By Julia Smith
Kismet
Waterford Kettering HS
1st Place
Division 1, Yearbook
Feature Writing – Student Life
Country music played in the background as everyone stood in silence. Some held red candles and others readied their lanterns for the slow ascent into the darkness. Almost as if a collective breath was released, hundreds of sky lanterns are let off into the night sky.
The Waterford community and many others came together to be a part of something extraordinary. Over recent years, many friends were lost and many cries for help went unanswered. It was time for the Waterford community to come together and put a stop to it.
Senior Noah Jutis was one of the voices who realized this had to come to a stop. Jutis is the creator of the event that lit up the sky on September 10. The event was created with the purpose of raising awareness about the issue of teenage suicide. That one night, many believe changed hundreds of lives.
“It doesn’t matter how close you are with the victims of suicide, it still affects you,” Jutis said. “As much pain as suicides bring, you are taught so much from it happening.”
Sadly, this is a much-too-familiar feeling many teenagers have experienced. Senior Chloe Denton explains how she has dealt with the loss of a loved one.
“It’s proved to me who has been there the whole time and who I didn’t need to be around. It made me appreciate people in general more. I don’t take anyone for granted and I make a point to compliment someone if I’m thinking it. I wasn’t doing everything I should have been doing, but I’m getting back on track. It just takes time.”
Many students came together that September night to reminisce the memories of those forgotten; they also came together to offer support to one another and remind their community that together, anything is possible no matter what the obstacle is.
“No kind of pain lasts forever, no matter how great it is,” Denton said.