The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Students put their collective voice to Darfur awareness
By Alex Everard, Guest Writer
PUBLISHED: May 22, 2008
As a product of America's public school system, I am constantly reminded of the fact that we live in a democracy, as free a country as there ever was, and a place that thrives from the voice of the people.
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But making your voice heard is not exclusively for citizens over the voting age.
Dexter High School students seem to have their fingers on the pulse of the nation, reflecting a greater youth movement in their actions toward speaking out.
Several months ago, a few students and I founded a club called Dexter Students for Peace and Activism. With the help of our advisor, teacher Ryan Baese, we have set up several events and created different ways for students to make opinions heard, even if it can't be in the form of a ballot.
Students attended a peace rally in Ann Arbor on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. The club has also raised awareness about the genocide in Darfur, as well as raising substantial funds toward the cause.
The climactic event of our "Darfur Awareness Week" was a demonstration the club organized. On the morning of May 2, about 40 Dexter High School students came together outside the school to express their grief and frustration with the Darfur conflict and the way it has been handled by the United States.
Students wore black and lay on the ground, some holding signs displaying the gruesome facts about the genocide, others remaining silent.
The purpose of lying down was to convey a feeling of relationship between the victims of Darfur and the students of Dexter High School.
What if the conflict was in our back yards? What if seeing groups of 40 people strewn about the ground was a daily occurrence?
The event was designed to get students thinking about life outside the comforts of their homes.
Students were outlined in chalk before heading to class so that the notoriously short attention spans of my peers would be captured in the following days.
It makes me proud to be a Dreadnaught when I say that the event was a rousing success.
Not only did we exceed our predictions with regard to participation, but also I was confronted in overwhelming numbers by students with positive feedback.
Some had no clue about Darfur or its whereabouts geographically, some were well informed and wanted to help, while others just expressed kudos.
There was a deeper meaning beneath this story, however.
The dramatic increase in student clubs at DHS serves as a mirror into the hearts and minds of America's youth.
Young people are coming out in previously inconceivable numbers for the 2008 presidential campaigns.
Protests and demonstrations, whatever political stance they may convey, are spreading like wildfire.
My generation has awakened from a deep slumber of political apathy that seemed as though it would never end.
It is no longer cool to not care about our world. It is no longer acceptable to let your freedom of speech sit and collect dust while you play video games.
Even if you cannot vote, there are a number of outlets at your disposal that allow you to speak your mind, and the goal of Peace Club is to be available as one of those outlets.
It gives me hope for the future when students are as supportive as they were on the morning of May 2.
It also reaffirms the fact that America's voice is the voice of its people ... no matter what their age may be.
Alex Everard is a sophomore at Dexter High School and president†of†Dexter Students for Peace and Activism.
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