The Almost Walkout

A student at Mercer County High School attempts to put together a walkout to bring awareness to gun violence but is then faced with backlash from their school. 17-year-old, Lauren Morby, said she was deeply saddened and enraged after the Parkland School shooting. The shooting also made her concerned and angry at the lack of safety on her own school. This was the triggering factor that pushed Morby to organize a walkout.

The first plan of action Morby and a fellow student had was to inform the principal about their plans to organize a walkout. The principal was not in favor with their plan. He told Morby, if students did walkout, they would be given an unexcused absence in the class they left. This stipulation made the walkout less appealing.

After emailing their local radio station Morby was invited to have an interview with Jim Taylor. WRMJ is the radio station that everyone in town listens to, according to Morby. Therefore, Morby saw it as an opportunity to clarify what her intentions of organizing a walk-out were. Her intentions were to make her school a safer environment, not to protest for gun control. After the interview the superintendent of Mercer County School called a district wide meeting. Not only was the radio interview causing an uproar throughout the school, but it was also causing an uproar throughout the town. She added that Aledo, Illinois, is a very pro-gun community. In response to the possibility of a walk-out, some members of the community pushed to make the town a gun-sanctuary.

The meeting with the school staff ended in a compromise. The compromise was to hold an assembly during school, but attendance was not required. Morby said she was angry with the idea of an assembly because it didn’t have the same effect as a walkout would, but she said some time was better than nothing. At the assembly Morby honored the victims of the Parkland Shooting and spoke about gun violence. This was not the outcome Morby had hoped for. She said, “When I go back to my town, I say I go back 30 years.” The news just passes through and doesn’t stick. Morby said, the assembly generated a positive response throughout the school and the town.

Additional links to learn more about Lauren Morby and the almost walkout:

https://wrmj.com/wrmj-interview-two-national-honor-society-candidates-to-lead-mercer-county-high-school-walkout-next-week/

https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/mercer-county-high-school-students-organize-assembly-instead-of-walkout/