Suicide Awareness Campaign
Rates of suicide continue to rise, and teenage suicide rates seem to be growing rapidly. After recent issues on campus concerning suicide, a group of ASB students decided to take their stand on the situation in order to spread awareness on the topic.
Leading the campaign are two ASB members Anna Payton and Paige Rothfarb, who plan to shed light on the issue and to let those struggling know that they are not alone.
Payton explains that suicidal thoughts and tendencies are surprisingly common and greatly affect many students on our own campus.“Not many people talk about it when they are experiencing suicidal thoughts and you can’t always tell what’s going on in someone’s head”, she says. Paige goes on to say, “It’s mainly important that everyone understands the magnitude of the problem”. The two hope to bring these points up throughout the campaign.
Their main goal in the campaign is to bring attention to suicide in a way that can bring a sense of safety to those struggling as well as educate other students. Paige mentioned, “We know that we’re not going to cure anyone, but ASB is trying to get the entire school involved”. Through the spread of wristbands and a PSA video including stories of individuals that have experienced suicidal thoughts, ASB hopes to share the experiences of those who have gone through suicidal tendencies and make the campaign personal.
Overall, the main goal of ASB is not only to promote compassion on the school grounds but to let students know that they’re not alone. Suicidal thoughts are very common in high-school students, and many are unaware of what to do if they are experiencing them. The most important step to take would be to let someone know. There are various resources on and off campus that offer individuals to talk to. The suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255, and organizations such as TeenLine offer open opportunities to reach out for help. The Suicide Awareness Campaign shows students that there is help, and most importantly, there is hope.