Trabuco Canyon Students Take Part In National School Walkout Day

TRABUCO CANYON, CA — The kids on the front lines are saying enough is enough in South Orange County, and across the nation. Inspired by the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, these kids are not just talking, they are putting thoughts into action.

At approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday, students will exercise their first amendment right to freedom of speech for 17 minutes. In south Orange County, kids will don their orange colors and expect to flood social media to honor the 17 high schoolers who lost their lives earlier this year, hash-tagging across social media #SOC4CHANGE. This peaceful protest is entirely student driven and a high school political science lesson in action.

These young adults are hoping to draw the attention of congress, even though many are as-of-yet unable to vote.

"Student activists from every high school in the Capistrano Unified School District, two private high schools, and one local community college have joined forces to organize the walkout to protest existing and ineffectual gun legislation," organizers told Patch.

Students from Aliso Niguel High School, Capistrano Valley High School, Dana Hills High School, JSerra High School, Saddleback Community College, San Clemente High School, San Juan Hills High School, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, and Tesoro High School have formed a coalition to address gun violence. And they are not the only ones.

Across Orange County, high school students from Irvine, Fountain Valley, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, Santa Ana and Trabuco Canyon, kids will take part in the event.

"Whether you believe that all teachers should be armed with AR-15s, all guns should be banned or anywhere in the middle, we all agree on one thing: something has to change," Kate Finman, a San Juan Hills High School senior and co-organizer said. At her school, they are planning to arrange 17 desks in the quad. Students will write letters, call their congressional representatives, or simply pay tribute to those whom the empty desks represent.

Each school’s leaders have made unique plans for their walkout, variable in location, agenda, and detail, but they all agree that change on this issue is long overdue.

In Aliso Viejo, students Salina Chin and Jenna Mootchnik are working to plan their Aliso Niguel High School walkout. They have formed the Students Against Gun Violence Club, and will walkout on March 14 at 10 a.m.

Salina, a 16-year-old junior at Aliso Niguel High School, has dreams of attending college on the east coast, at Princeton or Columbia University. She is actively involved in theater and hopes to be a doctor one day. Her parents were unaware of her participation in the walkouts, because she doesn't want them to worry. At school, she has opened up with several teachers regarding gun control issues, especially in her theater class.

"We asked for advice and help from our principal and our Activities Director," Salina Chin told Patch. The tribute walkout will be held at the Aliso Niguel High School gymnasium.

The student organizers at Aliso Niguel want people to know that the walkout is about gun safety, which should not be a partisan issue. "Lives are on the line, and unity is the only manner in which we can push for change and cause reform," Salina said. Their school club hopes to increase community awareness on gun safety, especially in schools. 200 followers will join in, according to Salina and Jenna.

“We hope Congress will use our movement as an example to put aside political divisions and create change,” said Olivia Fu, co-organizer of the San Juan Hills High School walkout. “If teenagers can do it, so can they.”

Among the planned activities will be moments of silence, student speakers, and opportunities to communicate with Congressional representatives.

Unifying the student efforts will be the social media hashtag #SOC4CHANGE, and participants will wear orange wristbands and orange attire.

Additionally, organizers plan a group photograph at each school in which each student will position their arms in an “X” formation, symbolizing their unity in saying “enough,” as well as the same closing sentence at the end of the speeches.

Across all schools, the students do not have explicit support from their individual administrations to mount their protests, but they expect partial cooperation. In Laguna Beach, Superintendent Jason Viloria released a statement that the school will not discipline students who choose to assemble, providing they follow school guidelines. Students are expected to be peaceful and respectful. They may not leave campus. They must not be disruptive. Finally, they must return to class when instructed to do so.

In response to the inaction of their elected officials, young people nationwide are taking this very personal issue into their own hands. As Jack Hartstein, co-organizer of the Tesoro High School walkout put it, “I am generally against people dying.”

At San Juan Hills High School, student Hannah Hughhitt is ready to participate in something larger than herself.

"This is a change that America needs," she said. "I can't wait to be part of it, as well as democracy at large."

Share your photos with your Patch Editor, for our Student Walkout Photo Gallery.

Photo: Courtesy SOC4CHANGE