Student peace marches were commonplace when I was in high school. It was the ’70s. The Vietnam War and draft cards were a reality.

Today’s high school students don’t live with the fear of a draft number. They see nightly video from Iraq and decide whether or not to serve in the military.

Of course, today’s high school students live with fears unknown to my generation. For them, gunfire in the classroom is very real — especially for students at Glenbard North High School.  

Former Glenbard North student Gayle Dubowski of Carol Stream was one of five Northern Illinois University students killed on Valentine’s Day. The shooting affected the Panthers and the Carol Stream community.

“The day after the shooting, there was a fight in the hallway,” said Glenbard North psychology teacher Erica Bray-Parker. “Students were blocked from arriving to class. Once in class, they began discussing the topic of violence. It was a truly ‘teachable moment.’”

Students opened up.

“We started talking about how ridiculous it is that we don’t feel safe in our own school and our own community,” said senior Kim LoCastro. “To raise awareness and to provoke more peaceful attitudes, we decided to start Students 4 Peace.”

Word spread quickly. Senior Elisabeth Walter created a Students 4 Peace Facebook page. This medium was science fiction when I attended high school.

“The NIU shootings hit so close to home,” said senior Rachael Rochocki of Carol Stream. “So many people knew Gayle. It was easy for us to come around a common cause.”

Last week, Students 4 Peace members donned peace symbol T-shirts and asked other students to sign a personal peace commitment. Their goal is to unify the student body.

Most likely, history will define this generation by the violent incidences at NIU and Virginia Tech just as the Vietnam War defined the Baby Boomer generation. In both instances, a grass-roots call for peace prompted change.

“I think we (Students 4 Peace) can make progress toward a bigger movement in peace,” said senior Briyanna Purifoye. “It was done by the generation before us. We can do it too.”

Congratulations to Students 4 Peace for working toward change.