In response to the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, which resulted in the death of 17 students, a nationwide protest against gun violence called March For Our Lives, will be held. he march is scheduled for this Saturday. Trinity Progressives (T-Prog) has expressed their support of and involvement in the march in San Antonio.
Carson Bolding, first-year and public relations officer for T-Prog, explained that the members of the club are participating in the march to show solidarity and support for students across the nation taking a stand against gun violence.
“Since Trinity wasn’t in session during all of the school walkouts, we want to be able to show our support in this way,” Bolding said.
Bolding explained that T-Prog’s goals for the semester are primarily to register voters and educate students about important issues.
“The big thing is making sure people’s voices are heard,” Bolding said. “That’s what makes marches important.”
She hopes the march will encourage conversation about gun control and get the attention of legislators.
Simone Washington, sophomore and vice president of T-Prog, considers March For Our Lives a crucial campaign.
“It is important for our nation to see the tangible change that can occur when people work together to achieve a common goal,” Washington wrote in an email interview.
Inspired by the survivors of the Douglas shooting, she wants to initiate change and believes others should as well. Washington encourages the Trinity University community to participate in the march.
“Needless loss of life in this country transcends political party,” Washington wrote. “This issue is one of human rights and of the preservation of valuable human life. We should all be able to rally together and advocate for our collective well-being.”
Emily Bourgeois, sophomore and co-president of T-Prog, empathized with the victims of the Stoneman Douglas mass shooting. In 2011, Bourgeois’ school district in Omaha, Nebraska, suffered a mass shooting. The gunman killed both the vice principal of the school and himself.
“I personally have a deep connection with the cause itself and wanting to prevent that violence from happening to anyone else in any other community,” Bourgeois said.
Bourgeois hopes the march will pressure legislators to create gun legislation that protects children and their communities. She believes student involvement in politics and civic life allows the youth to have a voice and grants them a chance to make their future better.
March For Our Lives San Antonio will be on Saturday, March 24, from 12–2 p.m. starting at 100 Military Plaza. T-Prog will provide shuttles to the march on a limited basis. Students in need of a ride should contact Simone Washington at [email protected] and meet outside of the Witt Reception Center at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 24.
