Students pave way for reform after the Florida shooting

While the United States saw another deadly school school shooting, this time in Parkland Florida, a rather uncommon site has stemmed as a result. After 17 were killed at Marjory Stone Douglas High School on Feb. 14, classmates of the fallen students took matters into their own hands.

Though this shooting isn’t necessarily considered uncommon by national standards, deemed the country’s 30th mass shooting in 2018 by ABC Arizona, a large amount of student responses have taken the U.S. by storm. The responses by peers at the Parkland high school and students nationwide are ensuring that the issue of gun violence remains a topic of conversation.

Student movements only strengthened after legislative votes in the Florida house eliminated the possibility of a ban on assault rifles. After the vote on Feb. 20, Florida students joined each other in full force to protest the failed legislation. While hundreds joined Tallahassee protests at the State Capitol, student voices in Florida sparked walkouts all across the nation. From Washington D.C. to Pleasant Valley High School, teens joined the movement to pass stricter gun laws through different forms of peaceful protest.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and many other representatives nationwide are encouraging students to raise their voices and challenge legislators who oppose them. In response to Florida State University students preparing to protest, Gillum said, “You’re speaking for the kids and the generation of tomorrow so that they don’t have to take the very same march that you’re taking today.”

The words of Gillum have resonated in every corner of the United States, as students continue to lead their own fight toward safer schools an a safer world. This student-led fight has hopes to continue its strong presence in the weeks and months to come, as more large scale protests and walkouts have already been scheduled for future dates.

Pleasant Valley junior, Vashi Chintalapalli has had a large role in drawing conversation to gun control, school safety and mental health awareness within the halls of Pleasant Valley. Using his camera and his social media accounts, Chintalapalli has continued to support the movement initially started by Florida students and has helped to grow it further.

Junior Lily Williams who has partnered with Chintalapalli to bring awareness to the issue emphasized the power student voices can truly have in this movement. “Many students doubt the impact they can have on a movement, but through the group we are uniting at PV, many will begin to see the importance of voicing their opinions,” Williams commented. “I have immense hope for this movement because so many students are angry and determined. Despite failure to combat the issue of school gun violence in the past, everyone feels like this fight is worth it. I don’t think giving up is an option.”

Students like Chintalapalli and Williams are continuing to use their voices until they see change. Through large amounts of organization and communication, students across the group are pushing advocacy to a level which isn’t commonly seen: proving the nation’s youth is a force to be reckoned with, and this message will only grow stronger in the near future.