NEWS
Intro to Proofs to be offered as a course Page 2
LIFESTYLE
SCI/TECH
Growing up with Stranger Things
Religion and science intersect
Page 6
NON-PROFIT ORG
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO RD. PALO ALTO, CA 94301
U.S. POSTAGE
PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44
Page 14
The Campanile Vol. CVII, No. 5
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
STUDENTS STAGE WALKOUT
Junior and event organizer Brian Miller raises a sign as he leads protesters in a chant, where an estimated one thousand students turned out. “There's nothing more beautiful than the power of community,” Miller said. “Nothing more beautiful than the power of togetherness, and that's what we're seeing here today.”
A student holds a sign at the walkout. Dozens of students drove by in cars, leaning out of windows and holding signs. “I think personally this signi"es unity,” Gunn senior Milcah Morrison said. “Seeing all of these schools come together honestly just made me want to cry.”
DASHEL CHUN/THE CAMPANILE
DASHEL CHUN/THE CAMPANILE
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n estimated one thousand Palo Alto students walked out of class at noon on Jan. 30, joining a nationwide protest against actions taken by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota. The protest consisted of students from Palo Alto HIgh School, Gunn High School and Castilleja School, along with local teachers, parents and community members. It started at the intersection of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road. Brian J. Miller, a junior who helped organize the walkout, said he felt a sense of urgency to act. “I realized it's time to go,” Miller said. “It's time to do something, and we did something. I got together a group of people that were there ready to support me. We made graphics, we made emails and we got this going.” From an administrative standpoint, Principal Brent Kline said student participation often involves complicated social dynamics. “I think most students are here for a purpose, then some others will just follow, right?” Kline said. “It's what kids do. It's a thing that I think is important for you to to not only be in but to understand why you're in, so I hope that most of our kids understand what it is.” Students were able to excuse their absence through California Senate Bill 955, which permits an excusal once per school year to engage in a civic or political event with parent approval.
For senior Camila Martinez, the protest felt personal. “My mom is an immigrant, my dad is an immigrant, they came here to work hard for a better future for me and my sister,” Martinez said. “I'm #rst gen. I'm Chicana. I'm here to represent my people, my country.” Freshman Pine Paldi Bracho said the protest was meant to show support for communities across the country. “This protest is a solidarity movement with the people of Minneapolis, the people of Chicago and the people of Los Angeles who are, in their cities, experiencing fear,” Paldi Bracho said. “People are afraid to leave their homes, so we’re saying ‘we see you, we support you, we agree that ICE has to get out.’” Junior Maya Angela Cheng said this fear stems from ICE’s excessive authority. “The amount of power ICE has been given is much more than is needed for the task that they've been assigned with,” Cheng said. “And quite frankly, they are de#nitely abusing it, so we want to defund them and also raise awareness about how these acts have been completely inhumane.” Visit thecampanile.org to continue reading the full story online.
Dashel Chun & Cindy Liang
Staff Writer & Print Managing Editor
Palo Alto High School sophomore Jorge Pinto Saldana raises his "st while sitting in the bed of a truck with friends who wave a Mexican flag. Dozens of students holding flags and signs drove by protestors on the sidewalk rallying the crowd. “(The protest) was important to me because as a Latino person, it shows how people support us,” Pinto Saldana said. “That people are standing up for us, that meant a lot to me.” LUCA VOSTREJS/THE CAMPANILE
Freshman Joseph Escobar stands on an electrical box, waving an American flag. "I went on top, and somebody gave me a flag and I just started waving it," Escobar said. "It felt awesome, seeing everyone chanting, it felt like I was famous or something."
DASHEL CHUN/THE CAMPANILE
A group of students from Castilleja School yell in protest while holding signs. Students from all over Palo Alto, including Palo Alto High School, Castilleja School and Gunn High School joined the protest. “ICE is truly a terrible (organization), they have murdered people,” Castilleja freshman Nancy Jimenez said. “Immigrants are everywhere, and they helped build America in every single way."
LUCA VOSTREJS/THE CAMPANILE