TW: mentions of intentional self-harm. If you are having thoughts of suicide, know that help is always here. You are not alone. Call the National Center For Mental Health 24/7 Crisis Hotline 1553, 0917 899 8727(USAP), and/or 7-989-8727 (USAP).
Students of Saint Louis University in Baguio City took to the streets and on social media their call for a break on school work, pleading for compassion for students who have been struggling with their academic requirements in the middle of the pandemic.
The hashtag #AcademicBreakNOWSLU trended over the weekend as students staged a candlelight protest in front of SLU Main Gate on Saturday to forward their calls to the school administration.
"Despite endless calls for #AcademicBreakNowSLU, the administration has once again failed to show its students compassion; the very principle we are taught as students of the University," the SLU Supreme Student Council said in an open letter to the school officials.
According to the council, the school administration has continuously ignored calls from students for an academic break, while letters and emails from student councils and from concerned parents took weeks to be answered or sometimes not at all.
"Students should never be collateral damage to the lack of care that the administration has for its students. Your lack of communication and compassion has severely impacted not only the mental health of the student population, but their lives and futures as well," the council said.
In response, the SLU administration said it continued to support not only the academic needs of their students but also their non-academic needs, including their mental health, welfare, and safety.
The school officials also urged the public to take caution in sharing information about alleged cases of suicide and self-harm among students which triggered the protest actions.
"We are not discounting the reality of such unfortunate circumstances and we deeply value the sanctity of each and every life. As such, caution is imperative in making and sharing unverified information pertaining to cases of this sensitive nature," the school administration said.
A follow-up meeting between the administration and student council on calls for an academic break will be held on Nov. 9.
"Rest assured that requests are embraced with understanding and utmost compassion. We thus request for everyone’s sobriety as we navigate towards a resolution that is fair, just, and humane," the school administration said.
Following the protest actions, student councils of various universities in Baguio City wrote to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Rep. Mark Go to declare a city-wide academic break from Nov. 12 to 17 so that students can breathe from the academic workloads.
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