Seeing the news of the February 14 Florida school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and knowing that 17 students and other individuals lost their lives that day, Hodges began to think about her fellow students.
Advertisement
For numerous students at Pearl Cohn High School who participated in the National School Walkout, the event highlighted an issue facing their communities.
The National School Walkout, in which students left class for 17 minutes, at 10 a.m., Wednesday, was done in remembrance of the 17 people who were killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
As band students gathered around the flag pole Wednesday morning, the American flag was torn town. I was one of the students that participated in the extra 2 hours in the walkout.
In Wisconsin, Mukwonago High School and Pewaukee High School also cancelled their walkouts.
As to the other 925 PHS student population who did not participate in the walkout, class and school went on as normal. Some were expected to hold roadside rallies to honor shooting victims and protest violence.
More than 50 students walked out in Bellefonte, outside State College, instead of assembling at a school-sanctioned location inside.
In Scituate, the names of the 17 Parkland victims were read out loud.
“We’re sick of it”, said Maxwell Nardi, a senior at Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico, Virginia, just outside Richmond. In all, more than 3,000 walkouts were planned, organizers said. We want our Congress people to stop taking money from the NRA.
WHS student Gunnar Green stayed outside to continue demonstrating, long after his peers headed back into the school.
Across the time zones, at 10am, lessons stopped for 17 minutes in memory of the 17 people shot dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Classroom instruction continued during the protests, which were supervised by administrators.
“It was very surreal”, said Howard High School Principal Shannon Norfleet. He pulls his weapon and takes up a position outside the building.
Students across the country faced similar reprimands for participating in the protests.
“We’re not supporting it or going against it”, Sundblad said. “They’re engaged, they know what’s going on, and they faced the guns firsthand”.
Many students said they hoped the walkout could bring them closer together.
The message mirrors those of other schools across the nation.
The demonstration was organized Tuesday night by teacher Sarah Grieger and student Austin Keranen.
A student posted these videos of the outburst.
Drake said it was important for the students to have the opportunity to have their voices heard.
“We know better than to militarize our schools, that’s why we’re protesting”, Garg said.
“Their right to free speech was supported by myself”, he said.
More than 3,000 walkouts were planned across the USA and around the world, organizers said.
Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School and Romeoville High School, both in IL, also announced that threats had led them to cancel planned walkouts the evening before. No students or staff members were injured during the walkout.
Advertisement
“Each affirmation they wrote reminded me that this is the world I want to live in; these young adults make it so”. “I don’t think we can”.
