Students Speak Out For National Walkout Day

Sydney Miner, Reporter

Over 2,600 schools across the United States walked out of their classrooms at 10:00 a.m. on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting 19 years ago. These students were protesting for gun law reform and the “congressional, state, and local failures to take action to prevent gun violence,” according to the National School Walkout website.

In the courtyard at CPHS, the names of those killed in Parkland, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Columbine were written in chalk across the cement. Junior Madi Fujawa said that this walkout and others across the country gave a voice to those who want change.

We as a nation can come together and find better solutions towards gun control and school shootings.

— Madi Fujawa

“My overall goal for the walkout was to give a voice to those who lost theirs in the school shootings that have happened in our country,” Fujawa said. “We as a nation can come together and find better solutions towards gun control and school shootings.”

After gathering in the courtyard, the students who participated marched in front of the school and many students gave speeches to the crowd, discussing their opinions and feelings on the matter.

“When I was handed the megaphone and got to stand on a table and voice my opinions to the crowded courtyard was the most memorable part,” senior Katie Pulcini said. “Usually when I share my opinion at school, I get ridiculed for it, but this time there were so many cheers, it was empowering to know I wasn’t alone with my views.”

Junior Olivia Cantrell said that she believes that getting our generation to become involved in political topics and what’s going on around them is extremely important.

“If you look at voter demographics you can see that the generations above us have not voted to their full capacity,” Cantrell said. “It’s important that we go to our voting stations and vote for either side, and it starts with being informed and being active in politics and protests. For me, the protest just made me want to vote more and to try and make a difference.”

Although the walkout was made to bring attention to issues and share opinions on the recent gun violence, Fujawa said that she wasn’t there to force her beliefs on anyone.

“There’s never a clear solution, but discussion and ideas from both sides of the topic are what can bring us closer to solutions that we can try,” Fujawa said. “I know walking out was an important thing to do, because when I walked out I thought about the Parkland students, the Sandy Hook students, the Columbine students, my own friends, my teachers, my younger siblings.”

Click here to find more information on the national school walkouts.