always finding ways to get involved in their community.