Picture a public forum discussing an issue of public policy: it includes Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, Reno Police Chief Jason Soto, Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung, State Senator Julia Ratti and State Assembly Woman Teresa Benitez-Thompson.
Are there any kids in your image? Probably not. But on Tuesday night, a forum just like that discussed gun violence at McQueen High School. The group of panelists included all of those officials, as well as other community leaders. And they did what Americans do... they talked.
"That's kind of what our country is based on," Aljerae Manuzon, senior at McQueen, said. "A bunch of different people with different opinions, different lifestyles."
"I think we had a chance to listen to people, to listen to different opinions," Sharon Oren, panelist and Owner of Maccabee Arms in Reno, said. "And hopefully walk out of this interaction better than we walked into it."
The event was organized by the journalism staff at McQueen. Their goal was to continue the conversation about gun violence at schools, since the Parkland High School students started it last month. Ryan Smith, journalism advisor at McQueen, says the forum was a way to move forward following the walk out last week.
"We'd heard from a lot of students and interviewed students, that had a lot of questions about what were they allowed to do, what was the school going to allow them to do, what could they do next?" Smith said. "And we started thinking how can we help be part of that conversation."
Senior Madeline Reese said she came to voice her opinion, because now is the time young people have to step up.
"Students have to get involved," Reese said. "Because it seems as though adults are very unwilling to listen to us and are very unwilling to do anything about the problems we face on a daily basis."
Other students we spoke with said they came to the forum just to hear different perspectives.
"I would just like to immerse myself in opinions that don't quite agree with mine," Manuzon said.
Sophomore Ethan Caraway said he learned something tonight, but still has some questions going forward. Still, Caraway said he and his generation will continue to speak out, but will also try to grow.
"I think we have somewhat of a voice, I don't think we have as much of a voice as we like," Caraway said. "To have more of a voice I think we need to be more respectful."
While the young generation continues to find just the right tone in their voice, Oren says they're already being heard. He said he's impressed with what they've done, and what they could do in the future.
"I never thought when I was 17 years of age I would be able to get the Mayor and the chief of police and leaders of my community to come and listen to me," Oren said. "And we these kids did today, they gave me a lot of hope for our future."
