Antonio Hernandez
Students are masters in multi-tasking, paying attention to certain things while washing away others with the touch of a volume button.
Parents, siblings and annoying friends can all be ignored with a simple slide of the finger.
But, there is one thing that cannot be ignored, even with the iPod at full blast.
The Iraq War.
The occupation of Iraq by U.S. forces has been a topic that has traversed the nation since the invasion in 2003.
Nearly all major media outlets have covered the war and it’s nearly impossible to go through a day without hearing breaking news from the country.
“It’s a current event that we can’t escape,” said Jenna Stone, a full-time student at Pierce College. “I think that the class forces students to think about it more and question their own beliefs,” she said.
It’s true, even though we can turn off the television or decide to skip pages in the newspaper, the classroom is something that a student cannot ignore.
Chances are that a student taking a political science or history class has at least heard their instructor mention Iraq.
“The topic is a very important one, and American foreign policy does come up in class, with the war being a great example,” said Norm Levy, professor of political science at Pierce.
“Besides, when you’re a political science teacher, the world is your oyster.”
Discussion of the war has been used not only to educate, but also to allow students to hear the opinions of their peers. This interaction can cause students to look at situations in a different light.
“There is no one way to the truth, certainly in respect to current events. We must expand our knowledge, and that is sometimes done by listening to the opinions of other people,” Levy said.
However, there is always the question of whether professors are taking an objective stance when discussing the war.
Generally, when students are presented a controversial topic by a instructor, they can be wary of the professor’s viewpoints.
“If it is presented in a way to inform students and let them make up their own mind, then it’s cool. But if it’s presented with a biased viewpoint, then it’s not,” said Alana Craft, a first-year student at Pierce.
“I remember having a teacher in high school that brought in speakers that only agreed with her view, trying to persuade us to think that way. My parents got real mad at that,” she said.
The belief that instructors should be fair is also shared by faculty.
“Just because we are faculty members doesn’t mean that we are experienced in things beyond what our degree gave us,” said Frank Chartrand, adjunct professor of history at Pierce.
“Where do professors get their information from? The same places that we all do. They read the New York Times or watch the television. Now, the media doesn’t always have an objective stance when reporting, so when the professor brings the discussion to class based on information from the newspaper, are they really giving a fair and objective lecture?” he asked.
“As long as you back up what you are saying with facts and allow students to offer their own opinions, it’s OK,” Chartrand said.
Even if professors discuss Iraq in class, not all students pay attention.
Compared to the generation that faced the Vietnam War, many have accused the current generation of ignorance.
“My experience with students is often one that reflects that the war is very far removed,” said Levy. “How many of our students have friends or family involved in the war? There is a detached feeling with this conflict.”
The discussion of Iraq in class does not show any signs of letting up, and as long as the war goes on, classes across the nation will be talking about it — whether or not students decide to pay attention.
“They don’t ignore it, they just aren’t educated in the war. There is always hope that students will pay attention,” said Chartrand.