IT'S BEEN 1 MONTH SINCE
17 PEOPLE WERE GUNNED
DOWN AT A FLORIDA HIGH
SCHOOL.
NOW STUDENTS ACROSS THE
NATION SAY THEY ARE
STANDING IN SOLIDARITY
AGAINST
VIOLENCE.
GOOD EVENING, I'M TOM
SCHAAD.
(ANITA)
AND I'M ANITA BLANTON.
STUDENTS AROUND THE
COUNTRY-- AND HERE IN
HAMPTON ROADS -- WALKED
OUT OF
CLASSROOMS.
THEIR MESSAGE TO LOCAL,
STATE, AND FEDERAL
LEADERS: MAKE OUR SCHOOLS
SAFER!
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S JASON
MARKS IS LIVE IN VIRGINIA
BEACH AFTER TALKING TO
STUDENTS
THERE.
(JASON)
STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE
VERY AWARE WHEN TRAGEDY
LIKE THE ONE IN FLORIDA
HAPPENS.
THEY SAY THE SHOULDN'T
WORRY THAT WHEN THEY'RE
IN CLASS SOMEONE COULD
COME
INTO THE SCHOOL WITH A
GUN.
(JASON MARKS)
(DARCY LIEBELL/FIRST
COLONIAL SOPHOMORE)
"THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
AND WHO WANT TO HAVE
THEIR
VOICES HEARD"
AND TODAY STUDENTS FROM
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY DID
JUST THAT. THE LEFT THE
CLASSROOM TO SEND A
MESSAGE OF CHANGE.
(CHARLOTTE HORNE/FIRST
COLONIAL SOPHOMORE)
I THINK I WASN'T YOUNG
PEOPLE TO BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY EVEN THOUGH WE
MUCH
AS ADULTS I THINK THEY
SHOULD HEAR OUR VOICES"
(RICA PURCELL/FIRST
COLONIAL JUNIOR)
"THE KIDS THAT LOST THEIR
LIVES THAT IS NOT A JOKE
AS WELL WE SHOULD BE
AWARE OF
WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR
WORLD TODAY AND WE SHOULD
TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY"
IN VIRGINIA BEACH, GREEN
RUN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
GATHERED ON THE
FOOTBALL FIELD FOR 17
MINUTES.. ONE MINUTE FOR
EACH OF THE VICTIMS FROM
LAST
MONTHS DEADLY SHOOTING AT
FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL.
(SAMUEL WILLIAMS/FIRST
COLONIAL SENIOR)
"WE ALL KNOW THEY WERE
PEOPLE TOO THIS COULD BE
ANYONE OF US THEY WERE
PEOPLE
THEY DESERVE FOR THEIR
VOICES TO BE HEARD THEY
CAN'T SPEAK FOR
THEMSELVES
SO WE HAVE TO SPEAK FOR
THEM"
"THEY LIKE MANY OTHER
STUDENTS IN AMERICA HAVE
BECOME VICTIMS IN STEAD
OF COUNTING
SHEEP AT NIGHT THEY COUNT
HOW MANY FRIENDS THEY
LOST"
STUDENTS ARE NOT ONLY
REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS..
THERE'S ANOTHER MESSAGE.
(DAVID ABRIGO/FIRST
COLONIAL SENIOR)
"WE DEMAND STRONGER GUN
CONTROLS WE DEMAND THAT
WE FEEL SAFE IN
OUR SCHOOLS CAUSE AS OF
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T"
THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST
STEP AND STUDENTS SAY
THEY PLAN TO KEEP ON
STEPPING UNTIL
SOMEONE IS DONE,
(CHARLOTTE HORNE/FIRST
COLONIAL SOPHOMORE)
"STAYING IN CLASS IS NOT
GOING TO SHOW THAT WE
WANT SOMETHING TO CHANGE
HERE AND WE WANT IT TO BE
DIFFERENT"
(JASON)
STUDENTS ARE PLANNING
ANOTHER WALKOUT NEXT
MONTH. THEY SAY THEY'LL
WALKING OUT UNTIL SOMEONE
HEARS WHAT THEY ARE
SAYING.
LIVE IN VIRGINIA BEACH
JASON MARKS 10 ON YOUR
SIDE.
(ANITA)
AND NOW TO THE PENINSULA
WHERE HUNDREDS OF
STUDENTS AT
DENBIGH HIGH SCHOOL TOOK
PART IN THE THE NATIONAL
WALK-OUT.
(TOM)
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SAY
THEY ARE NOT FOR OR
AGAINST THE MOVEMENT
- BUT THAT STUDENTS HAVE
A RIGHT TO TAKE A STAND.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S LAURA
CASO SPENT THE AFTERNOON
IN NEWPORT NEWS.
LAURA - THIS WAS ANOTHER
17 MINUTE WALKOUT.
(LAURA)
THAT'S RIGHT.
AND IT WENT SMOOTHLY.
(LAURA)
STUDENTS WALKED OUT OF
CLASS FOR 17 MINUTES AND
WHEN TIME WAS UP - SCHOOL
STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS
ESCORTED THOSE STUDENTS
BACK TO
CLASS AFTER THEY STOOD UP
FOR WHAT THEY SAY - IS AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE IN
THIS COMMUNITY AND AROUND
THE WORLD.
(LAURA CASO)
"NOBODY NEEDS A GUN TO
SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS."
STUDENTS STANDING UP FOR
WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.
"WE ARE HERE TO REMEMBER
THE STUDENTS WHO LOST
THEIR LIVES AT STONEMAN
DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL"
STUDENTS 1000 MILES AWAY
PUSHING DENBIGH HIGH
SCHOOLERS TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THE
VIOLENCE IN THEIR
COMMUNITY.
"WE CAN DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT IF WE BUILD A
RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE
AROUND US INSTEAD OF
CLOSING OURSELVES OFF
WITH EACHOTHER."
WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN.
STUDENTS ARE COMMITTED TO
SAFETY WITHIN THEIR
SCHOOL WALLS.
ALAYNA
SEPULVEDA/SOPHOMORE
"NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO
FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES
COMING TO SCHOOL."
PRINCIPAL ELEANOR BLOWE
SAYS SHE'S NOT FOR OR
AGAINST THE WALK-OUT.
PRINCIPAL ELEANOR
BLOWE/DENBIGH HIGH
SCHOOL "IT TELLS ME THAT
OUR STUDENTS ARE SOCIALLY
AWARE AND THEY WANT TO BE
SAFE IN SCHOOL."
AND SAYS THIS GENERATION
OF STUDENTS IS CONCERNED
ABOUT
CRIME, VIOLENCE.
PRINCIPAL ELEANOR
BLOWE/DENBIGH HIGH
SCHOOL
"THERE ARE THINGS THAT
THINGS WILL SPILL OVER
INTO
THE SCHOOL BUILDING."
SO THEY STAND IN
SOLIDARITY WITH ORANGE
RIBBONS AND SIGNS -
WALKING OUT OF
CLASS FOR 17 MINUTES.
REMEMBERING THE 17 LIVES
LOST HUNDREDS OF MILES
AWAY.
AND PUSHING FOR SAFETY IN
A PLACE THEY CALL THEIR
SECOND HOME.
"WE NEED TO START
SOMEWHERE."
AND THAT SOMEWHERE -
STUDENTS SAY - IS RIGHT
HERE.
STUDENTS HOPINH THE
MOVEMENT SPARKS CHANGE ON
A LOCAL LEVEL WITH
EVERYDAY
SECURITY.
"WE SHOULD MAKE A
DIFFERENCE, THERE SHOULD
BE NO MORE SHOOTINGS IN
SCHOOL AS LONG AS I'M
HERE."
(LAURA)
I DID ASK SEVERAL
STUDENTS IF THEY FEEL
SAFE IN SCHOOL - ALL OF
THEM TOLD ME THEY DO
FOR THE MOST PART.
WE DID SEE SEVERAL POLICE
CARS AND SCHOOL SECURITY
WAS ON-HAND TO ESCORT
THOSE STUDENTS TO AND
FROM CLASS.
STUDENTS WERE NOT
PENALIZED IF THEY DECIDED
TO WALK-OUT.
COMING UP AT 6, WE'LL
HEAR FROM THE
STUDENT-RUN-GROUP WHO
HELPED TO
COORDINATE THE WALKOUT.
LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM,
LAURA CASO, 10 ON YOUR
(TOM)
WHILE YOUNG PEOPLE WALKED
OUT OF CLASSES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, SOME
STUDENTS AND STAFF AT A
SCHOOL IN CHESAPEAKE TOOK
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
INSIDE GREENBRIER
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, 17
CHAIRS WERE ADORNED WITH
A WHITE RIBBON,
FLOWER, AND PHOTO
REPRESENTING EACH
SHOOTING VICTIM FROM
PARKLAND, FLORIDA. AT 10
AM CLASSES PASSED EACH
PHOTO, EACH IN THEIR OWN
WAY, REFLECTING ON
WHAT THEY TOOK AWAY FROM
THE EXPERIENCE.
WHILE THE PHRASE SENDING
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS HAS
TAKEN CRITICISM
RECENTLY, THE STAFF AT
GREENBRIER CHRISTIAN
WANTED TO SEND A
DIFFERENT MESSAGE.
RON WHITE/GREENBRIAR
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
WE WANTED THEM TO FOCUS
ON CARING ABOUT PEOPLE
AND SERVING PEOPLE,
RATHER THAN THE POLITICAL
AGENDA THAT'S GOING ON
OUTSIDE.
JESSICA FEREBEE/STUDENT
"PUTTING THEIR PICTURES
AND THEIR NAMES HERE WITH
THEIR AGES MAKES IT SO
MUCH
MORE REAL, IN THE
PICTURES YOU CAN SEE
THEIR PERSONALITIES, WHAT
THEY LIKE TO DO
THEIR SMILES. IT MADE IT
SO REAL, IT MADE IT MORE
THAN JUST NAMES ON A
NEWSPAPER."
(TOM)
STUDENTS LATER DIVIDED
INTO 17 GROUPS AT 17
LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE
SCHOOL TO HEAR
BIOGRAPHIES ON THE
VICTIMS AND PRAY FOR
THEIR FAMILIES.
(ANITA)
NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR
ROY COOPER POSTED
REACTION TO THE STUDENT
WALKOUTS TODAY.
COPPER CALLED THE
STUDENTS TAKING A STAND
BRAVE TO MAKE THEIR
VOICES HEARD. THIS IS
VIDEO FROM NATIONAL
SCHOOL WALKOUT DAY IN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH
CAROLINA.
COOPER SAID THE KIDS
MESSAGE IS CLEAR: THEY
WANT ACTION ON SCHOOL
SAFETY AND
GUN REFORM -- AND SO DOES
HE.
COOPER DIRECTED THE NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY TO ENSURE
RAPID DEPLOYMENT TRAINING
AND SCHOOL EMERGENCY
RESPONSE PLANS ARE IN
ORDER. THAT'S JUST ONE
PREVENTATIVE MEASURE HE
OUTLINED IN TODAY'S POST.
TO READ MORE ABOUT
GOVERNOR COOPER'S
RECOMMENDATIONS, HEAD TO
WAVY DOT
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