Today, schools across the country organized walkouts to remember the 14 students and three staff members killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

At the upper school, students, faculty and staff wore black in remembrance of the victims. A morning vigil was held at the athletic center’s Zhang Gymnasium to honor each of the 17 victims. One by one, students and faculty stood before the assembly to read prepared statements about each of the students and staff who lost their lives in the incident, fondly recalling the qualities that made them such treasured people in their communities. Once all the statements were read, candles were lit to commemorate the enduring memories of those killed, as The Harker String Quartet performed a solemn, heartfelt tribute. As students exited the athletic center, they used special stations set up to contact their local representatives to urge them to address gun violence.

Middle school faculty organized several activities for students to remember the Parkland victims and show their support for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas community, such as creating cards and a large poster with supportive messages that will later be sent to the school. In the library, students watched interviews with MSD students and wrote down their reactions. The middle school community also began the creation of an “empathy chain” to show their support for the families and communities affected by the tragedy.

For more student reactions to the Parkland shooting, see Harker Aquila’s extensive collected coverage.