On March 14, nearly 3,000 Jupiter High students walked the school’s track for 17 minutes, one minute for each of the 17 students and faculty members killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

“The walkout was a great way to honor the fallen, and seeing everyone walk the track together as one Warrior family was so moving,” senior Margaux Collins said.

On March 15, around 1,000 students attended a memorial rally for MSD in the Jupiter High gym. The rally included a powerful rendition of “Hallelujah” by sophomore Kaia Chaumer, a performance by the Warrior Dance Team and a poetry reading by senior Debra Baldwin on behalf of a MSD student.

One of the most moving parts of the rally was Chaumer’s singing. Many students turned on their phones’ flashlights and swayed in support of Chaumer and MSD.

“Performing in front of an audience is an experience I can’t even describe. Seeing those flashlights throughout the audience and hearing my fellow classmates cheer me on makes me so emotional,” Chaumer said.

When Baldwin read a poem written by her cousin, a survivor of the MSD shooting, Jupiter students felt the emotions of hiding in a classroom during a tragic school shooting.

Todd Wodraska, the mayor of Jupiter, and Michael Barry, a town of Jupiter police officer, delivered speeches during the rally with the message of “living for today,” working hard for success, like the JHS varsity cheer team, and notifying the authorities of any possible security threats.

“The speakers at the awareness rally were nice. They were informative and supportive of us in making what we want to happen, happen,” freshman Megan Palmieri said.

The Warrior Dance Team also performed a tribute dance to honor Jaime Guttenberg, a competitive dancer who was killed in the tragedy at MSD.

“[We danced to] lift spirits and remember the victims’ lives and celebrate them,” sophomore dance team member Sierra Witchey said.

The Parkland massacre affected Jupiter High deeply because many students are friends of survivors or knew the victims. Jupiter High’s strong community wanted Parkland to know we stand with them.