Hey guys,

First off, let me just say that if you don't have time to read the whole message this week just skim it for important dates, news, and general upcoming stuff.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, life has a way of tackling us sometimes and we can't get away. For those of you who were about to make it to the meeting thank you so. And for those of you who couldn't make the meeting here's what's going on:



First some business and upcoming events:



The Candlelight Vigil is sceduled to happen on Tuesday the 19th of October. We're having it a bit later than usual this year because the week of the 18th-22nd is Anti-Violence Week so we thought that that would be an excellent time to honor those who have suffered from violence and hate. (if you are interested in making fliers or if you have any questions contact me either sometime at school or email me at ayasha724567@verizon.net)



The day following the Candlelight is also a very important day. On October 20th, people from across the country and maybe even the world will be wearing purple in honor of the 6 young men who took their lives in the past few months. By wearing purple we are not raising any money and we are not going to stop bullying in its tracks, but we will send the message that we will not stand for any more hate. There are a lot of people out there who feel very alone right now because they feel as if no one excepts them. By wearing purple and coming together we can show them that they are not alone.



Tomorrow, Thursday October 7th, at 7:00 pm in Ridgewood, NJ, there is going to be held a town meeting concerning the death of Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers who recently took his own life because his room mate filmed him having sex with another man. If anyone is interested in attending this event it will be held at St. Elizabeth's Church (169 Fairmont Road). I'm available for contact if anyone has questions.



On that note, I would like to take this time to write about the six young men who took their lives these past few months. Justin Aaberg was only 15 years old when he took his life in July of this year. He was from Minnesota where he attended Anoka High School. Seth Walsh, from California, was only 13 when he attempted suicide on September 19 and died on September 28 due to his injuries. Billy Lucas, also 15, was from Greensburg High School in Indiana. Asher Brown from Hamilton Middle School in Texas was also only 13 years old. Raymond Chase, a 19 year old fro Johnson & Wales, was found on September 29 after he had hung himself in his dorm room. And of course, Tyler Clementi, an 18 year old who had just started his first year at Rutgers before he cut his life short by jumping off of the GW Bridge because his roommate has filmed him having sex with another man. These stories are just some of many. When we hear about one suicide it is devistating, but when we hear about 6 in the past few months (5 in September alone) the heartbreak is beyond words. But we must not loose hope. While we may be discouraged and feel hopeless, our community is becoming stronger. As a club we have a reason to put ourselves fully into trying to make NHS and Nutley a better, safer, and more welcoming place for all people. As a nation wide community we are fighting harder than ever to end bullying, discrimination, injustice, intolerance, and violence. We are fighting to ensure that every student can feel safe in school regardless of the color of their skin, the language they speak, or who they love. As a global community we are reaching out to those who feel as if they have no one to turn to and no other way out and we are saying to these people, young and old, that there is hope, that it gets better, and that they are not alone.



If someone you know is in need of help and someone to talk to, there are places they can go. For any and all who need to talk to someone, feel free to talk to any of the officers, Mrs. Oakley, or any other trusted adult. There are also other outside resources, here are just a few:



The Trevor Project

If you or someone you know is suicidal, depressed, or just needs a friendly listening ear do not hesitate to contact the Trevor Project. While this organization does have a focus on LGBTQ people, any one can call if they need to talk.



24-hour Hotline: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386)

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

If you want to donate $5 to the Trevor Project text TREVOR to 85944





The Give a Damn Campaign

The Give a Damn Campaign is an amazing resource, education, and support. Through a collection of celebrity videos and personal stories from every day people, this site can act as a way of teaching others or evenfinding comfort in the stories of those who have been through the similar situations.



http://www.wegiveadamn.org/

Videos are also posted on youtube.com (just type in "We Give a Damn")





It gets better project

Started by Dan Savage, the "it gets better" project is a series of videos on youtube from LGBT adults around the world. It was created only weeks ago to send a message to all the LGBT youth out there who feel alone and as if things will never get better. So far the video count is through the roof (literally). The itgetsbetterproject channel on youtube has no more room to post any more videos. Send some of these videos to people you know who may need to hear them.



Visit youtube.com and type in "It gets better"





Candlight Vigil:

Every year, the GSA hosts a candlelight Vigil in honor of Matthew Shepard and all of those who have suffered because of hate crimes. While this is always an important event, this year it is even more important than ever. Due to the recent suicides, we have decided that it would be appropriate to donate the money made from the Candlelight (candle sales, donations, etc) to a fund or organization that deals with bullying, violence, hate crimes, or suicide. We have come up with 4 different possiblities:



The Trevor Project www.thetrevorproject.com

Funds to help pass a stricter anti-bullying law

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention http://www.afsp.org/

The Matthew Shepard Foundation www.matthewshepard.org

If you have any questions or just need someone to talk to don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Oakley, myself, or any of the other officers. And don't forget to tell your friends and family that you care about them. Again, my email is ayasha724567@verizon.net

Next meeting will be next Tuesday October 12 (Don't forget that we don't have school on Monday). If you can't make it, stop by Mrs. Oakley's room at some point during that week in order to pick up your bundle of candles ($1 each). Thank you all so much.