Recommendations for Rebellion

Lax gun laws and loopholes have led to a string of deadly mass shootings within schools throughout the country at the cost of the lives of our teachers and fellow students. Our generation is frequently criticized for being politically apathetic in the face of these issues. However, the cold-blooded slaughter of 17 students and teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida has galvanized student movements and protests all over the country, including at Stuyvesant.

Leading the student activism movement at Stuyvesant is the group Stuy Says ENOUGH! (SSE!), created by two sophomores to organize a protest in conjunction with other schools around the city and nationwide. They worked with Principal Eric Contreras and Assistant Principal Brian Moran to plan a walkout, agreeing to have students swipe out from school 10 minutes into third period. On the day of the protest, nearly 500 people walked out.

SSE! was established as a club with an extensive leadership board. With eight formal positions, including technology coordinators (who haven’t fleshed out a website to be linked anywhere accessible, including the Facebook page) and graphic design coordinators (who have only created a Facebook cover photo), we question how a school walkout became so exclusive.

The SSE! press release defines its movement as “students standing together to defend our most fundamental right—the right to live and to gain an education in safety.” But wouldn’t it have been more “together” of them to make the planning of the walkout an open event for all Stuyvesant students interested? Progress for the people is not about surrendering to one bureaucracy over another, it is about civil rights as defended by a true democracy—one in which the voice of every citizen is valued as equal to all others. The planning of this event does not reflect this vision.

The organization, though it pledged to “partner not only with other clubs and organizations within Stuyvesant’s community, but to connect with […] other high schools” in its press release, refused to consider alterations to its initial walkout plan. Stuyvesant is at a unique advantage compared to other NYC schools participating in the walkout due to its close proximity to both the NYC DOE headquarters and City Hall. A march to one of these locations would have lent credibility to the movement and potentially have drawn more press attention.

SSE!’s planning for the protest pales in comparison to other high school walkout groups as well. The Brooklyn Tech Walkout Organization, for example, developed a website (complete with a blog, FAQ, and contact page) and started an Instagram page. A select number of students walked to Brooklyn Borough Hall, and both the police and the mayor’s office were aware of their protest. They were also expressly open to their peers’ suggestions and encouraged students to e-mail them and join their planning committee.

We applaud SSE! for the message it stands for and the bravery of the students in charge. Challenging apathy in such a large student body is a mighty endeavor that SSE! took head on. We also urge all students to continue to take a meaningful stand against gun violence because the value or effectiveness of student activism does not come in the form of a leadership position, but in the reason for protest. Walk out in protest for the memory of our 17 fallen peers. Not to cushion your college resume.