Fargo North High Students Hold Memorial for Florida Shooting Victims

Many students say they were impressed with the turnout

FARGO, N.D. — Students at North High say it was inspiring to see the amount of people who participated in National Walkout Day. However, they didn’t get to get involved until much later in the day.

North High students walked in solidarity and later stood in silence for the 17 people who lost their lives in the Parkland, Florida shooting.

“To put their political differences aside and just participate and honoring those who lost their lives, I think that’s really important to see the power in numbers,” said Abbey Greenawalt, a North High junior.

Students at North High didn’t get to participate in the national walkout this morning due to an AP mock exam.

But as soon as the clock struck 1:45, they say they couldn’t just sit in class.

“We all deserve to have a voice, we all deserve to feel safe where we are, we deserve to have a life where we can prosper and that kind of thing. We shouldn’t have to be afraid to go to school and get an education,” Greenawalt said.

The memorial and walkout were nonpartisan because students say violence should be something everyone is against.

“I think we should all agree that our safety should matter to everybody,” Greenawalt said.

Fargo North officials say they remained neutral in the walkout, meaning they didn’t punish students for participating or force any of them to get involved.

“I think it’s really important for kids to come out here even though it’s completely, 100 percent their choice. Even though it happened there doesn’t mean it can’t happen anywhere else and it has happened to other places,” said Lauren Werder, a North High junior.

Which is why some students say they were impressed with the amount of people who did walkout.

“We’re a generation of change. No matter what adults think, we are the future. I think it’s very important for us to have a voice,” Werder said.

“We’re definitely that voice, especially when we have so many people like this situation where we all gather together to say something,” Greenawalt said.

Students went back to class right after the walkout.