On Friday, April 20 at 10 o’clock a.m., over 250 students quietly left their desks, pinned on small orange ribbons, and made their way towards the band room doors. Some of them carried homemade signs, adding finishing touches or carefully unrolling them from lockers; some revealed bright T-shirts designed for the event; and some excitedly whispered their hopes for what the next hour and a half would bring – speeches, voter registration. It was a sparkling spring morning, and as the students entered the stadium, the atmosphere of anticipation and determination was almost palpable.
The National School Walkout at PV truly began, however, when students began to speak. A hush fell over the football field as senior Lily Feldman read the names of the 13 Columbine victims, exactly 18 years after the shooting. Thirteen seconds of silence later, junior Vashi Chintalapalli, one of the head organizers of the #NEVERAGAINQC movement, emphasized the need to keep the movement strong even as publicity fades away, saying, “We are the spark that will light the fire. But we need to keep that fire going.” All in all, seven students spoke out, each emphasizing a different aspect of the movement.
Junior Haley Moore focused on potential gun control measures such as limiting access to military-grade assault rifles. “The difference in damage caused by an AR-15 and that of a nine-millimeter handgun is astonishing,” she said, before reading from an article written by a radiologist present for treating the Parkland victims.
Junior Ava Stigler focused on bridging the gap between those of different political parties and opinions to make a change and compromise possible; “How are we supposed to make a problem better if we only accept one side of the argument in a positive light?” she asked.
Perhaps the main focus of the walkout, however, was educating students on how to move forward and make a change. Senior Vivek Joshi discussed contacting local and state lawmakers, emphasizing that change always starts small; as the last speaker, senior Lily Williams encouraged students to never lose hope.
Senior Keshav Wagle pointed out the importance of enacting change on the school level, suggesting that students should pressure school administrators to require student IDs upon entering and reinforce the 8:10 a.m. lock time. Wagle also had something to say to detractors of the movement. “Never stop advocating for what’s right,” he said, to much applause. “There will be people telling us that we’re not old enough, or we don’t have the life experience that they do, and we’re too idealistic – which, sadly, has become an insult. We as students need to give our stance on what we think is right, because we are just as much Americans as adults are.”
After the speeches, speakers and #NEVERAGAINQC organizers answered questions on everything from poster-making to bullying to the stigma surrounding mental illness. The speakers expressed varying views and proposed different solutions, but they all agreed that it aligned with the movement’s objective: to promote discussion and awareness of school shootings and gun violence.
“The goal was to get as many people out here as possible, knowing they want change,” said Wagle. “With sheer numbers alone, people will see that, legislators will see that, and they’ll see that enough people want change.”
Once the designated walkout period ended at 11:25, it was up to students whether to continue the protest or return to class. Most students went back inside, but a small number, including junior Gillian Lindstrom, remained in the stadium. “Only about 10 people stayed,” she said, “but everyone there was really passionate, and you could feel the support.” Voter registration was later held at all lunches.
All in all, the National Student Walkout at PV was a successful demonstration against gun violence and an urgent call to action. Just because the walkout is over, however, doesn’t mean the movement is over – in fact, as senior Lily Williams said, “We must ensure that this activism does not fade away after the walkouts and the marches. We have to take determined steps each and every day.” Pleasant Valley’s 250 are just a drop in an ocean of over 2,600 registered schools’ worth of freshly galvanized students — all of whom are destined to change the world.
