Students at Reno High School (RHS) are learning about politics, current events and history at the same time. The students in Richard Clark's AP Government class have been following President Trump's impeachment and the trial in the Senate. One of the biggest lessons is the process, itself.
"Most people don't understand that impeachment doesn't mean removal. Impeachment only means indictment or there's wrong-doing," Clark said. "The Senate trial now is not about impeachment. It's about removal."
Students say the impeachment and trial are eye-opening. It is showing them that the trial is not like any other. Instead of a judicial process, it is political.
"Not all the elements are the same since it's a political trial, not a judicial trial and just how no evidence, no witnesses," Alex Khorshidi, RHS Senior said. "It's just very interesting to see that kind of contrast."
"It's really fascinating," Isabella Holmes, RHS Junior said. "This class has definitely exposed me to the different rules and regulations around impeachment that I didn't know about."
It is unusual that students get to learn about impeachment while it is happening. Mr. Trump is the third president to get impeached in American history but that includes two of the last four presidents. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton are the other two impeached presidents. Neither one was removed from office.
"I've lived through two but I was talking to one of my colleagues," Clark said. "His grandfather never lived through one. That's how spread out this has been so it's historic."
Clark says he wants his class to be political but not partisan. He wants the students to learn the facts without bias.
"Having them ask questions, trying to keep it as apolitical as possible to talk about the facts and what's there is important to me so that they can decide either way how they fall on this issue," Clark said.
Many of the students will vote in their first general election in November. They say the politics and behavior of the Republicans and Democrats in office could affect how they vote.
"The political polarization around it and the fact that so many people are getting so upset about so many political things, I think that sways my decisions a lot, too, with voting," Liam Stears-Macauley, RHS Senior said.
"It's good to see how I can look at it and what I want to see from the parties or from the president that I choose to vote for," Khorshidi said.
Clark says no matter if you are conservative or liberal, the impeachment process is historical and important. Most do not expect the Senate to convict the president and the rules seem to be playing in his favor. How it plays out will set a precedent though. That is one of many things he hopes his students take away from this process.
"Them voting and them participating, them getting involved is super important and being able to see these things happening in real-time is just more motivation for them to figure out where they are on the political spectrum," Clark said.
The trial comes during an election year. Four of the Democratic presidential candidates cannot be on the campaign trail because they have to be at the Capitol to serve as jurors. The president's State of the Union Address is scheduled for February 4. The trial could likely finish before that and the February 3 Iowa Caucuses. Students are witnessing history as the politics play out.
"I think it's just really amazing and interesting that we get to learn now, in this time, and get to experience it in real time," Holmes said.
