TW: Mentioning of shootings, video of event
Never in my sophomore mind would it have occurred to me that I would be writing not one, but two stories on the impacts on gun violence on high school students around the nation, and more specifically in Iowa, when I began my run on the Orbit. Never in my elementary mind would I have thought that this would be such a prominent issue all those times when we practiced hiding and being quiet in case we were ever placed in the situation in which many students across the nation have been under.
Over a year and a half ago when I wrote “These are kids killing kids” I would have never thought to address this challenging and heartbreaking topic; as the numbers of the continuous gun violence plaguing the education system, though, it seems like an inevitable topic to be covered.
Following the tragic events that occurred at the Apalachee High School in Georgia on Sept. 4, 2024, with a 14-year-old student killing four, USA Today published a story listing the reported school shootings throughout 2024. Author Amaris Encinas listed 23 events, with the collected number of victims injured and/or killed being one short of 50.
Shirley Rivera-Pogyo, former East High School class president and a current freshman at Drake University expressed her thoughts in regards to the addressing of school shootings and the frequency of such events in a direct interview.
Being that Rivera-Pogyo was a student at the time of the East High School shooting of March 7, 2022, she expressed she believed there should be much more talk of these events, though difficult, in order for preparedness and possibly to invoke a positive change within society.
“You’re having to get those children prepared for what can happen to them [and] what can happen to their peers…You’re having to let those students and staff know that there are changes there are things we can protest for so these things never happen again, but if not everyone’s willing to make that change never going to happen and this is just going to keep repeating themselves.”
Furthermore, with the world becoming more digitized than ever before, outside spectators were able to see multiple perspectives from students during the shooting at Apalachee High School.
The difficult videos to see present a clear and blunt point of view of the affliction gun violence continues to have on American schools.
Though the clips, messages and pictures are tough to watch, RIvera-Pogyo expressed that they pose a point of view that is not often portrayed in news outlets and can help people see the first-hand effects of gun violence. Furthermore, she explained that social media could then help people become more informed of actions that could be taken in order to reduce these events.
“I know that students who have experienced gun violence…are trying their best to repost everything they see when gun violence occurs or trying their best to get gun violence problems out there are trying their best by protesting and by speaking out.”
Rivera-Pogyo moreover explained the importance of taking action in order to fight against and prevent the events caused by gun violence.
“[People] send us prayers for those [events], but not anything real that would help us,” stated Rivera-Pogyo.
She mentioned government changes that could occur if people got more involved with speaking out to state representatives and for possible bills being passed. Additionally, she addressed the importance of staying informed on such topics and advocate for change, with one organization mentioned being March For Our Lives, a youth-led organization demanding for action in order to prevent more tragedies from occurring.
Moreover, as the founder of the mental health club at East High School, Stomp Out the Stigma (SOS), Rivera-Pogyo is a great advocate for mental health, stating “people should be aware of the impact of gun violence on mental health exposure to gun violence whether directly or indirectly can lead to significant psychological trauma…not only the victims but also their families and communities.”
“[P]eople should be aware of the impact of gun violence on mental health exposure to gun violence whether directly or indirectly can lead to significant psychological trauma…not only the victims but also their families and communities.”
She voiced the importance of raising awareness about signs of mental health issues, creating a sense of safety and community and overall continuing to reduce the stigma that mental health continues to have in society.
Even as I’m finishing this story there continues to be occurrences similar to those in the schools mentioned above. Just on Monday, September 9 authorities found a loaded weapon inside a 16-year-old’s student’s backpack during a family meeting. This happened at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, only a half hour drive from North Polk High School.
With this proximity in mind, one could be reminded of the tragedy that occurred at Perry High School in the beginning of the school year, which claimed the lives of 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff and Principal Dan Marburger while also having others injured.
It is distressing to see the tragedies occurring on the news so often, and it becomes even more real in a sense seeing the news covering something so close to home.
