Brayden Swathwood is a 10th-grader at Niles New Tech. He reported on what students were thinking and feeling when they returned to school on Monday, following Friday’s tragedy in Connecticut.

Monday morning walking through the New Tech corridor, learners felt a vibe we have not felt before. Learners were never so happy to see friends and facilitators. Everyone talked about how happy they were to see their friends at school in light of the tragedy that happened on Friday in Newtown, Conn. Smiles, laughs and tears are three words to describe this day. Emotions ran high, and we cherished every moment.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy may not have been close to home, but it struck the heart of many high-school learners. “It was sort of scary knowing that if people could do that to little kids, what would hold them back from doing it to us?” said Sydnee Sughayer, a freshman. “I was disappointed and confused when I first heard this story, and I wish it never had happened.”

She was not the only one who expressed those sentiments; many learners throughout New Tech and students from the high school were scared and concerned.

Many wore green and white in honor of Sandy Hook Elementary School. It was great to see how the community comes together to show support in difficult times. “It was very disappointing hearing this news,” said Dan Kyle, a facilitator. “All of my Christmas spirit goes to them.”

All of this talk got everyone wondering, what can schools do to make sure this doesn’t happen again? Many agreed schools need to have more security by possibly having security guards and making sure that all doors are locked at all times after school starts. Some learners said, “that even though they are not fun, we need to have more lock-down drills so we are aware of exactly what to do in the case of an intruder.”

Niles New Tech is one big family, where everyone cares about each other. When learners heard about this, they instantly realized how much they cared about their friends and families. It was not easy going to school on Monday for many, but, at the end of school, the corridor was full of friendly hugs and smiling faces knowing that they got to go home to their families.