Even though he is only 17, Alden St. John is a high school student on a mission to get more young people actively involved in politics and to register new voters.
“I want politicians at all levels to pay more attention to the concerns of young people and harness their enthusiasm for making a difference,” he said. “Unfortunately I will not be eligible to vote in this election, but clearly, I want to have an impact on it in spite of that.”
St. John helped resurrect the dormant Democrats Club at O’Fallon Township High School, now a chapter of the High School Democrats of America, and over 40 students have signed up.
“Leading the club and interacting with other students, I have realized that many teenagers really do care a lot about our government and want to get involved,” he said.
Dawn Porter, who is the sponsor of the MLK Jr. Legacy Club at OTHS, is also passionate about educating voters to understand the power in a vote.
Their groups are partnering together to host a Voter Education and Registration event from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the Multi-Purpose Room at OTHS, 600 S. Smiley. Guests will be State Sen. Christopher Belt and LaToya Greenwood, who is a candidate for state representative, as well as several aldermen on the O’Fallon City Council.
The first half from 3 to 4 p.m. is reserved for students and young adults under age 25, then the second half, from 4 to 5 p.m., is open to the community. For those unable to attend in person, a Zoom meeting is available. ID is: 830 0232 8937 Passcode: Vote2024
“Anyone of any age is invited. The goal is for us to be able to meet with the people who represent us and share our concerns while learning about how state and local governments actually get things done. This is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about how they can affect change and influence their government or make connections with leaders in the field of politics,” he said.
St. John said it would be a good opportunity to speak directly to elected officials about what they plan to do about certain concerns.
Students will also be able to submit questions online via QR codes posted throughout OTHS. Participants will be able to register to vote there with attending deputy registrars.
“I want to increase education about the government—particularly at the state level—and promote transparency and discourse between leaders and young constituents,” St. John said.
Porter said she has learned that some young adults feel disconnected from politics.
“I realized many aren’t engaged in the political system because they don’t see it as affecting them. So, I reached out to LaToya Greenwood, a former state representative who is running again, with the idea of focusing on local politics to help this demographic understand the ‘why’ for them to vote and have their voice heard,” Porter said.
They both want to encourage people to not only vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election, but recognize the importance of voting in local elections.
Another event will be a “Make a Plan” Rally on Oct. 22, which will focus on voter education.
“This event is designed to educate individuals on voting rules and processes, but to also have people make their plan to vote if they have not already. We plan to go through the steps and have people complete a “Make a Plan” card. Once they have completed their card, they will get a raffle ticket for prizes,” Porter said.
“Additionally, we are looking for individuals to do spoken word, poetry or other artistic representations of why you should vote and we will also show some videos out there on social media that promote voter education and voting,” she said.
St. John said he is excited about an O’Fallon Day of Action set for Saturday, Oct, 26.
“We will come together to canvas, phonebank, text and more in order to get out the vote for our local Democrats. We are working with the campaigns of LaToya Greenwood and State Rep. Katie Stuart. More information is to come,” he said.
Porter said it is very important to her to get young people involved in the political process.
“They are our future and their voice matters. I was just reading an article where a young football player talked about not voting because he feels he is too young. At 18, they are old enough to fight for our country, for our freedoms, so they need to understand they have a right to be heard,” she said.
“That is the beauty of our democracy and people fought for these rights. From leaving England for religious freedom to today for many of the same freedoms we have fought for since the founding of our country,” Porter said.
Porter, a certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, is involved in community work advocating mental health and wellness through awareness events for youth and the adults who support them, she said.
She is the founder of Family Renewed, which provides interactive workshops and retreats. She is from Kansas City, Kansas. She started the MLK Club in 2018.
St. John, a senior who runs cross country, said he became intrigued with politics in 2016.
“That is really when I was introduced to the basics of our political system. As a curious 9-year-old, I tried my best to follow the confusing headlines and understand debates over complex policy. My mom helped a lot by answering my endless questions. Over the years, my curiosity turned into a real fascination,” he said.
He has been involved in service-oriented clubs before, but when school started this year, he was interested in engaging with other politically minded students, but he discovered there weren’t any active organizations.
“Noticing that we once ran a chapter of High School Democrats of America here, I approached social studies teacher Kailey Hubler to see about reviving it. Now, with over 40 students on our club’s mailing list, it is evident that there is a great demand and even necessity for such an organization at our school,” St. John said.
“The students getting involved are passionate about national and local politics because they recognize the immediate impact it has on us,” he said.
Gun violence is a major concern of the student activists, he said.
“People are genuinely afraid of the threat of guns in their everyday lives,” he said, noting they want to affect change in those laws.
OTHS senior Hannah Kypta published a powerful op-ed in the Chicago Tribune arguing for banning assault rifles, he said. ( Hannah Kypta: As a high school senior, I’m tired of living in fear of a school shooter )
“It was a stunning example of courageous activism. Our HSDA club members such as her are proof that young people are incredibly passionate and a potent force in the field of politics,” he said.
“Some club members have already volunteered for campaigns or written to their representatives, but everybody is ready and motivated to do more than ever before,” he said. “I really hope we can have a measurable impact on local races and young turnout, especially.”
St. John praised Hubler and Porter for their support of youth leadership and activism.
“It is amazing to see first-hand how Ms. Hubler connects with students and makes them feel empowered and comfortable in the classroom. Teachers such as her contribute to the school environment in extraordinary ways and often go unrecognized for that. Dr. Porter has a superpower of enabling students to unlock their ambitions to take action and resist complacency,” he said.
He also mentioned three O’Fallon aldermen – Andrea Fohne, Roy Carney, and Dennis Muyleart – who have assisted. They served as registrars for a successful nonpartisan high school voter registration drive.
“Between in-person registration at the booth in the cafeteria and online registration via the QR codes we passed out to eligible students on Sept. 23 - 24, we registered 23 students in all,” he said.
“I coordinated it as a service project through our chapter of the National Honor Society. Fellow NHS members Hanna Lee, Daphne Carrier, and Sean Maxwell, in particular, did an amazing job dedicating hours to helping me get student voters registered,” he said.
They are planning another one before the April 1 municipal election.
After the Nov. 5 election, plans are to function as a way for students to learn more about politics and their government.
“For example, I have discussed with some local officials potentially visiting City Hall and experiencing the functions of City Council. Furthermore, we will continue doing whatever we can to make our thoughts and concerns known to our government,” he said.
St. John said he can be reached through email: alden225514@students.oths.us .
“I would love to engage with even more political leaders, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.
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