Staff Writer
On Feb. 14, 2018, a day meant to celebrate love and companionship, a high school student open fired in his own high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 and wounding others. The tragedy caused students to start a movement, beginning with a student walk out planned for March 14, a month after the shooting. Across the nation, students made plans to leave their classrooms at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes, one minute for each of the victims.. With this walkout, most students want congress to pass stricter gun-control laws, including banning assault weapons and requiring deeper background checks.
Many schools announced that they would not penalize their students for participating in this act, as students have a First Amendment right to free assembly. They want to ensure that it is organized and safe and promotes a positive message. New Hope-Solebury will be one of the many schools who is participating in the movement, as administration stressed that we will not be disciplined.
At approximately 10 a.m., Mr. Seier’s asked for a moment of silence for the victims. After the silence, students were able to participate in the walkout or stay in class. Police were present to ensure everything moved smoothly, while local press also attended to get coverage. A mass majority of students walked from their classrooms to the bleachers on the track and listened attentively as students read speeches they had prepared for the shooting victims. Students wrote short paragraphs about each of the Parkland’s individuals hobbies, passions and future goals in life, ending with the phrase “enough is enough.” Each person spoke with strong emotion and true sympathy resonated from their words and actions. Later, controversy broke out as New Hope’s Free Press published an article with the title “New Hope-Solebury Students Rally To End Gun Violence.” Some students were upset the walkout was labeled as gun-centered, when the school vowed not to take any political stance. Junior John Mangan tweeted in response to the article; “The event was advertised throughout the school as apolitical and in honor of the victims from the shooting in Florida. There was no mention of pushing gun legislation. A more appropriate title would be: New Hope-Solebury students gather to honor victims.” Students continue to speak out about how this walk out was purely to remember these individuals, rather than for a political reason such as gun control.
