As Mr. Nicholas Beckmann walks into class he closes the door behind him and greets his students. He asks the students to take out their notes and begins the class with a three-minute video about the failure to impeach Democrat Al Green. Once the video finishes he walks to the front of the class and the discussion begins.
FHC is made up of a wide range of students with a wide range of political opinions. This can lead to many intense discussions in classes like Contemporary Issues which focus on current polarizing matters. Mr. Beckmann teaches Contemporary Issues as a semester class and has had a number of students choose to take the class multiple times.
One of these students, senior Isabella Crnko, signed up to take the class both semesters and believes the discussions have helped her see both sides of every argument.
“I think it definitely changed my political views, but it didn’t put me on a different side or anything. It gave me a different view of other people’s beliefs,” Crnko said.
Crnko also spoke about the importance of individuality and allowing students to form their own opinions.
“It gives them a form of self, and lets them be themselves instead of following other people’s beliefs.” Crnko said.
Mr. Beckmann leads the class in discussion in order to give the students a base that they can build off of. As the class discusses the topics of the day, Mr. Beckmann chimes in to offer a contrasting perspective and give more information about the subject.
Another student in Contemporary Issues is senior Ethan Allen, who also believed that the setup of class was beneficial as it allowed students to form their opinions on their own.
“I think your opinions should be informed, [and in Contemporary Issues] you can get multiple sources and really fact check everything you do,” Allen said.
Allen appreciated how all sides of an argument were displayed, and he attributed his change in opinion to the ability he had to see every perspective.
“It keeps you up to date with current day events. I think it changes your political beliefs because you have a more accurate understanding of what’s actually happening in the world since you’re not just getting news from one source.” Allen said.
The ability for students to form their own opinions is extremely important because freedom of thought is what allows people to be their own person.
Mr. Beckmann will explain in detail the issue being discussed in the video, then he will summarize his explanation in a simple sentence to ensure the entire class understands what he is talking about. He asks the students if they have any questions then proceeds to the next topic once he knows everyone is on the same page.
Contemporary Issues gives students the ability to not only form their own opinions, but also gives them a look into every perspective while helping the class understand the issue being discussed.
