Parker school was established in 1901, and in all of its 117 years of history, there has not been a student-led, full-day political movement such as the one that took place Wednesday.

Parker has long supported political activity and has never been, or encouraged its students to be, apolitical. Throughout the ‘60s and into the ‘70s, Principal Jack Ellison, the fifth principal of the school, consulted with the Parker Educational Council (which still exists) and outside experts about how the students would react to national unrest resulting from the Civil Rights Movement, the Free Speech movements on college campuses, and the Vietnam war.

According to a book written by former Head of the English Department Marie Kirchner Stone entitled “The Progressive Legacy: Chicago’s Francis W. Parker School,” Ellison sought to tackle the tension between adolescent idealism and activism.  He called for decorum, discipline, and rigor in the school. Similarly, students at this moment in history are seeking to address social and political issues as a school while maintaining unity and engagement.

The last time that the student body assembled as it did on Wednesday, in reaction to an important national event, was on 9/11/2001, according to First Grade Head Bev “Greenie” Greenberg. Greenberg recalled the entire school gathering in the courtyard for a minute of silence after the twin towers fell.

Although Parker has never organized an in-school walkout or march in its history, according to Head of the Language Department Lorin Pritikin it has devoted whole school days to political and social causes before. Starting in the mid seventies, Parker dedicated each Martin Luther King day to learning about the Civil Rights Movement and the social changes inspired by King.

The structure of these days was not too different from what the student body experienced on Wednesday. “We would go to the auditorium, we would sometimes have presentations, we would sing ‘We Shall Overcome,’” Upper School English teacher Bonnie Seebold said. “Sometimes we had outside speakers, other times we had student and faculty speakers.”

On Wednesday, the student body assembled for an MX at 8:35, where they listened to remarks from student organizers and Dr. Frank. During the seventeen minutes of silence in the conservatory and the walkout, assembled students read poetry, gave speeches, and sang songs preaching unity and activism. Later in the day, students participated in breakout sessions including teach-ins, representative contacting, and letter writing.

“As it transpired, many people just didn’t come,” Seebold said, referring to the MLK days the school used to devote to learning about the Civil Rights Movement. “Their parents called them in excused, and so we had to stop doing it.”

This issue of non-attendance was true on Wednesday too. Around 30 upper school students did not attend the school day, according to junior and walkout organizer Sammy Kagan. The number of students absent on the average school day is unknown, as Attendance Coordinator Lisa Williams was unavailable for interview.

One sophomore girl, who asked to remain anonymous, stayed home not for political reasons, or because she felt uncomfortable, but because having a day at home without the worry of missing academic classes outweighed the value of the day for her.

“It’s not that I disagree with what’s happening–on the contrary, I completely agree,” she said. “But I don’t feel that my coming to the walkout day, even with my full self, will bring enough to make a substantial difference for the march and for the day itself. It will be the same whether I’m there or not. I like that it’s student run, I like that it’s a full day, I just don’t think I will be able to bring the 110% that such a serious topic requires.”

Both Head of the Upper School Justin Brandon and the four main student organizers of the day considered that attendance could be a problem but concluded that it was not enough of an issue to substantially influence the plans for the day.

“Wednesday’s a school day like any other,” Brandon said prior to the walkout. “We never have perfect attendance in the upper school, as is. For some people, it’s politically charged, so they may not show up. Nevertheless, I would like all students to be here. The day is about gun violence, and not more than that. Unfortunately it’s been kind of cloudy, but I hope the showing is good. I think this is why people go to Parker–in terms of the social justice, and the progressive education. I think this is what Parker’s really about.”