On Monday, April 24 during lunch, students will attend a presentation in the auditorium about suicide prevention. The presentation will include first hand accounts of students that deal or have dealt with the suicide of a loved one.

“This year people are talking about their own experiences in the issue,” senior and head coordinator Ben Armistead said. “They have friends that have committed suicide or wanted to.”

The presentations aim to inform the student body of the signs of suicide, and how to help a friend or loved one who is struggling.

“It’s important to know the signs,” Armistead said. “If you see something up with your friend, that they could be thinking about committing suicide, you can recognize that early on before they do anything, and you can contact somebody to get help.”

On Wednesday, April 5, writer and mother Bobbi Gilbert spoke at the high school for students and teachers. Her presentation was about her own son’s suicide, the book she wrote, and the problems that she sees in our society today dealing with suicide.

“Teens commit suicide because of hopelessness, and I think with social media and cyberbullying, they just feel left out and the don’t feel like anybody else feels the way they do,” Gilbert said.

Speaking from personal, painful experience, Gilbert implored suicidal teens to get help.

“Ask for help,” Gilbert said. “There’s always help, things always change, there’s always a new day and help’s available.”