Note: A previous print and online version incorrectly stated that a march was being held at Manhattanville College. There is no official march planned at Manhattanville College, according to their communications department, as of March 20.

After the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, students are taking a stand for more gun control and demanding to be heard.

Tragedy struck Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 when a student armed with an AR-15 assault rifle single-handedly took the lives of 17 students and staff.

Survivors of the massacre have been making headlines ever since, challenging politicians via social media with the hashtag “#NeverAgain.” They are subsequently leading the gun control debate. The mourning students are determined to have experienced the last school shooting and make a change so that students feel safer in schools.

One week after the shooting, students, parents and teachers attended a listening session with President Donald Trump at the White House and a town hall meeting in Florida with Sen. Marco Rubio. They urged lawmakers to fix the problem and never let a school shooting happen again. Trump and Rubio listened to the friends and family members of the students who were killed, but still defended their pro-gun agendas. While students demanded more gun control, Trump suggested a solution would be to give teachers guns.

Parkland students are not alone and they are not giving up. They have gained support all over the country and have organized a political march called March for Our Lives to take place in Washington, D.C. on March 24, as well as many other locations throughout the country. Student organizers have begun creating social media accounts for major cities across the globe.

March for Our Lives has been publicly supported by celebrities like Harry Styles and Jimmy Fallon on social media. Oprah and George and Amal Clooney have also made significant donations to the event.

There has been significant backlash over the student involvement in the gun control debate, with some referring to the students as “disrespectful.” While many are in support of the students, others claim that, as they are children, then have no right to voice their opinion on “adult topics.” In a country that allows the privilege and right of free speech, many fight for what they believe in. The youth of America are citizens too, and under the First Amendment, have the right to make their voices heard.

“The idea that people who are ‘just kids’ shouldn’t have a say in decisions is ridiculous, because the decisions made affect them,” sophomore Katherine Conner said. “Ultimately, we as the younger generations have to live with the consequences of the decisions to a much greater extent than older generations.”

Interestingly enough, despite the United States’ strict belief in the freedom of speech and human rights, the U.S. is the only member of the United Nations that has not ratified the Convention of the Rights of the Child, according to UNICEF. The treaty, which is upheld by all members of the UN, excluding the U.S., plus more non-members, protects the rights of children under the age of 18.

Student activism is by no means a new concept. Student and youth organizations have been fighting for change in America for decades. College campuses especially have famously been the root and focus of protests and advocacy.

Notably, the American Youth Congress of the 1930s opposed war and the draft. The AYC also made headlines and had gained support from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

During the Vietnam War, the Students for a Democratic Society led anti-war marches and protests. They held the first teach-in in 1965 at the University of Michigan to oppose the war and would eventually hold hundreds more. Organizations like these have been bringing students together in the name of their beliefs for years.

“Student activism can be very impactful if done right, like the students of Parkland,” sophomore Simone Guidry said. “It’s only been a [few] week[s] since the shooting and they already have done so much social media protesting and they have set up marches across the nation, they are making a change that I believe will be followed.”

Many Iona students have expressed a desire to advocate for a change alongside the students from Parkland.

“I can’t wrap my head around all the innocent people that have lost their lives due to the abuse of the right to bear arms,” junior Jessica Ammendola said. “We need to speak up and step up.”

Ammendola is not alone in her sentiment.

“We need to take it upon ourselves to be advocates in this area and stand with them in solidarity,” sophomore Martin Verendia said.

Iona students may have the opportunity to show their support for the #NeverAgain movement at the political marches at the end of the month. There are local marches taking place — for more information on the movement and more March for Our Lives locations, visit marchforourlives.com.