Horns honking, girls screaming and passers-by cheering along Sunset Boulevard were some of the noises heard at the #NationalSchoolWalkout on Apr. 20.

Eighth grade students Hailey Hubbard, Marley Mills and Presley Sacavitch led organizing Archer’s participation in the National School Walkout, a protest that remembers the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. 

Eighth grade class representatives helped to organized the walkout so that middle schoolers could take part, too. In the previous impromptu #Enough Walkout, middle schoolers were unable to leave campus due to safety concerns.

During Friday’s walkout, the Archer student organizers decided to restrict cell phone usage, and The Oracle was given exclusive coverage of the event.

“We told our grade not to bring their phones out during the walkout because we want the walkout to be about what we are protesting for and not about snapchatting it for later. We really want to be in the moment,” Langdon Janos ’22, an eighth grade class representative, said in an email interview.

In addition to the walkout, the reps organized a table for students to write letters to politicians regarding their thoughts about gun legislation.

Many upper school students took part in the event as well. Students, who did not want to take part, were allowed to stay on campus in the library.

Meanwhile, some students traveled to downtown Santa Monica for a larger, city-wide protest. More coverage on that protest is upcoming.

In the video above, students share why they decided to walk out.