As the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting came around, thousands of high school students choose a way to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. On March 14, schools all over America took part in walkouts.  Lockport Township High School was one of many high schools that who provided students the opportunity to walk out at 10am to a designated safe area on campus and participate in a moment of silence for 17 minutes, each minute dedicated to the lives lost in the shooting.

Victoria, an LTHS sophomore, was one of many who chose to walk out that day. Victoria had a very raw motivation to take part in the event. She claims, “I participated in the walkout because I felt terrible about everything that the victims and their families had to go through. I wanted to show them that everyone around the world is listening.”

She had a valuable and positive experience, stating, “I think I gained a much stronger passion for protests and voicing my opinion. I learned that even the smallest acts of kindness can go a long way.”

Lastly, Victoria expressed how she is grateful that students at LTHS are “able to express their beliefs without worrying that they’ll receive consequences.”

Although each student may have had different intentions during the walkout, the event was mainly focused on being a memorial for the lives lost. An LTHS staff member commented on the matter, saying, “I am glad to see students standing up for what they believe in.”