HOUSTON - Several Santa Fe students who have been outspoken about school security want to take their message global.
They met with a documentary filmmaker who recorded their interviews at Houston Police headquarters.
“What if we never had to worry about dying in a school, concert or a church?” asks one student looking directly into the camera lens as filmmaker Jeff Vespa records.
That is one of 25 “What If” videos filmed, produced and edited by Jeff Vespa since a spate of tragic school shootings.
“We released the first one, and it got 6 million views within the first 24 hours,” Vespa said.
The video he is referring to was made in the days following the shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school, in February where 17 people were killed by a teenage gunman.
Immediately, students there mobilized with the message that gun violence needs to end.
“I make videos. That’s what I do for a living, and I just felt their message needed to get out there even more and I knew I could help," Vespa said.
Vespa flew to Houston to interview survivors of the Santa Fe High School shooting in which eight students and two teachers were shot and killed.
“The truth is whatever we’re doing as a society, or not doing, is not working,” said Megan McGuire, a Santa Fe junior.
Some Santa Fe students are now also vocal about the changes they want to see in school security and state law. Just like the Parkland students, they’re focused on gun reforms, but these are two very different communities in the spotlight.
“We support the Second Amendment. We don’t want to take your guns from your household. We support that right. We just want safety,” said Santa Fe senior Bree Butler.
Butler is among the local students being interviewed for Vespa’s “What If” videos. They are described as short, powerful clips that have gone viral on social media.
“The idea is just asking that question, ‘What if?’ What if our kids felt safe? What if instead of thoughts and prayers, we had policy and action?” Vespa said.
All eyes are now on the elections in November.
“Getting the generation to vote, to get out and register and to vote,” is a main goal of Vespa’s.
“My thought is if you do not do something, you do not have a prayer of being elected,” McGuire said.
