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Students in Ogden protest gun violence once a week until change is made

Posted at 9:28 PM, Feb 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-27 22:41:08-05

OGDEN, Utah - “We might get called the Tide pod generation and be told all we do is eat Tide pods and make memes, but we're going to make a difference,” said Hanna Johnson a senior at Ben Lomond High School.

Students are taking a stand on gun violence not just once, but once a week until change happens. Monday afternoon a group of teens started the #StandFor214 movement.

At 2:14 students stood by their desks remembering what happened on 2/14 when a gunman opened fire at a high school in Florida.

The day after the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, a group of students in an advanced placement government class at Ben Lomond High School talked about gun violence. Putting political views aside they came up with a unique way to take a stand that everyone could agree on.

Throughout the classrooms at the school Monday afternoon students took a stand, hand in hand, using the power of silence to send a message.

“It's a fear that runs through my head every day, especially right after a school shooting. That could have been me, that could have been my friend, so it's very emotional,” said Raylynn Fernandez, a Senior at Ben Lomond High School.

“Thinking about what if this happened here right now, and who I could have lost it got emotional for a lot of kids in our room,” said Alysa Jenkins, a Senior at Ben Lomond High School.

This stand against gun violence is something the students will do every week.

“We are concerned every single day cause we as students are scared to go to school so do by doing it every Monday we are showing our fear is never leaving until a change is made,” Fernandez said.

While schools across the country are suspending students for walking out or protesting, Ogden School District is supporting them.

“I’m proud. I'm proud of our kids they want to be active they want to do it in a proper fashion they want to make a difference,” said Dale Wilkinson, Principle of Ben Lomond High School.

“I think we need to be the voice. We're going to make a difference. This our Vietnam War, this is our nuclear crisis. It's not one march or one protest. We're here, and we're here to stay,” Johnson said.

Not everyone joined in, some of their classmates and even teachers stayed in their seats or walked out of the room during the three minutes. The students hope this will spread and that in the end, it will encourage everyone to write their government leaders and demand change.