Many students said they would vote for Bernie Sanders because of his stance on college affordability. [DNAinfo/Sam Cholke]
GRAND BOULEVARD — Approximately 60 students from Wendell Phillips Academy High School — led by the school's drum corps — marched down State Street Thursday to vote for the first time.
Students in a civics class at the school at 244 E. Pershing Road were among several students at South Side schools over the past week who for the first time in a national election.
“I’m going to vote for what I know,” said Taylor Moore, a senior in teacher Angela Chronis’ civics class.
Chronis said the students have been watching the debates and primary elections in other states to get ready to vote at the Chicago Bee Branch Library, 3647 S. State St.
Her students said they weren’t worried about voting in state representative and judge races in their first election and were there to pick a president.
Some students said they were planning to vote for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president like their parents, but the vast majority of those interviewed at the school said they were voting for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to be the Democratic nominee.
“He wants college to be free and he wants minorities to have their rights,” said senior Taditha DuBose.
She said she was also planning to vote for Kim Foxx for Cook County state’s attorney after reading about her background.
The Phillips students joined the ranks of more than 100 students from Hyde Park High School as first time voters.
The Hyde Park High School students voted on Wednesday, and like the Phillips students, carried signs with them about the importance of supporting candidates who supported voting rights for African Americans and schools in African-American communities.
“I’m totally mind blown,” said Chronis as the Phillips students filed into the library on Thursday to vote.
She said she was inspired to organize the last-minute trip to the polls by the Mikva Challenge, a nonprofit that advocates for more civic participation among young people.
Phillips Academy seniors marched to the polls with the school drum corps to vote for the first time on Thursday.
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