SHS hosts 13th annual Chalk Walk

EDITOR'S NOTE: A photo gallery of the event is also available on the Herald Tribune's website.

Steeleville High School hosted its 13th annual Chalk Walk on April 15, with 11 high schools and more than 285 students participating.

Teams were tasked with decorating parking spaces, using sidewalk chalk, on the Steeleville High School parking lot to match a specific theme.

"It really brings together a school," said Steeleville art teacher Allison Roehrig. "We have 42 (Steeleville) Art Society members who participate in either chalking or volunteering to help with the duties of Chalk Walk.

"It brings in schools from all the way up to Triad all the way down here."

Roehrig noted that the event also helps to bring together young artists to share their creative ideas.

"It also gives us teachers an opportunity to get together and celebrate the art programs we have in our schools," she said.

This year's theme was nature, but also came with a quote: "There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but we promise to find a better connection there."

The quote was attributed to "unknown."

"Our generation seems very technology-oriented," Roehrig said. "It's a let's-take-a-break-from-our-cellphones-and-go-outside sort of theme."

Trico High School (space No. 9) took first place, while Freeburg (space No. 66), Lebanon (space No. 34) and Gibault Catholic (space No. 2) rounded out the top four.

"Every year, the kids amaze me with what they can do with a parking spot and sidewalk chalk," Roehrig said. "I would love it if one year, the teachers could enter because I don't know if we would ever be as great as our students.

"The creativity that they come up with, and the ideas to relate around the theme, are just mindblowing."