During what was an otherwise sunny Wednesday, on March 14, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., students from every grade level left the building through the Commons for seventeen minutes to voice their opinions on the recent Parkland shooting and show support for the families of the fallen. The names of the victims were read aloud, and a moment of silence was reserved to honor them. Afterward, upperclassmen leading the demonstration invited participants to speak, as part of the purpose of the walkout was to make student voices heard.

People spoke about what they thought should be done, why they came, and how they felt about what they saw happening in our country. Some spoke about gun control, others about less politically tense ways to work towards preventing another shooting from occurring, like putting more effort and resources towards studying and understanding mental health, so as to use that knowledge to prevent people from reaching the point where they wish to take the lives of others. In regards to preventative measures, a few students I asked were testy about the idea of weapons being assigned to teachers as a means of defense in those situations, with the concern that adding more guns to the situation could decrease safety, though another student did comment that they would feel comfortable if a teacher who had served in the military and had training with arms had access to one at such a time.

While the political debates surrounding this event were mentioned, many of the sentiments voiced at the walkout transcended party lines. Students expressed concern for children in elementary schools who might be hearing about this event and fearing for their lives and others simply disgust that something like this had happened. One particular student commented on how tragic and outrageous it was that she, only a fourteen-year-old, had lived through multiple mass school shootings and still no major federal changes had been made, and that idea I believe summed up the overall sentiment of the walkout. I do not think I make any assumption in saying that the students that participated did so, because they feel that the number of school shootings that happen in the U.S. is much higher than it should be, and that something needs to change.