Yorkville High School students fighting to wear pins at graduation in honor of classmate’s passing

Yorkville High School students are petitioning to wear pins at graduation to honor a senior who took her own life in March, but administrators have denied the request.

Sydney Cantwell, an 18-year-old senior at YHS, died by suicide on March 15. Students are asking for a change in graduation dress code in order to wear suicide and mental health awareness pins to honor her memory.

After being denied by a school administrator, students took to a school board meeting to plead their case for the dress code exception. Five people spoke at the School District 115 board meeting on April 22, requesting permission to wear the pins at graduation and expressing their dissatisfaction with the high school administrators’ decision to deny their request.

A “Change Y115′s Graduation Dress Code For Sydney” petition was created to influence school administration to make the change, and it currently has more than 4,000 signatures.

Among those who spoke at the board meeting were four students and Sydney Cantwell’s father.

Casey Cantwell said the pins were not just about his daughter, but are meant to show people struggling with mental health that they are cared for and supported. He asked the board to trust that the students fighting for the change are doing it for the right reasons.

“If my daughter was alive today to see the support she was receiving, I know she would ask that you all please allow her friends to wear these ribbons to support her, as she will not be able to walk across that stage herself,” Cantwell said. “Knowing that I will not get to see that breaks my heart.”

Cantwell said it would mean a lot to him, his family and to the students, and hoped that the pins would inspire others to say something to someone who is struggling with the same challenges his daughter faced.

“Suicide and mental illness is a big thing and we kind of push it aside, except for the month we like to talk about it,” Cantwell said. “They’re simply wanting to support my daughter and anyone else who has had this happen in their life, and just take a little piece of her with them as they walk across the stage at graduation.”

There were about 100 people in attendance during the public comment section of the meeting, many wearing the pins and most of whom became visibly emotional during Cantwell’s comments.

After Cantwell spoke, Board president Darren Crawford said, “Thank you, Mr. Cantwell. Suicide touches us all. We grieve with you,” before calling on the next public comment to come forward.

After public comment, Crawford said the board would not be considering the allowance, as the graduation dress code falls under the purview of the principal.

“They’re simply wanting to support my daughter and anyone else who has had this happen in their life, and just take a little piece of her with them as they walk across the stage at graduation.”

—  Casey Cantwell, father of the late Sydney Cantwell

On April 23, Yorkville High School Principal David Travis said the loss of a young person is very tragic for any community, but the administration is standing by its decision not to allow students to wear the pins at graduation.

Travis said the school has planned a formal process to recognize and honor Sydney Cantwell at the graduation ceremony, but allowing students to wear non-issued regalia poses a challenge, and having decorated caps and gowns is not a direction the school wants to go with the ceremony.

Travis said administration is continually trying to find the best ways to recognize and honor the passing of Sydney Cantwell. He said in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the school will be teaching suicide prevention and mental health awareness lessons.

As part of that curriculum, next week students will have the opportunity to craft bracelets they can personalize to honor Sydney Cantwell or whoever they choose, which will be allowed to be worn at graduation as an alternative to the pins.

“I appreciate the students sharing and expressing their voice as they try to find their way forward in this process,” Travis said. “There is no right or wrong way to grieve a classmate. We’re all trying to find a way forward as a community and support the kids as best we can.”

Y115 issued a statement on April 29, which did not address the petition to wear the pins at graduation, but reiterated the school would be offering a bracelet alternative for students.

According to the statement, “To celebrate and support Mental Health Awareness Month in May, all YHS students will have the opportunity to connect and participate in a bracelet-making activity during their Advisory class... The bracelet will incorporate green (Mental Health Awareness) and purple (Suicide Awareness) beads along with letters students can use to spell out a name or initials to honor/acknowledge someone in their lives who is struggling with or who they have lost due to mental health issues. This communal activity provides an outlet for support, and these bracelets will serve as a tangible reminder of our unity and empathy.”