As the pools begin to close and the summer homework begins to get finished, it’s that time of year again. The start of school. And with the start of school comes the purchasing of new school supplies. 

For weeks, parents will clip coupons and study deals to find the cheapest school supplies for the start of the new year.

Despite the $1 binders made of cheap material, will parents spend a little more knowing their child could be lodging the binder in between a door and its handle to prevent an intruder from entering the gym?

When it comes time to buy sneakers, will parents consider getting Sketchers that don’t light up because they don’t want their child’s shoes to give away their hiding place?

Will some parents consider spending more on a jacket knowing it might help soak up their child’s blood from a gunshot?  

All these questions were addressed in the recent Sandy Hook Promise video released Sept. 19. Sandy Hook Promise is a national non-profit organization led by family members and loved ones of those who were killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary.

In the public service announcement, young students breezily displayed their new school supplies before the images veer into something much darker: a boy marveling over his new shoes as he runs away from a gunman, a girl using her jacket to tie the doors of a gym shut, a boy breaking the glass with his skateboard and many more grim images.

While devastating, the ad reflects the reality for students across America since the Columbine shooting in 1999.

Since and including the Columbine shooting, 223 students have been killed in an educational campus. Take the time to be sad. Then take the time to be outraged. And once you have thought about each individual person who has been affected by mass school shootings, take the time for action.  

On Sept. 16, two days before the Sandy Hook Promise video was released, School Resource Officer James McDonald, a Lafayette police officer, posted a six-minute video on YouTube. Within these six minutes, Officer McDonald remained silent as he held up numerous paper signs.

The first couple of signs asked people to be kind to others and never judge someone. Then as the video continues, it asked students to speak up if they see anything. At the end of the video, it displayed an app called Courage2Report.

Courage2Report is a Missouri anonymous app that helps bring awareness to school threats as soon as possible. It takes reports involving threats to any public or private school in Missouri with students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Staffed 24/7, Courage2Report aids school districts and law enforcement in learning about school threats and is a wonderful way to keep schools across Missouri safe.

While the Sandy Hook Promise video helped bring awareness, Corage2Report induces action. This app is a step in the right direction. For the first time, we are not sending just thoughts and prayers. We are sending something much greater: a call to action. 

All schools across Missouri should begin promoting Courage2Report. The app can easily be downloaded within minutes and can help save lives and promote awareness. By downloading the app, students and faculties can feel safer in their educational environments. 

This app represents resilience. Students and teachers across America live in fear. At all times, we know the quickest route out of school. We know how to barricade. We know how to hide. We know how to escape. But now, we know how to fight back.