The Parkland, Florida school shooting that killed 17 people has been all over the news the past week. What hasn’t been really spread around is word of the national school walkouts. The students affected by the shooting have started to organize a national walkout for all students and teachers who agree with their views to change the gun laws. They believe that it should be more difficult to obtain a gun in this country.

The National School Walkout is planned for March 14th at 10 a.m. in each time zone. The students and teachers who participate are to walk out of school and stand outside in silence for 17 minutes—-one minute for each of the 17 victims who were killed in the Florida school shooting. The walkout is to protest Congress’s inaction to do more than just tweet thoughts and prayers in response to all the current school shootings. Students and teachers planning to take part in the walkout believe that Congress needs to enact stronger gun laws.

Recently there has been word around the school that the senior class officers are planning on hosting a walkout. Senior Ayla Kurtagic posted a long message in the Class of 2018 Google classroom about the shooting, and how she plans to get Principal Morrison to join the walkout. “I understand that there are conflicting political views in our school, but school shootings will not stop happening, people will not stop dying, and kids will not stop getting their lives taken away from them if we, the future of this country, do not do something about this issue,” said Kurtagic (’18). “Gun reform laws are a must.”

Kurtagic also continued to say that it’s not her intention to take away the right to bear arms, but rather to start background checks and stricter laws to prevent shootings like this from happening. The only way for this to occur is to start with our own school and make our voices heard.  “It’s easier for an 18-year-old to get a gun than it is to buy alcohol. Its messed up,” said Ariana Bondi (’20). On March 14th she plans on walking out of the school at exactly 10 a.m. for 17 minutes and asks anyone who agrees with her to participate in the walkout. She hopes to get the principal on board but plans on participating even if he doesn’t agree.

The past two weeks have been an extremely sad time for our whole country. Thoughts and prayers won’t stop something like this from occurring again. It’s time for our generation to finally speak up and do something.  Change will not happen if people do not mobilize and force change. The walkout is something that we can all do to change our country for the better. March 14th, 10 a.m. It’s time for change.