How St. Ignatius is helping my high school students talk about the presidential election

How are my seniors expected to approach this year’s presidential election? That was the question I was asking myself in the fall of 2020 as I prepared to engage 20 high school students in a week-long discussion and analysis of our electoral process and electoral college system. I taught a course that explored the political theory and everyday practice that directs the daily operations of our government and shapes our public policies.

Of course, the fall of 2020 was a very difficult time not only in our country, but also in our world. The Covid-19 pandemic was raging, and our school, Fairfield College Preparatory in Connecticut, was about to begin operating on a hybrid learning schedule, with half the class participating online and half presenting 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 how to listen to each other better. We wouldn’t get anywhere if they were going to shut down every time they heard something they didn’t agree with. I relied on my training as a spiritual director to help me with this. We began with St. Ignatius Loyola and his presupposition, which exhorts us to be “more ready to give a good interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it as false” (Spiritual exercisesNo. 22). Since Fairfield Prep was operating on a hybrid schedule due to the pandemic, I would pair a student who was in class in person with someone who was on Zoom. This was an attempt to make those at home really feel part of the class discussion. We received very positive feedback from both students and parents. Students appreciated these opportunities to engage in meaningful conversation and felt heard. Parents, some of whom overheard their son’s conversation with classmates, said they heard very respectful interactions.

Using Ignatius’ assumption as a foundation, the class engaged in a spiritual conversation in small groups. This meant that each student was able to share their thoughts and perspective without a peer responding immediately or even interrupting. Each student had to really listen to each member of their group. They internalized what they were hearing and then, in their subsequent responses, shared what they observed to be the common movements of their small group. In the final stage of these spiritual conversations, we had some very lively but civil class discussions.

The political leanings of my students mirrored those of society. Their political views were equally polarized. I have had students who fell far to the right on the political spectrum and others who fell far to the left. We had very few students who classified themselves as independent. So when it came time to commit as a full class, there was healthy debate. In particular, when Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination was announced in late September 2020, less than 40 days before the election, students discussed the pros and cons of promoting or blocking a Supreme Court nominee and compared the Merrick Garland nomination situation. in the 2016 election year.

Another resource that I found useful in teaching during the 2020 election cycle was “Political Contemplation and Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement”, produced by the Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada. As the document states in its introductory letter, “The document is a reflection of how our faith and Ignatian values ​​can guide us in our pursuit of the common good in the public square.”

This document is not a guide for voters; rather, it looks at our common political life through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. One question I reflected on was “How am I called to live out my faith in public?” and “How might Ignatian spirituality and discernment guide my participation in civic life?”

We discussed what it means to be “man for others” in relation to civic engagement and civil discourse. Students talked about putting other people’s feelings and perspectives ahead of their own. We discussed how they could practice their civic duty even if they couldn’t vote. Several volunteered for some of the local political campaigns, and one interned with a state senator.

My students talked about the pressure they felt to vote a certain way because of their parents’ political views. Many shared how much distrust there was of the media, especially in their political coverage.

The Chair of the History Department and I established a special mission that analyzed the media coverage of the elections; continued through the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Students were asked to examine possible biases and how this has shaped politics and how it relates to the truth.

Students were challenged to look at media coverage from a wide variety of sources, not just their preferred political point of view. One student commented that it made him “uncomfortable” to see coverage from a media source that was in opposition to his political viewpoint. He, like many other students, came to realize how different a story could be when covered by Fox News or MSNBC.

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 fully believe that the difficult decisions that our civic life calls us to make can benefit from Ignatian discernment. I sensed from my students, especially first-time voters, that it was not going to be an easy decision.

So we discussed this aspect of Ignatian discernment, taken from our study guide: “True discernment requires us to cultivate our relationship with Christ in the deepest part of ourselves.” The process of spiritual conversation helped my students hear from a wide variety of perspectives. It 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 period seems even more challenging. So how do we approach this election season at Fairfield Prep? Every academic year we choose a theme. Our school theme this year is ‘Our Common Home’. We engage the theme through two pillars: “Creation Care” and “Civil Discourse and Civic Engagement”. In preparing our students for this crucial period, it is important for us to keep in mind the framework for Ignatian Spiritual Conversation: Be slow to speak; listen carefully; look for the truth in what others say; disagree humbly and respectfully and take your time.