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

How are my seniors expected to approach this year’s presidential election? This was the question I asked myself in the fall of 2020 as I prepared to engage twenty high school students in a weeklong discussion and analysis about our electoral process and electoral college system. I taught a course that examined the political theory and day-to-day practices that shape the day-to-day operations of our government and shape our public policy.

Of course, the fall of 2020 was a very challenging 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 the other half attending in person every day. It was almost impossible to engage my students in meaningful dialogue, so I decided to take a more reflective approach.

I wanted to teach these young men how to listen to each other better. We wouldn’t get anywhere if they closed down every time they heard something they didn’t agree with. I relied on my training as a spiritual director to help me do this. I started with St. Ignatius Loyola and his premise, which urges us “to be more willing to give a good interpretation to someone else’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 the people at home feel like they were really part of the classroom discussion. I received very positive responses from both students and parents. Students appreciated these opportunities to engage in meaningful conversation and felt heard. Parents, some of whom listened to their son’s conversation with classmates, reported hearing very respectful interactions.

Using Ignatius’ premise as a foundation, the class engaged in a small-group spiritual conversation. This meant that each student could share his or her thoughts and perspective without a fellow student immediately responding or even interrupting them. Each student had to really listen to each member of their group. They internalized what they heard and then shared in their later responses what they believed to be the common movements of their small group. In the final stages of these spiritual conversations we had some very lively but civil classroom discussions.

My students’ political preferences reflected those of society. Their political views were just as polarized. I had students who fell far to the right on the political spectrum, and others who fell far to the left. I had very few students who classified themselves as independent. So when it came time to participate as a whole class, a healthy debate ensued. Notably, when Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court was announced in late September 2020, less than 40 days before the election, students discussed and compared the pros and cons of pushing or blocking a Supreme Court nominee the situation with the appointment of Merrick Garland. in the 2016 election year.

Another resource that was helpful to me in teaching during the 2020 election cycle was ‘Contemplation and Political Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement’ produced by the Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada. As the document states in the introductory letter: “The document is a reflection of how our faith and Ignatian values ​​could guide our pursuit of the common good in the public sphere.”

This document is not a voter guide; rather, it looks at our shared political life through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. One question we pondered was, “How am I called to live out my faith publicly?” and “How can Ignatian spirituality and discernment guide my participation in civic life?”

We discussed what it means to be a ‘man for others’ in relation to community involvement and civil discourse. Students talked about putting others’ feelings and perspectives above their own. We discussed how they could practice their civic duty even if they couldn’t vote. Some of them volunteered for some local political campaigns, and one interned for a 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 towards the media, especially when it came to their political reporting.

The chair of the History Department and I set up a special assignment looking at media coverage of the elections; it continued into the first hundred days of the Biden administration. The students were asked to explore possible biases and how they shaped policy and how they related to the truth.

The students were challenged to look at media reporting from a wide variety of sources, and not just from their preferred political viewpoint. One student noted that he felt “uncomfortable” when he saw reporting from a media source that went against his political position. He, like many other students, came to realize how different a news story could be if it were 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 our civic life calls us to make can benefit from Ignatian discernment. I sensed from my students, especially those who were voting in the elections for the first time, 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 that we cherish our relationship with Christ in that deepest part of ourselves.” The process of spiritual conversation helped my students listen from a wide variety of perspectives. It helped them determine who to listen to and make sure they included God in the conversation.

Now, in 2024, we are fully immersed in another controversial election cycle. In many ways, this time feels even more challenging. So how are we approaching this election season here at Fairfield Prep? We choose a theme every academic year. The theme of our school this year is ‘Our Common Home’. We engage the theme through two pillars: “Care for creation” and “Civil discourse and social involvement.” As we prepare our students for this crucial period, it is important that we keep the framework in mind Ignatian Spiritual Conversation: Be slow in speaking; listen attentively; seek the truth in what others say; humbly and respectfully disagree and give the time necessary.