Before anyone starts yelling, I support change and gun reform, but I do not support the idea of the walkout at NC tomorrow, March 14. The importance of nationwide protests shines through the efforts of the individuals participating, a passion not present here. The lack of support and the threats of ISS and OSS given to possible participants by administration and Cobb County makes the protest difficult to support, and a walkout feels too risky. To combat these issues, administration began seeking alternatives, making the idea of a walkout ridiculous.

“I think we’ve come up with things we can do here that allow students to voice themselves,” Principal Bucky Horton said.

Horton and several key student leaders planned a fundraiser and memorial at 3:30 pm tomorrow afternoon, March 14, on the football field to commemorate Stoneman Douglas High School, which will allow students to make a difference without jeopardizing their permanent records. These actions will help make an impact without producing negative repercussions.

At NC, the dwindling number of students involved in the walkout make the event difficult to support. The safety in numbers argument will not hold up if only 100 people out of the school’s population of almost 3000 walk out. Without clear organization or true support for the protest, nothing will happen, the impact will be minimal, and more harm will come to those involved.  

“The district stance is safety first, and it’s a safety concern to have a mass amount of students walking out of the school,” Horton said.

The threat of action from the county and administrators looms over the heads of students wanting change, choosing to either walk out of class or sit idle as others do.

Walton High School, still within the Cobb County school district, has organized the majority of their population to participate in the walkout on the same day at the same time, March 14 at 10:00 am. Only with the dedication from students could the walkout hold impact and become a talking point, but this case stands as a beautiful anomaly.

The administration stands with students and understands why they feel the need to walk out, however, they must uphold their responsibilities as faculty of Cobb County and oppose any threats to the safety of students.

“You wake up in your parents’ house and you follow their rules; you go to school, you follow the school’s rules. After school, if you’re in athletics, you do what the coach tells you to do. If you work after school, you follow what that boss tells you to do, so you sometimes end up questioning if anyone is listening,” Horton said.

Seventeen students and faculty members died in the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, which explains why the event ripples through the nation, inspiring actions from students begging for change, but without organization nothing will happen.

“This is not just a student issue. It’s not just students who lost their lives; faculty did too. We are all in this,” Horton said.

Instead of walking alone, do not fear suggestions of change, administrators, or others trying to benefit the community. Change persists in environments that encourage it, and we as students need to cultivate that environment, not destroy it by fostering conversation and collaboration.