WUHS Participates in National School Walkout
On February 14th, an armed gunman took the lives of 17 innocent students and faculty of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since the horrific incident, students across the country have been standing up against gun violence in schools under the movement, #Enough. On March 14th, roughly 150 WUHS students walked out in honor of the lives that were lost and to stand up against gun violence for safety in schools.
A month after the Parkland shooting, thousands of students all across the US walked out of school in protest and memory of all of those who have tragically lost their lives due to school based violence. Most walkouts lasted for 17 minutes in honor of the 14 students and 3 teachers who died in the Parkland school shooting.
WUHS’ observance included readings of the names and biographies of the 17 people who lost their lives, and speeches addressing the importance of school safety. Members of Students for Social Justice and Student Council delivered the speeches.
Junior, Min Purvis said that the walkout was "a good way to honor the lives that were taken in Parkland,” and that the walkout was powerful because “so many people recognized that it was an issue.”
Despite dealing with the issues at hand, WUHS’ walkout wasn’t a riot or a protest, instead serving as a memorial where students were quiet and respectful rather than outspoken and angry. Some students carried signs that they made, but were respectful and calm.
The walkout lasted 17 minutes, however the speeches only took up the first 11, leaving 6 excess minutes where students took a prolonged moment of silence to honor those who died in the shooting. Students were welcome to go back inside if they wished, but everyone stayed outside in complete silence for a full 6 minutes showing that as one student remarked, “silence is powerful”.
The hope is that these walkouts will bring awareness to the rights of students and the need for school safety, because, as Molly Thompson said in her speech, “Can we all agree that we should be safe at school?”
