Purple ribbons seem to be everywhere: pinned to clothing and backpacks, tied around wrists and ponytails. Distributed by the Gender & Sexuality Acceptance student group for World Suicide Prevention Day, an overwhelming number of Upper School students and faculty have chosen to wear the ribbons to show their support. “We were hoping to achieve just awareness and also a show of support. I think the turn-out’s been great–I was actually kind of surprised, but people were really awesome about it, and I received so much help,” senior GSA co-president Maggie Clark said.

The community has been very willing to promote suicide awareness. “I have had friends in the past who have had issues and had family members who have struggled with this sort of thing, so I felt it would be good for me to support them and show my support for people who are struggling,” sophomore Coleman Thompson said. Many members of the senior class went even further with the show of solidarity, wearing purple scarves and clothing as well as the ribbons.