After losing a freshman, Megan Abbott, to suicide four years ago, Oxford High School’s Dean of Students, Pam Fine, came up with the idea for the project.
Pam wrote in a Facebook post on May 2nd:“This has been one of the hardest, but most rewarding weeks for me professionally. A small group of students took a big risk. They decided to start a raw and powerful dialogue about suicide. By putting themselves in front of 1,800 classmates and saying…look, I have a story, too. I have pain. I have been hurt, but there are not “13 reasons why” to give up. There are not a million reasons why. Suicide is not the answer. I will tell you a reason why NOT. I will not name a person who hurt me, but I will thank someone who helped me. Our lives and our journeys are connected. With support of admin, teachers and 13 very brave students…it worked. Our kids are talking. Our parents are talking. We do not believe in a reason why. We believe in the why NOT. To our students who have taken a risk, I cannot begin to describe how much I admire your courage.”
Since Pam wanted to keep the project a secret until it was launched, the only students who knew about it were the 13 teens featured in it.
So on Monday morning when the announcements came over the intercom, students were surprised to hear the voice of their peer, senior Riley Juntti.
“Worthless. Self-centered. No morals. Easy. Grimy. Cake face. You would be better off dead. That’s just the start of what you would label me as every day for two years,” Riley said in her recording.
“This tape is for you Elise Godfrey. You saw me when no one else did and continued to listen, share and appreciate the small things with me. Thank you for your kindness I can not repay. You are one of my 13 reasons why not.”
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