Article by Catherine Gillman, March 16th, 2018

On Wednesday, March 14th, dozens of Queen’s Grant students walked out of class to honor the victims of the recent school shooting that took place at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

The Parkland Massacre occurred on February 14th of this year, when a former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing seventeen and injuring seventeen more. Students across the country have shown their support for the victims and taken part in activism to prevent more school shootings.

At 10:00 a.m., QGHS students headed for the flagpole outside the main office. They stood silently on the blacktop for seventeen minutes, one for every victim of the massacre. Some held signs or wore red in remembrance of the victims.

“I was proud to participate in the walkout to bring awareness against the uprising violence in schools because it is crucial for students to speak out against this issue,” Josie, a student who participated in the walkout, says. “This issue directly affects all of us and by raising awareness, we can encourage administration and even people in office to find ways to make our schools a safer place. 17 minutes for the 17 victims in the Parkland shooting was a great time of reflection promoted unity amongst us. We came together to acknowledge that students and teachers shouldn’t have to be afraid to go to school. That is what it was all about.”

On a national level, the walkout was both a memorial for the victims and a protest against Congress’ inaction on the issue of gun control. Across the country, thousands of students left class, demonstrating by marching, lying down, or kneeling. Another protest, called March for our Lives, will take place in Washington D.C. on Saturday, March 24th.