Students gathered together to protest gun violence and school shootings by the flagpole of PHS on March 14, 2018. (Photos by Armando Martinez)

By Aleyshka Barbosa ‘19

The year 2018 made its debut only months ago, however, there has already been 20 school shootings where someone has been injured or lost their life. Every day, it is made evident that the safety drills practiced at schools are being taken to another level of appreciability. All due to the everlasting fright of not knowing what tomorrow can bring in schools due to student exposure to gun violence.

About a month before the national school walkout day, called for by the Women’s March Youth Empower, PHS Student Council held its regular Tuesday meeting. The meeting reached a turning point, when the topic of how the school would address the shootings and make students continue to feel safe in their school environment, with the chaos found in the hallways of other schools around the country.

From that point on, PHS Student Council took on the school-wide initiative to make sure that the students of Passaic High School could be a part of the national school walkout. The walkout took place on March 14. Weeks before the event, our school principal, Ms. Torres-Gomez, made clear that she fully supported the student council’s decision to take part in the march. She indicated that she would help in whatever way necessary – especially when trying to get the Board of Education approval.

There was constant communication between Ms.Torres-Gomez, her staff and the students that were leading the initiative for the PHS student body. Everyone – teachers, security guards and students had to make sure that they knew what was going to take place. There were plans created in case of inclement weather and other factors that could change the original plans that were established.

PHS senior Saray Ramos said that although, “some people might have been saying that this wasn’t really a student led event because of how much the faculty was involved, but we wanted to do this the right way.”

Many students at first believed  the walkout was simply a PHS event, but throughout the days leading up to the march it was clarified that this was a national event, in which  hundreds of other schools around the country were taking part in. This event was so much greater than many were able to see. It was a walkout for hope that went beyond another sympathizing tweet or Instagram post that could make no change in what America truly had to face.

All those taking part would walk out at 10 a.m. across every time zone on March 14, 2018 and stand for 17 minutes. Hundreds of Passaic High School students walked out of the school building towards the school flag pole. While the students were standing outside, 17 students walked out holding up a poster with the face and name of one of the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Student Council President Diana Tiburcio, commented on the event as being an “amazing experience because it was student led and it highlighted the prominence of student empowerment on all levels. The students who walked out not only commemorated the students who died in Florida, but supported their peers who were participating in the event. It lets kids know that if they want to do anything like this again in the future it’s totally possible because we are one strong community.”

Ramos, who was one of the student organizers, stated that “we never want the students at PHS to forget is that there is so much going on outside of Passaic and it’s important to stay aware of the world outside our comfort zone. It’s important to talk about the issues that make us uncomfortable. It is vital to acknowledge how lucky we are to be able to go to school and get a free education, to see our friends on a daily basis, and to go home to a family who loves us, because not everyone has that same opportunity.”