As editors-in-chief of The Echo, we believe our newspaper’s role is to not only report on the January 30 HSMSE student walkout, but also to contextualize the heightened tensions in our community within national current events. 

Issue 18’s special section is intended not to encourage a particular political stance, but to disseminate the knowledge gathered by reporters of The Echo. Lina Hobert expands on her web-exclusive piece “HSMSE Students Walk Out Against ICE: A Timeline,” thoroughly covering ICE’s actions and citizens’ responses from Minnesota to New York. Isaac Kim interviews Dare to Struggle, an activist group that helped HSMSE students promote the walkout.

Many HSMSE students come from immigrant families. Avoid making assumptions about your peers’ backgrounds or their capacities to engage in activism. We acknowledge the complex emotions and dynamics in our school community and advise readers to engage in open, respectful, and inclusive discussion.

For information on immigrant safety, scan the below QR codes to access The Echo’s March 2025 article “Immigration Questions Answered for High School Students During Uncertain Times”  and the New York State Department of Education’s “New York State Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students.”

As always, The Echo serves as a sanctuary for student expression. If you wish to contribute your own voice, we welcome asynchronous, good-faith submissions to [email protected]. 

Sincerely,

Ocean Hiller and Willow Mintz