On Wednesday, Mar. 14, the students at Oakton and all across the nation got up and walked out of class to protest the National Rifle Association, or NRA, and to show our condolences for the victims of the Parkland shooting. This walkout was the second of three that students at Oakton plan to participate in.

The first one took place on Feb. 21.  It was much smaller than the most recent one, there were about 50 students who participated. They stood by the flag poles for 17 minutes, for the 17 victims that lost their lives during the Parkland shooting. This walkout, in my opinion, was very underwhelming and much less organized than the school walkout. Many people stood, talking to their friends, forgetting the purpose of their congregation. It was extremely disrespectful.

This most recent one, on Mar. 14, the students filed into the bleachers and listened to a speech from leadership. Then, the 17 names of the 17 people who lost their lives, each one followed by a brief moment of silence. I have heard many different opinions on this walkout. Though it was done perfectly some people hated how it was done. Some people, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. An anonymous source said, “It was a peaceful but loud protest. It was not an organized party, rather for reform and gun control to move forward, not looking back in the past of what happened in Florida…”

Many people were upset with how leadership handled the walkout. The same source said, “Why did they organize an event around a protest, it completely defeats the point of a protest to read off a script. They made a pep rally out of a student protest.”

There was very little done for the protest itself. The brief speech given before the names were read was not very strong. I personally think that this seemed more like a silent protest, which is set to take place on Apr. 20. I was looking forward to strong, powerful speeches, and leadership did not deliver.

Students at Oakton usually have trouble taking anything too seriously, and this walkout was definitely no exception. But behind all of the people skipping class, all of the people complaining about the weather, I think everyone is scared. Scared that there will be no change. Scared that we will be the next school that is talked about across the nation. In order to be part of the change that is sweeping the nation, we just need to stand up and speak our voices.