The
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February 2026 Volume 24, Issue 3 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Sage Hill Community R allies Against ICE in Student-Led Sit-in DROPHEAD
Jessimi Lyu | The Bolt
Seniors Isaac Alegria and Kian Khazei speak at a student sit-in protesting ICE on Jan. 30, 2026. By Maya Desai, Linda Liu & Isabella Huang
More than 100 Sage Hill students walked out of Advisory to protest the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good on Jan. 30. The sit-in coincided with a national general strike as thousands of high school students across the nation joined in peaceful protest of ICE. Clad largely in black, students streamed out to Wilkins Town Square, wielding handmade posters that declared OBEDIENCE IS NOT PATRIOTISM,” “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE” and “Our Lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter – Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.” As the crowd grew, Seniors Isaac Alegria and Kian Khazei stood before student protestors on the steps of Town Square with microphones in hand. The two organizers addressed the crowd,
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exchanging personal experiences and calling for collective action against ICE. “There comes a time when silence is betrayal,” Isaac said, quoting Dr. King. “This sit-in meant to me that Sage Hill students are united as one, by love and by passion. Seeing everyone out there together in Town Square wearing black brought me nothing but pure love and hope for the future generations of students.” As students listened, Isaac called on faculty members to join the protest in solidarity. Many faculty descended the steps to stand alongside students as spectators encircled the protestors in Town Square, and additional onlookers caught a birds-eye view of the scene from the second-story mezzanine. The scene reflected a rare moment of stillness across the campus. “It was a privilege to be a small part of that community, a group of people
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standing up for what’s best in our shared humanity,” History teacher Dr. Christopher Farrish said. For many students, the sit-in and proximity of the protest offered a new outlook. Hearing stories of those killed by ICE in-person presented different perspectives to the students. “I didn’t know any of that was going on in the real world so it was an eye opening experience to see outside of your bubble” freshman Boogie McLeod said. Throughout the demonstration, Isaac and Kian called on fellow students to speak up and explain what the protest meant to them. The microphone was passed to freshman Lauren Levine; juniors Jessie Essen-Conti and Audrey Reynolds; and seniors Justin Kline, Shaurya Mittal and Camila Garduno Mora. “I felt really inspired by Kian and Isaac’s action today and I was really proud to join them and see the entire Sage com-
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munity join them,” Shaurya said. The assembly of students across all different grade levels and interests reinforced how the sit-in belonged to the community rather than a specific group. Many cited Sage Hill’s values as a point of pride and support for the sit-in. “The Sage Hill mission talks about using knowledge “creatively, compassionately, and courageously,” that doesn’t mean getting a certain grade or getting into a certain college, it means trying to change the world,” Dr. Farrish said. As the sit-in drew to a close, students and faculty stood side by side in the middle of Town Square amid a charged and excited atmosphere. Isaac returned to the microphone with one final message for the crowd. “My challenge to everyone is simple: Stay informed, Stand together, and above all never allow fear to replace your courage,” Isaac said.
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