SILVER SPRING, Md.-- Students all across the U.S. are practicing their first amendment rights through assembling student-run walkouts, but many adults are divided over the activism: when it comes to students’ academics, are the protests enriching lessons in civics, or a harmful distraction from the classroom?
In a recent survey, it was discovered that around 53% of students in Montgomery Blair High School have participated in walkouts at some point during their educational careers.
These walkouts have been initiated over a myriad of issues, from gun control to women’s rights to climate change; yet, the question remains: are these walkouts doing more harm than good?
Student protests are not a new concept. There are records of student protests that go back as far as 1766, when Henry David Thoreau's grandfather, Asa Dunbar, protested the poor quality of Harvard College food using the slogan, "Behold, our butter stinketh!" After administration condemned him and his followers for "the sin of insubordination," they conducted an eat-out, breakfasting off-campus.
Today, student protests are slightly more organized and involve more controversial subject matter.
On Nov. 23, students stormed the field at halftime during the Yale vs Harvard football game, protesting against the minimal action being done to alleviate the current climate change crisis. Around 20-30 participants were arrested after being asked to leave multiple times.
While climate change activists achieved their goal in calling attention to the issue, they simultaneously inconvenienced both the players and coaches who showed up prepared for an expected hard-fought game.
Locally, students of Montgomery County have also been participating in countless climate change protests, that resulted in unexpected consequences similar to how the Harvard-Yale protest played out.
Not only are students partaking in both walkouts and strikes, but recently, there has been a “silent strike” occurring. Students have been spotted wearing medical masks and refusing to speak as a form of protest regarding the current Climate Change crisis.
Maddie Graham, 17, is a current junior attending Montgomery Blair High School. She is an avid Climate Change political activist and has contributed a lot to the current fight.
On the topic of protesting, Graham says that she, “believe[s] that choosing to take political action is a very brave choice, part of coming of age” and strongly supports the decision that many students are now making to participate in what many are calling “walkouts”.
A walkout is the act of literally walking out of school to attend or stage a protest.
I recently conducted a survey amongst students in Montgomery County that showed the following:
When prompted as to why one wouldn’t attend a walkout, 38% responded saying they were worried about missing school.
Often, both students and teachers are worried about the effect that skipping class for a protest will have on a student.
Graham views this differently.
She calls class time valuable, and says, “Of course I regret having to miss so much of it- I enjoy school. However, my activism teaches me lessons I could never learn in school that are arguably better practice for the real world...When they choose not to take part in civic engagement in favor of school, I believe that a lot of my classmates are missing out on valuable opportunities for lessons in political literacy, working as a team, and time management due to being in class.”
While this may remain true to those who are heavily involved in activism, a common worry among adults is that many students are immaturely using these protest opportunities as an excuse to skip school.
Graham disagrees with this notion. She says, “While a lot of opposition tends to believe that skipping school and walking out means students are immature or irresponsible, I actually think it’s a show of maturity and intelligence.”
Graham feels as though, “Skipping school for political action is not a quick, impulsive decision made by reckless teenagers who just want to get out of class, it’s a mature and admirable decision made by capable young adults.”
Unfortunately, not all of the student population is as optimistic as Graham.
One student responded saying, “[walkouts] bring awareness but [do] not pressure the government, and many authorities don’t take it seriously because the majority of the protesters are just doing it to skip school and don’t know enough about the topic. I know a lot about climate change and want society to take care of the earth, but I don’t want to be related to the fake protesters so I don’t go. I do other things.”
The result of this lack of protesting efficacy amongst students, only eggs on those who oppose the idea of student protests.
Mr. Grossman, a CAP teacher at Montgomery Blair High School, offers the idea that “to some degree [walkouts] undercut support and bipartisan support for public education. It makes public education look a little bit disorderly and like it could be a tool for various political advocates who are typically associated with liberal causes.”
On the other hand, even though many may be worried about those oppositions, Graham still believes that “walkouts and strikes are very effective, particularly for students. Walkouts are disruptive and radical. They get a lot of attention, both good and bad. They send a clear message to anyone watching: business as usual is a death sentence, so we as students refuse to continue with business as usual.”
Many also believe that social media holds a big influence on students’ desire to participate, even if they lack the passion for an issue that many activists hold.
Mr. Grossman mentions the idea that “We do live in a very narcissistic society, so posting is always a part of everything,” and he questions whether the desire to post is what is driving students to attend these walkouts.
Even Graham worries about the effect that social media holds on her and her colleagues’ images.
She says, “the international climate movement and its leaders (largely teenage girls) have become the media darling of today, and it seems that people can’t get enough stories about young climate activists planning big things. I understand the appeal behind that story, a bunch of teenage girls saving the world, but it isn’t true, and I’m worried it distracts from our message.”
Graham says that while selfish uses of social media may be dangerous, it remains a “powerful tool” especially when one can connect with millions of other supporters or lend a hand, simply through the internet.
In the end, the right to protest has been essential to United States citizens since the beginning of American society, yet knowing when and how to use it is an important skill to have.
The younger generations are taking over. They feel obligated to since, as Graham puts it, “ We don’t have another day to waste. We must act now, and that will only happen if everyone who is able to fight, fights like hell.”
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