Gordon Clay here. Next Friday, April 5th, the First Friday Salon will show "Cry for Help" at 6pm at the Chetco Public Library

Two years after the country was rattled by the Virginia Tech shooting that left 33 dead, this movie takes a critical look at the issues surrounding teen depression and suicide. Behind the acts of violence and rage of both the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings is a larger issue of mental illness in teens that is rarely addressed. Research shows that the rate of teenage suicide has tripled over the last 60 years; 28 teenagers a week now die by suicide.

This movie takes an intimate look at the efforts of two high schools to identify adolescents at risk - one after losing four students to suicide in less than a year. It also examines the difficult transition from high school to college through the first-person account of Stacy Hollingsworth, a straight-A student and gifted musician who battled depression, suicidal thoughts, and feelings of paralyzing hopelessness for years. She has recovered, and now works for the National Association of Mental Health Awareness to help other young people who are struggling.

"First Friday Salon" is a free evening to see and talk about documentaries that, most likely, would never show in the area. The series is sponsored by TheCitizensWhoCare.org whose main purpose is to "Give you something to think about."

The movie starts promptly at 6pm with discussion to follow on the First Friday of every month at the wheelchair accessible Chetco Community Public Library, 405 Alder St., Brookings