By Alexa Quiroz

On Friday, April 19, Batavia High School Students Against Gun Violence hosted a walkout in memorial of the Columbine High School shooting. The students of this organization invited anyone who wanted to participate to join them on their walk out at 2:00 pm to Engstrom Park in remembrance of 25 years since the Columbine shooting. 

Students want to encourage others around them to join their event and take a stand against the use of guns and help bring change.

“As the now up-and-coming generation, we cannot ignore this issue any longer, and one of the goals of the walkout is to encourage people to use their voices,” said Ellie Carter, a member of the organization.

However many students still had a couple concerns about the whole event and what it would bring, such as whether the walkout was sanctioned, how else they could help and why now? 

The members of the organization made a social media page to help provide more information about the event for their audience. 

“BHS staff have been made aware of the walkout and no one will be punished for walking out,” said Skylar Eastham, one of the members of this organization, on the official Students Against Gun Violence Instagram page. “Teachers threatening suspension or other forms of punishment do not have the power to do so.” 

Students can continue to show support by wearing orange, spreading the word through social media, signing their petition, and supporting other schools as stated on their previous posts.

After the event, the organization doesn’t plan on ending and instead wants to continue to bring real change to communities by signing their petition and sending it out to politicians.

“We definitely want to continue the cause, though,” Carter said. “The absolute best result of this walkout would be our petition making it to the Illinois government and eliciting some real change. We hope that at least the politicians we are sending it to will hear us out and note our complaints when they assess laws.” 

After the walkout comes to an end the members are considering the idea of becoming an actual club for other students to join. The members of the Students Against Gun Violence have spent a lot of time organizing this event and cannot wait for others to join them and use their voices to help end gun violence and help bring change around them.