High School Students' Suicide Prevention Video Screened Today

—Written by Bay City News

Two San Jose high school students who won statewide recognition for a suicide prevention video they made will be honored locally for their efforts today, a Santa Clara County spokeswoman said.

The 60-second video, titled "You're Not Alone," was created by Gunderson High School students Jessica Lamping and Joel Lopez.

"It's really, really cool," Lamping, a freshman, said of the honor. "I never thought I'd put something together that would win." Lamping and Lopez, who is a senior, collaborated in February on the suicide prevention public service announcement, which was merely a homework project assigned by video production teacher Ben Herlth.

"They just ran with it," Herlth said.

It was one of 371 videos entered into a California Mental Health Services Authority video contest, Santa Clara County spokeswoman Joy Alexiou said.

Of those entries, two-dozen regional winners were selected, including "You're Not Alone," which won second place for its region.

The region includes Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

The first-place winner for the region, "Just takes one," was submitted by students at New Technology High School in Napa.

Lamping, who intends to pursue a career in video production, said the video received an A in her video production class.

Today, Lamping and Lopez will be honored and "You're Not Alone" will be screened at the Santa Clara County Mental Health Board's Community Service Awards luncheon, Alexiou said.

The event was scheduled to begin at noon at the Three Flames Restaurant at 1547 Meridian Ave. in San Jose.

The video can be viewed online at http://www.directingchange.org/youre-not-alone-1/

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