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Student Activism Reaches New Trier for National Walkout Day Principal of the Winnetka Campus, Issue,” Said Raimo

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Student Activism Reaches New Trier for National Walkout Day Principal of the Winnetka Campus, Issue,” Said Raimo 4 THE NEW TRIER NEWS FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018 The kids are not alright of Parkland in southeastern Florida, ban on assault weapons and universal Students say has approximately 3,200 students. background checks. #NeverAgain According to U.S. News & World In an interview with Vox Report, MSD is ranked #50 among Media on Feb. 20, Hogg accused by Rebecca Lee Florida high schools, and students Republican politicians of blocking earn test scores that surpass those of such legislation. Julia Cordover, a senior at the 64 other high schools in Broward “Children are dying as a result. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High County. The blood from all these 17 people School (MSD), was surprised when “You never imagine it being who are dead now, and all the the fire alarm rang for the second your high school. It’s your home,” thousands of others who are dead as time in one school day. Earlier that said Cordover, who is also senior a result of gun violence—it’s on their day, students had gone through a class president at MSD, in an hands and [on] the NRA,” said Hogg. fire drill, a common practice at most interview with the New Trier News. In stark contrast, MSD junior high schools. During the last period The millions of Americans who Kyle Kashuv stated to Townhall of the day, the alarm went off again. were not at Douglas watched and Media that he is “a very strong Cordover and her classmates, albeit read the breaking news in real time. Second Amendment supporter,” even confused, evacuated through the Many New Trier students found out after hiding in a classroom closet for back of the building with teachers per what had happened as they scrolled two hours on Feb. 14. But, although protocol. through Twitter, where MSD students he disagrees with some of his peers’ As they were standing behind the uploaded videos and screenshots of Cordover and classmates met President Trump on Feb. 21 AP policy proposals, he supports the school on an athletic field, a student text message exchanges. #NeverAgain movement. Over a ran up and asked Cordover, “Did you march on Washington D.C. on Mar. designed t-shirts for students to Although they agreed that the week after the shooting, he tweeted, hear that?” At first, Cordover did not 24. According to the official website, wear on National Walkout Day. mass shooting was tragic, many say “School gun violence must be a understand. But then she heard: pop. the purpose of March for Our Lives is She decided to make the tee shirts they were not surprised by the event. thing of the past. Protecting our pop. pop. “to demand that kids’ lives and safety orange to support the #WearOrange “It’s just like, again? I remember future is of utmost importance. We At this point, many students become a priority and that we end campaign, which began in honor of feeling after Sandy Hook that MUST put aside our political party standing on the field could not grasp gun violence and mass shootings in Hadiya Pendleton, a 15 year-old who something must change. Yet, here identifications and work together the events that were unfolding within our schools today.” was an accidental casualty of a gang we are years later, and nothing has for the common good. MUST: the school. They did not know that a “I’m so glad to see that some shooting in Chicago in Jan. 2013. changed,” said New Trier senior Ilana Mental health restrictions, deeper shooter had entered the building and of the survivors are saying that now “I saw an opportunity—not Nazari. background checks, and effective used smoke grenades to set off the is the time for change and now is only to get people in orange for the But, students who survived the info sharing.” fire alarm so that groups of students the time for action,” said Mateo walkout, but to spread awareness shooting at MSD are working hard to Kashuv currently has 66.3k would pour into the halls and make Lariviere, a New Trier junior and about the cause,” said Hirschfield. change that. Twitter followers, and unlike the themselves easy targets. They did not cohead of Young Democrats. She has partnered with Amnesty This is one of the first school aforementioned MSD students, his know that the popping noises were Their message has resonated International Club to sell over shootings in which the survivors account was not verified until several gunshots exploding from an AR-15 with young people far beyond the 1100 shirts in five days, and will be are old enough to describe their weeks after the shooting. semi-automatic assault rifle aimed at borders of Parkland. “I feel so proud donating the proceeds to Everytown experiences and articulate the urgent Political differences aside, kids. of the students who have chosen for Gun Safety. need for change, especially through young people have historically Then, Cordover received a text to use their voice to try and change “I hope the students at New Trier the use of social media. worked as the driving force of from her friend: “Oh my God, the legislation. They are not afraid to will see this as an opportunity for us It began with several students movements for change. Civil Rights, shooter shot through our door. There break down the barriers that adults to use our numbers and our voices to who appeared on cable news hippie counterculture, and most are people who just got shot laying on have set for students in terms of what fight for something. We should feel networks. On Feb. 17, three days recently, Black Lives Matter, were the floor.” we can and can’t say,” said junior solidarity with the Parkland survivors after the shooting, MSD senior all fueled by the activism of young Later that day, Cordover found Pallavi Simhambhatla, cohead of Girl as fellow high school students and Emma Gonzalez, who now has over people, many of whom disagreed and out the same disturbing string of Up Club. do our part to make a change,” said 1.1 million followers on Twitter, gave at times fractured. facts that the rest of the country was “I have felt so proud. I have felt freshman Eva Roytburg, who runs the a speech at a rally in Fort Lauderdale “Every student makes a learning. She learned that the shooter so proud that young people are finally Instagram @newtrierwalkout2018. that aired on CNN: “We are going difference. It wouldn’t be a movement had dropped his rifle and vest in the going to hopefully get something What that change should look to be the kids you read about in without all of the students,” said building, then had blended in with done. I have a lot of faith in this like, however, is hotly contested, textbooks. Not because we’re going Cordover. her and the other students who were generation,” echoed Monique Boyd, even among MSD students. to be another statistic about mass Nazari, who is also cohead of evacuating to a nearby Walmart. She faculty sponsor of Young Democrats. Gonzalez, senior David Hogg (who shooting in America, but because we Society of Women in Engineering, also found out that many of her peers Trevian Republicans did not has 428k followers on Twitter), are going to be the last mass shooting. Entrepreneurship, Technology, had been forced to hide in closets and immediately respond to requests for and junior Cameron Kasky (who We are going to change the law.” and Science (SWEETS), called for cower behind desks for several hours. comment. has 277k followers on Twitter) Shortly afterward, the students greater activism in the voting booths Video taken by students shows them Walkouts are being planned for are among those who have most announced March for Our Lives— in addition to on the streets. eventually running out of the school Mar. 14 at high schools from Portland vocally condemned the National an event they organized from their with their hands up, guided by SWAT to San Antonio to Philadelphia—to Rifle Association (NRA) and the parents’ living rooms. March for Our and local law enforcement officers. Winnetka. politicians who take money from the See “The kids” page 6 Lives was originally announced as a MSD, located in the large suburb Senior Eden Hirschfield NRA. They have also advocated for a Student activism reaches New Trier for National Walkout day principal of the Winnetka campus, issue,” said Raimo. the consequences of an unexcused Washington D.C. and across the rest Thousands of along with other members of the As of now, students from the absence,” said Student Alliance of the country. students expected school’s administration, have reached Winnetka campus will gather at the President Jacob Imber. While March for Our Lives has out to student organizers as well as track located east of the building Nearby schools have also been already garnered the support of many to walk off campus Student Alliance to discuss plans for while Northfield students will gather working to organize their own events. celebrities and received hundreds of next Wednesday the day. However, the event remains in the center courtyard. Evanston Township High School’s thousands of dollars in donations, the entirely student-led Student Alliance President Student Senate has been working national walkout is smaller in scale by Jasmine Gonzalez “All our discussions with Jacob Imber encourages students to closely with the administration to and more locally focused with the students are to assure that we can visit the walkout’s Instagram page, organize their protest and will have an majority of protests entirely student- Students are to participate in keep all students safe and maintain @newtrierwalkout2018, or reach out altered bell schedule to accommodate led.
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