Students participate in national high school walkout
March 14, 2018
A crowd of students walked out of the Maize High School building today in honor of the one month anniversary of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting that occurred on Feb. 14. The walkout was nationwide beginning at 10 a.m. and lasted for 17 minutes: one minute of remembrance for every life that was taken in the Parkland shooting. Students stood together in silence, some holding signs calling for action. Juniors Katelyn Parks and Aiden Headrick both participated in the walkout.
“I think [the walkout] was to show that [students] can make a movement,” Headrick said.
Parks and Headrick said that they organized a group of students to make posters to hold during the 17 minutes of silence. They also said they will be taking further action by walking in the March for Our Lives along with senior Matthew Melchor who also participated in today’s walkout.
“I think there’s an issue with the school, not necessarily shootings or safety, I just think that we need to be more aware of it,” Melchor said.
Although many students participated, the rest of the student body decided to stay inside for one reason or another. Junior Isaac James was one of the student that opted out of the walkout.
“I feel like something to eliminate shooters is [not] bullying,” James said. “Bullying is a big thing, and today I met 17 new people and just talked to them to make a connection with them. I feel like instead of walking out and protesting, you should go meet 17 new people.”
