Parker prides itself on being an environment rich with critical thought, meaningful discourse, and activism. We advocate not only for those in need, but for ourselves, as well. Everything to help, nothing to hinder. So it is only natural that when our model home is threatened, we should retaliate. When youth suicide rates are increasing by 8.2% every year, and members of our own community are at risk, we should want to help. However, in attempting to do so we are diluting the message. Scheduling walkouts during a universal free period and having the entire practice be run and monitored by counselors undermines the intended impact of a walkout, reducing what should be an impassioned protest to a performative gesture.
Let’s begin with the purpose of a walkout. Walkouts are intended to break the flow, disturb the routine, and draw attention. They are acts of defiance against complacency– a collective declaration that something is wrong and must be changed. They are a deeply powerful way to express the need for immediate action, particularly when run by youth. Now, when a walkout is scheduled, organized, and monitored by the administrators (via email during a conference period) and faculty whom the protest is supposed to be drawing the attention of, no discomfort is caused. No safety is jeopardized. The entire thing becomes a safe, cushy, sanitized experience rather than a cry for change.
A protest should feel inconvenient. It should cause you to interrupt your day and the days of the people around you. It should challenge authority and societal norms in a way that cannot be ignored. The point of protesting, demonstrating, and walking out is to force the administration to listen when we demand change, and in turn make the environment better for students struggling with mental health issues. The suicide prevention walkout Parker held on October 28th of this year was not a protest. One might not even call it a demonstration. It more closely resembled a pre-planned meeting– or rather an event that fit neatly into the agendas of everyone and caused no trouble.
Suicide prevention, especially among teenagers, is such a prevalent topic in not just our world but our local community. Suicide rates grow annually, and mental health remains stigmatized despite people’s best efforts. Action should be taken for suicide prevention. This is indisputable. It’s the type of actions we take that need reevaluating.
The approach we saw in October undermines the essence of student activism. In order to educate people who will fight for justice and speak up for the voiceless, we must emphasize the importance of challenging authority rather than conforming to it. If Parker truly wants to support suicide prevention, it must hand the reins to the students. A protest planned and executed by students would carry the weight of their real voices and would force those in charge to listen.
Upon entering the alcove, anyone can look across the room and see the doorframe that reads “Know the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” Ask yourself, what rule-breaking are you doing? In the face of injustice, do you perform, or do you take action?
