Guns and schools: Local students weigh in
Guns and schools: Local students weigh in
REPORTING BY SAMANTHA MADISON / OBSERVER-DISPATCH
REPORTING BY SAMANTHA MADISON / OBSERVER-DISPATCH
GUNS AND SCHOOLS: Local students weigh in
BY SAMANTHA MADISON / OBSERVER-DISPATCH
17 people killed in Florida.
A day-long lockdown at Utica College.
More than a dozen threats called in to local schools in one month.
With school violence frequently in the headlines lately, and students across the country preparing for a national walkout Wednesday, March 14, to show their displeasure with the lack of action taken by the government, we wondered, what do local students think of all this?
Eight local high school students and one Utica College student helped us answer that question, sharing their thoughts on guns, mass shootings, and how safe they feel at school right now.
But first, some background:
So what do local students think about this issue?
Here's what some students from Utica and Rome who favored better gun control had to say ...
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[VIDEO BY PETER FRANCHELL / OBSERVER-DISPATCH]
Here's what some Madison County students
who grew up around guns had to say ...
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(Trouble loading embedded player? Listen to the audio here.)
And finally, here's what our Utica College student had to say ...
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(Trouble loading embedded player? Listen to the audio here.)
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do we need more restrictions on who can buy guns?
Do we need more restrictions on who can buy guns?
Should we ban certain types of guns entirely?
Should we ban certain types of guns entirely?
Would better mental health care help?
Would better mental health care help?
Of course, this isn't the first time we've asked these questions in recent weeks. Here are a few other students' perspectives ...
Catherine Yankowski, organizer of Whitesboro protest
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Students at Whitesboro High School organized a Feb. 27 protest in reaction to the Parkland shooting, but were unable to do a building walkout as planned after administrators asked them to limit their gathering in the gym. Since media couldn't cover the indoor event, organizer Catherine Yankowski and other students spoke with reporters after school instead. [VIDEO BY ALEX COOPER / OBSERVER-DISPATCH]
Ann Ciancia, Utica College senior
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Utica College Student Government Association President Ann Ciancia was one of several Utica College students who talked to us March 5 after a threat of violence locked down their campus for most of the day. A Utica College student later was arrested and charged with phoning in the threat. [VIDEO BY ED HARRIS / OBSERVER-DISPATCH]
[LAYOUT BY COURTNEY POTTS / OBSERVER-DISPATCH]