Busloads of Stoneman Douglas students will confront legislators in Tallahassee this week

This week, those responsible for writing and amending laws in Florida will face dozens of students from the devastated Stoneman Douglas High School and their plea for more stringent gun laws.

Busloads of students from the Parkland school will travel nearly the length of the state to Tallahassee this week to make themselves heard by legislators, an effort being facilitated by Sen. Lauren Book of Broward County and former Florida Democratic Party chair Allison Tant.

Tant announced in an email blast Saturday that a rally will be held at noon Wednesday at the Capitol, organized in conjunction with Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, the League of Women Voters, the Florida PTA, Equality Florida, The Campaign to keep Guns Off Campus and other organizations.

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Several students from the school began posting to confirm the trip on social media over the weekend.

“One hundred of my classmates and I will be traveling to Tallahassee this Tuesday and Wednesday to speak with our State Senators and House of Representative members,” wrote Stoneman Douglas junior class president Jaclyn Corin in a post to announce the trip on Instagram. “We are so grateful to have this opportunity to advocate for gun control reform, mental health, school safety, and more.”

Corin has been working with Book, whose staff released some details about the students’ itinerary for the visit.

According to Book’s office, the Stoneman students will board charter buses Tuesday immediately following the funeral of their classmate, 16-year-old Carmen Schentrup. The press release says Leon County high school students likely will greet the Stoneman students with signs of support as they arrive from their lengthy bus ride. LCS will have extra grief counselors there when Parkland students arrive, should they be needed.

Book and other lawmakers also will be on hand as the students arrive at the Tucker Civic Center, where they will be sleeping. On Wednesday, the students have confirmed meetings with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran.

Book told the Democrat on Sunday she had been scheduling "meeting after meeting after meeting to ensure their voices truly are heard at the highest levels."

"When I was able to be connected with Jaclyn (Corin) and ask her, 'What do you want, what do you need to heal?' She told me that they want to come (to Tallahassee) to share their stories."

Book said over the past several days she has visited teens in the hospital and is "at a loss for words at what these kids have had to experience and endure."

Calling Corin "the epitome of strength, advocacy and tenacity," Book said, "I hope that my daughter will be half the young woman that she is, dealing with such horrific events."

The students will return home to Parkland Wednesday night after the rally.

The Sun Sentinel reported Sunday that Stoneman Douglas would remain closed for students for at least the entire week.

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Tant started a GoFundMe account for the effort, surpassing her goal in only two hours of the fundraiser being online. By just after 11 a.m. Sunday, donors had given nearly $6,500 dollars, though the account stopped taking donations shortly after reaching its goal.

“I am raising funds to cover costs of housing and meals for them while they are here. I am also asking for snack donations of bottled water, granola bars, packaged crackers, chips, chocolates and whole fruit be taken to St. John's Episcopal Church downtown,” Tant wrote in the fundraiser’s description.

The trip already has caught the attention of politicians around the state.

Rep. Carlos G. Smith, D-Orlando, alerted Tallahassee lawmakers in a tweet Sunday to “be on notice.”

“This week, student survivors from Stoneman Douglas HS are getting on buses and coming to the state Capitol. They are coming for you and I will be there ready to welcome them,” Smith’s tweet read.

Wednesday’s rally is not the only one of its kind planned for the week.

A student-led march beginning at Florida State University leading to the Capitol is set for noon Thursday, according to FSU student and organizer Riley Pryor.

“Many students at FSU have been directly affected from what’s happened in Parkland and we’re coming together to fight for stricter gun control laws, better mental health awareness, and ultimately better public safety,” Pryor said of the march.

Not all voices in the conversation are calling for more strict gun legislation.

Charlie Strickland, of Talon Range and Training, voiced his opinion about deterring gunmen from infiltrating a campus in a comment on the Tallahassee Democrat’s Facebook page. Strickland was posting in support of a campus carry measure.

“As a retired (law enforcement officer), instructor and parent of children in our school system now, that I can't protect when they are there. I welcome, armed, well trained, responsible adults who care about my children in the schools to protect them,” Strickland wrote. “This is about deterring a shooter as much as stopping them.

“You readily admit you can't get all the guns, so let's try something that will make a difference.”