Stuy Says ENOUGH! to Host Walkout on March 14

On Wednesday, February 14, a gunman carrying a semi-automatic rifle entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and teachers were killed in the six minutes that followed, making the horrific event one of the deadliest school massacres in U.S. history. Since then, a wave of activism has swept the country, with countless Americans demanding that the government tighten gun laws and regulations.

At the heart of this movement lie the students, many of whom are staging acts of civil disobedience and peaceful protest. Organized by Women’s March Youth Empower (the same group behind the 2017 Women’s March), the #Enough National School Walkout calls for students to walkout for 17 minutes, one for each life lost in the Stoneman Douglas shooting, at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, March 14.

“We are not safe at school. We are not safe in our cities and towns. Congress must take meaningful action to keep us safe and pass federal gun reform legislation that [addresses] the public health crisis of gun violence,” the organization said on its Facebook event page.

Students are hosting the #Enough walkout for their own schools on a local level. Stuyvesant’s take, Stuy Says Enough! (SSE!), is run by sophomores Grace Goldstein and Morgan Eve. The club originally planned on walking out to City Hall, located just blocks away from Stuyvesant, but has since relocated the event to Battery Park after failing to obtain a permit to protest.

In the days leading up to the walkout, the group faces criticism for a lack of outreach to the student body. When asked whether or not he had seen any efforts by SSE! to promote the walkout, junior Jeffrey Rusovskiy told The Spectator, “I have no idea what that is.” Similarly, junior Ansh Sharma said, “I heard about [the walkout] from a teacher, but before that I didn’t know there was [one].” SSE!’s last poll accounted for approximately 200 students (out of a student population of 3,356) and 50 alumni who are planning on walking out on Wednesday.

SSE! is aware of this issue, although there are few visible attempts to remedy it. “[It] would be kind of embarrassing if we only have like 100 students [at the walkout]. This week is the last week before the walkout. It is time to try to convince/drag your friends [to attend],” sophomore and SSE! Communications Coordinator Rebecca Collins said in the SSE! Facebook group.

The group is working in conjunction with the administration and Student Union to ensure the walkout progresses as planned. “We had a meeting with Mr. Contreras which went very well. The administration seems very much in support of the walkout, although legally they cannot act on that support. They will be working with us to make sure the actual walkout runs smoothly and safely,” Collins wrote in a Facebook post.

In addition, NYC Department of Education Chancellor Carmen Fariña has informed students and parents that staff members will be present outside the school to ensure the walkout’s safety and order. Attending the walkout will be considered only a cut, and the administration will enforce its standard attendance policies. Students that stay outside for the school day after the walkout will be marked as absent.

“We know young people can and do make a difference,” Fariña wrote in her letter to students and parents, “and schools must promote safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for all students. We commend all students and staff members, who help make our schools safe, respectful places where all students can learn free from the threat of deadly violence.”