High school students in Aurora are rapidly losing pride in being a teenager and who can blame them? Sharp increases in youth gun violence has steered students away from wanting to be involved in their community.

A recent Rangeview High School football game was promptly canceled in the third quarter as violence arose. That night, another football game resulted in the fatal shooting of a sixteen-year-old boy at Choctaw High School in Oklahoma. America has seen an influx in these types of incidents, and Colorado is certainly not an exception. In just the past few years, our schools have undergone countless incidents of community and adolescent violence. Teenagers are no longer allowed to be teenagers. This generation has been forced to understand the realities of the world far sooner and more brutal than they should have to.

The conversation over the safety of school events has come up again throughout Rangeview because of the tragic kickoff to the football season. The rivalry game against Vista PEAK Preparatory consequently resulted in its sudden cancellation after multiple fights broke out throughout the stadium. A sixteen-year old boy was arrested with three charges, most notably possession of a firearm following the game. A thirty-one-year old man was also arrested with disorderly conduct and obstruction. Students were forced to exit the stadium after APD had arrived at the scene. 

That night was described as traumatizing by many of the students who attended, steering them away from wanting to be a part of such a prominent high school tradition. Friday night football is something that American high school students have enjoyed for decades, it’s an American custom. Yet even the fun of those moments is being stripped by those continuing to perpetuate this community violence. This is no longer a problem we can continue to push aside as a school, district, and community. 

An overwhelming majority of students fear violence may strike any day they walk through the front doors. Yet, they have also described this fear to be a subconscious feeling, because they’ve grown so numb to its prominence.

Sophomore Rangeview student, Elliana Wright, describes her perspective on violence amongst the community, “We may not say we’re scared of it but I think everyone has that in the back of their mind, that you might not see tomorrow.”

The topic of gun violence has become a conversation so routine to students that it is no longer a surprise when such things occur. Yet, that’s the issue. It shouldn’t be just “routine”. How many more repetitive conversations do we need to have before we choose to implement change?

The APS district has attempted to implement policies regarding the issue, but they have been questionable in their effectiveness. The Rangeview vs. Vista PEAK football game resulted in a policy change for APS stadium in order to ensure the safety of future sporting events. As much as APS should be applauded for their effort, the truth is these policies are not enough. People will always find a way to cause trouble as long as they are truly motivated. Although it’s unfair to place all this responsibility on the district because at the end of the day it is up to us to come together and fight for change. Sadly, it will take time, and these band-aid solutions will not fix the problem, they’ll only hide it until it’s exposed more violently than before. And this football game has only reiterated that fact.

Rangeview students, along with every other student in America, are entitled to a school environment free of fear. It’s necessary that we ask ourselves why we refuse to band together on an issue that has affected every single one of us, either directly or indirectly. When will we gather the courage to change?