The tragedy that recently struck in Parkland has made it’s way onto the GJHS campus, as well of the rest of the world. The school has taken extra security precautions  such as adding extra security around the school, which provides a sense of safety around the school.

Jacob Pierce, senior said “I feel very safe, but I feel like the school shouldn’t have waited until a big tragedy like this to happen to add the security.” He also stated that the extra security can only have positive effects on the students and it was the right move for the school. Dealing with tragedy’s like that and all the other mass shootings that happens in the US is difficult, and the school did a good job following this one.

One debate that sparked up was over gun control and part of this debate was the idea of teachers being able to carry guns.

“I feel like if we have more security added to the school, there’s no need for teachers to be able to carry guns,” Skylar Porter, senior, said

That is the general agreement around the school on the idea of teachers being able to carry guns. Even some teachers don’t agree with that idea.

“I can’t find my stapler a lot of the time.  I would not want to worry about the safety and security of a gun in my classroom,” said Mrs. Casey

A better idea with proven results that also came up was implementing Australia’s gun control laws into the United States. Some students have argued that taking away our guns would not stop criminals from being criminals and that the only thing banning guns would do is no longer allow law abiding citizens to defend themselves from being criminals. There were not many students pro gun control; most just want to see a change in gun modifications.

Some people don’t see a solution. No matter how much attentions the school pays to their students and how hard a students friends try to help, you can’t always catch every student in time. For some students that is their sad truth. They believe it comes with the risk of living, that there are just people you can’t control.

Overall, what happened at Parkland, as well as all the other schools, and mass shootings that have happened in the US, are all tragic and can affect anybody. Here at GJHS, it was handled  very well. The added security and announcements and calls to students parents are all positive ways to deal with it and for our school to show us that we’re safe. Prayers and thoughts from GJ as a whole, are and always will be sent out to support other schools and families.