As the semester comes to a screeching halt following the development of a new variant, constantly changing COVID-19 guidelines, a school shooting scare, all on top of finals to be studied for and missing work to be done, it’s easy to feel as if everything is piling on at once – like everything is working against us. The pressure is heavy, and  students are certainly restless for a new semester and a fresh start, but amidst all the anxieties we may be feeling, it’s important to remember who’s in our corner. 

On Jan. 24 at a school board meeting, a group of moms in the district affiliated with the organization “Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America” came to public comment regarding the fears parents and students alike feel surrounding the gun laws and our schools. 

As stated by parent and co-lead of the Tualatin chapter of Moms Demand Action Teri Wilson, “Although it’s easy to look the other way and say that nobody in our community would bring a gun to school or threaten the lives of our children…sadly we cannot make this assumption based on what we’ve seen.” 

With the new law passed in Oregon on March 25, 2021 allowing each school district to decide whether they would allow firearms to be carried on school grounds, Tualatin-Tigard finally passed policy KGBB. This is in part thanks to a petition that was passed around advocating for stricter gun laws, especially following the threats of violence that frightened community members.

 Likewise, many students have advocated for the adjustment of school guidelines considering the unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases with the Omicron variant. Senior Sam Roach chose to comment publicly about his concerns regarding school inaction in light of rising cases 

“In the end, the purpose of the school district is to serve the students and understand the student perspective best informs administrative decisions,” he said at a school board meeting on Jan. 10, 2021.

 It’s unsure how exactly the district will respond to hearing countless stories of anxious students, but it’s a breath of fresh air to be assured that there are people fighting for changes to be made. 

And most importantly, although it can feel as if nobody’s listening, more often than not, teachers, parents and administration alike care about the wellbeing of students and are searching for the best solution to this tangled web of problems we’re all navigating our way through. So, remember to take care of yourself, breathe and know that there are people on your side.