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Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies?
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Haylen_WebMD_Staff posted:
In Minnesota, a high school is facing a yearbook controversy related to the issues of teen pregnancy and student suicide .

One student would have been a senior this year, but committed suicide last January. Classmates have signed a petition to get a memorial page published in the yearbook but mental health experts consulted by the school recommended against a memory page.

Another student is a new mother and wanted to take her senior photo for the yearbook with her child. The school nixed the idea and stated that all senior photos published in the yearbook are taken alone.

Do you agree or disagree with the schools decision to forgo a memorial page and a mother/daughter senior photo in the annual yearbook?

Haylen
5 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies? In Minnesota, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/10/12/h-s-yearbook-wont-include-students-baby-suicide-victim/">a high school is facing a yearbook controversy related to the issues of teen pregnancy and student suicide</a> .<br /><br />One student would have been a senior this year, but committed suicide last January. Classmates have signed a petition to get a memorial page published in the yearbook but mental health experts consulted by the school recommended against a memory page. <br /><br />Another student is a new mother and wanted to take her senior photo for the yearbook with her child. The school nixed the idea and stated that all senior photos published in the yearbook are taken alone. <br /><br />Do you agree or disagree with the schools decision to forgo a memorial page and a mother/daughter senior photo in the annual yearbook? <br /><br />Haylen
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butterflygarden responded:
I have different opinions on what I see here as two very different issues.

1) Yearbooks all over the country have tribute pages for kids in the high school who passed away during the year. We did in our yearbook when I was in high school. Has something changed?

If you have In Memory pages for kids who die in car accidents or pass from cancer, then what they are saying is that they are singling this death out because he committed suicide. He still left this world and deserves to be remembered just like all those other kids. I think disallowing that is wrong, especially if there are kids and parents willing to pay for the page.

2) No, I do not believe this single teen mom should have her baby in her yearbook photo. Not because she's a single mom or a teen mom or would be a bad example. NONE of the other kids are allowed to have anyone in THEIR photos. Photos are taken alone. If she can have her baby in the photo, then other kids can have their babies, their pets, their parents, their siblings. That's only fair. If they can't, then it is fair to tell her no.

Butterfly
Report This| Share this:Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies? I have different opinions on what I see here as two very different issues. <br /> <br />1) Yearbooks all over the country have tribute pages for kids in the high school who passed away during the year. We did in our yearbook when I was in high school. Has something changed? <br /> <br />If you have In Memory pages for kids who die in car accidents or pass from cancer, then what they are saying is that they are singling this death out because he committed suicide. He still left this world and deserves to be remembered just like all those other kids. I think disallowing that is wrong, especially if there are kids and parents willing to pay for the page. <br /> <br />2) No, I do not believe this single teen mom should have her baby in her yearbook photo. Not because she's a single mom or a teen mom or would be a bad example. NONE of the other kids are allowed to have anyone in THEIR photos. Photos are taken alone. If she can have her baby in the photo, then other kids can have their babies, their pets, their parents, their siblings. That's only fair. If they can't, then it is fair to tell her no. <br /> <br />Butterfly
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chocolatecity77071 replied to butterflygarden's response:
I think a memory page is an awesome idea. I had a classmate die when i was in the 10th grade, we were all devastated. What a great way to show how much this idividual was loved and will be missed. Now as for the girl wanted to take a picture with her baby is a bit ridiculious. Senior pictures are for people that graduated from the school. She can just as easily take pictures with her child at a later date.
Report This| Share this:Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies? I think a memory page is an awesome idea. I had a classmate die when i was in the 10th grade, we were all devastated. What a great way to show how much this idividual was loved and will be missed. Now as for the girl wanted to take a picture with her baby is a bit ridiculious. Senior pictures are for people that graduated from the school. She can just as easily take pictures with her child at a later date.
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SoCalSuz replied to chocolatecity77071's response:
Memory page - YES. I guess the suicide professionals might think it "glorifies" suicide and might drive another person to end their life because it gets them love and attention they think they don't have. (totally guessing about the reasoning here)

Teenage mom and baby? NO

Suz
Report This| Share this:Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies? Memory page - YES. I guess the suicide professionals might think it "glorifies" suicide and might drive another person to end their life because it gets them love and attention they think they don't have. (totally guessing about the reasoning here) <br /><br />Teenage mom and baby? NO <br /><br />Suz
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clg34 responded:
As someone who talks to and works with youth and the elderly around issues of depression, suicide and death I believe a memorial page is a good thing. There are people who love and miss the individual who killed themselves. I think it is sad not to acknowledge that.
Suicide is the Fourth leading cause of death for young people in the world according to WHO. We need to stop avoiding the fact that it happens as frequently as it does and do something about it. You are not celebrating the person taking their life or glorifying it-- Their death is a reminder that there are individuals all around us who need us to reach out...to be kinder...to care.

As for the pictures, I don't think that the baby should be in the picture. This was an accomplishment that the mother did. She should be in the picture alone, after all most moms either never take a picture by them selves again, or they are the one holding the camera so she should enjoy this one and celebrate her school success.
Report This| Share this:Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies? As someone who talks to and works with youth and the elderly around issues of depression, suicide and death I believe a memorial page is a good thing. There are people who love and miss the individual who killed themselves. I think it is sad not to acknowledge that.<br />Suicide is the Fourth leading cause of death for young people in the world according to WHO. We need to stop avoiding the fact that it happens as frequently as it does and do something about it. You are not celebrating the person taking their life or glorifying it-- Their death is a reminder that there are individuals all around us who need us to reach out...to be kinder...to care. <br /> <br />As for the pictures, I don't think that the baby should be in the picture. This was an accomplishment that the mother did. She should be in the picture alone, after all most moms either never take a picture by them selves again, or they are the one holding the camera so she should enjoy this one and celebrate her school success.
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timvasi responded:
In regards to the memorial page for someone who committed suicide... Absolutely not! There are too many kids out there that have extremely low self esteem and memorializing someone who for whatever reason could not cope with the circumstances in their life is a bad example to set! Suicide is a bad choice, it should never be memorialized.

In regard to the new mother... Another No in my opinion. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, teen pregnancy is the irresponsible result of making bad and immature choices and it has no place in a yearbook.

Would you put a page in the yearbook honoring someone who bullies others? I don't think so! So why would you put in a page or otherwise hi-light something that is just another example of a bad thing... be that suicide or teen pregnancy?
Report This| Share this:Should Yearbooks Include Tribute Pages and Babies? In regards to the memorial page for someone who committed suicide... Absolutely not! There are too many kids out there that have extremely low self esteem and memorializing someone who for whatever reason could not cope with the circumstances in their life is a bad example to set! Suicide is a bad choice, it should never be memorialized.<br /><br />In regard to the new mother... Another No in my opinion. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, teen pregnancy is the irresponsible result of making bad and immature choices and it has no place in a yearbook.<br /><br />Would you put a page in the yearbook honoring someone who bullies others? I don't think so! So why would you put in a page or otherwise hi-light something that is just another example of a bad thing... be that suicide or teen pregnancy?
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