If there a notion that kids today don’t want to engage in real discussions, or perhaps have been made too emotionally delicate by society to engage in discussions where their viewpoints are called into question or they are offered an alternative point of view, the new politics club at Pilgrim High School is challenging that myth.

Officially off the ground and running, the Pil PI – RI (Pilgrim Political Involvement, Rhode Island) club is a textbook example of a place students can go to learn real-world communicative and critical thinking skills in a friendly and low-stress environment.

At their most recent meeting, held Tuesday directly after school in the classroom of Paula Merdink – one of the co-creators of the club who is currently volunteering her time to advise the club – a small group of students gathered with Superintendent Phil Thornton to discuss the hot news topics of the day.

The students, led by club creator and class of 2019 president Zach Lafontaine, watched a CNN10 video online, which runs through a list of hot topic stories in moderate depth, some hard news and others softer, and then they go around the room and discuss what they thought.

Net neutrality was the big issue discussed this time around, as it had just been repealed in a vote by the Federal Communications Commission last Thursday. Students expressed their shared opinions on the negative impacts of the decision, coming to a consensus that allowing internet service providers to become monopolies and dictate flow of content is not a good thing for regular media consumers.

Thornton chimed in to tell the students how the school department bids for companies to provide their internet connection to Chromebooks which they use for instruction. He said that, with the repeal of net neutrality, he wondered how that process might be different now that the throttling of internet speeds could become common.

The acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney was another topic, as students wondered how a company known for its kid-friendly cartoons and theme parks would mesh with a huge media company that produces more adult-themed cartoons and conservatively-slanted news programs.

As the conversation was winding down, Thornton asked if the students had any questions he could answer. He was asked about his duties as superintendent, about how he handles inquiries from the media, how the school department prioritizes the many issues at schools across the district and what kind of fixes were in store for Pilgrim in the future.

“He gave me a totally new perspective on what it means to be superintendent, and who he is as a person,” said Lafontaine after the meeting, explaining that he had had a negative perception of Thornton prior to his involvement with the club. Thornton was also present at the club’s first official meeting last Wednesday, which drew a large crowd of students.

“He has very good interpersonal skills that we don't often get to see in our superintendent,” Merdink said. “He was very approachable, the kids felt very comfortable. He gave excellent responses and was a very lively speaker.”

Lafontaine said that Thornton had provided his personal cell phone number to the students, and that they had been in touch back and forth since the meeting last week.

“That’s the whole purpose of this club,” said Merdink, explaining that students should be challenging their own points of view and be open to new perspectives.

Lafontaine is hopeful to draw more influential speakers such as Mayor Scott Avedisian, Cranston Mayor and candidate for governor Allan Fung, perhaps even current governor Gina Raimondo.