On February 14, 2018, seventeen lives were taken in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Seventeen lives over. Seventeen opportunities for success untaken. Seventeen stories ended.

Alyssa Alhadeff, Martin Duque Anguiano, Jaime Guttenberg, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Alaina Petty, and Alex Schachter were all fourteen years old, attending Stoneman Douglas High School. Each of them with aspiring dreams and passions. Each was involved in activities such as soccer, marching band, dance, winter guard, and inspiring volunteer work. They all will be eternally remembered and honored.

Nicholas Dworet, Luke Hoyer, Joaquin Oliver, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Carmen Schentrup, and Peter Wang were under and upperclassmen at Stoneman Douglas High School. Seniors Dworet and Pollack had been accepted into college with bright futures in store that were stopped too early. All will be remembered for their hard work and dedication.

Scott Beigel, Aaron Feis, and Chris Hixon were all faculty at Stoneman Douglas High School. These courageous people put the safety of their students before their own. The bravery, selflessness, and compassion of these adults is beyond measure and will forever be remembered in their honor.

There comes a point when, after all this senseless killing,  one might ask themselves, “Is it safe to go to school?” The problem with our society is that both parents and students are constantly asking themselves this question. This poses not only a dangerous problem to the safety of all who come to school daily, but also threatens the general motivation of students.

According to the Washington Post, as of March 21, 2018,  “There have been 11 shootings, already making this year among the worst on record.”  The growth of school shooting violence is an incredibly prominent and dangerous issue and is affecting millions of lives.

The Washington Post said “… at least 129 kids, educators, staff and family members have been killed in assaults during school hours, and another 255 have been injured.” This issue has gotten to the point where students are fearful to attend school.

An Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis was conducted by Louis-Philippe Beland at Louisiana State University and Dongwoo Kim at the University of Missouri. The evaluation states that “Extreme violence between students in high schools may hinder students from learning efficiently. Deadly school shootings have a potentially large effect on students and schools. These incidents can affect students’ decision about whether to stay at their school, affect their cognitive skills, and influence their behavior at school.”

These facts state plainly that school safety is and must remain a priority. School safety doesn’t only affect the lives of students and teachers. This issue extends to family, friends, and relatives and shouldn’t jeopardize motivation.

The purpose of going to school is to earn an education, and violence should never stand in the way of that. People shouldn’t have to fear for their lives while the education they deserve.  

Disclaimer: Articles designated as “Editorial” represent the views and opinions of the author, not the 2017-2018 Periscope staff, CHS Administration, or the CHS student body.