The West Bend Current

By Dakota Gunnare, Editor in Chief

Voting is the central way American citizens are active in politics. For adults, voting is a right that they occasionally exercise, but for some young people voting is something inaccessible but deeply desired.

Many area teenagers wishing to be involved in politics must find other avenues. 

“Although I’m not able to vote just yet, it’s important that when I turn 18, just in time for the next presidential election, I know who and what I am voting for,” said Leo Nava, a senior and vice-president of the Black Student Union at the West Bend High Schools.

Engagement in politics is important for high schoolers despite their lack of ability to vote. In the West Bend School District, today’s school board election is an important topic for many. Students are involved in local elections, education and grassroots groups in the area.

The members of Persist: Progressive Women Activists of Washington County are heavily involved in local issues, and are passionate about involving local youth. Persist values youth input and works to foster an environment where youth feel comfortable sharing their opinions. For conservative students passionate about politics there are national organizations such as Turning Point, which hosts youth leadership summits and has a large focus on student movements.

“We have a number of high school members throughout Washington County who have joined us in organizing youth GOTV events, hosting post card writing parties (this is a great way to support candidates if you are too young to vote!) and we’ve invited them to interview elected officials during online events,” Patti Silverman, member of the Persist leadership team, said. 

High schoolers can also take a leadership role in Persist through their internship program, where youth members engage with other youth members in the community via the Persist Instagram account. 

“Earlier this month I also helped run Persist’s School Board Candidates Forum,” said Lucy Schmitz, a student at Germantown High School. “This gave me the opportunity to interview local school board candidates on behalf of our high school members. Through this experience I was able to learn how local leaders can implement change to create hope.” 

Engaging in school board meetings is how Noah Mintie, West Bend West High School junior, stays involved in local politics. Mintie has spoken twice at school board meetings about book bannings in the West Bend School District. 

“Some actions that community members take towards the school harm students,” Mintie said. “Political activism is a platform for me to oppose it.”

Mintie has used both public comments at school board meetings and petitions to interact with the school board and make his voice heard despite being unable to vote in school board elections.

Education issues are a passion for many politically active students. In today’s world, politics and education are certainly intertwined. School-run groups such as the WBHS Black Student Union give students the opportunity to discuss and educate others on both local and national issues. 

“One thing we encourage in our school’s Black Student Union is the opportunity to discuss these issues without judgment on personal beliefs and in some cases, lack of understanding,” Nava said. “We provide a community-based outlet for students to learn and engage with their community, especially in the political scene.”

Community engagement can also be done via social media. Persist uses Instagram to engage students with school board issues as well as other local issues, such as bills up for consideration in Wisconsin and local cities. 

“In working with Persist, I put together posts each week that alert local high school students to upcoming school board meetings,” Schmitz said. “These meetings are opportunities for local youth to speak out about their personal experiences and to know where their school board stands on issues that are important to them.”

Students also stay engaged with politics by researching candidates and educating others. Nava researches the platforms of many candidates locally and nationally to stay educated on who he will one day vote for.

“I like to look into the upcoming and current politicians to see what their ideals are, who they represent, and so I don’t blindly follow them at face value,” Nava said.

Schmitz says that students’ involvement is critical, especially on issues that affect them, like gun violence in schools. Students’ voices are needed on this topic, as well as many others due to their unique perspective. Nava, Mintie and Schmitz, along with many other students like them, have proved that there are ways to interact with elected officials meaningfully even when you can’t elect them. 

“This is why it’s critical, even if you are too young to vote, to be engaged in the political process,” Silverman said. “Voting is important, but the real work happens after elections.”

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(Top photo: Area students participate in Persist’s Rally for Change: Youth Get Out the Vote event in Sept. 2022. Photo courtesy of Persist.)