On Wednesday, March 14, at 10:00 A.M., students and faculty at Floral Park Memorial stood up from their chairs, left their classrooms and walked out onto the football field. The large crowd assembled around the Knights logo, then consolidated in front of the bleachers and remained in silent unison for 17 minutes to honor the lives lost in the tragic Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. This event was more than just a local demonstration. High schools across the nation all participated in what became known as National Walkout Day, with more than 3000 schools holding silent walkouts. The walkout movement became branded with slogans such as “Enough is Enough” and “Never Again” as teenagers across the nation refuse to go quietly, following the lead of the remarkable students at Stoneman Douglas who kept the issue of gun reform in the center of the public eye for much longer than has been the norm after such a tragedy.

At some schools, students read the names of the 17 lives lost, while at other schools students were either prevented from taking part in the walkout or punished as a result of their actions. In New York State, Governor Andrew Cuomo intends to investigate any school that limited students’ constitutional rights.

Floral Park Memorial was in full support of the honorific walkout, sending all students a message of the principal’s approval the night before and getting the Floral Park Police to supervise the event. The walkout garnered much attention from the public, as people gathered outside the school to see the event and a helicopter flew overhead to get an aerial view of the sea of students dressed in orange and school colors to promote solidarity and unity.

This event has greater implications than just honoring the lives lost in Florida. Movements such as these are similar to those taught in history classes, and will likely be taught to future generations. The civil rights movement, the 2nd wave of feminism and the anti-war protests during the Vietnam era are just some examples that the leaders of this walkout hope to be compared to in the future. Students fighting for a cause they strongly believe in has appeared throughout recent American history. This walkout is a reminder that young people are in fact aware of problems in society and willing to make every effort to solve them. shattering the notion that this current generation is apathetic and disinterested.

After the 17 minutes of silence were finished, everyone went back into the building to resume the day feeling more unified, empowered, and better knowing that they were a small part of a much larger movement to make the country a better place.