By Kathryn Reed

Douglas County high schools experienced very different outcomes to the nationwide student protests on March 14.

At Whittell High School more than 15 students left class at 10am and walked around the campus in silence for 17 minutes.

Seventeen is significant – it pays homage to the 17 people who were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., a month ago today.

“They were all respectful. It was pretty good, actually,” Principal Crespin Esquivel told Lake Tahoe News.

Unlike at South Tahoe High, at Whittell there had been no discussion about an organized event prior to today.

At Douglas High School there was an “unsubstantiated threat which caused a lockdown while being investigated,” according to sheriff’s Sgt. Bernadette Smith.

School district Superintendent Teri White described Wednesday’s incident in the valley like this, “DHS received a threat to students and it was decided that it was safest to put the school into a stay put. There was no lockdown, nor bomb threat, nor counter protest.”

Before the incident at DHS, White told Lake Tahoe News, “We are not planning walk out activities, but our schools are each engaging in and encouraging other types of remembrances and honors for the lost lives. Some are conducting moments of silence, some are encouraging walk-up activities.”

She described walk-up activities as “an effort to help the students who might be outliers or otherwise not connected, become connected and thus works to eliminate the isolation and feelings of despair that may cause someone to want to do a mass shooting. It is a mental health/social health movement to help kids connect.”