March 14th UT Walk Out from Luciana Paz on Vimeo.
On Wednesday, March 14, more than 100 students from the University of Tampa (UT) walked out of the classroom in honor of the 17 lives that were lost in Parkland, Florida for 17 minutes. Along with a nation wide walk out, these young students gathered in the Vaughn Courtyard and spoke out about gun violence and school shootings.
Students wore orange in support of the cause, as orange ribbons were given out to students who passed by and stayed. Many raised powerful worded signs in protest. Some of the signs raised above UT student head’s included: “No More Silence. End Gun Violence”, “Arm Teachers with Pencils, Not Guns”, “Rise. Wise. Eyes. Up”, as well as “I’m I Next?”, “How Many More Students Must Die?”
With tears in his eyes, Casey Bauer, President of the College Democrats, emphasized the hashtag “#enough” and encouraged Millennials–who now outnumber any other generation–to get out and vote. He explained to the students the older generations can be outvoted to make policy change.
Along with other speakers, students, faculty and staff, each victim of the Parkland school shooting was remembered with a minute of silence: 17 lives, 17 minutes. However, not only were the 17 lives commemorated, but also the thousands of lives lost due to school gun violence around the United States. The names of all the victims killed through the years written around the courtyard, ending with a final statement: “They were just going to school!”
After the event many students rushed to register to vote and went back to class hoping that it will no longer be “Thoughts and Prayers” but rather “Policy and Change” in their lifetime.
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