Aevidum sparks positivity with sticky notes

by Gianna Cusumano

The words “school bathroom” have long been synonymous with “hiding spot.” Whether it be a bad grade or a fight with friends, every high school student has experienced this one time or another. After taking note of the negative connotation of this space, Aevidum set out to inspire positivity.

In recent months, the club took the initiative to decorate student bathrooms at Southern Lehigh High School with sticky notes. These bright squares adorn mirrors and stall doors of bathrooms and feature messages of positive affirmation. Some notes include phrases such as “You’re so pretty,” “I love your hair!” or “With the right mindset, you can do ANYTHING!” This simple act of kindness proved an impactful step towards their mission: to spread mental health awareness.

“People go to the bathroom a lot during class because they need a break. Sometimes I need to go to the bathroom and take a break and it’s just nice to have the messages there,” senior and Aevidum co-president Maddie Smith said.

Aevidum is not unique to Southern Lehigh. Originally started in 2003 after a student at Cocalico High School in PA committed suicide, the club has since established branches in over 10,000 schools. The name of the club is derived from its main goal, as Aevidum means “I’ve got your back” in Latin.

“We want to make our message known that you’re not alone, we are always here for you, and we have your back. Almost everybody in the club wrote at least one sticky note, so just going into the bathroom and seeing all these little messages and knowing that like every single one of us contributed to that,” senior and co-president Kaitlyn Howie said. “There’s so many people who have your back with all of these messages like everywhere, just kind of nice to look around and see how many people care.”

This, however, is not the first time that

Southern Lehigh students have used notes to decorate the bathrooms. The club got the idea from organizations such as No Place for Hate who conducted this activity in the past. It will also not be the last time sticky notes make an appearance, as both co-presidents and Aevidum’s advisor, Sra. Deterville, hope to re-decorate the school bathrooms this school year.

Although both Howie and Smith are seniors, they are optimistic that the underclassmen will continue this activity for years to come. Many underclassmen are enthusiastic about the idea and ready to continue the tradition next year.

“Aevidum is all about creating a positive mental health environment and to spread awareness about suicide prevention,” freshman Avantika Johri said. “Our sticky notes implement one’s body positivity and just boost their overall self-confidence.”

Leaders within the club have already seen their work come to fruition. When they are in the bathrooms, they often hear students complimenting the sticky notes. Senior Maddie Yelkel even noticed students highlighting the notes on their Snapchat stories with many showcasing how the words brighten their day.

“It’s an act of kindness that, especially in our school, is rare to see and it’s really nice to have these notes plastered [around the school], especially across the girls’ bathrooms,” sophomore Madelyn Loghmani said.