GUNS, FEAR AND ACTION
Students sound off on threat of school shootings
The recent mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., seems to have galvanized youth around the nation in a way that previous school shootings — Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Virginia Tech — did not. Parkland teens are leading the charge in asking political leaders and influential adults to help them curb incidents of gun violence in schools. In Santa Fe, Superintendent Veronica García is considering hiring armed guards for some district schools, while both district leaders and high school students are suggesting that perhaps the district should hold active shooter training drills for students.
In the interim, students are calling for action, and as Generation Next staff writer Hannah Laga Abram puts it, “Raise awareness, show up, protest, make sure your voice is heard.” Here are some dates to note: On Wednesday, students can take part in a planned 17-minute school walkout starting at 10 a.m. to commemorate the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting. The Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education has approved supporting staff and students in this walkout.
Then, on Saturday, March 24, while the survivors of the Parkland shooting and their families descend on Washington, D.C., Santa Feans will rally at the Roundhouse for a march against gun violence. Details on the exact time will be forthcoming. And on Friday, April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, a national school walkout will once again be encouraged (#NationalSchoolWalkout).
Finally, at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 22, the Legislative Finance Committee meets to discuss school safety in Room 307 of the Roundhouse at the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail. Given many schools are on spring break during the week of March 19, students will be out of school and free to attend this hearing if they like. The state’s secretary of public education, Christopher Ruszkowski, is scheduled to give a presentation at this hearing, which is free and open to the public.
This week, a few of our Generation Next teen reporters offer their views on how gun violence in schools impacts them.