"What do we want? Peace!"

Cold, hard rain descends onto the crowd, rolling off umbrellas, drenching skin, soaking hair and clothes. Drops bounce off drums as their beats become lost among cries for peace and smudge the colorful anti-war slogans held up to the grey sky on poster boards.

Thousands of dripping-wet Blazers weathered rain and cold to show their opposition to the war in Iraq at the Mar 20 protest.

An estimated 2,400 students walked out of their seventh-period classes at 1 p.m. to participate in Montgomery County's largest student demonstration in the past two decades.

The walkout was organized by Students for Peace and Justice (SPJ), a coalition of 17 Montgomery County high schools; Blair's Students for Global Responsibility (SGR) sponsored the Blair arm of the countywide walkout. In accordance with county policy, all students in Blair's protest were excused from class.

The main goals of the protest, said SGR representative senior Emma Simson, were to raise students' awareness about the war, show the community how students feel and attract media attention to the anti-war movement.

Junior Denise Sylla, who helped organize the walkout, said the protest was important because it stimulated people, even though the war had already begun. "This war is the war that affects the rest of our lives," she said. "We are known as the generation that does nothing, but this is U.S. history and we need a say."

Fight for your right

According to Simson, who also belongs to SPJ, the turnout on Mar 20 far exceeded expectations. "Blair's numbers were in large part due to the cooperation of administration and the push within the school for students to take a politically active role in this issue," she said.

Students at other local schools did not have the support of their administration when they walked out. Three students were arrested at Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., for walking out. Northwestern High School in Prince George's County threatened to expel students and fire teachers who walked out.

Local middle school students who are anti-war also struggled with their respective administrations. Justin Vlasits, son of Blair social studies teacher George Vlasits and an eighth grader at Takoma Park Middle School, was suspended for ten days and threatened with expulsion for trying to organize a walkout for the day after bombs fell in Iraq. And about 20 Silver Spring International Middle School students were suspended for walking out of school on Mar 20.

Simson explained that Principal Phillip Gainous and Blair's administration were supportive of the protest because, unlike groups at the middle schools, SGR approached Blair administrators with a proposal and worked with them to plan a safe, peaceful protest. Gainous, who can decide when demonstrations take place, chose to allow protesters to be excused during class hours. "It's fair, and it teaches kids important rights and responsibilities in this country," Gainous said.

Power to the people

Few counter-protesters walked out of class on Mar 20, but freshman Philip Hoyle, one of five pro-war students who stood shivering under umbrellas on the side of Colesville Rd waving rain-smeared, pro-war posters, insisted that his opinion was being overlooked. "No way is [my voice] being heard," Hoyle said. "No
one should be out here; it's interfering with the school day."

Senior Nataly Solano, however, felt that getting out of school was the best way to make a political statement against the war. "We all love our country, and instead of just sitting in our classroom, we are out here showing people that we care."