While many Americans rushed to the polls Nov. 6, Northwestern's high school students reported to the library to mark their ballots in a mock election.

The event simulated the national event with one exception, Gov. Mitt Romney won with the support of 54 percent of the voters.

John Schmoyer, social studies teacher and department chair, spearheaded the event.

"We've been doing this for 35 years," he said. "It was a great exercise in civic responsibility."

In the spirit of the voting season, Schmoyer seized the opportunity to give the high school students a real world learning experience.

"Even though the students are not of voting age, we tried to make it as authentic as possible," he said.

Students needed to register before they could vote.

"They had to be accountable for their own registration," Schmoyer explained. "Some students were turned away if they did not have their registration forms."

Principal Aileen Yadush commented on the election.

"I have been involved with mock elections before, but this was the most realistic one," Yadush said. "We put the responsibility on the students. We had polling booths which were pretty realistic."

Yadush was particularly pleased with the "math component" of the event.

"Students saw what an enormous process voting is," she explained.

Librarian Tam Fitz-gerald and assistant Steph Dunbar promoted the election by decorating the library and displaying photographs of the candidates accompanied by election literature and fliers and flanked by traditional red, white and blue.

"I think it was a great opportunity for students to see what actually happens at the polling booth," Dunbar said.

Social studies teacher Scott Hippensteel said math teacher Jeremy Smoyer was instrumental in setting up the computers in the library so every high school student could cast his or her vote.

"I made a form so that everyone could vote online," Smoyer said. "I created a template so students could indicate their grade, their party and their candidate."

Smoyer said he remembered voting as a student.

"On a green machine with a lever that flipped open the curtain," Smoyer, a Northwestern alum recalled. "Now, the technology allows all the information to be put on a spread sheet." In only seconds, "graphs showed how the students registered as well as their grade level and their choice."

A graph showing the party affiliation of the student body revealed 42 percent registered as Democrats, 37 percent registered as Republicans and 21 percent registered as Independents.

A dedicated computer was available for exit polling.

Hippensteel and Smoyer collaborated so selected students and teachers could indicate their political party affiliation and could select three issues they considered to be their top priority.

Those identifying themselves as Democrats included taxes, education and unemployment as their top issues, while those identifying themselves as Republicans ranked the national debt, unemployment and taxes as their top three.

Dunbar said the mock election was worth all the effort.

She said that most of the students were excited to vote, especially one 18-year-old first-time voter, who would later cast his vote for president for the very first time.

Schmoyer echoed this sentiment.

"They were excited about it, which was kind of nice," he said. "They're going to be even more excited when they see the break down."

Before the election, Hippensteel discovered the students' top issues were not identical to those considered critical among the voting public.

"The top three issues [included] the national debt, taxes and abortion," Hippensteel said. "Energy, same sex marriage and immigration were also identified. On the foreign policy front, they identified Iran and the Middle East."

He said students responded to an online questionnaire to see where they fared on the political spectrum, noting, they were "pretty much split."

Students taking AP English identified key issues in a different way.

"We had to make a commercial promoting a political issue of our choosing," explained junior Elizabeth Johnson.

Members of the class worked in groups a few weeks prior to election day.

Johnson was instrumental in arranging for all the commercials to be viewed in English class as well as in the library on election day.

Johnson's group designed a pro-choice commercial in support of Barack Obama.

Though it took about five hours to complete, Johnson was happy with the result.

"I thought our ad was serious. It didn't seem homemade," Johnson said, but she was quick to add "I liked them all. They were all well done. It's important for us to know about the issues that are facing us even though we can't vote yet."

The two AP English classes created a number of political ads that would appeal to a variety of different people.

"Our ad [opposed] gun control and was in support of Mitt Romney," explained classmate Trista Fulmer, who believes the right to own a gun is "a big thing. It's a safe feeling that you can protect you and your family."

Fulmer said creating a political commercial "was an interesting and kind of fun way to be on topic."

Students could view the political ads in the library while they waited to vote.

"I thought all the commercials had valid points and were a great way to grab your attention," Fulmer said.

The ads covered issues ranging from same sex marriage to abuse of the executive order.

Many teachers discussed the issues leading up to election.

Some used the presidential debates to delineate the key political issues.

"We analyzed the platform for each side and watched significant sections of all four debates," Hippensteel said. "We always watched the intro and those sections that were played on the news. I wanted [my students] to see the whole segment and not just the news bytes."

"I believe it was important to watch the political debates, because they gave a good perspective of how our candidates would carry themselves in office," senior Emi Gutgold said. "Mr. Kleinert suggested [watching]. My dad and I usually watch Monday night football but my mom insisted the debates took precedence."

Gutgold said, for her, watching the debates was a "family activity."

Students expressed a range of opinions about watching the debates.

Freshman Brad Rex said, he "probably watched 45 minutes [when his history teacher] Mr. Schmoyer said it would be a good thing, if we did watch the debates. [The candidates] talked about the economy and China. That's what I saw. The topics don't really relate to me...yet."

Freshman Ellen Smith agreed but added, "It got me to think about the different topics the candidates are debating. It's important. We need to learn about our government."

Though the debates provided background and insight, both Hippensteel and his colleague Stacie Roos used a PBS Frontline special as another teaching tool.

"I showed parts of "The Choice 2012," which focused on pivotal moments in the careers of both Obama and Romney," said Roos. "[The documentary] described the influences that made the candidates what they are today.

"I talk more to the ninth graders than I do to the juniors. I like them to be informed.

"The ninth graders put together some brochures where they had to research background information and include both the facts and the appeal of the candidates.

"Some of them did a really nice job in terms of formatting their brochures."

More freshmen voted in the mock election than any other grade.

Teachers were careful to not promote their own political views.

"I've gone through incredible lengths to be balanced," Hippensteel said.

Roos said the onus is placed more on social studies because of the curriculum.

"I like [my students] to be informed," Roos said.