West students react to “The View” segment on the school

IOWA CITY - West High students appeared on national television in The View‘s MLK Day special last month.

The segment, which consisted of clips from one-on-one interviews with students and a 70-minute student panel, focused on student reaction to the 2016 election. The featured students, and Principal Gregg Shoultz, gave their reaction to what they believe The View got right and wrong.

Here is principal Gregg Shoultz's reaction to the episode. Shoultz was present for the one-on-one interviews throughout the day and observed the panel discussion.

West Side Story: What do you think is something they portrayed correctly?

GS: I thought they got the student angst right. All the students - everyone - was upset. The students were definitely upset at the outcome of the election, and not because of who won or lost, but because it was so different from what anyone thought. They got that right.

WSS: What is one or more things they got wrong?

GS: The thing I probably didn't enjoy the most about (the segment in which) they said 'a school in turmoil.” That characterization is just wrong.

WSS: How were you feeling, either day of or leading up to, that Friday that they came?

GS: I probably underestimated how much work it would take from my office or how much time I needed to spend with them to help with their production needs. That meant helping get the kids there. They needed a lot of help with location and timing of things so they weren't in our way. So, keeping them out of their way was a little more of a hassle than I thought it was going to be. But that's not what you asked, you asked how I was feeling - nervous anticipation, that's my answer.

WSS: How did you feel when you saw the segment? Did you have a gut reaction to it at all?

GS: I didn't have a really strong gut reaction. I had the opportunity to sit in with the students when they were doing the panel, so my reaction, I guess - I couldn't divorce my previous opinion of what I had - but my reaction was that they had left some good discussion on the cutting room floor, that they'd left out some really interesting and good points the kids made in the hour and ten minutes they were interviewed.

WSS: Have you received any feedback from parents or teachers or otherwise?

GS: Not since it aired ... I was going to say we had conferences, but we hadn't yet, so I'd only talked about the process. I have gotten feedback from administrators and teachers and just a couple of parents and friends who had called me right afterward, and they all thought it portrayed the students pretty well, that they came off smart and involved.

Senior Susie Mons participated in the one-on-one interview. Here are her thoughts:

WSS: What is something you think the segment portrayed correctly?

SM: I think they definitely portrayed how our school has two sides to the issue and I thought they did a great job showing how the conservatives here feel and how the liberals here feel.

WSS: What is one, or more things, they portrayed incorrectly?

SM: I think they over-dramatized how divided our school is, like they used ‘a school in turmoil' and I thought that was very dramatic, but now everyone has calmed down with time. It's not as dramatic as they made it.

WSS: How did you feel before the segment came out?

SM: Honestly, I said yes to the interview because I didn't think it was going to happen. And so, the day of the interview I was like ‘Oh. Heck yeah. Everyone is here. This is weird.' I wasn't super nervous because I knew I could stress my ideas well and not be nervous while I was expressing them, but I mean, I was nervous. It's on TV, that's a nerve-racking thing. But no, I was fine.

WSS: How did you feel afterward? Did you have an initial or gut reaction?

SM: I mean I kind of was excited because I was like ‘Wow, people my age are getting on TV for expressing their views' and stuff like that. I was happy because I think they did a good job portraying everyone positively, not in a negative way. It was nice to see how well-spoken everyone was and it made me wish that every day, throughout our everyday life, people would be that well-spoken while talking to others. Because I think on TV you try to speak your best and try to articulate your ideas the best, and I think we need to take that and put it in our everyday lives. Then I feel like people would better express their ideas every day and not be as angry all the time, if that makes sense.

Seniors Jade Merriwether and Ala Mohammed and junior Jillian Baker participated in one-on-one interviews and the panel discussion. Here are their thoughts:

WSS: How did you feel afterward when it came out? Did you have a gut reaction to it at all?

JM: I don't know, I said this in my post. While I was watching it I was really proud of us that we actually did that. And after it ended and they went on to the next topic I just felt a mix of emotions on the way we were portrayed. Just like the flow of the conversation seemed off from the way it actually happened, so that part made me uncomfortable, but at the same time I was really proud of us for doing what we did.

JB: My initial reaction was just like 'Oh” and then everyone was like 'Oh, you guys did so well” and I thought about it and was like 'Oh, that's really cool that we, as a high school, got this opportunity.” But at the same time, I was (shaken by) the way they portrayed us. Otherwise, I felt indifferent about it. It's kind of weird having people tell you they saw you on TV and you're just like 'Oh, yeah. Cool.”

AM: (Some comments they made) and everything under the video, (made me think) 'OK, whatever,” but some of them I thought, 'You don't even know us, (and you have the) audacity to say that.” Other than the comments, I felt that I was proud of us for doing what we did and being able to voice our opinions and how we felt, but I really disliked how they portrayed our school and how some of my friends had so many things to say, but they didn't post it. They only had a four minute segment, but they were debating posting the whole (discussion), so I was just wondering if they were going to post the whole thing.

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