'I Learned How To Barricade A Classroom In 5th Grade'

WAYLAND, MA—Jessica Reilly first became aware of gun violence when she was in fifth grade, her teacher holding a debriefing after the Sandy Hook shooting. Since then, she and her classmates have learned which codes to listen for over the intercom, which closets to hide in, how to barricade a classroom door and where to meet in the event of a school shooting.

"These are things a child wouldn't need to be taught if our country had stricter gun regulations," said Reilly, who attends Wayland High School. "Since fifth grade, I've watched gun violence affect school after school. What I haven't seen is change to stop these shootings."

Students from Wayland High School plan to join a national movement this week to protest gun violence in schools and call for stricter laws. Students will walk out of class starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14.

The walkout events are planned across the country in direct response to the 17 students and staff who were killed and numerous people injured in the February massacre in Parkland, Florida. The walkout takes place on the one-month anniversary of the shooting.

Students participating in the national walkout on March 14 will leave their classrooms for 17 minutes – one minute for each life taken at the school on Feb. 14, according to organizers.

Reilly and her friend Hailey Robinson are organizing the Wayland walkout, and talked to Wayland Patch about the protest and display.

"At that time, Hailey and I will be read the name of a Parkland victim at the start of each minute and will hold a moment of silence for them," said Reilly. "Students will also be holding signs expressing their thoughts and opinions concerning gun control and school safety. After the 17 minutes, students will return to their classrooms. Those who choose not to participate, have the option to do so and will be supervised by teachers."

Reilly said that the school has been extremely supportive of this protest, and that the school's principal, Allyson Mizoguchi, has helped students work out many of the walkout's logistics.

"While supportive of this movement, the administration isn't taking sides to ensure that all students feel supported no matter their political views," said Reilly. "Hailey and I were driven to get involved because we are tired of watching fellow students being killed in school shootings. School shootings have become so frequent, that they are almost normalized in our country. Each time there is an act of gun violence, the momentum fizzles out in a matter of weeks and no real change to be made. We wanted to take the initiative to get involved in this national movement to demand lasting change that will keep us safe."

As organizers, the two created a Facebook event, talked to teachers and administrators, held an informational meeting, contacted the press, and straightened out logistics.

"We will be leading the protest, but the power in this protest remains in the students who participate with us," said Reilly, who added that she is unclear how many students will participate, but that 230 students confirmed their attendance on the Facebook event.

"On a national level, we hope that the vast participation of schools across the country will make a strong statement to the legislators for gun law reform," said Reilly. "We hope that the future ahead of us will be safer because of this moment, and that students won't have to be concerned about their safety. Locally, we hope that this unites our community together despite politics. We hope that Wayland students will continue the movement beyond this protest as well."

When Reilly first learned of the Parkland shooting and saw the videos the students had captured, she was no less than terrified. It was then, she said, that she was truly tired of watching history repeat itself, and needed to do her part in creating change.

Robinson, too, said she was terrified and deeply saddened when she heard of the Parkland shooting, but like many, she wasn't as "surprised as I should have been."

"This is due to the fact that American gun laws have made it possible for massacres like the ones at Stoneman Douglas and Sandy Hook to happen," said Robinson. "This should not be the norm. School shootings are a huge concern for each and every student. The unfortunate truth is that nobody can know for sure where and when an event like this could occur. Until we see a change in laws regarding our safety as students and the accessibility of guns, we must be concerned for our own safety each and every day.

"As a student, the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas has opened my eyes to the reality that students in our country are not safe in their schools," said Robinson. "This event was what pushed me over the edge in deciding that I needed to take action instead of standing by while innocent children, myself included, are unsafe in the schools that they enter every day. We shouldn’t feel like we need to have drills annually to prepare for an active shooter within our schools. It is our duty to learn at school; not to defend our lives."

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