By Parnia Mazhar
Copy Editor
Student expression is one of the most valuable tools when it comes to changing society. In cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines, when students’ views on self-expression were both courageous and sincere, students were the start to a dramatic shift in the world.
The power of student expression was evident at 10 A.M. on Mar. 14 when Costa students joined thousands of high school students to commemorate the victims of the recent Florida shooting at MSDHS and protest the current gun control policies within the U.S. The Costa Day of Expression, an event planned solely by the administration to allow students to express themselves in regards to the recent events, occurred at the exact same time of the nationwide walkout.
Several weeks ago, approximately ten of my most intelligent and courageous classmates and I came together to involve our school in the national walkout. We recognized that Mira Costa could have just as well fallen victim to the same kind of tragedy as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and understood that as students, those physically and emotionally hurt by these school shootings, we had a responsibility to speak up.
It is for this reason that we were confused and upset when we found out that Costa’s administration had organized its own Day of Expression right when we students were planning to walkout with the rest of the nation. While the event was a wonderful and respectful idea in light of the recent events, the main issues students had with it were the timing of the event and the fact that students were not given a large say in the events and planning of the administration’s Day of Expression.
According to Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale, part of the reason he planned this event when he did was to protect students from the potential dangers of the walk out, which he believed would take place in Hawthorne. However, safety could have been ensured through other methods while still allowing students to walkout, such as through the escort of security guards and police, who already were present on campus on the day of the walkout. Regardless of how the school could have handled the situation, stifling students’ first amendment right to peacefully assemble should not have ever even been an option.
In addition, Dale sent an e-mail that encouraged student organizations to “come forward with ideas” for the event, but not only were students not effectively informed of this option, but adding to a pre-planned occasion is not even close to the amount of voice students should have had overall
Even more upsetting is that local media improperly represented the events of the day and seemed to instead alter what truly occurred. Specifically, reporter Ted Chen from NBCLA inaccurately stated in his story on Mar. 13, “Instead of a walkout, the students did something they thought would be more powerful.” This is false: students did in fact participate in the walkout and did not create the Day of Expression.
As a member of one of Costa’s primary journalism publications, I was dismayed at the lack of accurate reporting in that news story. In today’s society more than ever, it is crucial that news organizations make sure to fully report the truth and ensure that every party’s voice is heard. Errors like the one made by NBCLA perpetuate the current “fake news” stereotype of journalism.
Despite the obstacles, I am beyond proud of my fellow students’ persistence in creating an event of our own to commemorate the victims and protest the current gun laws. Well over 300 hundred students joined a group message for the walkout, and an estimated 300 to 500 came to the event. The support of our movements along with the positive remarks from bystanders filled my heart with an enormous amount of joy.
As every student should, we shed even more light on the recent tragedy and brought more awareness to gun violence in general. Hopefully, our small act of activism will help cause real change, not only for today, but for many years to come.
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