Student leaders, in coordination with Allegan Public School administration and local police, organized a walk-out at Allegan High School during third hour on Wednesday, March 14.
About 100 students gathered in front of the school to protest gun violence in schools one month after the tragic shooting in at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Various students spoke, wearing orange T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Enough is enough.”
Twelfth-grader Nevada Henrickson, who also spearheaded a walk-out protest at the school a week after the Florida shooting, thanked everyone for participating in National Walk-out Day. The protest was part of thousands taking place across the country; NPR credited the group EMPOWER which said there were 3,130 largely student-organized protests as part of the day.
“We believe this is something that is important not only to our school and our community but to our nation,” Henrickson said. “We want to see change in gun violence in schools. We do not want to take away anyone’s Second Amendment right, but we do want to exercise our First Amendment right.”
Thomas Loftus, senior class president, said the organizers of the event—including concerned students and leaders from groups like the Pro Youth Team, other class officers and the National Honor Society—wanted to let all students at the school they supported them and that they wanted to make sure students were provided with all of the ways to reach out for help or to report to the proper authorities.
“Most importantly, we’re here because we want to end violence in schools. We’ve had enough,” Loftus said. “We just want to make the world a better place... it starts right now.”
Allegan police Chief Rick Hoyer also spoke, holding his own orange T-shirt high as he encouraged the students to download OK2Say, a free app for students to anonymously report bullying and threats of violence.
“If you hear something, see something? Say something,” he said, noting that students were the first line of defense against violence in schools. He also pointed out there had been numerous school shootings already this year. “I think you guys have got it right when you come out and say ‘Enough is enough.’ It’s time to be heard, it’s time to demand action and it’s time to stay vigilant.”
The organizers then encouraged all those gathered to contact the area’s elected officials and then held up signs with contact numbers for state Rep. Mary Whiteford, state Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker and Congressman Fred Upton.
Loftus encouraged students to attend the March For Your Life on March 24 in Grand Rapids. “It’s just taking advantage of what we have, our freedom of speech,” he said.
Student Delanie Nahikian said they would not participating in any further walk-outs.
“We will be taking that time during the school day to email, call, and text our legislators let them know again,” she said. “We will not be going down without a fight... we need this fixed... and if they are not willing to work with us, we will be a pain in their butts.”
They then unveiled a banner with a silhouette of Michigan with the words, “Allegan Michigan Stands With You.” It was then posted in the media center for students to sign; it will later be sent to Stoneman Douglas High School along with any donations collected for the families of the shooting victims.
Senior Addison Schubert stepped out from the crowd to say, “The core of this movement is a great one. But in a capitalist society, there is always demand and supply.
“If a student wants to get their hands on a gun, they most likely can if they try. But with a closer eye on the school, such as locking the doors and putting buzzers at the front, it’s a good step forward.
“Attacking a school with any type of weapon is wrong, but it’s difficult to combat this complicated problem. The people have the right to keep and bear arms. The only way to truly solve this is to take away everyone’s guns—but the thing is, we can’t do that. Because that would be at the expense of our individual freedoms.”
A student elsewhere in the crowd said, “We could try.”
Delanie responded by saying the event was not organized to support gun control.
“We do not want to take your guns; we want changes in schools and we want school safety,” she said.
Principal Mallard said he was very proud of the students who participated.
“They have the right message and the right response,” he said.
Superintendent Kevin Harness said he was proud as well.
“They kept the message positive and I’m glad they involved us early on which helped us to ensure the safety,” he said.
Nevada said she’s noticed that students now realize the shootings and other violence are going to continue.
“It feels like people still have this in their minds that this is going to keep happening as long as there are no laws to protect us in our schools,” she said. “I think people are kind of gaining the knowledge that, ‘Oh we can do something now. Our voice is being heard.’ Not only in our state but also in our nation.”
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