Prep Principal and Assistant Head of Schools Jonathan Schoenwald addressed faculty and students gathered for atrium announcements on Nov. 2 regarding the recent synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. A former Pittsburg resident, Schoenwald described how, although the school was celebrating Spirit Week events, he was trying to “find the words” to express his thoughts on not only the synagogue shooting, but others that occurred that same week. He asked the community to discuss the events with friends, teachers and families, placing the responsibility on the new generations to not only “find the words,” but to turn words into actions.

This is what students had to say:

The cycle of mass shooting and gun violence inevitably pushes us to ask the question: Why? Why does this keep happening? While we cannot find a common answer to this question, we can consider what we know about how human behavior is affected after mass these traumatic events. Unlike many other tragedies of the past, this epidemic has not led to reforms that create a healthier, safer world. Instead, these events have become normalized and accepted by the majority of us. Although fear builds increasingly in spaces where we should all feel safe -— schools, churches, public spaces, and our own homes— movements to try to stop these events have become stagnant and voiceless. We have come to accept these events as the ultimate consequences of our rights to own guns with such freedom and ease. We remain silent and try to avoid this terrifying topic, as we do not believe in the power of our individual voice amongst millions of others. However, change is not instantaneous. Changing laws and human behavior is a lengthy process that must begin TODAY. Trusting our opinions and instincts is crucial, as empowerment can only be achieved when we all start trusting ourselves and each other. No voice is useless, silent, or ignored. By bringing our communities closer together, my empowering each other gradually, we can make change happen. And this all starts with me, you, and your surroundings. – Senior Victoria Paredero Quiros

In the current political climate, mass shootings and gun violence have become everyday occurrences. For a country characterized by freedom and diversity, we seem to have a serious, unsolved issue with weapons and gun control regulations. To me it is inconceivable to think that while venerating God, studying or shopping someone can just barge in with a military grade weapon and shoot people. On Thursday, Mr. Schoenwald reflected on the shooting of The Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. He invited us to reflect on what has been happening, and what can be done to prevent these horrible acts of hate. As a society we seem to avoid uncomfortable topics, specifically topics that affect us personally. But the truth is that no matter how hard we try to run away from these types of problems instead of trying to change them, they catch up with us. The only way Americans will see a decline of these types of tragedies is to create better gun regulation, vote, and by educating citizens about the negative effects that guns have in our communities. -Senior Analya Meneses Imber

The issue of the recent shootings in the United States has left many students wanting to be viligant of their surroundings. The fear and anger of the shooter may be triggered by the experiences they go through during their life, including family relations, difficulty in socializing, and bullying. The fear and anger is not caused by issues of the country, or any political matter, but a person’s own mental state. Luckily enough, all the schools I have been to in multiple countries have had a secure environment where all students were given what they need. Before I moved to Florida, I was hesitant about my excitement to move to the United States, yet when I came here, I felt I was in a safe environment, and I was not afraid anymore. On way to take action to stop these types of attacks is to pay attention to the behavior and emotions of others around us, and help them seek the help they need. — Junior Defne Oezdursun

There is an epidemic of mass-shootings in America, and Americans are fixated on finally taking initiative with real action to promote gun control and psychological evaluations. There is an exponential growth of American support, considerably from the subsequent student impact which emerged after the mass-school shooting at Parkland, Florida, to prevent these events from continuing to haunt and fear the familiar locations we feel most comfortable and mostly seen in: schools, places of worship, and concerts. Our country cannot live in fear, nor mold and shift itself to go around the problem. Instead we must tackle the issue head-on. Giving teachers guns and creating bulletproof backpacks is counterintuitive, and prayers and thoughtful regards and lockdown drills can only do so much. It is time for effective, legislative action, and it’s time for smarter gun control, and not necessarily “complete” gun control. It’s nonsensical to illegalize all guns because it is cyclically evident that people will always have access to illegal entities. The only way Americans will see a decline of these tragedies is to ban assault rifles and bump stocks. It’s time for Florida’s call to action: voting, communicating with our representatives, and education because it’s time to bring awareness to the classroom. — Junior Alejandro Calderon

My first thought about Prep Principal Jonathan Schoenwald’s speech was, “way to kill the mood.” It was clear how important this talk was to him and for the students to hear, but just moments before, everyone was excited for the homecoming game and the events to come for the final day of Spirit Week. His actions made me think about how different people can react to things. Here we were as a school excited and happy while Schoenwald may have been singled out. He was mourning. Unlike a majority of the students, he was directly affected by this event that many people barely acknowledged. The fact that people barely acknowledged it was also a disturbing thought. Recently, so many hateful acts have been committed that it has become a relatively normal thing for my generation to hear about. Hate crimes becoming a norm is not the world I want to live in. People need to realize that we all bleed red. The color of your skin, what you believe in, or who you are as a person does not change that fact. No, I did not know anyone that died in that shooting, I am not of Jewish faith, and I did not live or know anyone that lives in that area. But it still affected me personally. It was personal because they were people just like me and everyone else. They had families, friends, and people who loved them. — Sophomore Kalei Ganser

Recently, there have been many saddening events occurring all over the country, including a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and other shootings in the past weeks. Filled with emotion, Prep Principal Schoenwald expressed his close relationship to the synagogue and how it affected him first hand. Gun violence nowadays is a serious problem and although I agree that it is addressed in many ways, I’m sure it can be emphasized even more. They should have counselors in schools all around the country, so there is always someone there to listen and help students in need. Along with this, schools should have programs that actually teach about gun safety and the consequences of your actions. The gun problems going on in our country affect us all and this issue must be fixed as soon as possible. –Freshman Matias Jaramillo