As students walked out of the Parker doors for February break, they could be reassured that, though notifications might pop up on their phone of posts from friends skiing or enjoying a staycation, their school email would be the one app that would remain empty. Not so for everyone.

Deep into the week of oversleeping and avoiding responsibility, Senate Heads Sammy Kagan, Felicia Miller, and Jenna Mansueto, all juniors, and Student Government President senior Kaden Florsheim received an email from Head of Upper school Justin Brandon regarding Parker’s involvement in the massive, national movement regarding gun control and school shootings.

Parker students, Miller found, were already one step ahead of Brandon. “After the shooting there was this reaction nationally that hadn’t happened before with other shootings,” Miller said. “You could tell that Parker students wanted to be a part of this, but since students would be missing school, we thought, ‘How could this work?’”

Since then, the only thing the administration did was give its full support to the students, Miller noted. A number of Parker students sent emails back and forth, reserving certain areas or equipment, over the preceding week in an effort to get the event underway. “We are trying to get together a massive, once-in-a-lifetime school event in the span of week,” Kagan said before Wednesday. “It has been a nightmare of event planning, but also an incredible experience.”

The shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School occurred on February 14, exactly a month prior to the walkout, but the planning of the event really only picked up speed after students returned from February break. Kagan said, “It’s been all-day, non-stop planning, planning, planning.”

Miller was most excited for the breakout sessions, which students led and attended during the second half of the day. In those sessions there were discussions, teach-ins, art activism, video screenings– students taking the reigns, according to Miller, on what they wanted to do to change the world. Miller said, “I think those are a really exciting way for students to share their expertise and work and learn from each other in a way that doesn’t always happen in the classroom with the teacher-student dynamic.”

Although for the most part, all went according to plan, there were obstacles to overcome. Mansueto said, “What has been difficult is overcoming some of the perceptions that have been circulating around the high school about what the day is going to be.” Florsheim agreed, noting that some students assumed the day was a publicity stunt or all teacher-led.

The goal of this walk out was not to lure in cameramen and journalists. Instead it was to educate students on gun control and, more importantly, according to Florsheim, “for students to stand in solidarity with people who have been victims of gun violence and, in particular for tomorrow, those of the Parkland shooting.”