On Feb. 14, 2018, a gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Student journalists then took their voices and used them to do what they know best: report.

“We Say #Neveragain” is written by student journalists from MSD. It is edited by MSD teachers Melissa Falkowski and Eric Garner. The book combines three parts: Activism, MSD Strong and What Comes Next.

In 246 pages, the 26 contributors describe the day of the tragedy and what then came after — using their publications to tell the stories of their school. They sprinkle in “Extraordinary Acts,” stories about teachers and students alike who stepped up and became a hero that day, and photos of events they attended.

Throughout the story, hearing and learning more about the day that ended 17 students lives affected me more than I would have thought. These writers knew the victims, and now they’re using their voices to make sure their friends did not die in vain.

There are a multitude of topics discussed in this book. The writers discussed how they prepared the edition of their newsmagazine remembering the victims. They discussed the decisions they had to make when covering their stories. They discussed how it feels to feel so much hate from people they do not know.

This book not only allowed for me to learn more about the events that transpired on that Valentine’s Day, but allowed me to understand more about journalism itself. I’ve never had to report on something as tragic as what these students did, but I can only imagine how hard it would be to separate their emotions from their work.

I give this book a 10/10 for educating me on a span of topics and illuminating the difficulties these students had to face. It was fascinating to read how the #neveragain movement began.

19ibraun@usd489.com