In an orange quarter-zip over a white shirt and black pants, first-year Upper School Head Justin Brandon stood at the podium in the auditorium and shared an experience he had while at his local polling place in Texas. He went to his precinct’s designated location to vote, he said, and he waited two hours before being asked to write an essay about why he should be able to vote. He had voted at the polling place the previous year.

Brandon persisted, and four hours later, he exited the polling place after casting his vote.

His anecdote, as the audience soon found out, was intended to urge everyone sitting in the Auditorium’s plush blue chairs to vote. “Voting is a privilege,” Brandon said. “Do whatever it takes to make sure your voice is heard and your vote is cast.”

This theme was especially relevant to the ears of Parker students at the end of a day spent commemorating the lives of the seventeen victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that occured one month ago in Parkland, Florida. In addition to observing seventeen minutes of silence during the 10 am walkout, Upper School students then chose either to head back to school for film screenings or to attend a rally immediately following the silence.  All students participated in various afternoon breakout sessions ranging from letter writing to conversations regarding gun control and reform in federal legislature.

Brandon initiated the planning of the walkout after watching other students nationally protesting the lack of gun reform after the Parkland shooting. “I think it all started over our February break, watching all the coverage from all the students in south Florida and around the country walking out,” Brandon said. “I remember watching one of the schools in south Florida walking out, and they were interviewing the principal while he was walking with the students, and I thought that was really powerful because this walkout is not anti-school or anti-Parker–it’s anti-school violence.”

Brandon called for a special meeting with Student Body President Kaden Florsheim, a senior, and Senate Heads Sammy Kagan, Jenna Mansueto, and Felicia Miller, all juniors. “I decided to meet with Sammy, Kaden, Felicia, and Jenna that Monday when we got back,” Brandon said.  “Just to talk about what was going on in the student community about this, and whether there was energy or momentum to talk further or participate in this walkout.”

Upon the students’ positive response, Brandon shared with them that there existed an opportunity to expand the walkout beyond seventeen minutes. “I think as a school, we support whatever the students want to do, and that support comes from Dr. Frank, and then I said to them, ‘We can make it a day as long as it makes sense,’” Brandon said. “The idea of the Tuesday and Thursday meetings I had that week was to start the brainstorming process so that I could hand it off to Student Government, and they could run with it.”

Mansueto, who meets with Brandon on a weekly basis, expressed appreciation for Brandon’s assistance. “He was extremely receptive to whatever we wanted to do with it, he was essential in getting us all the resources, making sure the day ran smoothly, and it would not have been possible without him,” Mansueto said. “I know he ran into a considerable amount of opposition from the teachers on this, and it sounds like he stood his ground.”

Upper School English teacher and 9th grade Grade Head Cory Zeller commented on the varying degrees of faculty support for the walkout she saw during a divisional meeting that took place Tuesday, March 6, where Brandon unveiled plans for the day. “I would say some faculty members were sort of anxious about it — student safety, apathy versus engagement — some faculty members were more comfortable giving the day over,” Zeller said. “I think once he clarified that parents would be notified and that we could choose the way that we wanted to engage, that seemed to help.”

Brandon hopes his role in the planning and support of the walkout will allow the Parker community to see his ultimate priority for his tenure at 330 W. Webster: supporting students. “I think this has been helpful for a lot of students to get to know me in a different way now, with a lot of the conversations,” he said.  “My whole goal is that it’s student-driven, and that it makes sense… In my first year, I just want people to see who I am, and I’m going to try to be as authentic and real as possible.”