SDOC Students gather Peacefully to protest Gun Violence

Students nationwide held protests today, which is a month after the deadly shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida. Students were encouraged to leave class at 10am for 17 minutes, one minute for each victim in the Florida shooting. In the School District of Oconee County, students gathered peacefully to protest. Oconee County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Operations Steve Hanvey tells about the event at Seneca High School. “Principal Cliff Roberts talked to them about the background on the incident in the gym. The home side of the bleachers in the gym were pretty full. Students went in and sat for a little while. Right before the 17 minutes were up, Mr. Roberts talked with them again. He thanked them for their passion and commitment. He reminded them that this should not be a one day thing that they need to be looking at people that they pass in the hallways; there is always somebody who has issues, troubles and things they could be helping them with and be good people to make Seneca High School and our community a better place. It looked like they did a nice job with it at Seneca High School.” Similar protests were held at Walhalla High and West-Oak High, adds Hanvey. “They did similar things, they gathered in a common area. At Walhalla, I think they went to the gym and then at West-Oak they were in the lobby area. We did not have students go outside for the event, but they did have the opportunity to have a place to go to participate as long as they returned back to class when told at the time it was over, there were no discipline incidents that I am aware of at this time.” Hanvey was proud of the way students’ made their voices known in Oconee County. “Well I think it is important that our students understand that they do have a voice and that a united voice is louder than a single individual voice. I think that it is also important that they understand to do it the right way; to not be disruptive, to not be violent, to not do things in a negative way, but to come in there and reflect on how things have been, to reflect on the folks who lost their lives in Florida and the other school shootings that we have had. I hope this will open their minds up to the things that we can do around here to help make our schools and community a better place and it won’t be something that is soon forgotten. I think it is a great lesson, a social studies lesson, you can relate it to the Civil Rights Act, Gandhi and a lot of things that happened when people peacefully protested to have their voice be heard.” The nationwide protest was organized by Empower, the youth wing of the Women’s March, which brought thousands to Washington, D.C., last year. The group wants stricter gun laws in the United States.