Lily Kollin is frustrated after having to add to the anti-gun violence poem she wrote after the February school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
But add to the poem Kollin did in the last few days since the most recent school shooting — this time last Friday in Santa Fe, Texas — killed 10 more children.
Kollin, a North Farmington High School senior, read the latest version of the poem Monday night, when the school's Students Demand Action held the latest vigil against gun violence near the symbolic rock in front of the school.
"It shouldn't be necessary (to add to the poem)," Kollin said. "I shouldn't have to add another name to this. I don't want to be here, but it warms my heart to see all of these people come together."
The vigil drew about 30 people despite pouring rain to begin. By the time those gathered were ready to paint the rock black, then add an orange "10" to represent Santa Fe's 10 victims, the rain had stopped.
The rally included students from North Farmington, Harrison, West Bloomfield, Berkley, Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham Groves high schools.
"We're doing this to stand in solidarity with the 10 people who died in Santa Fe," said junior Bebe Schaefer of SDA. "This is important that we stand unified for this cause. I'm frustrated that this even had to take place in the first place, that our country can't get common-sense gun legislation, that we have to continue to fight for our lives."
The event included speeches from a half-dozen students (including Kollin reading her poem) and a candle lighting. After observing a moment of silence, attendees painted the school rock black.
West Bloomfield High School student Jordan Robinson said he has two friends who attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people died in a Valentine's Day shooting.
Robinson, who helped organize a walkout at his school in conjunction with the national walkout in March following the Parkland shooting, said the rallies are necessary if young people want to effect change.
"Our schools aren't safe anymore," Robinson said. "I want to see action that makes our schools a safer place."
State Rep. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, who is seeking the state Senate seat being vacated by Vince Gregory, urged students to continue to voice their opinions, because the adults in charge of keeping students safe aren't doing the job.
"The conscience of our country is not being led by members in the halls of Congress, the conscience of our country is not being led by state Legislatures across our country," said Moss. "The conscience of our country is being led by 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds who have had enough ... of the threat of violence every day being dropped off at school."
After the Santa Fe shootings, one survivor of the attack, 17-year-old Paige Curry, said the attack wasn't just a possibility, it was bound to become reality.
“It’s been happening everywhere,” Curry was quoted as saying. “I’ve always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here, too.”
It's a sentiment high school students are beginning to share.
"To be honest, if a school shooting happened here tomorrow, I would not be shocked, I would not be surprised," Schaefer said. "It is so awful, but this is our reality. We go to school every single day in fear that we will not come home that night. (Curry) was completely right and we all feel the same way."
