As the clock struck noon on Wednesday, Sept. 10, students walked out the door in an attempt to bring awareness of the events in Ferguson and break silence from the school on the issue.
“We needed to do something to bring attention that we are bothered by this,” sophomore Maya Petty, an organizer of the protest, said. “Racism is big, it’s happening, it’s here, it’s everywhere.”
The protests were witnessed and supported by school principal Mr. Tim McCarthy and deputy superintendent Mr. Desi Kirchhofer.
“We have segregated ourselves through the years, some segregation very intentional, and to try to undo that overnight is impossible. It’s going to take a lot of time, but I think as people live and grow together, and our world becomes smaller and more connected, I think that’s how it’s going to eventually evolve,” Kirchhofer said.
In light of recent events, many students have discussed the issues surrounding Ferguson, and the need for change.
“[History teacher Mr. Tom] Sellers tells me all the time, the power is with us. If we wanted anything done, we could get together and hopefully protest and get certain things changed,” senior Khalil Stith said. “We were born into a world that was flawed already but we can change that, us kids, we can change that.”
One organizer of the walk-out, senior Sterling Waldman, believes that every student in the school deserves the right to be able to speak out.
“[We had the protest] just so students who are affected by it feel like they have a space in our community, because silence portrays a lack of that support. This is about breaking that silence and raising awareness,” Waldman said.
Not every student outside the building felt strongly about the issue being protested, however. Several students simply utilized the opportunity to get out of class without consequences.
“I wasn’t originally aware that the event was going on and I felt like I was a little unprepared for the protest but when I went out there to join they were really welcoming,” senior Melanie Wasserman said.
While Wasserman did not organize or was entirely invested in the protest, she still felt benefits from it.
“Although I wasn’t as passionate about it as the others,” Wasserman said, “I still felt like it was a really cool environment for people of all parts of the spectrum to say what they’re feeling about the events in Ferguson and to participate in something that is a part of the school.”
Regarding the future, Kirchhofer was able to led potential stabilizing solutions for the time being, which addresses all that’s happening in St. Louis regarding race.
“In the mean time, things like people raising awareness or doing some kind of making a statement or stand on an issue brings an awareness to the issue. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Kirchhofer said.
Yet, through the protest came the first formal school acknowledged response to the issues in Ferguson.
“I believe Ferguson is opening a lot of eyes to something that has been going on for a long time,” Stith said. “I’m hoping it changes things.”
