By Christy Soto | Broadcast Managing Editor
One month after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., students nationwide marched out of school to protest gun violence and safety on campus.
At Midway High School in Waco, a group of eight students coordinated a silent protest that took place at 10 a.m. Wednesday. More than 300 teenagers decided to join the movement.
Students who participated in the walk out took a moment of silence for 17 minutes at the front of the school. Each minute represented one life that was lost in the Florida school shooting.
The eight leaders that organized the walkout are hoping to ignite change nationally aswell as on their campus. Their goal is to make everyone in Midway feel safe.
Midway junior Chandler Evans, one of the leaders of the protest, said they are tired of not being heard.
“We’re really trying to make a change through our own voices because it has been so many times that it has failed to be the adults who do not really do anything and we are finally done with the whole idea of like just waiting for something to happen,” Evans said.
Midway senior Emily Dodson also helped with the protest and she said she hopes this movement unifies the student body and brings attention to enhance safety in schools.
“We want our senators and our representatives to hear the students out because our voices do matter and we need them to know that and realize how important our safety is,” Dodson said.
Dodson is turning 18 in April and she said just because they can’t vote yet doesn’t mean their opinions don’t matter.
“What they don’t realize is once we do get a voting age that our choices will make a huge difference and if they do listen to their constituents that are under 18, it will help them in the long run,” Dodson said.
Students met with the administration in advance when planning the walk out. The silent protest was approved by the administration; they believe students have the right to be heard. The school district is also making changes to enhance safety on campus. Traci Marlin said Midway is currently working on replacing some of the windows with bulletproof glass and changing some of the doors.
