First student walkout scheduled for March 14

A 17 minute school walkout is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14. The purpose of the walkout is to honor the 17 students who were killed at the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida. During the walkout, students will leave the Uni building and stand in silence for 17 minutes outside. Students will have the option to participate but it is not mandatory.

In an email, Director Jeffrey Walkington noted that there will be faculty who stay inside the building for the students who do not want to participate in the event.

Junior Tina Wayne is coordinating the event along with a few other Uni students. She said that she first heard about the event on Twitter and from her friends.

Wayne explained that “at 10 am we are leaving from our classrooms and hopefully if weather permits going out to the courtyard.” If the weather is bad students will stand in the hallways.Walkington also said in an email, “There will be no academic or disciplinary consequences for students (or faculty) who participate in this brief exercise.”

Wayne said the purpose of the event is to “drive home the impact of a school shooting and what we can all do as a community.” The walkout on March 14 is a memorial to remember and honor the students who have died. It is not about gun reforms. The all-day walkout on April 20 will be focused on gun reform.

There will be an informational meeting about the walkout on March 13 after school from 3:15-3:45. The location of the meeting is TBD. All students who are interested in the walkout and want to know more are encouraged to come.

See this article to find out more about other walkouts at Uni.