The news cycle in the United States has been exhausting lately. It feels as if we are constantly being bombarded with information, and it can be difficult to keep up with current events on top of student responsibilities. 

In the past few weeks, the headlines have been filled with reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, citizens in Democrat-led cities facing off against the National Guard, and mass shootings. The list goes on. 

In addition to all of these current events, there have been reports of people facing retaliation from their employers for expressing criticism against Charlie Kirk and President Trump’s administration.

An example is Instagram user @slaythegop, who also goes by Kim. She posts left-wing political commentary, and condemned Kirk’s pro-gun stance. She was doxxed by his supporters, and according to her, she was fired from her job in human resources because of this.

San Jose City College students gave their opinions on the Kirk debacle, as well as other current events. They had many differing opinions on the subject, as Kirk was a popular podcaster and co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization present on many college campuses.

“Gun violence shouldn’t have a normal place in our society. But, you know, he’s someone who pushed for us to have guns, for us to be able to use them,” Michael Duran, a first-year public health major, said about Kirk. “So I think he’s sort of a victim of his own ideas.”  

Many people did not agree with the way that the public reacted to his death. While some social media users said that he deserved what happened to him and felt no sympathy, others believed that it was unfair because Kirk was a husband and a father of two. For them, he was an advocate for freedom of speech.

“At the end of the day, he was a human being,” said Jacob Bellot, a first-year heating, ventilation, and air conditioning major. “Freedom of speech was his belief. He was pushing it. He always gave everyone the equal footing to come speak to him, come face-to-face and have the conversation while diverting their topics.” 

After Kirk’s death, there were many comparisons to George Floyd, an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer in 2020. His death was the catalyst for Black Lives Matter protests that eventually escalated to riots and looting. 

“I think there’s a double standard,” said Samantha Cedillo, a third-year anthropology major. “When the whole 2020 George Floyd was going on, people were saying horrible things about him. People were saying horrible things about the movement, but you didn’t see those people getting fired.”

President Trump’s administration has been encroaching on citizens’ First Amendment rights, which guarantee freedom of speech and freedom of the press. His administration banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office for refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, leading to the news outlet filing a lawsuit.

“Freedom of speech is about helping students discover their voice and empowering them to use it in ways that inspire and connect with others,” said Shelley Giacalone, a professor of communication studies. 

Many students are afraid of expressing their opinions, not just because of fear of retaliation from their jobs and other opportunities, but also because of uncomfortable conversations that may come up with their family or peers.  

“I feel like I have to sometimes walk on eggshells because I don’t know if someone will get offended if I say something like, ‘racism is bad,’” Cedillo said. “I work at the library, and we have an incident tracker. One of my coworkers posted that she was harassed by someone who was offended that we had LGBTQ displays.” 

Immigration also continues to make headlines because of ICE raids in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. Non-violent immigrants and even United States citizens have been illegally detained during these raids. 

“I do keep up with the news. Sometimes I have to be like ‘OK, this is just too much, I have to disconnect just for a bit,’” Cedillo said. “Especially when it comes to immigration, immigration hits very close to home. It’s something very personal to me and I try to avoid watching videos of people being detained.” 

Students are not just facing the pressures of school, but also possible retaliation for their opinions and their rights being infringed upon. In a seemingly endless cycle of bad news, it’s important for students to take care of themselves and their mental health, especially when current events affect them so personally.

“I don’t particularly keep up with [the news]. But if I see something, I see something,” Bellot said. “You can’t really do anything about it, sadly. It definitely has affected me. Due to Donald Trump’s cutting of grants for schools, I wasn’t able to get financial aid. I mean, it is what it is, you got to roll with the punches.”