AP Human Geography students make graffiti wall, appreciate democracy

Hannah Blesson | Conant Crier

Colorful graffiti artwork decorated the stairway connecting the English, Social Studies, Music, and World Language hallways recently. Instead of just colorful illegible words, the words found on the wall are words like “sorrow”, “unjust”, and “suffering”. In January, AP Human Geography students put together graffiti art based off of what they learned during the population and migration unit in class.

The art is inspired by protest graffiti done by teenagers in Syria that is said to have sparked the civil war. The teenagers expressed their discontent toward the current president, Bashar al-Assad. Conant students were reminded of the privilege they have of free speech in democracies such as the United States.

Students also enjoyed the creative aspect of the project. Kara Torrens, ‘21, “It was fun to create whatever you wanted, and I liked the drawing aspect of it.”

AP Human Geography teacher Samantha Serrano said, “I want students to know that their personal voice is one of the most important weapons that they have. Voice can be expressed many different ways; through music, language, dance, writing, even art. I think one of the goals of teachers is to help students not just find their voice, but to also give them a platform to express their ideas.”

She hopes that the art raises awareness about topics outside of the walls of their respective communities among students that pass by. Serrano said, “Aside from illustrating how important independent voice can be, we also hope to present global topics that are happening outside of our Hoffman Estates bubble. We want to encourage students to understand global issues, and understand that they can help find solutions to real world problems.”

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