The majority of Morton East students do believe in life on other planets.
In a random survey of 112 Morton East students, 74 said they do believe in life on other planets and 38 said they don’t believe in life on other planets.
According to Google research, growing national interest in extraterrestrial life resurfaced this month after two former U.S. presidents publicly addressed the topic within days of each other. In a Feb. 14, 2026, interview, former President Barack Obama sparked widespread attention when he said that aliens are “real,” later clarifying that he meant he believes life elsewhere in the universe is likely given its vastness. His comments quickly went viral and reignited public debate. Five days later, President Donald Trump announced that he would direct multiple federal agencies to declassify government files related to aliens and UFOs, a move widely seen as a response to the attention Obama’s remarks generated. Together, these statements pushed the question of life on other planets back into the national spotlight, making it a timely topic for students to consider.
“I believe there is because the galaxy is too big for there not to be other living creatures,” said senior Luissiana Guerrero.
Staff agrees.
“I believe aliens are real because scientists say they are, and I believe in scientists,” said social worker Ms. Erica Hade.
“Yes, I do believe there are aliens in the world because there are different facts around the world that show us aliens were here before,” said science teacher Ms. Samantha Letkiewicz.
“Yes, because there may be different forms of life depending on the climate in which we live. A lot of people believe in sea ‘mer’ people, so I believe there could be different forms of life based on that idea. For all we know, ‘Martians/aliens’ thrive in the climate on Mars. I am open to a lot of what-ifs, as I still wonder how a lot started,” said culinary teacher Ms. Cramer.
Google AI states that while no definitive proof of extraterrestrial life has been confirmed, scientists consider its existence elsewhere in the universe highly likely due to the vast number of planets. Strong, though not absolute, evidence includes the detection of potential “biosignature” gases in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b, a potential “water world.”
