In the wake of the Pittsburgh shooting, students at Carlmont High School decided to come together and stand up against prejudice.
On Saturday, Oct. 27, 11 Jews were shot and killed in a Synagogue located in Pittsburgh, Pa. Mireille Knoll, one of the Jews in the Synagogue, survived the Holocaust but not this terrorism tragedy.
Seeing that this hate crime was targeted at the Jewish community, Carlmont’s Jewish Club decided to take action and find a way to raise awareness about the issue. They started looking for ways to unite students and to express their ideas. Ultimately, they decided that during lunch on Nov. 2, they would have a moment of silence that lasted for a minute and 30 seconds and a speech in the quad. Students could also sign a poster to show support against anti-Semitism.
Principal Ralph Crame said: “I was very open to the idea when the students approached me about their plans for the speech. I was extremely touched that they have so much compassion and wanted to show how much they care about people who may be suffering loss from such a horrible tragedy.”
Victoria Tsinker, a senior and the president of Jewish Club, along with Jessica Nepomynshy, a sophomore and the vice president of Jewish Club, came up with the idea of having this event. They were pleasantly surprised when the Muslim Fellowship Club and the Christians In Action club agreed to help
Students stand in the quad to unite against prejudice.
with the event. Both clubs ended up playing a significant part in making sure the event ran smoothly.
Iman Sarsour, a junior and the co-president of Muslim Club said: “I was interested in being a part of this effort, as I believe that it is truly important that our community expresses our solidarity in both times of tragedy and in times of wellness. In uniting with one another against hate, we are exemplifying the fact that love lies at the heart of all world religions.”
Some students felt that the school should’ve publicized the event more. Danielle Courtney, a freshman, is one of these students.
“I think it [the memorial] did help a little because even if not a lot of people went to the memorial, it was on the announcements so they [students] were at least aware of the shooting,” Courtney said. “I think it would help if the memorial was more publicized around school so that more kids would know about it, and I think it would have helped if more teachers or administrators could’ve gone to the memorial.”
According to Business Insider, in just 2018 alone, there have been 297 mass shootings either at schools or at religious worship places. The memorial was meant to create a united front among students to help those who are affected by these shootings through these hard times.
“As we have learned 297 times this year alone, events like these [shootings] can happen to your family, your friends, and you,” Tsinker said in her speech. “Creating a unified community is our best defense against this.”
