National School Walkout - Local Spotlight: Neuqua Valley High School

In an incredibly strong show of unity and political solidarity, students nationwide marched out of class Wednesday morning to demand stricter gun laws, to push for the adults around them to listen to their concerns and to highlight the need to look at the issues at hand to end school massacres.

Photography by: Jennifer Veguilla-Lezan 

The National School Walkout started at 10 a.m. ET and will continue across the country at 10 a.m. in each time zone. The protest has been sparked by last month's school massacre in Florida and fueled by years of frustration and anger about what many people believe are inadequate gun laws.

More and more students in the United States are working to voice their growing concerns about the state of the world in which they are growing up in. They've had enough and are banding together to show their unified support and demand changes. Many students highlight that this not a political issue, rather it is an issue about safety and human life. 

The gun debate issue continues to stall out in Congress, meanwhile students and parents are concerned about safety in their school zones. In Naperville, IL - students coordinated a peaceful walk out at Neuqua Valley High School (Naperville School District 204). During this time, they had a 17 minute moment of silence for the 17 students who lost their lives at Parkland Highschool in Florida. 

In a show of support, the District 204 Superintendant released a statement and email to residents and parents of the district last week highlighting that, "District 204 respects students’ First Amendment rights, and we will not discipline students for the act of peaceably assembling while exercising their freedom of speech on March 14. Our goal is to provide guidance to the high school student organizers and support the safety of our students and staff. We also have a limited number of middle school students who have expressed an interest in showing support for the Parkland students and we will provide guidance to help them determine a safe way to show their support." 

She further explained,"As educators, we see this is a teachable moment for our students and we respect their desire to enact change. I would encourage you to have age appropriate conversations with your child around the Parkland tragedy and the March 14 walkout."

Student organizers at all of the Indian Prairie School District 204 high schools have shared that they are also planning voter registration drives and letter writing campaigns to elected officials. The students of Neuqua Valley High School stood out in the cold for an entire class period offering speeches about honoring the Parkland victims, their rights, gun control, as well as their place in the world. The students shared moving thoughts about their purpose and the organization, professionalism and spirit shown during the protest highlights that these young people truly are the future. They are creating the movement, they are watching elected officials, discussing their concerns with adults and they are no longer remaining quiet about issues that impact them.