It's been just over a week since the horrific massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, but survivors have already been busy pushing for gun reform.
Within a day of the shooting, Douglas students became cable news fixtures, many calling on Congress to restrict access to semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 used to kill 17 of their teachers and classmates.
On Feb. 17, students gathered outside the Broward County Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Cameron Kasky, Delaney Tarr, and Emma Gonzalez, among others, led the crowd in calls to reject the pro-gun narratives of groups like the NRA.
"The people in the government who were voted into power are lying to us. And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and ... call BS," Gonzalez roared into the microphone in an instantly iconic speech. "Companies [try] to make caricatures of the teenagers these days, saying that all we are self-involved and trend-obsessed and they hush us into submission when our message doesn't reach the ears of the nation. We are prepared to call BS."
Cameron Kasky speaks at the Feb. 17 rally. Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
Delaney Tarr. Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
Emma Gonzalez. Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
On Feb. 20 and 21, students from nearby districts staged walkouts and marched down to Douglas High School for a vigil.
Many of the students came from West Boca High School, and traveled the 10 miles to Douglas High School on foot.
West Boca students Jakob Desouza and Ruth Williams hug as they gathered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 20. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
More West Boca students arrive at Douglas. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
Students from Coral Glades High School, less than five miles from Douglas, staged a walk out of their own on Feb. 21.
Coral Glades students march. Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
"Stop protecting guns, start protecting kids." Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
On Feb. 21, to mark a week since the shooting, students in the Washington, D.C., area marched to Capitol Hill for demonstrations.
Students from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, took part in the action.
Students from Montgomery Blair High School. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.
"Your child is next." Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.
Hundreds of protesters, many of them students, carried signs and spoke out about gun violence outside the White House.
Signs with slogans like "We will not be next," "NRA, stop killing our kids," "Make America Safe Again," and "You can silence guns but not us" were raised in public protest of the pro-gun lobby.
Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images.
Protestors march to the White House. Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images.
"Protect our lives, not your guns." Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.
Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.
"Why are kinder eggs banned but not assault rifles?" Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
"We don't have to live like this, we don't have to die like this." Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
"Enough is enough." Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
That afternoon, President Trump met with a number of families affected by the shooting in a televised event, highlighted by an emotional question from Douglas senior Samuel Zeif.
Zeif was one of few people at the event to actually raise questions about inaction on gun control, asking, "How is it that easy to buy this type of weapon? How did we not stop this after Columbine? After Sandy Hook?"
Samuel Zeif wipes his eyes after asking his questions. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Trump deflected calls for gun control, instead suggesting that we arm teachers.
Trump's notes for the event, which included a reminder to say "I hear you," were roundly mocked on social media afterwards. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Also on Feb. 21st, students, activists, and supporters gathered at the Florida State Capitol building to demand action.
Earlier in the week, the state's House of Representatives voted against opening debate on new gun measures.
Douglas students, parents, and gun safety advocates march on Tallahassee. Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images.
The rally at the Florida State Capitol building. Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images.
Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images.
Students rally outside the Florida State Capitol building. Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images.
Douglas student Alfonso Calderon speaks at the Florida State Capitol building. Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images.
Meanwhile, students from across Broward county again gathered at Douglas High School for their largest rally yet.
Kasky addressed the crowd from atop a car, yelling into a megaphone. Later that night, he would confront Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) at a CNN town hall.
Cameron Kasky addresses area students at Douglas High School. Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.
It's easy to be cynical, to again say that nothing will change — but maybe this time is different? Only time will tell.
Let's hope so.
Correction 3/8/2018: A photo caption previously misidentified Alfonso Calderon.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."