In the light of the recent presidential election, more members of the community are engaging in political discussion and activism. From attending marches, speaking at hearings, or simply posting a paragraph on social media, politics is slowly weaving its way into more prominent aspects in society.

Much like it does in most cases, influences beyond the gray doors of CPHS are gradually making their way into the school. In the past, politics were a necessary topic, crucial to learning about the political process of our country, however, now it takes a much more personal aspect.

“I come from a family of lawyers and judges, so politics has really always been in my life,” sophomore Amelia Vidrine said. “I participated in the Women’s March in Austin this year, which was wonderful. I guess politics have affected me because they’ve inspired me to take a close look at what I want our world to be like, and to create my own plan of action for how I intend to help us get there.”

Vidrine has been engrossed in politics since sixth grade, after creating a project about global warming and the impacts that politics had on the process.

“I think it was my turning point because I finally realized that the things that we do here on earth not only have a large impact on our lives, but on the lives of those in the future,” Vidrine said. “Politics began to interest me then because I decided I wanted someone in office that would care about the earth and making it a better place.”

Senior Vanessa Vozza is also adamant on making the world a better place, but according to her, helping out in community has a larger impact than paying attention to politics.

“I feel like I focus more on my community and being friendly to everyone,” Vozza said. “I feel like it doesn’t matter who the president is, it’s up to the person to make people around them happy.”

Even with all the media coverage, both news and social, Vozza overlooks it because of the amount of untrue content. In response to those that are truly invested in politics, Vozza wants them to account for the difference between real and fake news.

“If they are super interested in politics I hope their information is true,” Vozza said. “That’s their opinion and I don’t judge other’s.”

Most students that are interested in politics participate in events all over the city. Though, while some students might question where to start, Vidrine cites Austin as a good place.

“Austin is a big city,” Vidrine said. “There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. I’ve been to multiple marches and seminars over various issues, and since we live so close, it’s pretty easy.”

While Vozza would like people to focus on the community in front of them, Vidrine wants students and members of the community around them to pay attention to politics.

“I think that students who don’t spend time learning about our current politics because they “aren’t interested” really aren’t getting the point of learning about our political climate,” Vidrine said. “Whenever we leave home and go to college, it’ll be important for us to know what’s going on. When we graduate, we’ll begin voting and the laws will begin to affect us even more than they do now, and learning how laws work right now will definitely be beneficial to our futures. I also think that if you’re a person who cares about other people, it’s important to know current politics because they effect other people in other places as well.”