Over the past two years, our community has been deeply affected by numerous teen suicides, and bullying has continued to plague our schools. Many of us have lost close friends to these serious issues. In 2009, five students of the Palo Alto Unified School District committed suicide followed by several other incidents in neighboring cities, bringing the issue closer to home. Since these incidents, this “solution” to teen problems has become frighteningly more enticing. Just this last October, another student of Harker School in San Jose took her own life, traumatizing students, faculty, and the community. There is not a single high school student who is not connected to a friend who has at least considered suicide as a “solution" and that so many of our peers are victimized each day. We not only need to pull our friends from the cliff’s edge, but that we must also prevent them from feeling the need to consider such an option--take the cliff out of the picture, if you will. Thus, we bring you TUNED IN, and of course, Parachute, to raise awareness and funds for Suicide Prevention and Anti-Bullying. Join us for this important day and an amazing celebration of what we can do to affect change together.
