New Phila students honor lives lost, begin conversation
New Philadelphia students in cooperation with staff, conducted a memorial service on Wednesday, March 14 to honor the 17 lives lost last month in a mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. Students read names, lit candles and rang a bell for each of the victims.
New Philadelphia High School students approached teachers and administrative staff in an effort to coordinate a peaceful memorial on Wednesday, March 14 to honor the 17 individuals who suddenly lost their lives just one month ago when they were needlessly gunned down by an individual with a semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Principal Eric Jurkovic said he worked closely with students for about two weeks, meeting on three separate occasions to understand what the students hoped to accomplish with the Wednesday morning event that corresponded with National Walkout Day, an initiative in which students from almost 3,000 schools left their classrooms at 10 a.m. to show solidarity for the 17 individuals killed in the Valentine's Day attack.
“The kids were so very respectful in the way they chose to honor the 17 victims,” Jurkovic said. “They lit 17 candles, one for each person, read their names and afterwards rang a hand bell.”
Some students were visibly moved and shed tears as emotions ran high during the memorial.
“Our choir sang a song,” Jurkovic said. “With the time that remained, everyone participated in a moment of silence before students quietly returned to their classrooms.”
Jurkovic said he was impressed with the respect students showed in planning the event. “I kept thinking how these kids came to us. They showed us they needed our leadership. Now we will follow up with students. How do we move forward? What can we all do to make things better?”
Now that the conversation has been started, Jurkovic said it will continue. “I couldn’t be more proud with the students and the way this worked out.”