Young Activists
Emily Smith
Managing Editor
“I’m 17, I can’t vote,” said Junior Paul Funkhouser of St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School. But this does not stop Funkhouser from making his presence known as an activist in the Washington area.
Funkhouser, Seniors Andrew Wyse and Emma Engle of T.C. Williams, and Senior Stefan Koester and Junior Ariana Meltzer-Bruhn of St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School are the leaders of the burgeoning organization, District Youth Mobilized (DYM). Wyse, an active member of his school’s Young Democrats, wanted to create a club to consolidate resources from T.C.’s Young Democrats and SSSA’s Young Activists. This club would be an inter-school organization designed to make it easier for teenagers to communicate with other students with the same interests.
In 2008, the students’ goal was achieved when District Youth Mobilized was created to “give young people a visual and vocal role in the community,” said Wyse. By consolidating other political and social groups from area schools, DYM “advocates Washingtonian young people’s meaningful participation in expressing, executing, and protecting their democratic rights,” according to their website. Wyse’s goal is for DYM to have “a presence at large scale activist organizations, making sure that high school isn’t left out of something that is usually monopolized by college students.”
Originally a club organized and attended by students from only two schools, DYM is slowly expanding to other high schools in the Washington area. A meeting in Beatley Central Library in Alexandria on Thursday, February 5, was planned to encourage participation from students at our school and from Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology. At the meeting, attendees were given a list of “Scheduled Events” and “Potential Mobilizations.” Although the turnout was smaller than the leaders had expected, they are not discouraged. For them, getting in touch with students is just part of the project.
DYM is not just a forum for discussion. For the activist group, past “Scheduled Events” and “Potential Mobilizations” have included anti-war protests, support of humanitarian aid, a call for the end of violence in the Congo, and a benefit for Gaza. Their most recent event was a presence at a civil disobedience on March 2 to protest “dirty energy” at the Capitol Power Plant, a protest organized by Capitol Climate Action.
Funkhouser wants to unite students from different political parties and “to take people of all ages.” He stresses the importance of reaching out to all high school students. This entirely youth-run activist organization works to provide a direct democratic means to represent youth opinions rather than solely through the Democratic Party. DYM does not wish to cater to party organizations, but instead, to assist those in need of support. “Political unity isn’t a part of it. We’re not Young Democrats. We’re not the Democratic Party.” However, their slant is decidedly liberal. “We cover a variety of issues. Protecting democracy, protecting the rights of minorities… and spreading the representation in government to the masses,” are interests of DYM members, according to Funkhouser.
Clubs run by upperclassmen die out as the leadership changes, but “we hope to be around for a long time,” said Funkhouser. DYM is no longer an activist group unassociated with our own school. DYM’s leaders have been actively seeking the presence of our school’s Young Democrats in their meetings and events, encouraging them to become a part of this growing coalition. “WP kids seem to be really interested in the kind of activities we have been doing,” said Funkhouser. In addition to our school, DYM is recruiting students from Episcopal, TJ, and from D.C. schools including Washington International. Funkhouser believes the involvement of more local high schools gives legitimacy and weight to the voice of the group and their causes.
Because DYM’s members are spread over a large area, the group communicates about its meetings and rallies online. Facebook and a blog show the group’s awareness of members’ ties to technology. A Facebook event pops up inviting members to attend the “Massive Civil Disobedience to Protest Dirty Energy,” and “recent posts” on their blog remind members of past events and newsworthy blurbs such as Evo Morales’ address to the UN concerning “Indigenous Issues.”
For most high school students, voting is not an option for another few years. DYM is working to persuade students that even though their opinions can not be expressed on a ballot, there are other ways to get their point across.
