Malden High School students hold signs to protest gun violence and remember the victims of the Parkland shooting. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.
After the shooting that occurred last month in Parkland, Florida, students around the nation organized walk-outs in their schools to stand in solidarity with the victims of the massacre, and to protest for stricter gun control in the United States. Most schools held a walk-out on March 14th, exactly one month after the anniversary, Malden High School held the walk-out on March 15th, due to the snow days. The walk-out took place from 10:00 am, and was supposed to end at 10:17, since there were seventeen victims. The walk-out lasted until about 10:30.
The walk-out was organized by juniors Angela Soliz and Birukti Tsige. Soliz shares that Tsige “presented the idea” of organizing a walk-out to her one night over a phone call, and she says that organizing it was a “joint effort between [them]”. Soliz was motivated to organize a walk out when she realized that “there needs to be more done than just tweeting about it” and “being mad about it”. The point of the walk-out was “to send a message to the legislators” and raise awareness to those old enough to vote to “educate themselves” on what they can do as voters to “help reform the current gun laws to make our schools, churches and public spaces safe”.
Soliz says that the shooting in Parkland made her “extremely upset”, since she feels that “schools should be a safe place for every student in the country”. She also says that there has been an “abundant amount of school shootings in 2018 alone”, and the recent shooting in Parkland has been the “wake up call” for “thousands of Americans”. Soliz adds that the national call for a walk-out is “necessary” to show the city and state government that “we’re calling for action and won’t put up with the current laws”, and urge for a “solution to prevent these tragedies”.
Students were concerned with the possibility of a punishment, since walking out of school grounds during the school day is an offense. However, a note issued by Superintendent John Oteri and Mayor Christenson put those concerns to rest, saying that they are “confident” that those who participate will “handle this in a mature manner”, and expressing that they are “so proud” of the students who participate, adding that the students who walk out will not be “penalized or disciplined”.
Interim principal Chris Mastrangelo, in regards to the possibility of punishment, said that the students who choose to walk out are “doing exactly what we’re helping to teach them to do”, which is to “stand up for what’s right” and “self advocacy”, adding that if those in authority stand “against that”, there could be a bigger divide between the students and the adults. Mastrangelo adds how this “is the first time [he has] seen and felt that there could be some actual change” and does not think it’s a “coincidence that it’s the students leading it”.
At the walk-out, as students filled the stairs in front of the Jenkins auditorium, Soliz and Tsige, along with senior Meghan Yip, gave speeches to the crowd of students. All three speeches expressed sympathy to those who were killed in the shooting, and emphasized their point on how the U.S. is in dire need of new legislation when it comes to gun control. Tsige encouraged those in the audience to send letters to their representatives, and urge them to understand the students’ concerns.
After the speeches were given, the group of students started to walk around Malden High, chanting phrases like “protect kids, not guns”, and “no more guns”. The crowd attracted the attention of those passing by on cars, with many pulling over to take photos, or honking their cars in support. Teachers were also there, either marching with the students or watching on the side, of both support of the students and to supervise. Police were also there to observe and stand as protection, sometimes interacting with the students.
Some members in the audience carried signs, carrying sayings such as “never again”, “books not bullets”, “right to bear arms, not to take lives”, and “how much NRA money am I worth?” A line of students on the top of the stairs held signs that had the names of the victims of the massacre, urging the students to keep them and their families in memory.
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