Masuk Free Press

In the aftermath of the assassination of American political activist Charlie Kirk on September 10th, 2025, local Monroe high school Masuk has been brought back into the wake of political controversy. Turning Point USA, the political organization founded by Kirk back in 2012, is a widely known nonprofit that aims to educate and support students who share conservative values. Recently, a group of students have opened their own chapter of the Turning Point organization here at Masuk.

The creation of the club has brought back the debate on whether or not political clubs belong in educational settings, such as school. While politics are part of everyday life, they have grown a reputation; one that some believe is fitting for its character, while others believe it is exaggerated. 

On one side of the argument is the pro stance. For many seniors, turning 18 means gaining a vote in local, regional and national elections. The graduating classes must prepare for life on their own as they move on to the real world; and whether they recognize it or not, politics are written into most parts of modern society.

“I think it’s hard for kids to formulate their own political opinions without at least experimenting with what they think and hearing other people’s positions. 
We kind of force the kids to take both sides of an issue- even a side that they don’t necessarily agree with- and then debate that side,” said Masuk teacher and Turning Point advisor Pat Petri. “I think they understand a different perspective from doing that, and learn to respect both sides of a political debate instead of getting angry and nasty with people.”

Modern day politics has created stigmatisms around debate that push the idea that every conversation needs to be a negative and inevitable argument. This false narrative discourages political conversation, which raises a generation of students afraid to face the truth and stand firm in beliefs for fear of confrontation. 

These conversations also find themselves in other political clubs, such as Mock Trial, where students have the opportunity to debate. “I think debate is important,” said junior and Mock trial member David Bahavic. “A lot of people foster ideas off of each other, and can share thoughts.” As Petri and Bahavic explain, there is a tangible reality where there exists healthy and respectful political discussion.

“In an organized supervised setting, I think political discussion would be fantastic,” explains Masuk history teacher Brian Humpal. “I think any opportunity for kids to discuss things is a good idea.”

Now, nobody is expecting young teenagers to turn on the news in their free time or for leisure; but students should hold themselves accountable to have a general idea of what is occurring, how they feel, and what they can do about it.

“ I think we’re pretty sheltered as a community. 
We’ve been growing up, and we don’t really learn that much about our current politics,” said senior Emma Troesser, who supports the presence of political clubs in the high school. “I think having a place to discuss the current issues and being able to keep up to date with the politics would be very beneficial.”

Despite support for the political clubs in schools, there is also significant opposition to the concept. 

The other side of the argument upholds that political clubs have no home in educational environments. It is said that there is a time and a place, and high school might not be either of those. In unsupervised and overly-relaxed settings, the conversation can easily spin out control and lead to community division. “I do think it does open the door for a lot of conflict, maybe not physical conflict, but at least ideological conflict,” said senior Thomas Rodriguez. “Overall, it’s not necessarily something we should be shielding our children from, but something that shouldn’t be almost emphasized in a school setting where we’re still trying to understand each other’s goals.”

Due to the age group of teenagers that are in high schools, there is the belief that fully educated and respectful conversations may not be possible with young kids considering maturity levels and lack of life experience. Many think the clubs themselves may be more risky than they are worth

  Masuk Faculty harbors a similar opinion; that discussions are helpful but need to be monitored. “It depends on how it’s handled; it needs to be handled appropriately,” says Masuk teacher John Bodolato. “I think the administration and the students themselves have to both be responsible for keeping things, you know, controlled, orderly, so that there’s no confrontations that are needless and shouldn’t be had in a school setting.”

Another important skill to encourage is the importance of “reading the room”. To read the room is to pay attention to the atmosphere of an area and understand what topics may be an appropriate or inappropriate discussion. Some students argue that social consciousness is as important a skill as being politically educated.“I think that discussions are really important, just to, you know, generate more consciousness and generate our own ideals, right? That’s a very important part of high school,” continues Rodriguez. “
But, I do think that there is a time, there is a place, and there is a setting which is acceptable, and it might not be right now, right here.” While, in a perfect world, every individual would be predictable and stable enough to have unrestricted and open political conversations, some students foster a lack of awareness that makes a forum such as political debate an explosive setting. 

In totality, the existence of political clubs holds both its benefits and risks. While some believe that political discussions stimulate deeper understanding and global awareness, others fear that the risks of such an organization outweigh the benefits. At the end of the day, the clubs are open and welcoming to both those who support and those who don’t.