EMU Today

YPSILANTI - An Eastern Michigan Early College Alliance student organized a walkout this month to protest gun violence. The walkout took place March 14 from 10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. garden near Boone Hall.

The walkout was part of the national movement against gun violence, as students across the nation committed to walking out of their schools at 10 a.m. This walkout was also in memory of the Parkland  shooting victims.

“I remember one day after the Parkland shooting, I was scrolling through Instagram seeing all the people dead and video from the classrooms,” ECA student Brianna Davis said. “I saw all the victim’s families and friends hurting. I thought about the future and how this would just keep happening if action wasn’t taken.”

Davis, a 9th-grade ECA student, orchestrated the walkout on her own. Not only did the ECA students participate, but also faculty members and other Eastern students. Their efforts didn’t go unnoticed by others on campus.

“I felt a sense of responsibility to do something, so I did,” Davis said. “I’ve heard people talking about it as I’ve walked across campus and have even talked with many classmates about it. Regardless of whether they agree with me, I know I’ve definitely done what I set out to do, which was to raise awareness of gun violence,”

In partnership with Eastern Michigan University, the ECA allows students to earn college credits while in high school. Housed in King Hall, the ECA lets students be immersed in a college environment while earning their high school diploma.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.