State High students skip class to protest gun violence

On the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, more than 60 State High students skipped class Friday morning to advocate for stricter gun regulations.

The rally was part of the National School Walkout movement, with thousands of students across the country walking out of schools in protest of gun violence.

"We're here for every student and person who has lost their life to gun violence, to address the problems that our country is facing and that our leaders are failing to address," State High sophomore Auden Yurman said.

Participants gathered around the flagpole outside of the building for about an hour and a half holding signs that read, "Guns should not have more rights than I do," "Am I next?" and "Protect kids, not guns."

They chanted, "The students united will never be divided" and booed at the mention of the National Rifle Association.

One student said that school lockdowns have become a constant in their lives, "a means of survival."

"We live in a relatively safe town, but this fight is not just for us," Yurman, who's one of the rally organizers, said. "Young people like you and me should not have to go to school every day feeling like there's a chance that we might not come home."

They're demanding change.

The six student organizers of the rally talked about past school shootings, such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and Parkland, Fla., but also touched on how gun violence is everywhere, not just in schools.

"There's double standards about who should have guns, who can't have guns, who gets shot because they're assumed to have a gun," one student said about the racial, gender and mental health inequality surrounding gun violence.

The student protestors also highlighted the importance of voting, saying that if they don't like what government leaders are doing, they will soon have the power to vote them out of office.

Postcards were passed out for students to write down their concerns and send to local representatives.

They also observed a moment of silence to honor the victims of gun violence.

Students who participated in the rally will face disciplinary action, such as detention, for skipping class, district spokesman Nabil Mark said.

Superintendent Bob O'Donnell said in a statement that the school district encourages students to have a voice, but "with any act of civil disobedience comes the possibility of repercussions, which today's demonstrators understood before acting."

He said the rally was neither organized nor sanctioned by the district.

"Our high school principals spoke with students to convey our support of student rights but also our expectations for students to attend scheduled classes," O'Donnell said. "Following face-to-face discussions between student organizers and principals, some students decided to proceed. ...Students who participated will receive a consequence, as outlined in the student handbook for the infraction of cutting class."

This story was originally published April 20, 2018 at 12:00 PM with the headline "State High students skip class to protest gun violence."