Slade Mead’s mask of choice conveys his mission: VOTE. Those four bold letters are a command, an encouragement, a plea.
Mead, who serves as Co-Director of College Counseling, also teaches U.S. Government and Politics and a course in Constitutional Law. He sees himself as a lightning rod for political discourse on campus. “Faculty seek me out to air their views, and students ask me to help them register to vote. Getting kids to vote? That’s my greatest pleasure.” Mead’s blue eyes light up over his dark mask as he describes the process.
“Students come to my office, and I help them register online and fill out the necessary forms. They’ll come back once they receive their ballots, and I’ll walk them through the steps of how to fill it out properly. Each state has different rules so it’s fun for me to see the varying forms. I’ll even supply the stamp — for free!”
In the midst of a contentious election season, Mead understands it’s crucial to remain apolitical and support thoughtful discussion. “Willie Ackerman ’21 wanted to show the second debate in Gardiner Theater. So we made that happen, and a number of students and faculty showed up to watch.”
A consummate educator, Mead creates opportunities to share accurate information. “The day after Justice Ginsburg died, I built my class lesson around what it means when a Supreme Court justice dies and the process that follows. I made an open invitation to the school community to join the class virtually through Microsoft Teams.” Mead offered a similar format after President Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19. “I taught an open class on the 25th Amendment and helped people understand the Constitutional procedure of what happens if a President is incapacitated temporarily or long-term.”
Mead fell in love with Constitutional law when he took an elective on it in his junior year at Taft School. “I’d already been a political geek, but in this class, a lightbulb went off. Constitutional problems are both fascinating and scary, and I follow them closely, for better or worse.” After graduating from Yale, Mead earned his law degree from the University of Connecticut. He later served as an Arizona State Senator in the early 2000s.
His final words? “Please vote. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”
by Maria Buteux Reade