FGCU student govt. to send delegation to ‘March For Our Lives’ in D.C.

Several students from Florida Gulf Coast University will join the conversation about gun violence in Washington, D.C.

Event organizers believe the trip would be a way to honor the students killed on Feb. 14 in the Parkland massacre. But college Republicans pushed back against the trip, calling it a school-sponsored partisanship.

Freshman Natalia Martinez sponsored the student government bill that will send roughly 50 students on March 24 to the March For Our Lives campaign in Washington, D.C.

Student government voted to pass the bill Tuesday evening during a special double Senate meeting.

“The biggest thing for me, is just making this not about what side of the political spectrum you’re on, it’s really just we’re going to support students and the families of everyone affected by this tragedy,” Martinez said.

The trip with a $25 thousand price tag raised concerns with some students.

“There’s going to be a large agenda. A narrative about that march that’s going to be leftist leaning agenda. Which is going to be very anti-second amendment, calling for gun control,” said Max Ortengren, member of Young Republicans.

Others argued that common sense gun reform is an issue that transcends party.

“I don’t think it has to come down to a whole Republican versus Democrat thing. I think it’s just a human thing to do. But everything is about politics nowadays,” grad student Arielle Latourette said.