Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
School walkout circle
School walkout group
School walkout signing
About 60 students, gather in prayer at the start of a 17-minute walkout March 14 to draw attention to school safety.
On a rainy Wednesday, March 14, Colfax Junior-Senior High School students sat in third-hour class. The clocked ticked to 10 a.m. and a smattering of kids slid out of their desks and walked to the door of the classroom.
They continued into the halls, down stairways, past the office and out through the main doors.
They gathered in a circle, at the direction of seniors Arielle Grimaud and Kiah Miller, about 60 students total, and held hands.
Grimaud led a prayer in honor of the 17 people killed a month before at a school shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school. She said anyone else may say something if they wanted, or to just squeeze the person's hand next to theirs if not – to pass the opportunity on.
A few of the kids spoke, adding to the prayer or otherwise.
Superintendent Jerry Pugh walked by. Principal Carrie Lipe and teacher Christopher Clausen stood inside.
After the circle, Miller walked up the steps at the bank of doors and explained that she had a letter she would read, to send to the area's political representatives. Anyone would be welcome to sign it.
“Today the students of Colfax Junior/Senior High School walked out of school for a reason... the individual reason for walking out may be different for every person who participated,” she read. “Whether they believe guns should be 100 percent banned, whether they believe stronger mental health care is the answer, whether they believe stronger background checks are needed, or any combination of these. Most of us don't even know what we truly believe the answer is, only that gun violence, particularly in schools, needs to stop now.”
At the same time, class went on around the school, with 230 or so students still inside.
Miller finished reading.
“We cannot pretend to know the answer to the problem of school shootings in the United States. But we implore you, please, to cross the aisle and figure out a solution. We have had enough! We don't want to be afraid of dying – it is time for us to resist.”
She then held out six copies of the letter while drizzling rain continued.
Students in the crowd listen as senior Kiah Miller reads a letter penned for Washington political leaders. She then invited the students to sign it before sending it off.
Tables
Dylan Nails, a senior and Associated Student Body president, suggested they go inside and put the letters out on the counter by the office to sign.
The students filed back into the school and started to sign their names.
Then tables were set up in the foyer, instead, as this event and letter was not an authorized school event.
At the white tables, kids continued to stop and sign – from seventh graders to seniors. In the end, Miller estimates it was 35-40 names, but she didn't think to count, explaining later that she would send the letters to U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray, and to state representatives.
“I don't know their names off the top of my head,” Miller said.
After students signed the letter, or not, they walked back down the hallway/up the stairs and back to class.
“We couldn't be happier with our kids,” said Lipe. “They were respectful, well-behaved and organized throughout.”
“I think it went really well,” said Nails. “I'm glad we focused on the victims, not making it anything political, just honoring the victims.”
At the start of the walkout, Nails was sitting in his “Bulldog Tales” class – college, career and citizenship readiness – with other seniors, the graduation-requirement advisory period held once per week which deals with student portfolios (grades, senior project, career exploration). In a different classroom, in another group of seniors sat Ben Ahmann, ASB vice president.
He remained inside during the walkout.
“At first I thought it was just 17 minutes (of silence) to honor the victims, which I supported. Though I would have preferred to stay inside for it than to walk out,” Ahmann said. “But then I was hearing it was more of a protest to make a move on gun control. I don't really see it as a gun problem, but a bullying problem... I think that society has changed and not really the gun.”
Was he able to see the gathering outside?
“There was a larger group than I thought,” he said. “I thought it'd be eight or nine people, not upwards towards 20. I saw a lot of younger kids in the pictures, who may be just joining, not necessarily knowing what they were joining.”
Absence
The students who left class were not marked for an absence.
“The kids coordinated it and we said if you remain on school property, there was no absence,” said Jerry Pugh, Colfax district superintendent. “The kids came to us respectfully and appropriately, we felt it was an educational opportunity.”
Pugh met with Lipe, Clausen and Jennings Elementary principal Travis Howell on the matter the Friday before. (Clausen is head of the Colfax Education Association).
“This was not an endorsement by Carrie or Jerry,” Pugh said.
“Call it a walkout if you want, it was during an advisory period, it was not academic time so we allowed it. I would hope that people would look at it as kids wanted to be part of a national voice. People have opinions. We want them to think. We want our kids to be active and thinking.”
What if it had been a regular academic class that day at 10 a.m.?
“I won't comment on that,” Pugh said.
Miller, Nails and Grimaud organized the event, aligning with schools that held walkouts or assemblies across the country, spurred by survivors of the Parkland shooting.
“It was mostly over text,” Miller said, about putting it together with Nails and Grimaud. Miller was out sick the two days before.
“I did not expect this many people...” she said. “I give credit to the Parkland kids. We can do something. We don't have to sit and wait.”
Students sign copies of Miller's letter in the foyer of the junior-senior high school.
Staying
Ahmann expanded on his thought about bullying and society changing.
“With social media, everything can be done behind your back, not up in your face,” he said. “I heard something, Walk Up instead of Walk Out. Walk up to someone and talk to them. So they know they are loved, that they have friends.”
Ahmann has gone to school in Colfax all 12 years, as have Miller and Nails.
“People who do own guns, we should be keeping in check their mental health,” Ahmann said. “And make a requirement for parents to lock up their guns in a safe, and not allow their kids ready-access.”
What does he think of the Parkland kids' efforts?
“I don't take anything away from them. What they went through was traumatic... It is a lot of emotions speaking out,” he said.
Continuing
The school safety topic now continues – among kids and adults.
“I don't think anyone should go to school in fear they might die,” said junior Garrett Phillips. “They need to go to school and fear that they have a test.”
Phillips was not at school the day of the walkout. He was at a career/college fair at the University of Idaho, on a student trip with several others.
“I'm just glad I didn't have to take part in it,” he said. “I heard about it on Monday, my friend told me there was gonna be a walkout for the 17 killed and then gun control, trying to get guns banned and stuff like that. I believe its every American citizen's right to have a gun so long as they have the right credentials, if they pass all the background checks.”
He considered where he is in Colfax.
“There is a lot of kids that seem shady. A lot of kids I can see shooting up a school and that scares me everyday,” he said. “But parents need to lock up their guns.”
The Parkland kids and their adult supporters have announced a march in Washington, D.C. Saturday.
“I don't know what the solution is,” Miller said. “Luckily it's not my job to know. I'm frustrated that there have been so many violent incidents with no action taken.”
A student walkout also occurred March 14 at Pullman High School. No others were reported in Whitman County.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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