Upper St. Clair Students Finalize School Walkout Day Activities

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA - Upper St. Clair High School students will participate in Wednesday’s National School Walkout by holding a “walk-in” remembrance program for the 17 victims of last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“For a number of reasons, mainly to ensure the safety of all participating students, this will not be a walk-out where we leave the building,” senior class president Drew Hobart said. “We will silently walk to the large gym where we will be able to better address the topics we wish to go over.”

Spurred by survivors of the shooting, the walkout is part of a larger effort to get stricter federal gun control legislation enacted.

Specifically, Empower, the youth branch of the Women’s March that is organizing the event, wants Congress to:

• Ban assault weapons
• Require universal background checks before gun sales
• Pass a gun violence restraining order law that would allow courts to disarm people who display warning signs of violent behavior.

Upper St. Clair students will silently make their way to the high school’s gymnasium at 10 a.m. for a program expected to last 17 minutes. The name of each victim will be read and a few details will be offered about their personality and interests, followed by a moment of silence. A student then will read the poem, “Life is Like a Roller Coaster,” written by one of the student victims just days before the tragedy.

The program will conclude with student council members posing the question, "What's your 17?" as a call to action to their peers to intentionally act as positive contributors to their school climate.

Inspired by a teacher’s widely-shared social media post, “What’s your 17?” suggests students make friends with 17 kids they normally wouldn't smile at or say a kind word to; people who might not have someone to speak to; people who might be hurting or people in need of a friend.

To conclude the program, members of student council will pose the question, "What's your 17?" as a call to action to their peers to intentionally act as positive contributors to their school climate.

Inspired by a teacher’s widely-shared social media post, “What’s your 17?” suggests students make friends with 17 kids they normally wouldn't smile at or say a kind word to; people who might not have someone to speak to or might be in need of a friend.

“Our student council leaders are to be commended for demonstrating extraordinary leadership, maturity and thoughtfulness in designing a fitting tribute in the face of such a horrendous tragedy,” Upper St. Clair High School principal Louis Angelo said.

Student participation in the remembrance program is voluntary. Any student who does not wish to participate will report to the nutrition center at 10 a.m.

At Fort Couch Middle School, students will have an extended moment of silence at 10 a.m. Later in the day, students will also have the opportunity to participate in an activity related to “What’s your 17?” Students at Boyce Middle School and the elementary schools will have a normal school day.