Mtn. View HS class discusses Syria issues

Tuesday marked day four of classes at Mountain View High School.

Inside Mike Huff’s Advanced Placement Government glass, students are watching their textbooks come to life as the United States debates whether to use military force in Syria.

“It’s easier to keep up with something because it’s current, it’s more interesting, because you’re not thinking, ‘Well, that happened in our history books, and yeah history repeats itself.’ But we could be doing this and it could affect me as a student myself,” said junior Amanda Hittlet.

The headlines are dominating discussions and in turn, engaging students.

“I try to teach them,’What would you do in this situation?'” Huff said. “‘How would you respond to this? You’re the president, here’s your scenarios — what would you do?’ There’s real-world implications when you do that.”

Many of the students don’t follow the news closely, and are now trying to take in a shifting political landscape.

The books and other lessons giving them a whole new perspective.

“It makes it easier to connect other parts of history, too,” “Hittlet said. “Because it’s like — well, we made this mistake in the past, so are we going to make a different decision?”

“It’s nice that he (Huff) brings these current events, now that we are all jammed down with homework and can’t watch the news much,” said senior Kade Bachman. “It’s nice to get what’s going on right now.”

Huff will start each class discussing any new developments in Syria with his students — forcing them to ask questions, learn and think more broadly about the modern world.

“It makes us think: Is America going to step in and be the police or the nation, or are we going to stand back and let people solve their own problems?” Hittlet said.

Huff said that on Wednesday, the class will discuss 9/11 on the 12th anniversary. It’s something he talks about every year, and says he will continue to do so as long as he’s teaching.