Sisters students grill Wyden on hot topics of the day

From gun-law reform to immigration to North Korea, Sisters High School students put Sen. Ron Wyden in the hot seat Friday afternoon. One question that kept coming up was how to keep students safe from gun violence at school.

The theme of the student-initiated discussion was ‘Listening to the Future.’

Student Meaghan Greaney said she thought the discussion accurately reflected the theme.

“I think that really came through today: listening to the future,” Greaney said. “We don’t just want to talk about the issues any more. We want to be working toward changes that we want.”

On questions ranging from net neutrality to mental health to the environment, students wanted answers.

Sophia Bianchi is passionate about the environment and questioned Wyden on his plan for protecting it.

“I think he’s working in the right direction,” Bianchi said. “I think he is definitely trying to increase environmental protection in general. I obviously think there is always more that can be done and more that can be said about it, but for now I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

A big topic of the afternoon was gun violence in schools, and Wyden made it a point to say that he wants to protect students, but also that he sees the student-led movements as encouraging for the country.

“It’s clear these students and students across Oregon see that they can make a big difference now in this push for common-sense measures to deal with gun violence,” Wyden said.

Most the students seem to agree with that sentiment, including Nancy Montecinos.

“I think that our generation is definitely the generation to make a change and speak our minds and definitely work for what we want to see in the future,” Montecinos said.

The senator was peppered with questions not only concerning what he’s doing to make a difference — but how students can make a difference too.

For student Mary Florian, that means not just now, but in the future.

“Going off to college next year, it’s really important for me to be as involved in that community as I can,” Florian said. “As well as staying true to my roots here and coming back and making sure things are the way I want them to be and making a difference as much as possible.”

Nearly 50 students attended the discussion, and Wyden spent nearly two hours answering their questions.

Florian, Montecinos, Bianchi and Greaney all attended the “March for our Lives” Rally in Washington, D.C. last month. They’re the ones who invited Wyden to come to the high school for this discussion.