Lincoln Park students walk out of class to join national gun violence protest

[vc_row fullwidth=”yes”][vc_column][vc_column_text]More than 500 students at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School walked out of class Wednesday morning joining schools across the country demanding an end to school massacres and gun violence.

The National School Walkout started at 10 a.m. and lasted for 17 minutes, a demonstration fueled by last month’s school massacre in Parkland, Fla., where 17 students and instructors were killed.

A group of Lincoln Park juniors — Sophia Englesberg, Leah Whitacre, Madi Doty, and Colin Pauchnik — organized the walkout in support of the Florida students who galvanized national support on social media in response to the tragedy that resulted in the deaths of their 15 classmates and two staff members.

Attendance was optional and students who chose to participate gathered in the nearby park.

After several short statements, Englesberg read the names of each of the 17 victims, after which she asked for a moment of silence.

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She said the shooting made it impossible to sit back, because it hit close to home.

“When this shooting happened, the reaction was a lot different than what we’ve seen with a lot of past shootings and I think it was because this directly affected us as teenagers,” Englesberg said. “The students in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were incredibly passionate about this. They had the means, the resources, the social media, the power to talk about it. Since those are kids our age, that could have been us, it’s scary to think about.”

Whitacre said having a movement like this, despite being a smaller school, doesn’t mean the student body can’t offer support. She said the gun violence issue transcends political parties and urged fellow students who are 18 to educate themselves on candidates and vote. For younger students, she called on them to write to their lawmakers and encourage them to support legislation that will make schools safer places to be.

“This is something that affects us all, even if it doesn’t affect this school literally,” Whitacre said. “You have to use your voice. Otherwise nothing is going to change.”

Senior Greer LeRoy delivered a speech collaborated on by the Beaver County Youth Ambassadors, encouraging students to support one another, be a positive force and spread kindness. The mission of Youth Ambassadors, a group of 140 students in high schools countywide, is to be advocates for mental health awareness.

“When was the last time you gave someone a compliment or made a stranger’s day? It’s so easy, all it takes is one friendly smile or a helping hand,” Greer said. “…Being kind to yourself and being kind to others is what keeps Lincoln Park the unique and welcoming place we all have come to love.”

Pauchnik announced that the Lincoln Park anti-bullying team would relaunch to support students in need. The program, developed by past students, focused on being positive role models in school, particularly to younger students, and worked to identify, prevent and respond to bullying.

“Younger students will have peers that they can look up to, who they can be comfortable talking to one-on-one and learning from,” Pauchnik said. “In times like these, we need to be advocates for each other.”

Dr. Lindsay Rodgers, principal, told students they are a voice for change and encouraged them to stay active, informed, and to understand that everything they do counts.

“If you take a look around you, it’s not just your immediate friends, it’s everybody in this school. We’re a family and of course we have a great culture, but we need to work everyday to continue to improve that.”

In addition to Midland police, several of the school’s board members attended. Teachers and staff provided a barrier surrounding students who chose to attend. Rodgers said the student demonstration was structured, peaceful and safe.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_images_carousel images=”6440,6439,6438,6436,6437,6435,6428,6429,6430,6431,6433,6432,6434,6427,6426,6425,6424″][/vc_column][/vc_row]