On Feb. 14 of this year, a former student opened fire on students at Stoneman Douglas High School, injuring 14 and killing 17. Two months after the tragedy, the school, the town and the country still feel the effects of the loss.

“I think the scariest part of this was knowing it could have happened at any high school. Those 17 people that lost their lives could have been from Olentangy,” freshman Brynn K. said.

When students returned to school for the first time following the shooting on April 2, they were met with new security measures including having to use clear backpacks and an identification badge which must be worn at all times, according to CNN. Many students are outraged by this new policy because they feel it will not change anything and is an invasion of privacy. Because the shooter was not a student at the school, these measures would have done nothing to prevent the shooting that just occured.

Students are protesting the invasion of privacy by putting paper in the front of the backpacks so no one can see what is inside. Others are putting feminine products in the front to make people uncomfortable since they can no longer be concealed.

In a tweet, Stoneman Douglas senior Delaney Tarr posed with her new backpack. The tweet read “Starting off the last quarter of senior year right, with a good ‘ol violation of privacy!” In another tweet she tagged Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and posted a picture of her clear backpack filled with feminine products. 

The restless outcry of the Parkland students have inspired others nationwide to join their cause and show their support for the survivors. On March 14, which marked one month since the massacre, students across the country walked out of school for 17 minutes to protest current gun laws, and to remember those lost in Parkland.

Alexandra D. ‘18, Alyssa K. ‘18, Delaney B. ‘18, Ziyan S. ‘18 and Melat E. ‘19 organized the March 14 walkout at OHS. They each took turns speaking to the students who walked out about things like joining the movement, voting for the change they wish to see and standing up for what they believe in. They also passed out orange wristbands that read #NeverAgain to unify those who participated.

“I think the walkout was very effective for the goals we had for it. We wanted to inform students how they can make a change by speaking out or by voting. After the walkout we set up voter registration at lunches and had an excellent turnout,” Melat E. said.

On March 24, people joined together in multiple cities across the country to participate in the March for Our Lives. This was a protest organized by #NeverAgain, a group of students made up of those who survived the Feb. 14 shooting.

Along with showing their support through being involved in the movement, Stoneman Douglas has been flooded with support and kind words through social media and letters. In a video message, Stoneman Douglas Principal Ty Thompson expressed his gratitude for all the support his school has received.

At OHS, AP Literature and Composition teachers Layne Jones and Erin Centa had their students write letters to the students of Parkland which they received when they returned to the school. Each student made the letters their own. Some created a playlist for the student who received it, some added videos to cheer them up, and some relied on their words to make a difference.

“Mrs. Jones and I wanted to do this because it was an easy way to show people outside of their community care. Sometimes we think it can be hard to find something kind to do for someone else, but any small act of kindness can really go a long way,” Centa said.

Centa’s students loved writing these letters and were happy to know they could help. In his video message, Thompson encourages others to share their compassionate words with his students, and says his students will do the same.

“We lost 17 lives on Valentine’s Day. That’s supposed to be the International Day of Love. We’re going to take that love that we lost on Wednesday, and we’re going to spread that over the next few days, weeks, months and maybe even years. The love you’ve shared and continue to share is going to help us get through these trying times,” Thompson said.