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Maine students prepare alternative walkouts in case of snow day

STATEWIDE (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Students across Maine who want to participate in the nationwide school walkouts in response to the Florida school shooting discussed alternate plans Tuesday in the case of a snow day closing schools on Wednesday.

More than 42 schools across the state are listed on actionnetwork.org, a website aggregating the schools across the country that plan to walk out of their respective buildings for 17 minutes: one minute for each life lost during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

DIFFERING SUPPORT FROM ADMINISTRATORS

Auburn administrators sent home a letter to students, citing the school handbook, that walking out of class would be considered "cutting" class, and then result in a 60-minute detention.

"It's important to stand up for what we believe in," said Burtchell. "An hour after school will not affect the significance of this."

Conley, Glidden, and Gailey said South Portland administrators are aiming for neutrality. Glidden said the school principal explained legal logistics behind supporting or not supporting the demonstrations. For example, the students cannot make an announcement at 10 a.m. to signal the beginning of the walkout, because using a school resource would violate that neutrality.

"Compared to how other schools in Maine are handling it, I think it's okay," said Glidden. "I understand the negative feedback they could get [for supporting it], but it's something I feel so passionate about that I wouldn't be afraid of that."

Brown said administrators at Yarmouth Schools strived for a bipartisan approach to the walkout: facilitating the walkout for students who wish to participate, but not marginalizing students who do not wish to participate. They are declaring a break for the entire school from 9:57 a.m. to 10:23 a.m.

"It would be more powerful if it was during class, for all the students who wanted to participate to get up and walkout, but I think including everyone is something that Yarmouth values and making sure no one feels compromised for having a different view, I think that's important," said Brown.

RAIN CHECKS

"We need stronger gun laws to protect children as a whole," said South Portland High School junior Max Gailey. "It's really showing people that we can stand up for ourselves and make a change."

Gailey, along with senior Erica Glidden, and freshman Katie Conley are organizing the walkout at their school, but plan to reschedule if school is closed. However, if school is delayed, the day starts at 10:10. Glidden said students would meet at the main entrance by 10 a.m. and not enter school until 10:17 a.m.

"As long as we're taking it as seriously as we would on Wednesday, the message still remains the same," said Glidden.

In Yarmouth, organizer and senior Eliza Brown said they would also change the date in case of a closure, but in the case of a delay, would walkout of the school at 10:15 a.m.

"We can't have another school shooting happen again," said Brown. "It's still going to be very powerful. I just wish that we could do it tomorrow."

In Auburn, sophomore Leah Burtchell said if school is delayed, the day begins at 9:50, and they would walkout at 10 a.m.

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