Remembering The Victims

A national tragedy occurred one month ago, on a day supposed to be filled with love and friendship. Seventeen lives were lost on that fateful day. John A. Ferguson Senior High School’s Psychology Honor Society wanted to make sure that those seventeen lives were not forgotten. On March 14, Michelle Vigoa-Suarez, AP and IB Psychology teacher, and her students organized and planned a walk-a-thon where any student who chose to attend, would walk around the track in silence for 17 minutes, to pay tribute to the memory of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

Hundreds of burgundy and silver ribbons that were meant to “unite JAFSHS and Stoneman Douglas” were handed out to the participating students to tie around the gates with meaningful phrases written by Ferguson’s very own students.

About 2000-3000 students attended the successful walk-a-thon and showed their support to the victims’ families of Valentine’s Day shooting. Several students, including Giselle Garcia, Claire Marenco, Amalia Garcia, and Melody Garzon delivered powerful speeches about how the seventeen lives will never be forgotten.

Subsequently, the students were dismissed and were exposed to options from the information tables of where to sign petitions to control gun violence, how to vote for the NRA to tighten gun laws, and what senators and rights to stand for.

According to Mrs. Vigoa-Suarez, “Overall, I 100 percent think the walk-out was a success. It was well organized, and the students were very receptive. They stopped when we asked them to stop, they had a moment of silence when we asked them to, and they followed directions.”

The walk-a-thon received recognition from news stations and newspapers, such as Telemundo and Miami Herald. The following day, Principal Villalobos also made an announcement to voice his pride in the students who attended and the outcome of the walk-out.

Ferguson made a statement with this walk-out and that statement was that they stand with Marjory Stoneman Douglas.