On 3/14, students at Coronado, alongside many students in high schools across the country, are planning a 17-minute walkout beginning at 10 A.M. to show solidarity with the 17 students killed earlier this month in Parkland, Florida. According to the event’s Instagram page, the walkout is aimed at “anyone who feels impacted by the recent school shootings and frustrated by the lack of action in our congress and legislation.”

Students interested in participating but wanting more information before the date arrives should attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, 2/28, at 7:45 A.M. in the Coronado auditorium. Persons interested in speaking during the walkout should speak to Deanna Cooper, 12, or Alexa Huesgen Hobbs, 11, before the event but should be prepared to keep it short and sweet because of the walkout’s limited time.

According to Vox Media, a school-district superintendent  in Houston vowed that “Students who choose [to walkout] will be suspended from school for 3 days and face all the consequences that come along with an out of school suspension,” Organizer Alexa Huesgen Hobbs, has assured Coronado students they will not face a similar situation to the one in Texas: “Administration is alright with us meeting and with the walkout,” she said, after a meeting with Mr. Smith. Additionally, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1968) states that “Students [do] not lose their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech when they [step] onto school property.”

Be sure to educate yourself on the issue of gun violence and attend the walkout if it is something you truly believe in, do not go just to get out of class for 17 minutes or to be a part of the crowd, but do participate if you believe in the walkout’s mission of drawing “attention to the lack of action, and to stand with survivors of the shooting” resonates with you.

Above all, advocate for what you believe in and do so in a safe, responsible, and respectful manner, while feeling proud of being a civically-engaged member of your community!