Trigger Warning: This editorial deals with potentially triggering topics including suicide and suicidal ideation. Read at your discretion.
In light of the conclusion of National Suicide Awareness Month and suicides in recent memory, the board of The Phillipian would like to address this topic, despite the discomfort that comes with such discussion. We acknowledge that it is improper to generalize conversations about suicide and suicidal ideation. With this in mind, this editorial will focus specifically on how student culture may exacerbate existing problems.
The two main problems with our current school community identified by the board were the fear of showing weakness and the glorification of toxic work culture. Firstly, it’s important to establish the fact that many students choose Andover in order to be more independent and find their own path. For most students, their application process was self-driven, identifying Andover as the place that they wanted to be for the next few years. And when students acknowledge that coming to Andover was their choice, asking for help feels like admitting to failure in achieving the original goal. Combined with the over-glorification of having lots of work and minimal sleep, students have an even harder time asking for help. Conversely, this sentiment also contributes to the toxic work culture where students compete to see who can tip their work-life balance the most. This includes but is not limited to comparing sleep deprivation, workload, and lethargy, pressuring students to push themselves into increasingly difficult situations.
As pervasive as the problem our community faces may seem their is a solution. The first, most accessible solution to students is to open up and talk to your trusted peers. Those who live in the dorms have access to a potentially powerful support system, consisting of house counselors and dormmates. Despite previous impressions of adults on campus, house counselors and other faculty do want to support students, but we need to be able to express our needs and help them help us. Merrilee Mardon, Deputy Head of School, echoed the sentiment that faculty requires student input in order to understand the best way to support them.
“What are barriers that we might be able to remove if a student [is] seeking help? Or can we [faculty and administration] provide more support for students and adults in recognizing when outreach is helpful? If you see somebody, do you feel like you’re equipped to check in on somebody else and what to do? I’ve gone through some training in the past and the simple act of checking in on somebody, showing some kindness, and a willingness to listen can make all the difference. But sometimes we don’t feel competent,” said Mardon in an interview with The Phillipian.
Another resource that Andover provides for its students is the Sykes Wellness Center. The board is well aware of the stigmas and discontentment among the student body surrounding Sykes and their care. However, in a place as challenging and dynamic as Andover, we urge you to utilize the resources available to you. This is not to deny past negative experiences students have had with the program, but we also must acknowledge that, at some point, professional help is a necessary intervention that all students have access to.
Lastly, student leaders, using the language from their role description, are “standard bearers” of the community and also, like faculty, need to be equipped to support their peers. Similar to their counterparts among the faculty, student leaders in The Phillipian’s masthead expressed that being constantly available for their peers is a daunting task. This anxiousness is not alleviated by the outdated leadership training.
This editorial is The Phillipian’s wish to be proactive with our community’s consciousness regarding suicide prevention. Suicide is irreversible and irreparable. Everyone on the board hopes to foster a positive community rather than heal from tragedy and that, if we write about suicide again, it will be for prevention rather than in grief.
This editorial represents the opinions of The Phillipian, Vol. CXLVI
