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Uploaded: Friday, October 23, 2009, 5:11 PM
Updated: Monday, October 26, 2009, 8:47 AM

Superintendent releases statement on suicide  

Posted by Lex, a member of the Gunn High School community, on Oct 23, 2009 at 6:24 pm

When I first saw

You look into me

The gleam in your eyes made my heart skip a beat

My body felt nervous

And my heart began to pound as this test of love brought me to my knees

Feeling the pulse of the space from you to me

The love that I felt made me shake made me weak

Im under your spell and theres nothing i can do as the day turns into night i am for you

The spell you got me under

your eyes they make me wonder

is this a fantasy or is this love for real

cuz all the things you do to me

they lock me up and set me free

fever up this crazy love dances with a passion in my heart

NO i dont really love you

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 23, 2009 at 6:40 pm

It is time to close these threads down or hire a psychiatrist from Stanford Dept of Psychiatry to vet them before publication.

Enough is enough

Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 23, 2009 at 7:08 pm

Sharon,

[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

These kids are venting on facebook between themselves. At least here adults are able to see what they are saying. Facebook is not able to monitor the posts, here the editors can. It is much safer for the kids to vent their feelings here and then they may get some advice or at least some compassion.

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 23, 2009 at 7:50 pm

In fact there are many restrictions in law concerning those under 18

They cannot vote

They cannot view pornography, any one who enables this is guilty of a serious crime

They cannot have sex with anyone they want to, adults who have sex with minors are in very serious trouble for the rest of their lives

They cannot buy alcohol

Without parental consent they cannot marry or join the military.

There is no research suggesting that kids venting on blogs prevents suicide,

in fact all the research shows it makes the matter worse.

People can claim they know more than the CDC and WHO about this matter but such claims are both nonsense and dangerous to our kids.

Posted by OhlonePar, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Oct 23, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Sharon,

Welcome to freedom of speech and press. We do not need prior censorship.

[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

And, yes, there IS research that indicates that talking about suicide (venting as you call it) can be preventative.

So can getting enough public discussion going that we actually do things like limit access to the Meadow crossing and have better screenings at the high school.

[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by Gunn Class of '67, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 10:49 am

Dear Superintendent,

Thank you for recognizing the horrific issue of students feeling so hopeless they end their own lives.

Feeling overwhelmed and discouraged is a human condition that affects most of us sometime during our lives.

At present Americans face a multitude of challenges over which individuals feel no control. We've viewed close-up glimpses of citizens facing horrific circumstances - soldiers killed and maimed in war, economic devastation evidenced by loss of jobs and homes, a seemingly out-of control pandemic randomly ending lives - especially among our young. We recognize widespread fear and hopelessness throughout the US as a realistic response to reality.

Do you label these mainstream Americans as mentally ill?

Consider the reality our students face - in addition to overwhelming national concerns, adolescents graduate from childhood & often struggle to develop in accordance with adult expectations. Teens' school experience bears little similarity to our high school years - education is test-based, expectations of high scores guaranteeing acceptance into the 'right college', getting the 'right' job (few exist in today's economy). Rather than recognizing the awesome individuality among our students, those who don't fit into the mainstream often feel ostracized and alone.

You label these students as mentally ill and depressed, suggesting they seek mental health services. How's that working?

Revisit your high school years for a moment. Given similar circumstances, would you step up to the plate and admit you were powerless and lost? Would you have expected 'professional' adult counselors et al to address you teen problems?

Stop the labeling now. Realize stigmatizing teens results in further alienation from their peers.

A few years back two students at Los Altos High committed suicide. A neurological expert who served on our non-profit board offered to conduct a town hall meeting for all students and their parents. Los Altos rejected the offer - chose to minimize attention - 'it doesn't happen in our town'.

My track star son and cheerleader daughter were very upset - just as your students are. Due to admins' refusal to deal with the reality, I sought the assistance of a Mercury reporter who published a very sensitive story quoting the neurologist and explaining the issues.

That article was the talk of the school. Suicides stopped. The teens created their own outreach symposium through out non-profit - kids who formerly felt disenfranchised showed up in droves to hear success stories of adults who felt different as kids.

There are solutions that work to empower kids who feel hopeless. If your goal is to ensure students feel the same sense of belongingness essential to all people, get on your computer and read the science yourself. Start with Roy Baumeister'"The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation".

Since the last event, several Gunn students admitted considering suicide - they need to feel empowered and worthy. Calling them mentally ill - offering psych services for 'their problem' has exacerbated their hopelessness.

I'm ready, willing and able to share what worked for us.

Posted by robit noops, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 1:17 pm

Hey, I had a terrible childhood and many times was overwelmed about being a kid and not knowing how I was going to get out of bad family situations. I hope kids these days are talking more, and I hope the schools are making counseling more available. I wish the counselors when I was a kid made more effort to help students. This is a bad situation, and children are not equipped to handle the amount of stress and pressure that is dumped on them. A big responsibility of schools is to help kids with social skills, and to teach them coping mechanisms as well as book learning.

Posted by simple, a resident of the Esther Clark Park neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 2:32 pm

dont focus on past thoughts or future tghoughts. be in the creative moment which is accesible by not reflecting on past or ''future''. you will be in the living creative moment. you are alive only NOW,not in each and every passsing thought. the ''future doesnt exist yet eithr in every moment. your thoughts are already past and the next thoghts arent here yet. then you will be in the creative always present ''moments''. like a dream,creation is...

Posted by yestogunn67, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 3:38 pm

i agree with gunn class of 67. while i am pleased -- if there is anything to be 'pleased' about in this very sad and difficult time -- by mr. skelly's letter and the outreach the district is working on, labeling the suicide 'issue' as one of mental illness is not the right framework, i think. i too have thought about soldiers in war, etc. (as gunn 67 mentioned) in relation to what is happening in palo alto. i think of these kids struggling in a high pressure environment and the fight or flight response, not "mental illness," kicking in. (or presuming that there was an undiagnosed mental illness in these poor kids) i am not a physician, but i wonder how long a person can try to control the natural fight or flight response before it consumes him or her leading to depression or worse things.

i think the school district needs to take a look at itself and step up with a leadership role to help to shift the paradigm of what we palo altans consider success. we can control that. again, i think the pausd outreach is good right now, but i fear that nothing will change unless something really profound changes in how we view we are educating kids. there is some sort of co-dependence in the relationship between parent expectations and pausd egos and our kids are caught in the middle.

yes, there is a way to have high expectations, expect excellence, and still let children be children.

i drove by gunn earlier today and my heart broke for the community and i wondered how important the newsweek ranking is these days.

i am a teacher in the district.

Posted by Gunn Class of '67, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 7:08 pm

yestogunn67 makes excellent points; as a teacher, my guess is he or she must experience similar angst as the students regarding testing performance. As important as academics are, high school is an adolescent's training ground in social skills. If a student feels alienated from his peers, it is a devastating experience.

My experience is unrelated to any professional designation. I was honored to serve on two working board of directors addressing the needs of high school students. One of those boards was based in Palo Alto; at the time our founder, Kitty died, I was executive director.

Our mission was to empower youth and families with attentional, learning and mood differences. Our services were free. Though we gave annual symposiums and held monthly support meetings, our priority was to talk with dozens of frantic callers, youth and adults, who felt overwhelmed and hopeless.

Without exception, every caller described feeling different and disenfranchised from their peers. High school callers (and/or their parents) perceived themselves as outsiders who would never fit in with their peers - a fundamental concern of adolescents. Since they weren't 'in' with the 'smart kids' & often had trouble with conventional testing - they'd call themselves stupid.

Our adolescent years are when we formulate our self-identity. To be labeled, pulled out of class to attend school counseling etc. confirms a depressed student's 'difference' in front of the peers whose group he desperately seeks acceptance.

As a result of students reeling from two suicides in three months at their high school, we had the students create and run their own symposium. They selected speakers important to them - who also struggled in school - and excelled as adults. Among them were a local policeman, a computer graphics designer and other high achievers. The audience was packed with kids whose identity was transformed from loser to winner that day.

One of the kids who organized that symposium was my son. He recently graduated first in his battalion (750)from Marine officer candidate school in Quantico.

If PAUSD admin empowers its students to get proactive and create their own problem-solving sessions, Lieutenant Taylor would gladly share his experience and provide desperately needed hope.

Stop the peaching. Empower the kids - you will see them thrive!

Posted by orson, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 12:06 am

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by Karen, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 2:44 am

We should set up a tent at the crossing and have a volunteer parent/teacher patrol for one year at least, 24/7. We need to make this less accessible and the kids will stop coming if they know we are there. This would give all of us (including those who are struggling with guilt/sadness about not doing enough) SOMETHING to do. If we get 1000 volunteers, each person could commit to 30 minutes per month. This patrol should not be police officers--but the community, which is US, the parents.

Posted by pa mom, a member of the Terman Middle School community, on Oct 25, 2009 at 6:51 am

Like many others, I’m sure, I’ve been reading these forums for days unable to shake the unease I feel about the state of our high school environments.

My child currently is in middle school, regularly experiencing 2 hours of homework per evening. This is my child’s schedule pretty much every school day: Arrives home from school at 3:30, has sports practice (2 hours plus to and from) until 6:00pm, dinner until 6:30, 2 hours of homework until 8:30, instrument until 9:00pm, shower and bed at 9:30. There is no down time – no time to dream, no time to play.

From the bulk of the posts, it sounds like homework in high school takes at least an hour or two more than what my child is experiencing – this would push bedtime to 10:30 or 11:00 each school evening, excluding any down time. Some have discussed the inefficiency of kids who need to stay up until midnight, citing time spent on Facebook, e-mail, etc. Well I’m not surprised. Our kids aren’t machines. How many adults want to work 24/7? I certainly don’t. We all need time to relax, to reflect, to process, to connect with other humans.

And what about sleep deprivation? According to sleep specialists (see articles written by William Dement, Stanford sleep specialist, eg.), teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep per evening, and because of a shift in adolescent circadian rhythms (universal, not cultural), this sleep ideally should be between about 11pm-8am. Sleep deprived kids suffer physically, emotionally, and academically.

I think we Palo Altan’s truly want what’s best for our kids. It seems like a couple of relatively small changes might be a good start. How about limiting homework in high school to 3 hours per evening with little or no work on the weekends? It seems that if significant thought is put into the quality of the homework given, 3 hours extra work outside of school each day should be enough for what kids need to learn. For those kids who thrive on more work, provide extra problems, projects, but don’t connect them with a grade. If these kids truly crave more work, then satisfaction should be inherent in the work itself. I want my kid to continue to love and be enthusiastic about learning from now through adulthood. What’s the point of being burned out by high school? And how about re-thinking later high-school start times? Other districts/schools have been able to do it, so it’s not impossible. Let’s help our kids be better rested so that they are more physically and emotionally equipped to handle the rigors of the day. One of the biggest arguments I’ve heard against later school days is the effect the change has on sports practices. One of the most creative solutions I’ve heard is to make PE the last period for every student. For those kids involved in sports, sport practice begins in lieu of, or in a form of, PE.

I believe we need to start with the basic question: What do kids need to be healthy? And move forward from there. It seems that kids need challenge, mental stimulation, but also exercise, fresh air, adequate sleep, quality time with other human beings, and down time.

Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 8:44 am

PE can't possibly be last period for every child, like any class each PE teacher has several classes per day and they share PE facilities.

If a child does a school sport, they get a free period while PE is happening so in effect this is down time, they can choose to do homework or just hangout.

If your child does after school sports and a music instrument, then really this has to count as their relaxation time. I doubt that sport takes up 5 afternoons a week but if it does, should you also make them do 30 mins instrument practice as well?

But, high school homework is definitely something the teachers should lighten up on. I don't mind the academic stuff of value, but making posters where most of the work is art rather than the subject, or building physics machines which are often built by parents or bought from last year's physics class are things that should seriously be stopped.

Posted by Yes Gunn67, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 9:21 am

Gunn67,

I love your post, it speaks nothing but the truth. How sad that the district would rather put labels on our students than address the problem. I am a parent at the district and I have often felt isolated, even though I attend meetings and go to school activities. My children do not believe int he superintendent because not too long ago he made a public comment that minority students and ELD could not compete with "non minority students" They are studying hard and competing with everyone else, but feel bad about him. Someone already said "these suicidals are not goint to stop unless we have changes in administrations" I think is time to do that now or should we wait for another student to loose his her life?

Noboday wants to blame Gunn, but tell me what other school has had 4 students who committed suicide and a lot more that were diverted or rescued in less then 6 months or so?

I admire you because you are a teacher and are not afraid to speak up.

Thanks for taking care of our kids.

Posted by B. Li, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 10:14 am

If kids are "venting" on facebook, hopefully parents are engaged with their kids and monitoring what is being said! Talk to your children, hug your children and never let them forget how much you love them!

Let's all stop with the blame game and focus on our children. The PAUSD is doing and has done a great job of focusing on the welfare of our children, which is why many of us live in Palo Alto; as parents let's do our part as well!!

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 11:15 am

The Mercury online today has an article stating there is ample statistical evidence that the physical presence of someone at a site commonly used for suicide will reduce the number of suicides. As illogical as it seems since there are other bridges, other crossings, and other cliffs, the article states that statistics indicate that most who might commit suicide at that one spot associated with suicide are not likely to commit suicide at another. Many online comments have suggested a "We Care" volunteer" watch, perhaps with on-line sign-ups for rotations. Let's do it for one year or more. Will someone or a group please organize this?

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 11:18 am

See: Preventing Suicides At The Tracks

By Lisa M. Krieger

lkrieger@mercurynews.com

Posted: 10/24/2009 08:08:00 PM PDT

Updated: 10/24/2009 10:45:22 PM PDT

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 11:53 am

On the assumption the Mercury News article is accurate, and unless local authorities advise that such "We Care" volunteering is inadvisable, we will cover tomorrow (Monday) night 8-10 p.m. (Contact information with PA Weekly)

Posted by parent, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 9:27 am

how much would it cost to hire private guards for a year? divide that by thousands in the district that would put up a few dollars each.

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 10:06 am

Friends. Please see link to yesterday's Mercury News Article that research statistics which suprisingly indicate that presence of someone at a cluster suicide site reduces suicides despite other means and places equally available.

Link: Web Link

Even if a volunteer is not present every minute (and organizing this effort would be difficult), even the possibility that someone might be present at any particular time may be a deterrent as then the site would not be a 100% certain way for these teens to know they will die. If so, organizing even a sporadic watch at the site at unpredictale times might be helpful.

We will be there tonight unless advised otherwise.

Contact me via Palo Alto Weekly if others are interested in pursuing or organizing such an effort.

Posted by Do something, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 10:52 am

Sad as it is, these cases provided a pattern: it's always between 7pm and 12pm(right?). I think it's understandable: that's the most depressed time of the day if you are not happy for whatever reason.

So, what about hire private security guards to stand at the Meadow and Charleston train cross during the 7-12 time window?

It can be quickly implemented, would persistent if needed, and is cheaper than many other options.

And please, don't tell me people can always find another place to do it. They probably won't. And use this debate to delay doing anything is heartless.

So, hire security guard for one year?

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 11:08 am

$15-$20/hour

7-12 p.m.

$28,000-$36,000/year

Please check my math: Is that 750 people donating $50 each

Posted by Freedom of Press, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 11:30 am

Freedom of speech - yes. And to Sharon - if you don't like what you read, you don't have to read it. "Enough is enough!"?? For you, maybe - but please don't make the decision for every other person who may be participating. We can all think for ourselves.

Posted by 24 hr guard, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 12:21 pm

Susan,

Hire the guard, tell us where to send the money.

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 12:49 pm

Let's think this through fully before acting although, in the meantime, I don't think voluntarily being a presence at the E. Meadow tracks in the can do anything but help.

I contacted Adolescent Counseling Services. IF a presence at the site is a good idea, let's see if we can get an existing non-profit organization to set up a fund especially for this purpose. ACS in Palo Alto would seem to be the logical non-profit organization. I left a message there, but will not hear back until tomorrow.

If no non-profit will take this on, despite the statistical evidence that it is likely to be a deterrent, then starting a new non-profit would not be difficult. (As an attorney, I could do this with the help of a volunteer CPA.) For now, let's see if we can get ACS or another non-profit to take this project under its wing.

I will post any feedback I get from ACS, the Mercury staff writer who wrote the article with link above (and perhaps the psychiatrist she interviewed relying on studies from a published journal), the PA Weekly editor, and anything I hear from Palo Alto authorities.

My thought: we can not completely prevent this on-going tragedy, but we are required to do something. We live in a caring community which I trust will want to take any action which might be, even if just partially, effective.

I have left my contact information with PA Weekly (unfortunately, for now, on voice mail).

Posted by misha, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 1:13 pm

JP died at 8:20 a.m. The hours are not limited to 7-12 pm. Will posting guards 24/7 help our children feel better?

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Thank you for the information.

This would be one of the many facts to consider.

Our children may not feel better with 24/7 crossing guards, but if this would be a deterrent to suicides based upon the statistical evidence in the Mercury News article (link above), then that alone is reason to do it.

Posted by Jim, a resident of Menlo Park, on Oct 26, 2009 at 2:32 pm

As a resident of Palo Alto for most of the past 50 years, I watched Gunn develop from the beginning.

Everyone is ignoring the "Gorilla in the Room". Gunn has fostered a toxic climate of competition over the decades. Everyone is proud that they have one of the best schools in the country but it comes at an unacceptable price - four suicides in one year.

Many institutions have faced this issue in the past and discovered that it is possible to defuse these situations. Some options that have been used:

1. Eliminate competitions wherever possible as in prizes for homecoming floats.

2. Drop extramural sports like football.

3. Pass-Fail grading.

4. Stop offering AP classes.

This may sound extreme but it can and should be done.

Stop trying to find something wrong with the kids and fix the system!

Posted by Lauren John, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Thank you Gunn 67 for clarifying the issues.

The memo from the superintendent appears overly optimistic in the face of dire statistics. It is almost self congratulatory.

Remember Heckofa Great Job Brownie!?

Why are the schools failing the kids?

Why are the parents failing the kids?

Why are the kids forced to go on Facebook to get any kind of truth?

There's a lot of talking around this issue and a lot of calling in experts and a lot of covering one's ass.

Please please please listen to what these kids are trying to tell us--and try to communicate honestly to the survivors.

Listen, listen, listen

And make it safe for the kids to talk.

And make it safe for the kids to talk to grownups--not just each other.

Telling the Ivy League bound that psychological counselors are available if they want to talk--may not be the way.

I am not a parent--and I only know what the newspapers are reporting.

Would it really be so terrible for us in the larger community to know who these kids were and what their issues were?

I hear that there is fear of copycating if we talk openly about teenage suicide.

Well after four deaths and one attempt--I think that copycatting has already arrived.

Posted by OhlonePar, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 4:43 pm

It doesn't need to be 24/7. The trains don't run all night. My guess is, too, that you wouldn't have an issue during school hours--remember the tracks aren't near the school, just on the way there.

Posted by Hermann, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 5:57 pm

I grew up in post=war Austria and changed schools 4 times between ages 6 and 13. Every time there were several fights with some of the new classmates/bullies/hecklers and very few boys, mostly none were initially on my side. When I started slowly developing a close friendship we moved again.

The 5th move was to a town where I, as Catholic, was put in one of three mass server groups at the local parish church. The chaplain leading the group had known me for several years, which had probably something to do with it. No fight, no heckling, nothing.

(For those not familiar with the European education some 55 years ago: You had no way to disobey without having immediately big disadvantages. You had to obey, period. Sometimes things changed when you were 18)

At the first time already I was floored: I was treated by all 7 other boys as if I had belonged to this group since ages. And it never changed.

I asked me why? My assessment of the criteria:

1. a small group with a well defined and responsible activity.

2. a very supportive leader who understands the interests and emotions of these boys and, if necessary, dictates required behavior.

3. a group whose member's actions are very visible in the community, and where the membership is a privilege.

Maybe my experiences can help in solving today's problems.

Hermann

Posted by OhlonePar, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 9:17 pm

Hermann,

I think there's a lot to be said for small groups where people work together and there's a good leader. I think, among other things, it reduces bullying. Why the working-in-groups/teamwork wasn't the key thing that interested me in Ohlone, over the years, I've been impressed with how well that fostering-of-cooperation can work.

No, I'm not saying Gunn needs to turn into Ohlone High. But when you have a situation that's highly competitive and there are huge number of students, I think you have to actively work on the administrative level to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness. The current Gunn situation is a petri dish for alienation.

I've mentioned schools within schools, or a boutique program at Cubberley (hey, school board--we gave the district nearly a half billion so we could have more schools, not gigantic ones.)

Another possibiity is to do something along the lines of a don system--each student is assigned a faculty member with whom they consult with about course choices. This don remains their advisor throughout their time at Gunn, though students have the option to change to a teacher with whom they've developed a rapport.

Yes, I know it's more work for the teachers (sorry teachers), but it would be spread out among all of them, but you'd have an adult with whom the student could form a connection that would last a while.

I think it could be rewarding for both sides.

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 10:13 pm

Teen suicide is a result of serious depressive illness.

Fortunately Stanford Dept of Psychiatry and PAMF have volunteered qualified psychiatrists to screen, diagnose and treat depressive illness among Gunn students who may be vulnerable to suicide contagion.

Modern pharmacology provides evidence based treatments for severe depression that work.

Parents should take this opportunity to have their kids screened and treated by qualified medical professionals.

We should applaud SU and PAMF for their efforts to end this crisis.

Posted by Local Mom, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 11:31 pm

Suicide isn't "Normal" behaviour - so, calling it anything but mental illness wouldn't matter, now would it? Since most suicides aren't obvious, then it would leave for interpretation that it is a mental issue - illness or not.

A better name for the situation would be "conflict resolution!" Obviously the death is caused by some semblance of conflict - internally or externally, or both.

Just as it would be difficult to stop another suicide, it would be difficult to shut down an outlet for ANYONE, not just teens, to vent, express themselves. Freedom of Speech is one thing, ALLOWING anyone - yes, even those under 18 - to speak is healthy, just so long as they understand it's to create communication for better understanding. Fewer but basic guidelines for "venting" would be helpful.

Perhaps the LACK of venting may be a cause for the suicides?

Guidelines - something even teens need as they mature - to understand the boundaries where Life meets Reality.

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 11:58 pm

Friends,

We were at the W. Meadow RR crossing site tonight (Monday). The anxiety the location elicits, in us and the people who had stopping to talk, especially as each train passed by in the dark and the earth rattled, was palpable.

Assuming the statistical data from yesterday's Mercury News article (discussed above) that a presence at a "suicide site" is statistically likely to reduce suicides (link: Web Link), volunteers could take shifts each night at the W. Meadow crossing -- perhaps one shift from 7-9 p.m. and another from 9-11 p.m. until something more formalized is in place. Volunteers need only bring two chairs, have a cell phone handy to call 911 if necessary, and be present. Many of those passing by tonight said they would volunteer to do this.

Hopefully Adolescent Counseling Service or another non-profit organization will take the lead in organizing such a watch program. Until and unless an organization takes this over, will someone reading this comment take the lead in scheduling. (I will be unavailable for 3 weeks and this effort need not stop for lack of momentum.)This "thread" of comments could be a temporary forum to schedule.

Previously in this thread, someone suggested hiring a paid watch-person rather than use volunteers. Hiring a person to be at that RR crossing is possible. It would not be economically unfeasible -- costing perhaps $35,000/year 7 p.m.-midnight. This could be covered by only 750 people contributing $50 each. However, someone tonight mentioned to us that perhaps parents and adults in the community would prefer to volunteer in order to have some concrete role to play as now many feel helpless, not knowing what they can do to help. Perhaps the pros and cons of someone hired to watch vs. volunteers at the crossing could be explored by a non-profit.

Second, and as an aside, everyone who passed by tonight commented that the exact spot the suicides are happening is pitch dark. Lighting this area might have an impact. As the Mercury article would suggests, any barrier (lighted area, presence of someone) could be helpful. Is there someone who can take the lead in following through with this lighting concern?

Are there volunteers to be present at the W. Meadow area to take a shift during the rest of this week? Next week?

Is there a volunteer to temporarily take charge of scheduling until a non-profit organization (hopefully) takes this on as a project?

Please speak up.

Posted by Anwyn, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Oct 27, 2009 at 10:31 am

Dear neighbors and friends - I'm willing to put on an orange vest and stand by the crossing for a few hours on a regular basis. As a community, surely other people can pitch in and do the same? Sign up at the following Google document and we'll take shifts until someone can come up with a better option (lights, cameras, security guard would be great, but until then let's step in a do something immediate). I'm a working mother of two small children so have no time--but am willing to at-least do this much. Can other pitch in and/or take over until we have others courses of action?

SIGN UP AS A TRACK VOLUNTEER HERE (copy and paste entire link, as is):

Web Link

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 27, 2009 at 12:09 pm

Anwyn,

Thank you so very much for taking this initiative.

My suggestions:

Two people at a time for safety;

Bring a cell phone for dialing 911 if appropriate, a flashlight, and two folding chairs;

Do NOT try to physically pull anyone from the tracks as this could be very dangerous.

I also think it MAY be appropriate for only adults 21 and older to participate. If a tragedy should occur, a trauma to a teen volunteer is, I think, potentially too psychologically damaging. An adult could better handle a failure to save someone if this horrible thing were to occur.

I contacted Adolescent Counseling Services as well as the Superintendant at PAUSD. Hopefully, ACS can look into the research supporting the effectiveness of this effort. If found to be effective as research seems to indicate, I would hope ACS or another non-profit would take this project under its wing.

Red-tape to set anything up officially, even with a non-profit, may take some time. We can do this organizing of volunteers ourselves until something better is in place.

Today, on NPR, several experts spoke about the Palo Alto Gunn suicides. I called with the suggestion of a person present at the tracks at this location and directed the panel to the research. The response on radio was to the effect that "Yes, this may work. But how long could we do this? Six months? A year? Five years."

I don't find that line of questioning persuasive. We can do this perhaps for one year and then fade out slowly and inconspicuously if there is no further incident. To not be able to have a perfect solution is no excuse for not implementing something that may have a partial beneficial effect. One life saved is certainly worth a year of volunteer time. How can the value of a life be weighed against the impracticability and difficulties in putting such a watch system in place.

Anwyn. Both the director of ACS and the Superintent have my name and contact information if you wish to contact me directly.

I believe our community is enormously appreciative of your generously offering to organize this effort. I thank you.

Susan

Posted by Dinu, a member of the Gunn High School community, on Oct 27, 2009 at 1:30 pm

I was a resident of Palo Alto between 1997 and 2007. My daughter attended Gunn High school between 2004 and 2006. That experience was very traumatic for my daughter and she has not yet recovered from it.

I found out the hard way that the personnel at Gunn High school and the policies of the school are totally inappropriate for the student population attending the school. It is not logical to ask a 14 years old student to establish her curriculum based on her interests. THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EDUCATORS! At 14 years of age the student should not be given all the liberties (as they think they deserve) offered in our society. THEY NEED TO EARN THOSE LIBERTIES!

[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by OhlonePar, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Oct 27, 2009 at 4:31 pm

Susan,

I agree that the patrols should be adults. I'd go a little further and suggest at least some minimal crisis-intervention training--signs of a potential suicide, how to approach them, etc. I believe this is what is done at the Golden Gate Bridge and there has been a drop in the number of suicides there.

I think by the same token, better track side lighting was also a good suggestion, limiting concealment.

Long-term, many things may happen to that area of the tracks--particularly since it's targeted for HSR--at which point, they will become much less accessible at that site. But I think doing something now is far better than wringing our hands and trying to pick the perfect solution (the crux, really, of the famed Palo Alto process).

Posted by Susan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 27, 2009 at 4:44 pm

Returning to creating a Volunteer Watch:

Anyone wanting to volunteer, please sign up by going to the website posted by Anwyn above. Instructions are given how to cut and paste.

Don't be deterred if you don't have an orange vest for tonight. Stay on the sidewalk and stay away from the tracks. Any teen passing will see you sitting at that site and will be aware of your presence.

Adolescent Counseling Services provides invaluable support to the teens in this community and has been doing an outstanding job in responding to this crisis. Unfortunately, although the organization has expressed gratitude for this volunteer effort being formed, it is unable to be an official host agency.

Even if donations are not required and volunteers are sufficient,a host non-profit would be extremely helpful in providing a website to post a sign-up calendar and physical space should a meeting be needed. Congregation Kol Emeth of Palo Alto has generously offered to play this role. In addition to being a website to post a sign-up calendar, it will doubtless be a source of numerous volunteers. I don't think it can be thanked enough for it eagerness to play such a role. I will find out more about the logistics of putting a calendar on that website. My concern is that although we do have a calendar, we won't have potential volunteers going to that calendar once this thread in the paloaltoonline.com stops and becomes old news.

We can later check with CalTrans to find out when the last train --commuter and freight -- passes throughthat intersection.

TONIGHT, will anyone volunteer to take an 7-9 p.m. shift and another a 9-11 shift. Bring chairs, cell phones, radio. You'll be fine. If you think you will feel embarrassed, just go for it anyway.

-Susan

Posted by Dan, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Oct 27, 2009 at 8:49 pm

Great idea, Anwyn. I'll be there tonight from 9-9:30. Best I can do as I've got an infant and toddler.

Posted by Confused volunteer, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 3:19 am

I was not able to be there on Monday, butI signed up to volunteer Wed, Thur and Fri. My question is do you need people to volunteer during day time? Considering that the first suicide happened in the morning, shouldn't we watch at that time too?

Another question is I noticed that there is there was another post asking for volunteering it is called Palo Alto Hope or something like that, is this the same? or someone else is starting something another watch? Anyway I will be there at night. Like you said, I am at home wringing my hands and do not know what to do other than go into my children rooms and see that they are safe in bed. I think this will call other people's attention and we might get agencies who might want chip in or give support.

Thanks to both of you Susan and Anwyn for putting this together.

Posted by Confused parent, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 3:25 am

Here is the post that I was talking about, It does not sound the same than yours Susan and Anwyn.

Posted by homepaloalto@gmail.com, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, 11 hours ago

We are forming a group of volunteers to monitor the train track at East Meadow and Alma.

If you are interested in joining this effort to monitor the tracks at East Meadow and Alma, I have set up the following website:

Web Link

If you go to this website you will see a calendar which indicates shifts that will be staffed by volunteers. If you leave a message on Volunteer page of the website indicating when you are available to volunteer, I can add you to the calendar.

You may also write to me at hopepaloalto@gmail.com

If each of us can give a few hours a month or week perhaps we can make a difference. If there is enough interest we can take steps to get appropriate training and support.

If you would like to suggest an alternative method of doing this, or if you know of another group that is starting, please write.

Please pass this message along to others that may be interested.

Thank you,

A Palo Alto Parent

Posted by Confused parent, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 3:31 am

By the way I was there early this morning about 1:00 am. It was so cold, dark and lonely. I cannot imagine how much pain our students had the moment they waited for the train to come and end their lives.

May they rest in peace, and hopefully these efforts to watch the tracks will prevent another young person from taking their lives.

I tried to do this before but the police sent me home and said they will take care of it. Hopefully this time they won't. I think it really helps to come in pairs. I will try to bring another adult with me, but there was no other line to sign two people at the same time.

Thanks again.

Posted by Anwyn, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 12:59 pm

A few of us are patching together a community effort to watch the tracks--helping people show a quiet, caring presence at the West Meadow and Charleston crossings. We're in the process of combining our previously separate efforts right now! Until long term solutions are in place, this is an immediate action we can take together.

Still in the very beginning stages, we've created a web site so we can better coordinate the process: Web Link

We need help. Please get in touch or sign up through Web Link or email hopepaloalto@gmail.com for more info.

Posted by May, a resident of another community, on Oct 28, 2009 at 2:33 pm

With all the discussions about venting at Facebook, I wonder if the school has and should have a blog site. Like most colleges/unversities do, the students own the blog and they choose their writers and topics of their interests. This would be much more revealing of local issues/interests/problems that our students are facing. Perhaps, it will help build bondings between the students too, at least online.

Posted by Barron Park parent, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 9:32 pm

Susan and Anwyn, I just pass by the tracks and there is a police car there watching. I did not stop because there were no other parents. I am wonder if they only came today because they saw some action last night. I am glad they are back, but this means he is going to tell me to go back home when I get ther. Any advices?