On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and multiple magazines, killing 17 people and injuring 17 more.

“It’s terrifying…we’re so exposed” said ERHS French teacher Ms. Anna Cherubin. In the aftermath of such a tragedy, students and teachers are left wondering how to respond and how to protect themselves.

One idea expressed by computer science teacher, Mrs. Yvette Goslee, is the implementation of “an alert system” similar to those colleges have, “where people get messages on their cellphones.”

The notification could allow teachers and students more time to hide and lock their doors. The issue of locking doors has been a particular concern for several teachers who fear the excessive amount of time it could take to lock their doors from the outside.

“How am I going to protect the students from someone coming in?” asked Ms. Cherubin. “We should have metal doors we can lock from the inside without windows.”

In recent years, PGCPS has required teachers to leave windows uncovered and doors open to support student safety in light of student abuse scandals.

In order to bring change, students and teachers alike have begun to take action by participating in rallies and marches, and by contacting legislators. Hundreds of students and faculty members participated in the student-organized walkout and rally on March 14 to honor the victims and call for gun reform.

Nia Jackson, a junior who spoke at the rally, plans to write letters to Congressmen. Junior Kendall Bryant also expressed her interest in keeping “activism alive on social media.”

No matter where one stands on the issue of gun control or how to go about bringing change, senior Alexander Andrews said people should “listen to both sides” because they “both want the same thing; they just have different means” of achieving those goals.