MICHIGAN: Oxford High School Students Begin Project Called “13 Reasons Why Not”
May 12, 2017
In response to the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, a group of Michigan teens have launched a project called 13 Reasons Why Not. While the main character in the series provides her explanations for wanting to die, students at Oxford High School are voicing their motivations for wanting to live. Every morning for 13 days, the school will hear a recording of a student describe a challenge that they have struggled with, and thank a classmate who has helped them cope. Oxford Dean Pam Fine said that she developed the project to counter the depiction of suicide as inevitable. “The idea was to come up with 13 reasons why not, because that was not portrayed in the show. . . . Even though it can get very dark, there is always hope. Our message is that there are no 13 reasons why. Suicide is not an option.”
Spark Extra! Read guidance on the series from the National Association of School Psychologists.