Around 100 Evanston Township High School Students walked out of school Monday afternoon to show their support for environmental consciousness.
Specifically, the students walked to Fountain Square for a rally and asked ETHS to employ a full-time sustainability manager.
Demonstrators shouted Dr. Witherspoon, do what you do, and Dr. Campbell do what you do. ETHS’s current superintendent is Witherspoon. Campbell will be the school principal and will assume the role of superintendent when Witherspoon is retiring at the end in June.
Lily Aaron, one protest organizer and leader of E-Town Sunrise, said that our administration and school board had failed students by denying the environmental planner to their schools.
A half-dozen other progressive and environmental groups were also present at the event. It took place on the same day Evanstons Environment Board was to request City Council to declare Climate Emergency in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
High school students demonstrated that a sustainability coordinator would be responsible for reducing the ETHS’ carbon footprint, helping to develop a curriculum on climate change, and, according a news release from organizers, honoring the intersection of mental and climate crises.
Dewey Elementary School students lined Lake Street to cheer on high schoolers passing by.
The children made signs about climate change and the environment. Evanston was told by a fifth-grader that they need the earth for survival.
The high school walkout was to have taken place this Friday, Earth Day. The Earth Day demonstration was rescheduled because it became Rain Day (or more accurately, Downpour Day) instead of Earth Day.
Apathy is one of the most important issues that climate activists have to address.
It appeared that the students left ETHS at 1:30 p.m. but went in different directions. They used the walkout to skip last period and head home.