Colleges assure applicants on protesting gun violence

A handful of Maryland colleges have joined a growing chorus of universities assuring high school students that they won’t be penalized during the admissions process should they protest gun violence. The Johns Hopkins University announced Friday that its “admissions office supports students who take respectful action, and your admission will not be negatively impacted if you are disciplined for expressing yourself in a peaceful way.” Both the University of Maryland, College Park and Goucher College followed Hopkins’ lead Monday, tweeting out reassuring messages to politically active prospective students, and a McDaniel College spokeswoman echoed the sentiment. “At Goucher, we believe in the power of using your voice for good,” the Baltimore-based college tweeted. “We promise that all offers of admission will be affected by any participation in peaceful protests. Your voice matters & we are proud of those who stand up to use their voice for positive change.” The state flagship echoed that “non-academic disciplinary action from high school will not affect a student’s admission to the University of Maryland if they are engaged in peaceful and respectful protest.” Students have emerged as passionate advocates of gun control in recent weeks, after a shooting rampage in a Florida high school left 17 people dead. The survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre have planned national marches and class walkouts, promising to fight for policy changes in memory of their slain classmates and teachers. Some school districts said that students will face discipline for