Since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the national reaction regarding gun control and campus safety has been nothing short of bold and dynamic.
Survivors of the shooting have spoken up through the media, organized rallies and protests, as well as challenged the American public to get involved. They’ve organized lie-ins in the nation’s capital, as well as school walk-outs across the country. Now, some of these students are facing the repercussions by being suspended from their schools.
However, multiple universities across the country have ensured that the students’ suspensions will in no way impact their chances of admission into the colleges. Some of the first schools to take part in this action include Yale University, MIT, Brown University and Northeastern University.
This week, Bradley followed suit. On Feb. 26, the Bradley University Twitter account sent out a statement proclaiming the university “would like to assure students that their admission will not be negatively affected by school disciplinary actions resulting from participation in peaceful, non-disruptive protests or lawful expressions of their beliefs.”
Yes. We’re pleased that the university is deciding to support this cause, and that students who are working to make a positive change in this country will not be prevented from attending the college of their choice, including Bradley.
But it was disappointing to see that Bradley waited days after other universities announced they are taking this course of action. Some schools published statements as early as Feb. 22, so why did Bradley have to wait four days to make this statement? It’s as if our school is the fair-weather friend of a group of more progressive schools in America, and we aren’t sure how well that sits with us.
We would rather see Bradley make its own bold statement rather than wait to see what the majority of other universities do before making its own move. Despite this, we still commend the university for taking part in this movement.
The Bradley community is also hosting its own National School Walk-Out event on March 8, during which students are invited to peacefully protest by walking out of class at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes in support of the 17 students who lost their lives in the Parkland shooting.
The voices and actions of the Florida survivors are being seen by legislators and media across the country, and their message is clear. This is a great opportunity for Bradley students to do the same.
The Scout hopes to see many students taking part in this event as it is an opportunity to express to lawmakers the changes that we want to see made while also showing support for the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.
While the issue of gun control can be quite polarizing, it is encouraging to see Bradley come together and align itself for such an important cause, and we hope the students participate in the walk-out on March 8.
