By By Adrienne McKenzie
Escambia County Middle School students are taking the reality of suicide more serious this week than others with Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention and Awareness Week.
According to counselor Tonya Grant, students at ECMS were given a yellow card, which symbolizes a yellow ribbon, that students can take to their clergy or any authority figure when they feel like they need someone to talk to.
"They can take the yellow ribbon to a clergy or whomever to talk to them when they feel down," Grant said.
Students throughout the week have participated in several activities. Many students volunteered to be a part of the ECMS' Yellow Ribbon Board and have helped with the activities over the week. Yesterday the "Legacy of the Yellow Mustang" found at http://www.yellowribbon.org/Legacy.html was read to the students during homeroom. During the morning announcements, students were asked to turn in the names of anyone they knew who had taken their own lives to Grant.
Today, the names of those who lost their lives to suicide were announced during the morning announcements and a moment of silence followed. Students also will participate in "Walk of Life," which consists of walking laps during P.E. class to commemorate their loved ones.
Tomorrow each student and faculty member will be given a yellow ribbon to wear and during the morning announcements statistics on suicide will be read.
On Friday, Suicide Prevention Bags will be given during homeroom. The bags will be available in each classroom and in the office for those students who need to talk, but cannot seem to find the words.
Grant said the students have seemed eager to participate in Yellow Ribbon week at ECMS.
"They seem excited to help and to do their part," she said. "They realize suicide is something that does happen and is very real."