Ethan Rodriguez, a senior at Arcadia University and a student producer of a documentary which explores the impacts of gun violence on young Americans from their perspectives, was published today by the Philadelphia Inquirer in an opinion piece titled “A bus stop is just a bus stop until a classmate dies while standing there.“

An excerpt from the Inquirer piece:

I moved to Glenside during my freshman year of college at Arcadia University to study media and communications and started living on campus full time. Glenside is less than 10 miles from Kensington, but it is smaller and quieter. There are several reasons why what I used to routinely experience in Kensington is rare here — but even so, gun violence is not something you can just move away from and forget.

There are so many things happening in Philly that need to change. If it weren’t for the things I saw as a kid, I wouldn’t have my drive and my passion for change, and I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’ve used the experiences I had growing up as a reason to get involved with gun violence prevention causes because I know what it’s like to live in a threatening environment. No kid deserves to feel unsafe — not on their own block, not in their school, not in their neighborhood.

This past year, I had the opportunity to work on a documentary about the impacts of gun violence with PBS News Student Reporting Labs. It’s given me space to reflect on and share my experiences. I’m extremely proud to share my story of an average city kid affected by gun violence. I hope other kids who experience these sorts of things know they have a voice. If I were to go back in time and tell younger me that his voice mattered, it would’ve blown his mind.

You can also read a version of the article on Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

“No kid deserves to feel unsafe, not on their own block, not in their own schools, not in their own communities. With so much tragedy and chaos, it’s easy to feel as if it’ll be this way forever,” Rodriguez, a Philadelphia native, said in September after the documentary was first announced. “But recently, working on this documentary has given me a place to reflect on and share my experiences in a way that brings awareness to these ongoing issues.”

The 30-minute film, titled “Run, Hide, Fight: Growing up under the gun,” was produced by PBS News Student Reporting Labs and premiered on Wednesday, October 9 on the PBS News YouTube channel, the PBS app, and PBS.org.

You can watch the documentary below:

In October 2023, Rodriguez published “Kensington, Glenside, and Me” in his student blog. An excerpt:

Glenside is definitely different from Philly, but I’ve come to enjoy that. I look down at the ground, and I don’t see any needles. I can even wear sandals, and not have to worry about it, I find that to be a small victory. When I’m here I don’t hear any “fireworks,” except for this one time, but those were actual fireworks. I don’t have to worry about my safety nearly as much as I do back home, and I cannot be more grateful for this reprieve. For the first time in my life, I feel safe.

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Photo: Arcadia University