School assembly aims to end suicide

When "LIFE IS WORTH LIVING" flashes in huge letters across the screen, Carry the Cure's message is unmistakable.

Set to the rhythm of live rock-and-roll and placed on a backdrop of snowboarding clips and high-tech computer images, the suicide-prevention show is aimed directly at the teen-agers sitting in the high school bleachers.

But when actors perform a skit in which a young girl is rejected by her boyfriend and then kills herself by taking handfuls of pills, students may get a more mixed message, according to Mat-Su Borough School District administrators. The sight of mourners gathered beside a pretend tombstone, placing flowers on the girl's grave, may unintentionally present suicide as an option.

"It could plant a wrong idea … that could have disastrous results," Assistant Superintendent George Troxel told the school board last week.

Troxel presented his report after Carry the Cure organizer Bill Pagaran solicited a stamp of approval from the school board to take his program into middle and high schools throughout the district. Until this year, principals decided individually whether to allow the assembly or not, and the show was presented at some schools last year, including Palmer High. But Pagaran said other principals hesitated because of the lack of authorization from the district's central administration.

Pagaran said when he went through the normal routes to achieve such approval, district administrators told him he should go directly to the school board.

Most board members have since watched a video of last year's assembly show at Palmer High, and several said they appreciated Carry the Cure as yet one more way to potentially reach suicidal teens. When the administration presented its concerns last week, however, the board postponed any decision until its Nov. 20 work session.

Administration points out that the district's program -- "Keep Teens Safe, ACT Now" -- is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Psychologists. Coordinated by school psychologists, the program screens students for possible signs of depression and focuses on it as an illness that can be treated if it is identified and the students have access to the right resources.

Carry the Cure, on the other hand, emphasizes a "commitment to life." Following the skit in which the young girl commits suicide, the program shows slides of what her life could have included in the future -- birthday parties, marriage, family Christmas celebrations.

Also in its show at Palmer High last year, Carry the Cure had students playing different rhythms on trash cans labeled "self-esteem," "relationships," "health," and "hopes and dreams." When the rhythms got jumbled, Pagaran said, "It makes you feel like trash, makes you fee like throwing your life away … but don't do it."

"It's a good message," Troxel told the board. He added, however, that those who are truly suffering from depression need more than a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" approach.

Troxel also said he was concerned by the program's off-the-cuff vernacular, with terms like "dude," "chick," and "groovy."

"Suicide is very serious," Troxel said. "The message has to be clear, and the language has to be clear."

Another issue with the program, Troxel said, is its religious basis. Although Carry the Cure does not promote the Christian faith during its show, Pagaran does invite students to religious meetings offered after school. Troxel said parents called the district last year to complain about the religious overtones. However, Troxel said he believed this problem had since been addressed and that the religious meetings were no longer being advertised during school assemblies.

Despite the district's concerns, Carry the Cure has won numerous awards and has been praised by community members including former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin. And several school board members appear to still be supportive.

"The more we have in place the better," board member Linda Menard said after Troxel's report. "All the students aren't reached by all the presentations."

Menard said parents must sign permission slips for their students to participate in the district's program, and the same could be done with Carry the Cure. She also said the decision could still be left to individual principals so that it "wasn't anything we are jamming down people's throats."

Member Larry DeVilbiss also expressed interest in allowing the show.

"I'm reluctant to stonewall this program," he said.

Carry the Cure could not be reached following last week's school board meeting, but, in an earlier Frontiersman article on suicide rates in the Valley, Pagaran said his goal is to promote a commitment to life.

"I think a big part is just listening to young people … no one takes time to really listen," he said. The teens he has come in contact with through his multimedia presentation are in search of unconditional love, acceptance and people who are willing to hear what they have to say, Pagaran said.

"I believe that there is a destiny for your life. There is a reason for you being here," he tells them. "You are not an accident. You are not a mistake."

While he said he has to tread a fine line with his presentations in public schools, Pagaran admitted his background is Christian and that he organizes youth rallies at local churches in hopes of connecting teen-agers with pastors and others who can be a part of their support network.