By Jarret Liotta
See video of Staples field house meeting HERE
UPDATE Staples High School students today joined a nationwide school walkout following the Parkland shootings by holding a meeting in the field house seeking tighter gun regulations.
Parents outside Staples High School show their support today for the nationwide protest. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
One speaker, rally organizer senior Theo Koskoff, while thanking the administration for ensuring a safe and orderly walkout, said an administration request “that we remain apolitical is unacceptable,” according to a video recording of the meeting by the Staples newspaper, Inklings. Outside media, as well as parents, were barred from the school grounds.
“Instead of voicing our political opinions and exercising our right to free speech, the administration has encouraged us to hide any debate or confrontation behind a thin veil of artificial unity,” Koskoff said.
He added: “We will be the generation to tear down this veil, to exploit the very vacuum which has been abused by lobbyists and special interest groups for far too long and put and end to gun violence in the United States by demanding common sense gun regulations…”
He then invited students to “exercise their freedom of speech and sit down for the remainder of the walkout to protest the stifling of political confrontation, which has done nothing but strengthen the omnipresence of gun violence in the United States.”
Most of the estimated 1,000 students in the field house heeded his request. Later, according to Inklings, Koskoff said: “I think it went really well, at first I was very worried about some of the administrative boundaries that were set. But afterwards, we were able to work around them and kind of break some rules.”
At least two students — apparently the only two — actually walked out of the school grounds without permission.
Police were on campus not only to keep parents and members of the press out, but to prevent students from leaving. A student committee had agreed to the arrangements with school administrators.
Staples students listen to a speaker in the field house. Margot Liotta for WestportNow.com
“The school, not letting anyone walk out, it sort of limits our voice,” said one 14-year-old freshman, whose identity is being withheld by WestportNow.
“I understand that it’s a safety procedure … but to me it’s not different from a pep rally,” he said.
While he commended school officials for their support of the cause, he described the actions as a downside to the day.
“I think the kids should have found a bigger voice in this,” said a 15-year-old sophomore, who also left campus and whose identity is also being withheld by WestportNow. “I think there should have been more of a walkout.”
He described Principal James D’Amico as “great” for his support of the cause, “but the overall point of keeping everyone inside,” he said, “goes against the whole walkout thought.”
A small group of parents, meanwhile, assembled across the street on North Avenue to show their solidarity with students. Among them was Board of Education member Karen Kleine.
Parents gather outside Staples High School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Pavleta Landjeva/Instagam.com
“I’m really proud of them in there,” said Darcy Hicks, mother of Theo Koskoff.
She commended school officials for putting the students’ safety first. At the same time, she said, it was possible for kids to feel disenfranchised by the limitations.
“We put a lot of restrictions on them … And they do need to push the envelope a little bit,” she said, noting it was important, as a parent, to give them the room to find their own way in that regard.
“If they were walking out today, I would be there with them,” said parent Pavleta Landjeva. “I’m here to say enough is enough.”
“Out of all the countries in the world, this is the worst as far as gun laws,” she said.
“This isn’t just about high school kids,” said Sarah Manning. “All of our kids are in danger, especially as it’s becoming more commonplace to talk about arming teachers and bringing more weapons into schools.”
“The facts on gun violence clearly point out that we should be eliminating guns,” she said.
“We have an epidemic — a gun violence epidemic,” Manning said, “so we have to do something for all of the kids all across the country.”
The Staples field house was packed for the student protest. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Charlie Colasurdo for InklingsNews.com
