How St. Ignatius Helps My High School Students Talk About the Presidential Election

How are my seniors expected to feel about this year’s presidential election? That’s the question I asked myself in the fall of 2020 as I prepared to engage 20 high school students in a weeklong discussion and analysis of our electoral process and Electoral College system. I taught a course on the political theory and everyday practices that guide the day-to-day operations of our government and shape our public policy.

Of course, the fall of 2020 was a very difficult time not only for our country, but also for the whole world. With the Covid-19 pandemic raging, our school, Fairfield College Preparatory School in Connecticut, was about to begin a hybrid learning schedule with half the class participating online and half attending in person each day. Trying to engage my students in meaningful dialogue was nearly impossible, so I decided to take a more reflective approach.

I wanted to teach these young people to listen to each other better. We wouldn’t get anywhere if they shut down every time they heard something they didn’t agree with. My spiritual mentor training helped me with this. I started with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and his premise, which calls for us to be “more willing to give a good interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it as false” (Spiritual ExercisesNo. 22). Given that Fairfield Prep was on a hybrid schedule due to the pandemic, I would pair a student who was attending classes in person with someone who was on Zoom. This was an attempt to make those present at home feel like they were truly participating in a class discussion. I have received very positive feedback from both students and parents. Students appreciated this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation and felt heard. Parents, some of whom overheard their son talking to classmates, reported hearing very respectful interactions.

Using Ignatius’ suggestion as a basis, the class began a small group spiritual conversation. This meant that each student could share their thoughts and perspectives without a peer responding immediately or even interrupting them. Each student had to truly listen to each member of their group. They internalized what they heard and then, in their later responses, shared what they believed were the general movements of their small group. At the final stage of these spiritual conversations, we had very lively but civil discussions in class.

My students’ political views reflected those of society. Their political views were equally polarized. I have had students who fell far to the right of the political spectrum, and others who fell far to the left. I had very few students who considered themselves independent. So when it came time for the whole class to participate, a healthy discussion ensued. Specifically, when the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court was announced in late September 2020, less than 40 days before the election, students discussed the pros and cons of promoting or delaying a Supreme Court nominee and compared the situation to the nomination of Merrick Garland. in the 2016 elections.

Another resource that helped me teach during the 2020 election cycle was “Reflection and Political Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement” prepared by the Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada. As the document’s introductory letter states, “This document is a reflection of how our faith and Ignatian values ​​can guide our pursuit of the common good on a community basis.”

This document is not a voter guide; rather, he views our common political life through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. One of the questions we pondered was, “How am I called to publicly live out my faith?” and “How can Ignatian spirituality and discernment impact my participation in public life?”

We discussed what it means to be a “person for others” in relation to civic engagement and civic discourse. Students talked about the need to put others’ feelings and perspectives before their own. We discussed how they could exercise their civic duty even if they couldn’t vote. Some volunteered to work on local political campaigns, and one interned for a state senator.

My students talked about the pressure they felt to vote a certain way because of their parents’ political views. Many described how much mistrust there is in the media, especially when it comes to political coverage.

The head of the history department and I assigned a special assignment to study media coverage of elections; this continued into the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Students were asked to explore possible bias, how it affects policy, and how it relates to truth.

Students were encouraged to look at media coverage from a variety of sources, not just their preferred political perspective. One student noted that he felt “uncomfortable” watching reports from a media source that contradicted his political viewpoint. He, like many other students, came to a keen understanding of how different the news coverage of Fox News or MSNBC could be.

The idea of ​​Ignatian discernment was a bit foreign to my students, so going through this process with this group of students was a worthwhile endeavor. I have every confidence that Ignatius’ insight can benefit the difficult decisions that our civic lives call upon us to make. According to my students, especially those who were voting in an election for the first time, I felt that this would not be an easy decision.

So we discussed this aspect of Ignatian discernment, taken from our study guide: “True discernment requires us to develop our relationship with Christ in this deepest part of ourselves.” The spiritual conversation process helped my students hear a variety of perspectives. This helped them determine who they should listen to and make sure they included God in the conversation.

Now, in 2024, we are fully immersed in another contentious election cycle. In many ways, this time seems even more challenging. So how do we approach election season here at Fairfield Prep? Each school year we choose a theme. The theme of our school this year is “Our Common Home.” We approach this topic through two main areas: “Caring for Creation” and “Civic Discourse and Civic Engagement.” As we prepare our students for this critical period, it is important for us to remember the framework Ignatian spiritual conversation: Speak slowly; listen carefully; look for the truth in what others say; disagree humbly and respectfully and take the necessary time.