BY DANIEL GASTELUM AND NICHOLAS BRANDT

Students walked out to the field to raise awareness to the issue of gun violence in schools on March 14 after nutrition break. Because of the recent school shooting that occurred in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many students across campus decided to organize an event that would allow their voices to be heard.

“The main idea of this is for other high schools and students to get involved; there hasn’t been a lot of times where you’ve seen students and young people voice their opinions in this kind of way. Because of the recent event, it’s more of a call to action to address these issues such as school safety, gun violence, and student safety as a whole,” senior Kevin Phan said. “We care about these issues, and these issues are something that need to be talked about.”

Alyssa Alhadelf, Scoot Beigel, and Martin Duque Anguiano are only a fraction of the victims killed in the Florida shooting. They and others were announced during the walkout to commemorate their lives, and speakers gave addresses to tackle the issues of bullying, mental health awareness, and school safety. Balloons were released during the 17 minute ceremony held to encourage the student body to speak up about modern issues that affect their lives, and a moment of silence was held to remember the victims of the Parkland shooting.

“I think that the biggest motivator is that most of these shootings have happened on high school campuses. Just the idea that this could happen to us and has affected other lives is enough that it should motivate us to want better not only for ourselves, but for our nation,” senior Jamie Osuna said.

The event was 100 percent student led and organized, with administration granting permission to host the walkout and asking teachers to not mark students tardy if they attended the walkout. A large crowd of students walked to the W buildings and were able to gather as a community to rally for change and reform to ensure the safety of WCHS students, teachers and faculty. Many students made colorful and meaningful signs that represented their opinions and voices on the topics of firearm regulation and school safety.

“The walkout was very important because I believe school should be a safe environment. No one should be afraid to go to school, ” sophomore Esmeralda Hernandez said.

The WCHS Walkout was concluded with another moment of silence before students went back to class. The students who helped organize the event felt that it was very successful and hope that it inspires students to not be afraid to voice their opinions and strive for change.

“This is just the advent of everything. We’ll see how this takes off, and through this we hope that it sparks interest in other students to take charge and take the lead, organize different events like this, and maybe organize a club or forum where students can talk about actions that need to be taken.” Phan said.