Going for a walkout

It’s been one month since the deadly shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglass High school, in Parkland Florida. Today, students across the country walked out and protested for seventeen minutes for the seventeen lives that were lost that day. We were at a Southwest High school and witnessed their student organized walkout.

Beginning at ten a.m. the Southwest high students walked out in protest onto their track field, to pay tribute as well as raise awareness for school safety and issues with gun violence.

Senior, Alyssa Miranda said, “with the walkout, we wanted to accomplish…to let teachers, the staff and the Imperial Valley, everyone know that as students we have a voice, and that we care about this issue. And we want to ultimately to bring awareness to gun reform.

Another senior, Brianna Verdugo feel it’s important to have their voices heard. She said, “because we are part of this epidemic that’s happening. It’s school issues. And it’s important for us to learn that we’re going to be the future of this country. And we need to stand up for what we believe in.”

She also says that the most important thing going forward, is bravery. “Be aware. I think the most important thing to do is be vigilant and be unafraid to speak out.”

The survivors of the Parkland shootings, plan to protest in the nation’s capital later next week in an event called March For Our Rights.