- December 13, 2025
After the Parkland shooting where 17 people were killed, students across the country have been taking a stand for safer schools.
In Port Orange, students from Spruce Creek High School used their lunch break on Thursday, March 1, to join together for a Unity Walk to support Parkland, remember the victims of the massacre and discuss changes for a safer school environment.
Around 250 students came together holding signs, some promoting love, some unity, others pushing for change.
High schooler Assil El-Ghali headed up the walk. She said she knew she wanted to orchestrate something but wasn't sure of what to do. A couple of students also approached her asking if she could try getting something started.
El-Ghali created a committee of students and went to their student governments junior class board and asked for help from anyone interested. There were a handful of passionate students who joined.
On the day of the event, there were student speakers, teacher speakers and a moment of silence. Participants lined the front of the field with 17 chairs to remember the 17 Parkland victims. Orange ribbon pins were passed around for gun violence awareness as well as slips of paper with contact information of representatives.
El-Ghali said they tried to focus on safer schools instead of politics in order to unite everyone in the school in a peaceful manner. A banner was also purchased for students to sign before it is sent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to show that the students stand with them.
"[The walk] will go down as one of the highlights of our year, as something we'll look back on," Principal Todd Sparger said "The students led it and were trying to inspire each other to continue on with the cause."
In the upcoming weeks and months, El-Ghali and other students are planning to attend town hall meetings and are urging students to contact their representatives. They are also trying to orchestrate an assembly on April 20 in remembrance of all the school shootings that have occurred.
El-Ghali said there is also a student who is attending the March for our Lives walk in Washington D.C., and will have a petition which was spread around Volusia County asking for change.
"The unity walk was one event, but that was just the beginning," El-Ghali said. "This fight will not stop until the result we want is received."
El-Ghali said students would like to see laws that enforce background checks so that students do not have to fear for their lives. She added that students are also pushing for weapons to not be as easily accessible and that extensive procedures should be implemented to obtain weapons.
"Many view school as a place to receive an education, slim to none have viewed school as a life-threatening setting, but that is what has come out of all of these recent events," El-Ghali said. "We the students need change, we demand it. The students that were killed had family, friends and had the potential to be anything they wanted, but their lives were tragically taken. Schools need to safe, and that is what we are striving for."
