Political activism is not just about sharing ones personal views its staying informed, caught up and double-checking to make sure one is getting the right information. Senior Ritish Ratanpal talks about how he stays caught up with current worldwide events.

     “I just check everything, always look at both sides. Whenever I hear something, I’ll always doubt it, no matter what it is. I always want to see, ‘Is this really true?’ I go online and just fact-check and read a little bit about it and see both sides,” Ratanpal said.

     Gaining a deep understanding of those around you is important, like how senior Noah Ebbs views others around him.

     “I think based on my beliefs, I tend to look at things differently, because I’m the type of person that wants to understand all perspectives of something, and so I wouldn’t say I’m prejudiced or anything,” Ebbs said. “I think everybody has different perspectives, and I think learning all different perspectives and points of view [is] important. That motivates me to react differently to an event, or motivates me to learn more about something.”

     Ebbs speaks on the matter of sharing personal views.

     “I think people are scared of self-expression, and so they take up this idea of uniformity, and because everybody wants to be like everybody else, and everybody wants what they can’t have. I would say there is a lack of self-expression,” Ebbs said.

     Senior Alex Mason adds to the topic by speaking on when certain political issues should be talked about or shared.

     “Some things I do express, but some other things I keep to myself because there might be some people that won’t like that opinion, and that could start arguments and conflicts,” Mason said, adding on, “I kind of try to separate our friendships from our things that we self-express just because I value that person for something more than their standpoint on something.”

     When it comes to joining an actual protest to get their voice out there, it comes down to whether or not it is something worth protesting for. Ratanpal shares his circumstances to actually take part in one.

     “I would join a protest if something concerns me enough, but nothing’s concerned me. If it affected me enough to the point where I need to join one. Maybe there does come a day,” Ratanpal says. “I haven’t had a feeling where I [want to] go to them. Usually, when protests happen, chaos follows, and then it makes the protesters look bad, and it ruins their message, so it’s probably better for them not to go and protest.”