Districts give students voice
TAYLOR BLOOMFIELD, 16, is interviewed by Polson High School media crews during a walk out on Wednesday, March 14 in rememberance of the Parkland High School shooting in Florida last month. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
RUSSELL SMITH, a senior, left, and junior Michael Vergeront hold signs during a walk-out protest at Polson High School. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
STUDENTS FROM Polson High School take part in a walk out, with which school and district administration worked to peacefully protest. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
IN ST. IGNATIUS, approximately 50 students sit in silence for 17 minutes during a walk out. (Photo provided)
A handful of students at Lake County schools took part in a protest last week in the wake of the Florida shooting that left 17 victims dead last month.
Starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, students from Polson and St. Ignatius participated in a “walk-out,” along with schools around the United States, lasting 17 minutes in remembrance of each victim.
Talking to Polson High School media outside the main entrance, sophomore Taylor Bloomfield said that a change has to happen.
“I think gun control is a really good idea” to initiate that change, she said.
Bloomfield added that she isn’t interested in taking away the right to bear arms, as stated in the Second Amendment of the Constitution.
Instead, she said limiting access that people have to guns could be the change needed.
“I just can’t imagine looking at the world and not being able to change,” Bloomfield said.
Polson District Superintendent Rex Weltz said that administration wanted to give students opportunities as far as supporting the cause.
A student-organized assembly was held at the same time as the walk out, to give students options, Weltz said.
During the assembly, students advised their peers to alert should they come across threats to the school or other students.
“I want to make clear this is not a political statement and issues of gun control and other hotly contested national topics are not the focus,” Weltz stated in a press release dated March 13.
For the 40 students who decided to go outside and protest, there were additional Polson Police officers and Lake County Sheriff’s deputies stationed, all of who were on hand as a precaution.
“We wanted to protect against counter-protesting, making sure it was safe for our students,” Weltz said.
The district’s stance, he added, wasn’t to promote or condone protesting, but rather to provide a safe, structured environment that students could exercise their right to free speech on a matter of public interest.
Once the assembly and walk out were over, Weltz said that students and teachers went back to their regulary scheduled day, picking up in third period.
If a student were late getting back to class, they needed an excuse from a parent.
Overall, Weltz felt that the protesting went well.
“I felt like our kids took care of each other. I thought there was a ton of professionalism and respect” during the demonstration and assembly, he added.
To the south in St. Ignatius, Superintendent Jason Sargent said that approximately 50 students participated in a walk out demonstration.
“Our students had this well-planned and did a 17-minute moment of silence,” he said.
Following the memorium, Sargent said that students returned to their classes.
He also said that the event was “very well organized by our student leadership.”