It seemed like any other school day. Students began to walk to their zero periods when they saw something strange out of the corners of their eyes. 

“I was walking to my Graphic Design class when I saw a group of kids glued onto the mural, the one in front of the cafeteria,” said Achlys Cisneros, a junior at Hart High School. 

“It was so weird. I didn’t believe what I was seeing at first. The people glued to the mural were all holding a sign that made me do a double take. It said that all AP course content should be reduced to a Kindergarten level,” Cisneros said. 

By that time, a huge crowd of students began to take notice of the protestors and their message. Some stared in shock, some took pictures and laughed and some even attempted to climb up onto the mural and join the protestor’s cause. Asking nearby students if they could borrow some glue or tape, they attempted to climb on top of the mural and attach themselves to it. Most of these efforts were fruitless, with most unable to scale the brick wall to even reach the mural. 

By this time, the crowd had started to get rambunctious. Protestors and ongoers both chanted, “AP Addition! AP Subtraction! We want nap time! AP bad, ABC’s good!” and other slogans demanding a reform in the AP classes offered not only at Hart, but nationally. 

An increasing number of students have begun to criticize the college system in the United States. Universities have higher expectations and costs of admission for students than ever before along with unprecedentedly low admission rates. This combination led to the April 1 protest at Hart. 

Faculty began to notice the issue at hand, stepping in to call the law enforcement to remove the protestors from the mural. Law enforcement used an aerial work platform, a machine that allows people to reach otherwise inaccessible heights, to reach the students.They attempted to use a spatula to remove students from the mural, and placed a mattress and pile of blankets on the ground for students to fall on without harm However, the students had attached themselves to the mural with Gorilla Glue, making the task of “un-gluing” close to impossible. 

Law enforcement, along with a construction crew, then attempted to remove the mural from the wall itself. Since the mural had been drilled into the wall, this proved to be a waste of time and effort. Throughout all of this, protestors were still chanting the same, catchy slogans from earlier in the morning. 

The protest has prompted further discussion amongst Hart students about the amount of reforms needed in the college system. Many students have criticized the protest, saying that the protestors could have used the opportunity to advocate for reforms in the financial aid system. The protestors also could have demanded that a universal system determining how AP classes count for college credit be instituted, replacing the current system where each individual university has separate standards for AP classes. Speaking of AP classes, how about lowering the costs of the tests, or at least make more financial aid options? This way, both middle and lower class families can afford the AP test without being financially burdened, because factors like how many of their children are trying to take AP tests, and the parent’s yearly wages are considered.
Regardless of an individual’s opinions on college reform, there is one thing that everyone can agree on: nap time should be reinstated for all high school students, no foolin’. Also, while on the topic of reinstating nap time, let’s bring back storytime and put a rainbow rug in all of the classrooms. Next time someone talks over the teacher, move their clip from green down to yellow.