Stoneman Douglas School: A Tribute to Those Lost

By Rebecca Forman

Honoring the victims.

On February 14th, 14 students and 3 faculty at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were killed by a former classmate in the 18th school shooting of 2018. In the wake of the school shooting, students, parents, and teachers around the country have asked what changes can be made to federal policy to ensure that a tragedy like this will never happen again.

Since February 14th, President Trump and other policymakers have received ample criticism from the American people, especially the parents and students form Parkland, for the distinct lack of action taken. Protesters pointed to Florida’s legislators effectively killing a bill for tighter gun regulations only a week after the shooting and expressed frustration with politicians who have offered only “thoughts and prayers” rather than a devotion to action, which has been seen as evasive of the real issue of securing schools.

While concerned individuals meticulously watch Washington’s every move on the issue, the survivors from Stoneman Douglas High School have captured the attention of the public all around the globe. The students’ passionate news presence has raised plenty of support for their anti-gun advocacy among high school students as well as their #Never Again movement. These teenagers have inspired the public by raising enough awareness for their fight for security that Florida Senators, Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, the Trump Administration, and Dana Loesch, NRA Spokeswoman, joined the conversation by sitting down to discuss possible solutions with the students.

To bring the discussion to McFarland, a group of MHS students are planning a walkout for March 14th to take place alongside walkouts occurring nationwide that same day. Natalie Grady, one of the students organizing the walkout, explained that they “want [the walkout] to be all about showing that we are aware of what happened and that we remember the kids [who] were killed.”

Grady specified that there is no political agenda attached to this walkout to ensure “all students can stand united in paying respect to those killed.” Starting at 10 am, participants will march to the American Legion to pay their respects. The vigil will feature 14 MHS students and 3 MHS staff each representing one victim. These individuals will each read about a student or teacher, with each name followed by a minute of silence. They expect the entire walkout to take no more than 30 minutes. Administration has instructed teachers to follow standard attendance procedures in regards to participants being late to class. To pass along information and updates, the group created @mhs.walkout on Instagram.

The state of Wisconsin and its school districts have felt the effects of the shooting. Already, there have been 10 reported threats to Southeast Wisconsin schools, causing those districts to close the schools until the threat was investigated. One such threat made to Waterloo High School involved a student posting “I can do better than 17,” according to a Waterloo parent.

In many of these instances, the threats were made on social media. Whether threats were made online or through other platforms, Wisconsin, as of 2016, classifies making these threats as an act of terrorism, punishable with up to three and a half years in prison along with a $10,000 fine. However, most districts have handled the threats internally, seeking disciplinary action from the school rather than the courts.

Fortunately, no such threat has been made to the McFarland School District. District Superintendent, Andrew Briddell, reminded students and parents about the safety in our school being the top priority. In addition to his reminders, he urges any student or parent who notices any comment or behavior that seem suspicious to “share that information with school staff and/or the police.” An update made to the McFarland High School’s website allows students or other community members to easily report any suspicious behavior by clicking the “See Something, Say Something” icon at the top of the page. Reports can be made anonymously or with the reporter’s name.