Alice Bolandhemat With all of the craze in politics lately, it’s difficult to turn on the news or read a newspaper without hearing about a political controversy. Several articles in the Forum have been published regarding governmental affairs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but in a high school or college setting, are we really allowed to share them? Do we fear that as teenagers our political opinions will not be taken seriously and alter the light in which others view us? Sophomore Anna Wolf started a political website titled The Outlook Blog along with Olivia Levine, a junior at Parker where teens can write and comment their views on politics. The blog was first started in January. “Similar to the Op-Ed page in The New York Times, it’s a place where users can share their voice about politics and discuss with others,” said Wolf. Their target audience is teens. “Sometimes teens are afraid to speak their voice in a classroom setting or through a school media platform. Other times, their voices aren’t heard. Our hope is that this blog gives those teenagers an opportunity to discuss their opinions and concerns with students that they don’t have to face every day.” The online aspect allows teenagers to talk to others with similar interests in politics. Anna and Olivia’s goal is to expand the blog to the point where students across the country are using the blog to converse about politics. They “do not want to limit the site to just Latin and Parker kids.” When discussing politics, there is always the possibility of offending others who don’t share the same views as you. Depending on the topic of the conversation, some opinions could upset others if they contradict their own beliefs and values. “We are trying to stray away from extremely controversial topics and posts,” exclaimed Wolf, “We anticipate disagreement, but all contributions will have to be approved before being published on the site and any comments we deem inappropriate will be removed.” Anna thinks that “teenagers especially are often seen as illegitimate when it comes to politics, simply because [they] are young.” As a result, they change their thoughts to appease others. “Olivia and I have been facing similar struggles when we have been trying to get our blog out there. We have found that the solution is to be professional, civil, and provide a maximum amount of content to prove ourselves.” Although it has been difficult for the two to make their blog known, Anna says, “Our age does not have anything to do with our ability, and we are really excited to see what direction The Outlook Blog will go in.”]]>