World News

By Anaya Ertz ‘26 in Spring 2025

It feels like there’s a new natural disaster on the news every day: hurricanes in North Carolina, blizzards in Texas, and wildfires in Los Angeles. At MA, class discussions can quickly veer toward current events, but I’ve noticed that there seems to be less conversation about natural disasters than, for example, the government.

A notable exception to this trend was the January wildfires in Southern California, with an assembly announcement addressing the event and more student conversation in general. This is largely due to the fires’ relative proximity to MA. The MA administration makes very few announcements about particular current events: this year, there was one related to the election and another about the December tsunami warning. Other than that, there are vague calls to keep ourselves informed and reminders that all identities are welcome at MA… but no acknowledgment of the events themselves. It feels like we’re dancing around these sensitive topics, out of place at a school that emphasizes open discussion. One MA student said, “I don’t like it when [the administration] tries to get around naming what they’re talking about. Like, ‘There have been recent news events and some of you may have been emotionally impacted.’ Just say it!” Particularly because recognizing the devastation of natural disasters is often less polarizing than commenting on war, legislation, or other political subjects, there are fewer reasons to avoid the topic. I asked Tyren about how the school decides whether or not to make a statement about a particular event. He said that “A lot of it has to do with the impact and how proximate it can feel to individuals in our school community. I appreciate that Travis wants to be a ‘no statement school’ because it's hard to discern when you need to make a statement and when you don't.” Their goal is to avoid making acknowledgments that are ‘hollow,’ performative, or simply virtue-signaling. For the school to make a formal statement, “a lot of conversations” must take place within the MA leadership team, who, according to Tyren, “Don’t have a formula. You can’t plug it in. We don’t have that… and we don’t want to have one!” This allows for flexible decisions tailored to the constantly evolving MA community. But the ‘no statement’ policy can feel avoidant– how can we keep going? How can we continue taking tests and making slideshows when our state is burning?

Tyren also mentioned that “The coverage of the suffering [in L.A.] and it not having too many [controversial] political angles to it makes it easier for me to feel comfortable naming that in the school setting.” He acknowledges that all media representation is political, but that there has been less misinformation on the LA wildfires compared to other recent tragedies. However, one can certainly acknowledge horrific destruction without making polarizing political statements, and MA doesn’t usually shy away from political topics, so our lack of conversation about natural disasters stands out even more. Jiya G. ‘26 said, “I think we at MA need to have more conversations about what’s happening in the world around us right now, and that includes natural disasters. It feels like we’re in a bubble sometimes.” This contrasts with Tyren’s statement: “I don't think that I view school as a place that is separate from what's happening in the world outside at all. Never.” However, many students feel a divide, representing the broader trend of MA students’ lived experiences differing from the administration’s policies and ideas. As climate change continues, the frequency of natural disasters is expected to increase drastically, and it’s clear that we need to have better conversations about natural disasters at MA to align student and staff perspectives.