“Anti-Trump protests. Protesting the horrible, racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic Trump. We were protesting him and his ideas and what he represents,” senior Summer Oh explained as she passed out cookies and handwritten notes to passersby.

After the election results on Tuesday, Oh and fellow senior Tatiana Davidson Bajandas quickly took initiative, planning an elaborate, three-day protest against President-elect Donald J. Trump and his values.

The protest was designed to reflect a condensed version of the stages of grief, starting with “Shock.” Davidson Bajandas explained, “We taped our mouths shut, kind of symbolically saying, ‘We cannot believe that this happened, we feel silenced, we feel in awe.’”

Oh took the first stage of protest a step further, wearing tape over her mouth all day with the phrase “Make America Hate Again” written on it. “I got a lot of people who smiled at me and gave me hugs… but there were also a lot of people who didn’t like what I was doing. I got many glares, a couple people cursed at me, and… we had an avid Donald Trump supporter continue to taunt us and take pictures of us, trying to make us stop,” she noted.

The protest continued for a second day, as the students channeled “Anger,” reading powerful speeches and personal poems highlighting their opposition to Trump’s treatment of women and minorities of all sorts. Oh and Davidson Bajandas read both speeches they wrote and speeches by Obama and famous celebrities on the subject.

Senior Vivian Chiao also stepped up to the megaphone, performing a personal poem. Chiao detailed, “I read a poem addressing the comments Donald Trump has made about sexual assault— ‘grab them by the p——’ and ‘locker room talk’— and shared my own experience of being sexually assaulted by my ex-boyfriend. I wanted to show that sexual assault affects real people and is relevant to everyone’s life in some way.”

The third and final day was dedicated to “Acceptance.” Oh and Davidson Bajandas set up a table in the middle of Main Street decorated with posters detailing “20 Good Things that Happened in 2016,” heart-shaped papers with positive, handwritten notes and “Love Trumps Hate” cookies.

Students swarmed the table, reading the posters and talking with Oh and Bajandas. “Your hijab is beautiful… Hey, thanks!” one hijab-clad student exclaimed, reading one of the notes scattered around the table.

The protest was met with mixed reactions. Some students, like senior William Wong, responded negatively. “I think it’s a horrible idea, frankly,” Wong started. “I admire their patriotic spirit and everything, but I feel like… the election was legitimate, no foul play. Hillary herself conceded the results.”

Senior Tyler Hoffman agreed, adding, “What’s there to protest? There’s nothing that has happened yet. They’re protesting his existence, the outcome of an election that was agreed to as fair… I would wait until he actually screws up something and then protest.”

Several students echoed their sentiments, seeking a more effective way of enacting change. “I don’t think there are many minds that can be, or need to be, changed at this school, so I don’t think spreading a message here can do as much as other places,” sophomore Daniela Brigatti said.

Freshman Camille Chavis voiced a similar opinion, adding, “I think it would do something for the students, but if you want Trump out you have to sign petitions. A walk-out or something isn’t going to solve him being President.”

Oh and Davidson Bajandas acknowledged their protest has no effect on the actual election results. “We as Americans… it’s not like we can take back the presidency. He’s already been elected. There’s not much we can do… about that, but what we can do is protest the hatred that has been sweeping our country because of him, and protest the horrible things he’s said and done,” Davidson Bajandas explained.

Despite some confused reactions, the intended positive effects of the protest did not go unnoticed. “I like to see other people’s opinions on the subject. If they keep it from being violent or anything, it’s fine,” freshman and Trump supporter Tim Zhang explained. Junior Brooks Perks said, “I think it’s cool that they can share their opinions without being judged. As long as it doesn’t interfere with people’s learning… it’s cool to do it in school.” Several students appreciated the fact that the protest gave students a forum to express their opinions, especially when deprived of the chance to in class.

Brigatti also noted the protest’s effect on several students. “I do think it is a really nice thing because I’ve seen a lot of people smiling around these protests and having very interesting discussions regarding the election and what it means for the country,” she added.

That kind of personal effect is a big part of Oh and Davidson Bajandas’ plan. “Yesterday, one of the most impactful moments was when a girl walked up to me and she said, ‘You know, I didn’t really have that strong of an opinion about Trump before this happened, but after this you made me see differently’… I changed that person’s mind. I did that. This protest did that,” Davidson Bajandas noted.

Oh had the additional goal of spreading hope to all members of the RM community: “I wanted to show people that had my same beliefs, and even people who didn’t, that it’s okay, and we’ll make it through this. It’s to show people… that [they can] be unafraid to come to school and unafraid to voice their opinions, even if it seems like the country and the world is against them.

Oh and Davidson Bajandas’ efforts served as an outlet for many concerned students with a variety of political ideologies. While there was some disagreement about the efficacy of the protest, most students agreed that one of the main benefits was the chance for students of every persuasion to express themselves.

As they handed out their last cookies on their last day of the protest, Oh and Davidson Bajandas were pleased. Davidson Bajandas commented, “Just because we lost the election doesn’t mean that we have to lose every single day. We can still show each other love [and] we can still spread acceptance and kindness in our daily lives.” Oh finished, “No matter who you are, what you believe in, we will fight for you and for your rights and your ability to express yourself.”