{"id":4590,"date":"2020-05-22T14:40:18","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T18:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=4590"},"modified":"2020-05-22T14:40:18","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T18:40:18","slug":"im-still-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=4590","title":{"rendered":"I&#8217;m Still Here"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Scarlett London<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Communicator<br \/>\nAnn Arbor Community HS<br \/>\n1st Place Division 4, News Writing<br \/>\nInformative Feature<\/p>\n<p><b>JUDGING CRITERIA<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leads capture attention, arouses curiosity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Topic relevant to interests and\/or welfare of school or students<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thorough investigation through research and interviews<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combines basics of good news and feature writing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organized with smooth transitions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uses proper diction and grammar<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Balanced and fair presentation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p2\">On Nov. 14, 2019, Emma Brown,* a student at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., got up early to get ready for school. The freshman got into her dad\u2019s car, and they pulled out of the driveway, ready to start their day. An incoming call on her phone, a sudden bundle of texts in all capital letters and her life was changed forever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">She gasped. As her hand clamped over her mouth, she told her dad to stop the car.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cMy best friend called me,\u201d Brown said. \u201cShe said there was an active shooter on campus, and that I should not come to school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">As soon as they got home, they turned on the news and waited. Texts came in by the dozens, and she soon learned of the victims: one, a boy in her class; the other her first friend at school. Her heart was shattered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cNews at our school travels fast,\u201d Brown said. \u201cSo I quickly found out who the victims were.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">For the rest of the day, Brown texted friends and stared at the TV anxiously. The anger, stress and sadness inside her made the day drag on forever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cI was in shock,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt was so unexpected because you read about it all the time, but you never think it\u2019s going to happen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">She was safe, but she had no way of knowing how safe her friends who were already at school were. She decided to text them instead of call.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cI texted because I wasn\u2019t sure if they were hiding in a classroom somewhere and didn\u2019t want their phone buzzing,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt was so scary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Emma\u2019s friends could be hiding behind desks, trying not to breathe too loudly, texting friends and family sending love, genuinely not knowing if they would live to see another day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The news was hard to process: two students \u2014 her friends \u2014 were dead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">Because of guns, <\/span>students are traumatized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">In the wake of the shooting, Saugus High School closed early for Thanksgiving, so Emma didn\u2019t have to go back for a while. Two days later during the break, she drove to pick up her sister. It was the first time she had passed the school since the shooting. When she saw it, she was speechless.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cIn front of the school was a giant, \u2018Saugus Strong\u2019 sign,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt was lit up in our school colors, with a giant red heart in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The huge sign had twinkle lights that lit up the hillside \u2014 a flashlight in the dark. Emma bit her lip and her eyes started watering. The support didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cAt the end of the street is a church with a brick wall in front,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt has a bunch of posters saying things like \u2018We love you Saugus\u2019 and \u2018Saugus strong.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">A few days later, the school held a candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims and voice support for the students and teachers. The community had been very supportive of the school \u2014 over 10,000 people attended the vigil, which was held in Central Park three days after the shooting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cThe vigil was nice,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut it was so beyond sad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">There were many religious leaders that led prayers, and there were speeches from the principal as well as family and friends of the victims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cThere were a lot of memories shared,\u201d Brown said. \u201cStories, photos and videos. Everyone was crying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">Because of guns, <\/span>Brown said, none of the students will ever feel completely comfortable at school ever again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The school gave students the rest of the month off, and school resumed on Dec. 2, 2019. Brown was very nervous to go back. The day before, she tried to calm her friend\u2019s nerves as he cried about how scared he was. Brown told him to try not to be afraid, but she admitted that she herself was terrified.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cI think it will be very scary,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt won\u2019t feel like a safe place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The school is structured so that each class is in a different building, much like a college campus, so students walk outside to get from class to class.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cPeople said the gunshots sounded like a binder dropping,\u201d Brown said. \u201cEvery time there is a loud noise, or sirens go by, it\u2019s still horrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">Because of guns, <\/span>students are angry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Brown had been a part of a club at Saugus called Students Demand Action. Before the shooting, they advocated for gun safety regulations and put up fliers around the school about safety within the school building. There are many of these clubs all over the country. After the shooting, their club had a new purpose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cRight now, we are trying to just focus on everybody,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe are trying to get everyone at the school to come together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The club has done many things to try to accomplish this goal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of fundraising,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get through to some companies and bring everyone together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Brown has always been passionate about this issue. She never liked the idea of widespread gun ownership and has long advocated for increased gun regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cI have always been one not to like guns and to want good control,\u201d Brown said. \u201cNow, more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">After the shooting, Brown became even more passionate about this issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cI have a story to tell,\u201d Brown said. \u201cMy friends were killed, and I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">This shooting poured gas onto a flame inside of her that now is burning even brighter. She wants to make a change because she has seen what happens when nothing changes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cThis is a really big issue,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut we are beyond ready to tackle it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">Because of guns, <\/span>students are not able to focus on their education.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">On Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, Brown completed her first week back at school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cThe first day was awful,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI felt sick to my stomach all day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Her club and the staff had developed many support systems for students, which included therapy dogs, blankets and more. All work was optional, and the students had frozen grades until the end of the semester. Many of the students went to the wellness center instead of their classes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cI barely did any work this week,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis whole situation is just really awful, and it\u2019s hard to focus on school work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Brown was not at Saugus during the shooting. She was not hiding in a classroom or texting her parents that she loved them. She is not a \u201cschool shooting survivor.\u201d She wasn\u2019t shot or killed. She was not traumatized from hearing gunshots whizzing by her head. But her life, and the lives of her fellow students, will never be the same. Nor that of the principal. Or the bus driver. Or the cashier at the grocery store across from the school. Or the person across the country who met one of the victims at summer camp. That feeling of danger will continue to permeate throughout the school and community. It will change its climate for years to come. The frequency of these shootings changes the way students view school. Students who have been through this have exit plans and strategies in the back of their mind. These shootings have changed this generation\u2019s identity to make us more terrified.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">protect anonymity<\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><b>C <\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Scarlett London The Communicator Ann Arbor Community HS 1st Place Division 4, News Writing Informative Feature JUDGING CRITERIA Leads capture attention, arouses curiosity Topic relevant to interests and\/or welfare of school or students Thorough investigation through research and interviews Combines basics of good news and feature writing Organized with smooth transitions Sentences, paragraphs of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[60,4],"tags":[175,23],"class_list":["post-4590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","category-informativefeature","category-nw","tag-2019-20","tag-division4","post_format-post-format-image","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/NW12_ImStillHere-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/NW12_ImStillHere-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Joel Beeker","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=9"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/NW12_ImStillHere-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1682&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-1c2","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}