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Schools present alternative, positive ‘walkout’ initiatives

By Steve Barrett 5 min read
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As students throughout the nation participated in walkouts Wednesday in response to the deadly shooting last month in Parkland, Florida, at least two Greene County schools decided to offer a proactive and positive alternative by providing programs held to memorialize the victims and let their students’ voices be heard.

Following the Feb. 14 shooting that claimed the lives of 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, school campuses across the nation have held demonstrations — most of them “walkouts” — and the first national demonstration was organized to be held Wednesday, where participating students would walk out of their respective schools for 17 minutes, with each minute representing one of the victims.

The national demonstration sparked a great deal of attention across the country, and at least two local school districts took the initiative to use the demonstration as an opportunity to help their students.

At the Jefferson-Morgan School District, the student council decided to take a proactive approach. With the support of the district’s faculty and administration, student council members held a “Walk Up” event Wednesday morning inside the school auditorium.

Jodi Fulks, business/computer teacher and student council sponsor, and Katrina Schmolke, vice-president of the student council, coordinated the event, during which students were invited to voluntarily participate. The event featured a memorial slide presentation by Schmolke honoring the students who were killed in the Feb. 14 shooting – most of who were high school freshmen – and also encouraged the students to let their voices be heard.

“This was not a political event, and it was not about the gun control issue,” Schmolke said after the event. “We weren’t encouraging students to skip classes. And it wasn’t a mandatory event … it was an opportunity for students to come and learn about those 17 victims, and to also help make them aware that they have people to talk to at the school when it comes to important issues.”

Schmolke said the student council decided to hold the event rather than a walkout because they believed it would be more beneficial to the students.

“Students do have voices and they deserve to be heard,” she said. “We are the future, and we do have feelings and emotions, and we do feel sadness and pain. This is a generation that needs to feel empowered. So rather than just walking out of school, we felt it would be helpful to encourage them to take action and speak up.”

Schmolke said students from different classrooms were permitted to attend the event, and if classrooms were emptied then the teachers would attend as well. But if there were students who chose not to attend, then the teachers would remain in their classrooms.

“There was no pressure for anyone to attend,” she said. “We just wanted to do something positive.”

Schmolke said she was pleased with the response.

“It was a really good turnout,” she said. “There were many students who obviously felt that their voices needed to be heard. And the positive responses we received afterward from many of the students who attended were powerful and inspiring.”

One of the proactive elements of the event was an initiative for students to take photographs of people they trust and post them on the Twitter account @JMSCouncil. They also support #bethechange. Fulks said the response to these initiatives thus far has been impressive.

Fulks added that the school district is fortunate to have a strong trust between the students and school administration and faculty.

“It’s wonderful that the school district is so supportive of its students and initiatives such as this,” Fulks said. “This was just another example of how everyone involved here strives to work together.”

“We really are a tight-knit family here,” Schmolke said, “and we just want to let all of our students know that they always have a voice here.”

Meanwhile, Carmichaels Area School District also held a program Wednesday. Although the Messenger was unable to obtain specific details regarding the program, the school issued a message to students Tuesday indicating that an event similar to Jefferson-Morgan’s initiative would be taking place Wednesday morning.

The letter stated that the administration were working with student leaders in the middle and high school to allow students to report to the high school gymnasium at 10 a.m. for a 17-minute remembrance ceremony.

The letter stated that the program was voluntary, and students not wishing to participate in the ceremony would remain in their classes.

The administration also encouraged students to participate in the March 14 Walk Up movement that encourages students to walk up to 14 students and three teachers “to say something kind to honor the lives taken,” the letter stated.

Administration also stated that the program would be the only organized walk out that excuses students from class, and the school district “will not support any other walk out activities.”

The Messenger was unable to obtain details or information regarding any initiatives that may have been held at Central Greene, Southeastern Greene and West Greene school districts by press time.

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