Last week marked one month since the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Thank you to the students who organized the very powerful event. While other schools simply walked out of school in protest, weren’t allowed to protest, or had their words censored, our students organized the logistics, promoted the event, prepared their own speeches, printed poster sized pictures of each victim, and spoke individually about each person who had been killed. They encouraged students and staff to wear maroon and silver (colors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School) and prepared a tribute song that was performed by our choir. We should all be proud of the way that the teachers, counselors, staff, and administration worked with the student leaders to support yesterday’s events.
While the event was moved to the gym because of the snow on the bleachers and track, it was a powerful 17 minutes. Led by the students, incredibly important messages were shared. Participants were respectful, moved by the words, the pictures, the song, and the silence. It is difficult to convey how touching the moment was. You would have been impressed by our students had you been present. They created an event that paid tribute to the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School while expressing their desire for safer schools, and sparked a wonderful opportunity for civil discourse that hopefully will ultimately inspire change. Our students are learning to set the tone in the communities in which they live. They are not just participants; they are leaders.
