According to Grace Panetta from the Business Insider, the internet has been brewing with searches for “World War 3” and “World War 3 draft” which “spiked on Google Search and became trending topics on Twitter.”  Almost immediately after it was confirmed last Friday that the US military launched an airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, a controversary erupted over the appropriateness of the attack.

This whole debate began when President Donald Trump gave the green light to fire missiles against Iran without seeking prior consent from Congress.

Adding to the situation, Iran recently retaliated by missile attacks against Iraqi bases housing US troops. However according to Nicole Gaouette, Hamdi Alkhshali, Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr and Tamara Qiblawi, in an article published in CNNPolitics on January 8, there is some hope that both countries are looking for ways to reduce the tension, an idea that the president has put forth in a press conference.

“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world.”

But while Trump and the military seem calm, the same can’t be said for everyone at Mount Carmel.  Given that current high school students would be the next generation to be affected by a major war, some students are concerned.

Junior Juan Avila thinks it is unlikely that a world war will occur,  “because no one wants to join the war because of its expense.”  Nevertheless, he’s somewhat worried.

“I’m scared, but I’m not terrified that something huge is going to happen.“

On the other hand, senior Michael Grisley believes there’s a possbility of war, “but it wouldn’t be a world war.”  He’s convinced, “We have far superior weapons and we could win, but it would be a long battle because of civilian militias joining in.  It would just be a repeat of Iraq or Afghanistan.”

Senior Mike D’Antonio, who has his own algorithmic trading company, feels confident that there’s no sign of World War 3 yet.

“It’s way too early. If there is a true threat of war, then the market would be very different right now.”

It seems most MC students believe that it’s far too early to tell if an actual war will occur, but are cautious nonetheless.

I personally hope for the best in the days to come, but I’m confident the US military’s men and women are up for any task, especially when it comes to keeping the American people safe.