On March 14, Loyola Academy, like many school across the nation, took part in the National School Walkout to bring attention to a unified call for change in the way our country addresses school safety, gun violence and adolescent mental health.

At 10 a.m., students who wished to participate had two options.

The first option was going to the football field, where, when entering the field, the band would play “An American Elegy,” Frank Ticheli’s 1999 musical composition dedicated to those who lost their lives at Columbine High School. Additionally, each student was given a name tag with the name and age of one of the 17 victims from last month’s Parkland, Fla. massacre. After everyone entered the stadium, students stood together around the track and shared a time of quiet reflection as the football clock counted down from 17 minutes.

Each minute, the name and age of one of the Parkland shooting victims was read aloud and the Loyola choir closed in song.

“The process (of the walkout) started when the administration got wind that students were starting to band together and do something about what happened in Parkland,” junior Sophia D’Agostino said. “The weekend after Valentine’s Day, I, and I think about 20 other students from different leadership outlets throughout school, got an email from Dr. Baal. We met three times with a group of administration, faculty members and students to discuss so many aspects about what was happening.

“We really wanted to know how the school was feeling so we could unify completely, and after a few meetings, we finalized what was going to happen to try to best represent everybody at Loyola.”

The second option was available to students who did not wish to participate in the walkout, but wanted to show their solidarity and unity. Approximately 300 students who felt that way went to the chapel and prayed the rosary. The names of the victims were read aloud and the service stood as a powerful collective prayer for peace, according to a press release from the school.

“The environment was extremely powerful and I felt the community,” sophomore Ethan Torain said. “The main thing I recognized was the pride that the people had standing together and showing their support. I hope this made people feel more connected to the people of Parkland and helped them realize that our circumstances are somewhat similar so that they can go out and help in any way they can.”

Torain was one of the students who got the ball rolling with administration by starting a petition with his classmates and presenting it to Loyola Principal Dr. Kathryn Baal.

“The petition gave us numbers we could show Dr. Baal and help get her support,” Torain said.

Student leaders said close to 1,000 students participated in the walkout.

For some students, like sophomore Catherine Flannery, it was their Loyola education and values that prepared them for an event like the this.

“My formation class, we talked about it for a whole period and my formation teacher, she did a good job of pushing everyone to think about how others may feel about the situation so that everyone can understand how the other is feeling,” Flannery said.

“A lot of teachers, they brought up the emotions people were feeling and how we wanted to and could make a change so everyone is included.”

According to the release, students who wanted to express their opinions about school safety, gun violence and/or mental health to their legislators also had the opportunity to do so by telephone or in writing.

Students who did not wish to participate in the walkout also had the option to remain in their classrooms.

Story was originally published in 22nd Century Media newspapers in March 2018