Students Discuss Safety During National Walkout
While school holds in-school activities, some punished for walking out
Sophomore Benny Mash was among a handful of students who chose to walk out of school Wednesday to take a stand on gun violence, despite being punished for doing so.
While a number of schools around the country participated in a 17-minute walkout on Wednesday to bring attention to the issue of gun violence, BASH marked the event by holding discussions in classrooms about school safety.
The district decided not to let students walk out due to safety concerns. However, a handful of students still chose to do so.
The nationwide walkout took place at 10 a.m. to remember the 17 victims in Parkland, Florida. The Women’s March’s Youth EMPOWER group, which organized it, called it “Enough: National School Walkout”.
A letter sent out by Acting Superintendent Dr. David Krem on Thursday said BASH would not allow students to walk out: “The major concern with students leaving the building is their safety and welfare, because it is national public knowledge that on this day, students may be accessible to anyone who may wish to harm them.”
In place of supporting a walkout, the school offered three options during an extended third period, which covers the 10 a.m. – 10:17 a.m. time frame:
– Write a letter to the student body of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
– Email local legislators to share their position on school safety.
– BASH classroom teachers will provide a forum for students (those choosing not to write letters or email legislators) to discuss school safety for the 17-minute time period.
Freshman Cullen Nesbitt said his English class class had a heated debate about gun issues. One student said there should be monthly mental checks and background checks, he said, while some favored arming some teachers.
Junior Angelica Le said her history class discussed making it harder for people to enter the building. One student in the class said, “When students come out of the bus and walk in the main entrance, they don’t get checked or anything. Anybody could just walk in the building. We need to scan in just to be safe.”
Six students who wanted to make a statement about ending gun violence by being part of the national walkout chose to walk out of the front doors of the school despite having been told they would be punished for doing so. They included sophomores Hailey Levengood, Casey Tremblay and Benny Mash, and freshmen Caleb Reidinger and Danielle Enslava.
Benny had a sign that said, “I should feel lucky to go to school, not lucky that I came home alive.”
Danielle’s twin sister, Dana, and Hailey ended up getting interviewed by a reporter for NBC10 and made the evening news.
“I got home, and I was talking to my mom and sister about why I went outside, and they told me to call the news channels,” Danielle said. Dana called NBC Philly, which sent a reporter to Boyertown to meet with them.
Casey, who walked out of her third period journalism class, said she will have to spend a day in In-School-Suspension, but she does not regret her decision.
“Being outside was really cool,” she said, “because once I came back in, a lot of students who were too scared to walk out thanked me and told me I had a lot of courage.”
About two dozen students had come to the front doors to gather as a group, but they did not walk out so they would not get punished.
Freshman Hailey Swoyer said her science class discussed the issue of teachers being armed, the possibility of having students sign into the school with their ID to enter, and getting metal detectors to eliminate the chances of students entering the school with weapons.
“We also talked about how it is so easy just to get a gun, such as stealing or buying them at gun shows, or just getting one at Walmart,” she said. “People suggested that people who own a gun should take a test every few years — one psychological test and another to make sure the person properly knows how to use a gun.”
Mrs. Suzanne Hoffman’s biology class watched a commercial on sandyhookpromise.org about how students and staff should try to be more aware of students who might be dangerous.
Freshman Olivia Campbell said that in band class, students were given the email addresses for their local and state representatives and told to stay quiet in a moment of reflection about the 17 students who died in Parkland.
Madison Dennehey said Mrs. Rothenberger’s German II class also had 17 moments of silence for the 17 victims.
Senior James Sahakian said his third period AP Language and Composition class came to the conclusion that people need to be respectful and kind to others, because one mistake could have a large consequence.
“While we all agreed that while BASH has a friendly environment, there are still issues relating to teasing and bullies,” he said.
Cadwyn Mossholder is a Staff Writer for the Cub and in The Cub Flex. She is a junior. She enjoying being outdoors, sleeping in hammocks and watching Wynonna...
