Today, March 14, 2018, over 150 Brewster High School students participated in a nationwide walkout to push for gun control and to remember the students who were killed in the mass shooting at Stone Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The walkout originated with EMPOWER a youth division of the National Women's March and over 2,500 schools participated.
At around 10:00AM all participating students stood outside in the back parking lot and listened as 34 students stood up in the parking lot in pairs, one holding up a sign and another student speaking about the person who was killed. Each speaker spoke for about one minute, using the full 17 minutes of the walkout to memorialize each person and how their surviving family members are pushing for gun reform.
“As America’s youth, we rarely have the chance to really speak up and be heard. But we are persistent to change the issues we see. The walkout here was a great experience for everyone involved. We used our platform as angry students who see an obvious problem and I’m so proud of my school that so many people participated. It really was eye opening and I hope dearly that we have made some kind of change,” says walkout participant and sophomore at BHS Grace Stathatos.
The BHS walkout was planned by a team of students consisting of Jill Pino, Hannah Jo Spatz, Aaron Lurin, Autumn Gerard, Thomas Froesell and Mollie Toscano. "We are so proud of what we accomplished today. And already we are thinking about the future. We refuse to let the momentum for common sense gun reform be stifled. We are so thankful to everyone who contributed and participated," says Aaron Lurin.
After the walkout was over 10:17AM students either went back to class or to the Library for a workshop on how as teens they can make a difference in our society even without being able to vote.
Many students opted to stay in class, as well, seeing the walkout as futile. “I would have done the walk out if it was just a memorial and not about gun control and politics,” said student Owen Downey.
The walkout was successful and the BHS students who participated thank the administration for their help and cooperation.
- Charlie Fitzpatrick, Brewster HamletHub Student Reporter
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