We all know about the tragedy that took place this Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be filled with love, joy, and happiness, but for the Marjory County Stoneman Douglas High School, the day was filled with terror, death, and heartbreak. A former student, Nikolas Cruz, entered their building and killed 17 people, injuring 14 others. It is reported that the student had severe mental health and depression issues, and that there were signs, but everyone ignored the signs. “We do not want a tragedy like this to happen at Whitney Young, so we need to not ignore the signs,” as Jake Kosakowski ‘18 states.

You never know what someone else is going through. The people you see everyday in the halls may look fine, but “a million and one things might be going through their head,” Drew Townsel ‘20 adds. You may never know until you ask someone, and even then, they might not tell you what they are really thinking. Madison Tate ‘21 thinks, “it comes down to just being kind to one another.” We might not know what another person is going through, but a simple “hello” might affect them in ways you never know, especially if they are quiet and do not really talk to anyone. We as a school community must look out for one another because we do not want an incident at Whitney Young to happen. We have to pay attention to the signs, but further than that, what we can all do, is incorporate Dr. Kenner’s “be nice to someone” Mondays, everyday.