About 100 State College Area students walked out of school at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and gathered around the North Building courtyard for a peaceful rally, coinciding with the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
But the students say their effort wasn’t an anti-Trump rally. It was a rally for hope and tolerance, and to stand in solidarity with individuals and groups that feel imperiled.
‘I think it’s important to emphasize we’re not protesting the election,’ said Eli Yurman, a senior who led the organizing of the event. ‘We’re not protesting the inauguration. We’re not protesting the new administration. Our message is pro-peace, pro-love and we want to promote a sense of togetherness. We’re showing solidarity for people.
‘It’s hard to differentiate what we’re doing from an anti-Trump rally, but it’s important that we do.’
Yurman said the idea was his sister’s, Auden Yurman, a State High freshman.
‘I’m here helping because I’m better at getting my voice heard,’ he said. ‘She came up to me a week ago. She’s really passionate about this and I wanted to support her in any way that I can.’
Eli and Auden Yurman were among several students who spoke during the gathering, which started with attendees chanting ‘Love trumps hate.’ Students spoke about standing up for their beliefs and the rights of others, as well as becoming politically engaged now so that they are prepared when they can vote.
‘That makes it more important,’ said Eli Yurman, who turned 18 just after the election. ‘For kids who aren’t able to voice their opinions through the voting process this is the only way to get their voices heard and it’s important that they do that.’
The walkout was preceded by some controversy. As word spread, largely through Facebook, so did confusion among parents and community members about how administrators would treat unexcused absences from class.
State College Area Superintendent Bob O’Donnell said that while administrators would support students’ rights to express themselves, they also would be enforcing rules as they would on any other day.
O’Donnell noted that there seemed to be a misconception circulating that students would be permitted to skip classes without consequences.
‘We’re going to support what rights students have to protest, but we’re also going to support our expectations for a valuable day of learning with our teachers and students,’ he said. ‘We haven’t changed any rules in our school district today… For students who cut a class and miss class to participate that will result in a detention and that’s our regular rule. We expect students to stay in class.’
O’Donnell also explained that students who attended the rally during their lunch period would not be subject to penalties because students are regularly permitted to go out to the courtyard during that time.
Yurman said he had positive and straightforward conversations with Principal Curtis Johnson on Thursday.
‘I spoke to Principal Johnson several times yesterday. He was incredibly nice the whole time. He wanted to make sure I understood safety was a priority and cutting class was still cutting class,’ Yurman said. ‘The rules are if you cut class you get a two-hour detention. Part of civil disobedience is understanding there will be repercussions and being OK with that.’
Initially students had planned to walk from the high school to Memorial Field. Yurman said they agreed to keep the rally on campus after speaking with Johnson and understanding the district’s safety concerns. Leaving campus also would have resulted in a more serious student code violation that could be punishable by suspension.
O’Donnell said he would rather students have held a rally after school ended. But, he added, he is proud of how students in general have had civil discussions about political issues since the election, and of the conversations between Johnson and students leading up to the walkout.
‘I think we found some common ground here and common ground can’t be found without conversation,’ O’Donnell said. ‘I’m proud of the conversation between our principal and our students. That’s how we work through disagreements.’
Yurman said that among students, even those who didn’t support the walkout and rally were respectful of those who did.
‘People who are coming out with us are very excited and happy we’re doing this and they understand the message,’ he said. ‘People who aren’t willing to walk out with us some of them are supportive and just aren’t willing to leave school. The ones who don’t support our message have been really great about not being negative about our cause. They just said they don’t want to support us.’
Students listen to freshman Auden Yurman speak during the rally. Photo: Geoff Rushton/StateCollege.com
