Shorewood students walk out on Election Day

High school among 500 nationally trying to send politicians a message

SHOREWOOD - Most of the students who walked out of Shorewood High School on Election Day were not old enough to vote, but that did not stop them from sending a message to politicians.

About 40 Shorewood students walked out of school around 10 a.m. Tuesday. They held a rally on the high school lawn encouraging young people to vote, as well as to show politicians that young people will continue to make their voices heard at the polls.

“The higher the youth turnout, the more politicians are forced to listen to what we have to say and adjust accordingly,” said student Megan Grizzle.

Shorewood High School is one of about 500 schools around the country to participate in the national “Walkout to Vote” movement.

The initiative was organized by the Future Coalition, which is made up of 20 youth organizations from around the country.

One of the founders of the Future Coalition is recent Shorewood High School graduate Katie Eder, who organized Shorewood High School’s National Walkout Day protest after the mass shooting earlier this year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Eder also advocated for gun law reform by organizing the 50 Miles More march from Madison to Janesville in March.

Shorewood student Shannon Carlson, the main organizer of Tuesday’s Walkout to Vote initiative, helped Eder organize the 50 Miles More march. She said it is important for young people to build on the momentum created by the gun reform protests.

“We can march. We can walk out. We can protest,” Carlson said. “But we won’t see visible change unless we actually bring that anger and frustration to the polls.”

After rallying at Shorewood High School, the students marched to other polling places at Lake Bluff Elementary School and Shorewood Public Library to cheer on the two Shorewood students who were old enough to vote.

Many of the students wore shirts that said “future voter.” On the back, the shirts said, “kids may only be 25 percent of the nation’s population, but we are 100 percent of the future.”

When asked about the issues that matter most to young people, Carlson, 15, said she is most concerned about gun violence and climate change.

“These are issues that threaten our lives and our safety, so I think it’s only natural that these are the issues we are speaking out about,” she said.

Jason Hegelmeyer, 17, said he was most concerned about voting laws that disproportionately affect minorities and young people.

“The youth age group from 18 to 24 has historically low turnout, and I realized that, if we wanted to see change in our community, we would have to do it for ourselves,” he said.

After rallying at Shorewood polling places, the students traveled to UW-Milwaukee, where they made phone calls urging people to vote. They also participated in a civic engagement workshop.

Shorewood High School Principal Tim Kenney said he and other school officials have taken a neutral position on the walkout but have worked to create a safe environment for students who choose to walk out.

Walkout participants were excused from school as long as their parents called the school office.