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the wilmette beacon | March 22, 2018 | 33
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Student Viewpoint
We should be scared of our own power
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go figure
1. Wilmette Park Board: Langdon Beach may
not open for swimming
2. Wilmette filmmaker reunites rival basketball
teams in new documentary
3. New Trier’s student-led walkout creates
powerful message
4. Team 22: Boys basketball
5. Marie Murphy students show off science
projects
Wilmette Park District posted this photo on
March 15 with the caption:
“Mallinckrodt enjoyed a fantastic performance
from the St. Francis Irish Dancers!”
“Young alumni swimmers shared stories from
their days in the O’Shaughnessey Pool at
Candlelite Chicago over the weekend. Also
being celebrated? Phase One of our Campus
Master Plan and the plans for a new pool!
#LABecomeMore”
@LoyolaAcademy, Loyola Academy, posted
on March 12
21
An intriguing number from this week’s edition
New age for purchasing
tobacco products in
Wilmette, Page 3
Mia Sherin
Contributing Columnist
New Trier student
The thought of a
school shooting has
always been scary.
As a young kid in a
lockdown drill, no one
ever announced, “Yes, I
welcome a shooter! Let
me fend them off. I got
this.”
No, we all cowered in
a corner, imagining the
what-ifs.
Am I in the safest
possible location? Who
would be shot first? Me
or the girl curled up next
to me?
On March 14, I was
more terrified than ever.
Yes, I will always be
scared of a school shooting,
but then, I was scared
of our own potential. Or
rather, not living up to it.
For me, March 14’s walkout
was a wake-up call.
Us teens come with an
jacoby
From Page 30
slightly injured. An estimated
75 customers were
in the store at the time.
• Feb. 1, 1969: The body
of Chicagoan Waldo Putnins,
15, a student at Lane
Technical High School,
was found on the Wilmette
beach near the Coast Guard
Station. The youth was
killed accidentally when
a homemade bomb fuse
agenda. And we come in
numbers.
As a society, we are
very critical by nature.
People often see these
movements as good, but
flawed. As well-intentioned,
but not enough.
Unsurprisingly, this is
a mindset many students
took on after the walkout.
While there was a lot of
chatter flying about the
school, there was one
question that seemed to
rise above the rest: What
was our purpose?
Some complained they
couldn’t hear the speakers,
but I would argue that
listening to speeches was
not our purpose. Others
argued that we took no
steps in changing legislation,
to which I would say
was also not our purpose.
And finally, students said
the only true change we
can make is with our
vote, so what good does a
protest do?
We come with an
agenda, and we come in
numbers. I believe that
we marched to spread this
message.
I agree the most important
change you can make
is with your vote. But
sometimes, people need to
be inspired. These protests
exploded and propelled
cartridge parts into his chest
and legs. He apparently
intended to use the fuse
to detonate a homemade
bomb found near his body.
Waldo was an honor student
with a special interest
in chemistry.
• July 6, 2010: Two teenage
girls were killed when
a black Nissan Maxima in
which they were passengers
struck a fire hydrant
and broadsided a tree in
did not change legislation.
They did not magically
cause the NRA to cease to
exist. But that was not our
purpose.
The purpose of the walkout
was to empower our
generation to be active and
vote, in the hopes of voting
in new politicians who are
ready to make a change.
The purpose was to
make each and every
student afraid of their own
potential. Scared of their
own power.
While there were critics
of the walkout, those that
thought it was flawed or
not enough, I was still
proud to see overwhelming
support and participation.
I can see the excitement
just by scrolling
through my Instagram
feed, which is flooded
with pictures and videos
from the walkout. The
way these images have
spread across all forms of
social media only emphasizes
that youth have
taken over this movement.
As I have said, we come
in numbers, and so do our
Snapchat stories.
There will always be
more we can do. We often
take steps back as we
take steps forward. This
walkout was imperfect,
the 700 block of Sheridan
Road, Wilmette. The
driver, Szymon Zawadzki,
20, and two other teenage
girls were injured.
Zawadzki was charged
with aggravated DUI and
reckless homicide. The
group had been celebrating
the 18th birthday of one
of the deceased girls and
were returning to Chicago
at 2:30 a.m. The other deceased
girl was the mother
of a 2-year-old son.
but that does not make it
any less of a success. On
March 14, students across
the country stood in solidarity
with the students
from Marjory Stoneman
Douglas. We came in
numbers, and we came
with an agenda.
Our purpose? For every
single person marching,
supervising or watching
the videos from home to be
inspired by these protests.
To be inspired to vote, inspired
to become educated,
and empowered to stay
active in politics. Because
there is a lot of responsibility
on our shoulders. We
can make a change. And
it’s terrifying.
Sherin is a senior a New
Trier High School and
Wilmette resident. She is a
opinions writer for New Trier
News and lives in Wilmette.
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