On March 14, 2018, Mead Students joined students all around the nation in walking out of class to make a political statement about the issue of school shootings.

At 9:55, students who wanted to participate walked out of class for 17 minutes to join together in a brief moment of silence to honor the victims of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and listen to some brief speeches by classmates.

However, as anticipated by the organizers of the walkout, some students took the walkout as an opportunity to leave class for a short time. Keena Ball, the head organizer, said “The volunteers spawned from the knowledge [that people would walk out just to walk out.]”

Some students were gathered in the back of the parking lot, and said that they walked out in opposition to the organized walkout. “Against it, yeah,” said Cody Nelson, a student who was against the walkout. “‘Cause we already have great gun control,” he said.  

Senior Cole Borrego, another outside by his truck during the protest, said, “I respect the 17 students who lost their lives, but this shouldn’t be a protest. We should have like a moment of silence. I respect their right to protest, but I support the constitution, every amendment that’s out there.”

Senior Jacob Macaluso said, “This should be a memorial, not a protest, these children should not have died as political martyrs.”

The students in the back of the parking lot came together with American flags on the back of their pickup trucks. One had a “don’t tread on me” flag, and another had a POW MIA flag.

Other students stayed inside during the walkout because they didn’t agree with what they perceived the walkout was about, or that it wasn’t the best way to express their beliefs. “I stayed in class because I didn’t feel like it was a true protest or a right one,” said Senior Tyler Derrington. “If it was for the memorial for the 17 kids then I think it would be more memorable, but from what I heard it turned more into an anti-gun protest.”