Photo by Jenny Kirk Students from Marshall High School walk along College Drive Wednesday morning after leaving the campus despite warnings from school officials.

MARSHALL — Students here joined thousands of other young people across the country in holding “Walk Up” assemblies, moments of silence and walkouts Wednesday morning.

Whether they were speaking out against gun violence, or taking a moment to remember the victims of the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, one month ago, local students added their voices to the mix.

About 75 Southwest Minnesota State University students, faculty, staff and Marshall area community members gathered at the flagpoles in front of the student center Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 10:17 a.m. They were part of nationwide walkouts and rallies in protest of gun violence.

“It’s more than the guns themselves,” said freshman justice administration student Elly Osland. “It’s about education. A lot of times the students aren’t getting the attention they need. Nobody is noticing the signs of a student needing help and then it escalates into something more.”

At Marshall High School, the national walkout day was planned by some students as a “Walk Up” day to reach out in a positive way, However, the media was barred from the event attended by 250 students. Principal Brian Jones said the assembly was supervised by school staff and administration.

School officials asked an Independent reporter and a reporter from a local radio station to remain in a conference room next to the main office during the assembly and wait for students who might want to talk to the media.

MHS student Bailey Nelson said the Walk Up assembly came together partly from a group of students who had been interested in taking part in the protests. The students talked with school administrators to find an alternative to walking out.

“We wanted to make an impact, and have students peacefully protest,” she said.

One group of MHS students went beyond participating in the assembly, however. Around 15 students walked out of the high school, carrying handmade signs and chanting, “No more silence, end gun violence.” They made their way through the Highway 23 pedestrian underpass, and down East College Drive to Main Street. Several passing vehicles honked as the students stood at the corner of Main and College.

Some of the students who walked out said they weren’t satisfied with the assembly at the high school. Some said the moment of silence wasn’t really quiet, and others questioned whether the assembly’s approach would really help make a difference.

“Just writing nice things is not going to change the problem,” student Angelica White said.

Students said they wanted to be heard, and for acts of gun violence like the Florida shooting to stop.

“We want to be safe,” said student Isamary Duran.

In an announcement to students, Jones had said students who left school without a pass would have an unexcused absence, and face school penalties for an unexcused absence. Specifically, that penalty would be Saturday school, Jones said Wednesday.

The students who walked out said they were aware of the consequences. But it was worth it, they said.

At Marshall Middle School, a 17-minute silence was held in the gym, and a group of 11 seventh and eighth-grade students actually walked out of the school on a mission.

Accompanied by their social studies teacher, Dana Moore, the students walked to Memorial Park to hang ribbons on the park bridge in memory of the victims.

The memorial was a student-led event, Moore said.

“I just want to express how incredibly proud I am of how they put this together. They inspire me, they give me hope. It’s not just a cliche, they are our future,” Moore said. “This is how we’re supposed to make change, is by talking and not fighting, so I support them 100 percent.”

The middle school students said it took them three or four weeks to plan the event.

“I just thought it was a really nice and respectful thing to do to honor those who have died,” said eighth-grade student Mia Mejias. “I believe that schools need more security to help this not to happen again.”

“I hope to have everybody know what’s going on in our country,” said student Mikayla Larenz. “People should know how it’s affecting schools and other people’s families. I hope we’re all safe.”

Student Carter Versaevel said he was proud he came to participate, and hoped that the students participating really felt it in their hearts to be supportive, and not just do it for show.

Eighth-grade student Anahi Abbara said hearing about the shooting in Florida was part of what got her involved with the memorial.

“I watched an interview with this kid who called his parents saying he didn’t think he was going to make it out of the school alive,” Abbara said. Abbara said that’s when she knew she wanted to be involved.

The students said a classmate not with them at the bridge actually knew someone who had lost their life in a school shooting.

Being respectful of those who died was also on the minds of organizers of the Marshall High assembly. They said the assembly included a period of silence in honor of the shooting victims. Then, students were asked to write down and share ideas of positive things to say to people, or ways to reach out and make a difference to others.

The goal of the Walk Up assembly, said student organizer Bethany Greathouse, was to unite students, instead of creating more divisions.

Plus, said student organizer Devine Bauman, “The Walk Up is more inclusive. The younger kids can do it, older kids can do it, everyone is coming together because everyone knows what’s going on.”

In the weeks since the Florida school shooting, Nelson said, it’s young people who have been keeping the media’s focus on issues like school safety.

Jone’s defended his decision to keep the media from the assembly when asked about it. He said school policies say people can be denied permission to visit the school if the visit is not in the best interests of students, employees or the school district. Jones said a concern Wednesday was that students would have to face “additional pressure and scrutiny” from having media present at the assembly.

“Our decision was to allow the event to be led by the students for the students,” Jones said.

Jones said there could have been a possibility for tensions to rise between students over issues like gun control. However, both he and student organizers said the Walk Up assembly had a positive focus, and went smoothly.

Marshall Superintendent Scott Monson said he supported Jones’ decision not to have media at the Walk Up assembly. He referred to the school policies concerning visitors and interviewing students, and said that while the events at Marshall schools on Wednesday were supervised, they weren’t school-sponsored.

An SMSU history professor Anita Gaul said Wednesday’s rally at the university was just the beginning. She was joined by Ben Walker, a speech professor and adviser to the College Democrats Club. Walker said the College Democrats helped organize the rally with Gaul.

“They put up posters and created a Facebook event,” Walker said.

Gaul told the crowd that the rally was “just the beginning. If you care about this issue and want to see change there are two bills being introduced in the Legislature. One that advocates for more background checks.”

Gaul said people should contact their representatives, Gary Dahms and Chris Swedzinski, regarding the legislation. She urged the crowd to vote in November for candidates who pledge to support sensible gun control and if they aren’t registered to vote to be sure to do so.

Then Gaul called for 2 minutes of silence to honor the victims of the latest school shooting.

Marshall Public Safety Director Rob Yant said Marshall Police had been notified of the group of MHS students who walked out, through MHS’ school resource officer. He said officers were advised of the group, to keep an eye out for traffic safety as the group marched.

“Our real concern is safety, for them (the students) and for people getting around,” Yant said.

Yant said law enforcement officers weren’t focused on addressing truancy as the high school students walked out. Truancy complaints are brought forward by the school and the school resource officer, he said, and they often involve a student who is chronically absent, instead of a student participating in a one-time event.

Other local schools also found ways to remember the victims in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting. Students at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton and Tracy public schools held moments of silence for the victims of the shooting.

At Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Marshall, students wore orange in memory of the victims, and observed a moment of silence. Sixth-grade teacher Keri Cole said students also collected voluntary donations for a GoFundMe account to support the victims at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Cole said members of the Holy Redeemer student council, who included students in fifth through eighth grade, planned the Wednesday event.

“They always tend to have a good sensitivity to know when it’s a good cause to support,” Cole said of the students.

School officials at Minneota and Lakeview Public Schools said that, while they didn’t have events or walkouts on Wednesday, teachers have talked with students about issues like school safety in the past few weeks.

“We wrote letters to the school in Florida during advisory (period), shortly after the incident happened,” said Lakeview Superintendent Chris Fenske. Scott Hanson, grade 7-12 principal at Lakeview, also helped students get contact information for their legislators, Fenske said.