Students join national walkout

Submitted photo PEACEFUL PROTEST: Students gather in the covered pavilion behind Hot Springs World Class High School on Wednesday and read the names and biographies of the 17 people killed in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14. Photo courtesy of the Hot Springs School District.
Submitted photo PEACEFUL PROTEST: Students gather in the covered pavilion behind Hot Springs World Class High School on Wednesday and read the names and biographies of the 17 people killed in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14. Photo courtesy of the Hot Springs School District.

Hundreds of students in Garland County walked out of class at 10 a.m. on Wednesday as part of the National School Walkout.

The 17-minute nationwide demonstrations took place one month after a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14.

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Submitted photo MOMENT OF SILENCE: Students at Hot Springs Junior Academy sit in silence for 17 minutes Wednesday in front of their school building as part of the National School Walkout. Photo courtesy of the Hot Springs School District.

Hot Springs School District Superintendent Stephanie Nehus said groups of students at Hot Springs World Class High School and Hot Springs Junior Academy approached their teachers and administrators regarding the walkout.

"We discussed their ideas and worked with them to create a plan for the building," Nehus said.

Staff members were prepared to monitor the walkout and a timekeeper was there to ensure the walkout ended after 17 minutes, she said.

Alitza Cabibi-Wilkin, a senior at Hot Springs High School, told The Sentinel-Record through Facebook messaging that students filled a pavilion at the school and read the names of the individuals who died in Parkland, and held a moment of silence before returning to class.

"Basically we stood and read the list, then stood in silence, then read the list again because the first time we did it people were walking outside and being loud," she said, adding that the experience of her peers standing in silence and hugging each other before returning to class was very moving.

"It was a great show of support," she said. "Sure, not every kid was behaving, but those who were involved really formed this emotional connection and it was a moment of solidarity for sure."

Nehus said students stood in complete silence for 17 minutes at the Junior Academy.

"The students walked outside to the front area where they gather and stood in silence for 17 minutes," she said. "The comment I heard was 'These kids are amazing.'

"It was all very moving. The kids had organized everything, and we were very proud of our kids and the way it happened. We didn't have any issues."

Jessieville School District Superintendent Ralph Carter said the school discussed the walkout with students and left the decision up to them.

"We had somewhere between 125 and 150 go to the flagpole at the arena," Carter said. "It was very respectful and inspiring to see students lead prayer and then go back to class in an orderly manner at 10:18."

Less than 10 percent of Lake Hamilton students participated in the walkout, according to Brian Bridges, communications coordinator for Lake Hamilton School District.

"There were about 100 students at the high school and 50 at the junior high," he said. "At the high school, students congregated outside the main entrance while the junior high students went to the library.

"Administrators, staff, and school security were on location during the 17-minute walkout. At 10:17 a.m., without being prompted by the adults, high school students went back in the building and back to class."

Thirty Fountain Lake Middle School and 22 Fountain Lake High School students walked out today, according to Stephen Campbell, high school principal.

"Administration in both buildings had communicated with staff that students would be directed to the Commons area in the center of the campus for security purposes," he said. "The students stood quietly in the Commons area for 10 minutes, then linked arms as several high school students prayed in remembrance of the students and teachers who lost their lives one month ago in Florida.

"After 17 minutes, the students returned to class. No punitive measures were taken. The district neither promoted nor deterred the walkout. Administrators, the school resource officer, and several teachers monitored the area to ensure that students were safe and accounted for during the walkout."

Bobby Applegate, superintendent for Mountain Pine School District, said there were about 10 students in the district who participated and a few teachers who planned to assist them. No issues occurred during the walkout, he said.

Cutter Morning Star School District did not have any students participate in the walkout according to Nancy Anderson, superintendent for the district.

According to Lakeside Superintendent Shawn Cook, Lakeside High School had seven students walk out and gather in the courtyard on campus and 25 middle school students gathered in the pavilion behind the school.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts had about 70 students participate in a demonstration, according to school officials.

Students sat silently for 17 minutes on a sidewalk on Pine Street next to the Administration Building "in a duck and cover position similar to tornado drill style." One lane of Pine Street next to the sidewalk was closed to help ensure the students' safety, officials said.

Director Corey Alderdice said in an email sent to students Tuesday, prior to the demonstrations, that "Students who participate in this event will receive the proper sanction for a 1-23 or 2-17 violation depending on previous infractions. As a matter of practice, ASMSA does not report disciplinary actions as part of the college admissions process. You are empowered to make choices that align with your convictions; however, those decisions are not without consequence."

Following the students' demonstration, Alderdice said in a statement that his "decision to uphold ASMSA's expectations affords students the opportunity to reflect on their values and priorities. Enforcing a low-level sanction for an unexcused absence was never intended to stifle participation but to provide a framework for the realities of engaging in civil disobedience both now and in adulthood."

"Taking a stand often involves some level of risk and consequence," he said. "ASMSA is a place where learning is not only measured by success in the classroom but also in personal growth. I commend students who chose solidarity with their peers across the nation and who use all tools of civic engagement available to them."

Prior to the demonstrations, Mountain Pine Elementary School issued a shelter-in-place order early Wednesday morning, which was quickly lifted, after a suspicious item was found.

According to a news release from the Garland County Sheriff's Department, it was notified of the suspicious item at around 7:45 a.m. Deputies arrived at around 8:05 a.m. and were directed by the school's administrative staff to a "black balloon filled with a white powdery substance."

"The Garland County Sheriff's Department notified Office of Emergency Management and the Hot Springs Fire Department Hazardous Material Team. The school administration directed staff and students to shelter in place for a short period of time as a precautionary measure while the substance was tested," the release said.

The Hazardous Material Team tested several samples of the substance, concluding it was bleached flour, and then removed the balloon.

"The Sheriff's Department places the safety and well-being of children as a high priority," Sheriff Mike McCormick said in the release. "We take all instances of safety very seriously and will investigate them fully. I would also like to thank the Office of Emergency Management and the Hot Springs Fire Department Hazardous Material Team for their quick response and assistance with this matter."

Also Wednesday, spokesmen for the Hot Springs Police Department and the sheriff's department said they conducted K-9 training in the Lake Hamilton School District Wednesday morning, but not in response to a threat.

Superintendent Steve Anderson said in a statement posted to the Lake Hamilton School District's Facebook page that the district received several messages and calls regarding the school being on lockdown Wednesday.

"The school was not on an official lockdown. There were 3 of the buildings on campus that conducted a previously scheduled K-9 drug check. This has been a routine procedure at Lake Hamilton for several years," Anderson said in the statement.

Staff writer and photographer Grace Brown contributed to this report.

Local on 03/15/2018

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