Today students across the nation participated in a school walkout in remembrance of the 17 students and staff killed in the Parkland shooting last month.  Many RHS students walked outside of the building at ten in the morning for a peaceful, but prominent, protest.

Freshmen Alyssa Dix and Allisa Sturgeon both agreed that students came out here to protest gun violence and to show respect for what happened in Florida.

Despite the cold temperatures this morning, most students stayed silent and kept everything in an orderly fashion in honor of the the tragic event that occurred Feb. 14.  Others chose to stay in classrooms with their teachers present.

Most of the principals were out there making sure calm was maintained, and they were pretty impressed with the turnout.

“I feel that students handled it responsibly, and I hope they understand the purpose behind it,” assistant principal Dennis Borse said.

For many, the school walkout is more than just the remembrance of the victims, it is about students’ rights and the need for gun control to eliminate school shootings and make schools safer places to learn. The 14 students who died all had bright futures ahead of them, but they either risked their lives for friends, or died fighting for their lives. By participating in this protest, many had the controversial issue of gun control on their minds.

“I think this is a good way to use our voices for those who do not have one anymore. This is a respectful way to stand up to gun violence in school,” junior Ashley Jaworski said.