The ongoing war with Russia and Ukraine has affected some people in Piper and has accumulated a lot of worry.

“I’ve noticed students have been asking what’s going on, how this situation developed, and the historical ramifications of it all,” said American History Teacher Erik Harm.

Should the war escalate to the point where the U.S. would have to get involved, this would affect military families.

“I’d imagine we do have some families who are military families living here,” said World History Teacher Matt Reitemeier. “Who’s parental’s are in training in school at Fort Leavenworth, so that might impact them.”

Some people, such as World History Teacher Timothy Dorian, believe that our school isn’t the only place or area affected by this conflict.

“I think we definitely see it, not within just Piper, but as part of America,” said Dorian. “We see it in terms of gas prices, we see it in terms of politics, we see it in terms of the reputation of the United States on the World Stage.”

Piper community members had these concerns before the war officially began.

“A couple [of my concerns were] international diplomacy, [and] how this impacts Ukraine,” said Reitemeir. I know how this impacts things like oil prices [because a lot of the] world’s oil and natural gas comes … from Russia. I have my reservations about how involved the United States could or should be, especially if it’s something we’re investing probably millions and billions of dollars with.”

What the Piper community can do about the war is quite limited, but we can stay informed about the ongoing conflict and how it proceeds.

“I make an effort to be informed on it,” said Dorian. “If I don’t read something every day, I’m reading something every other day.”