Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 14:03 Sundae Horn
Mac Kalna, Caroline Novak, Starr Ely, and Lupita Martinez are some of the Beta Club members committed to the D.C. trip.
Mac Kalna, Caroline Novak, Starr Ely, and Lupita Martinez are some of the Beta Club members committed to the D.C. trip.

Ocracoke high school students will join in the national March for Our Lives.

"After that shooting in Florida, we just wanted to do something," said senior Mac Kalna, who is co-president of the Beta Club.

They will travel to Washington, D.C. on Friday, March 23rd, to participate in the protest on the 24th. The trip is school board-approved and the students will ride in style on the short bus. So far, seven high schoolers are committed to going.

The March for Our Lives was organized by survivors of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas school shooting on February 14, 2018. The students have created the hastag #NeverAgain, and hope to bring about changes in U.S. gun legislation. Events are planned on March 24th all around the country, including several in North Carolina, but the Beta Club chose the one at the nation's capital.

"Being in D.C. for a march is the real-deal experience," Mac said. 

High school social studies teacher, Michael Shoemaker, and science teacher and Beta Club supervisor, Jennifer Garrish, are encouraging the students' efforts by helping them with organizing and fundraising. They'll also accompany the kids as chaperones.

"Mr. Shoe and I started talking about it when the shooting happened and all of the march ideas were coming up," said junior Caroline Novak, also Beta Club co-president. "I want to have Ocracoke represent in the march because we empathize with other high schoolers who might be suffering."

Front: Teresa Hadly, Ingrid Contreras, Mila Ortiz, Starr Ely, Karen Jordan, Darvin Contreras, Able Dalgliesh. Back: Caroline Novak, Paul Jordan, Sam Evans, Taylor Fuller, Alston Belch, Lupita Martinez, Cody Pinter, Kalai Samick, Colby Austin, Liam Caswell
Front: Teresa Hadly, Ingrid Contreras, Mila Ortiz, Starr Ely, Karen Jordan, Darvin Contreras, Able Dalgliesh. Back: Caroline Novak, Paul Jordan, Sam Evans, Taylor Fuller, Alston Belch, Lupita Martinez, Cody Pinter, Kalai Samick, Colby Austin, Liam Caswell
A bake sale over the weekend earned more than $300 for the trip. The students will also ask local businesses to sponsor them, and perhaps have another food sale. They need to raise $1000 for the trip's expenses.

The National Beta Club recognizes academic achievement in students and encourages them to become leaders by serving others. Members must maintain a 3.25 GPA and log extra hours of community service. The Ocracoke chapter was dissolved for three years and is making a comeback. 

"It's nice to have a presence in the community again," Mac said. 

Recent Beta Club events include a village-wide Litter Pick-Up and delivering flowers to Ocracoke's elderly and shut-ins. 

"The march will be a fun learning experience, and open our eyes up to our generation and what we can do," Mac said. 

Ocracoke School will also participate in the National School Walkout on March 14th at 10am, one month after the Florida massacre. Students will read the names of the seventeen victims and observe a minute of silence for each. 

If you would like to make a donation to the Beta Club, please make checks payable to "Ocracoke School" with "Beta Club" in the memo line, and mail to Ocracoke School, PO BOX 189, Ocracoke, NC 27960.