Near the start of this week I photographed a candlelight vigil in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day in light of a recent suicide on campus. Students came together at Scripps Amphitheater on campus to honor those who have passed on and offered words of encouragement for those coping with depression related issues. Members of the student organization Post-It! at Ohio University (a group that uses Post-It notes filled positive messages as a means of support) spoke out as well Dean of Students, Jenny Hall-Jones.

Eric Frazee and Alexa Joyce write messages of hope and commemoration on Post-It notes. Students posted the messages on a communal board at the candlelight vigil in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day.

Alexa Joyce of New Paris, Ohio, sheds a tear as she sticks a Post-It note to a board full of notes commerating lost loved ones as well as uplifting messages of hope during the candlelight vigil held at Scripps Ampitheatre on Tuesday evening. Joyce commerated her grandfather Alden Joyce and her brother, Lee Fitzwater.

Nick Lobosco and Ashlee Goetsch hold their candles together at the candlelight vigil held at Scripps Ampitheatre on Tuesday evening.

This Saturday I attended the 15th annual Ohio Pawpaw festival held at Lake Snowden, just outside of Athens. The event was filled with interesting people and activities. 

Chase Leibold (right) of Columbus, Ohio, spits out a pawpaw seed as he competes against Raleigh Ryan (left) of Akron, Ohio, and other participants during the Pawpaw Eating Contest at the Pawpaw Festival on Saturday. Participants were required to eat though pawpaw mush using only their mouths and suck clean the seeds. The first person to clean all the seeds to the judge's satisfaction was declared the winner. 

Raleigh Ryan of Akron, Ohio, licks his mouth and facial hair clean of pawpaw mush during the Pawpaw Eating Contest.

Lauren McCullough of Warsaw, N.Y., examines bottle cap earrings at one of the many craft vendors manned by local artists at the Pawpaw Festival on Saturday.

Brandi Ison of Nelsonville, Ohio, sorts through tie-dyed shirts at the Cool Diss vendor booth at the Pawpaw Festival on Saturday.

Gary Beasley of Sycamore, Ohio, poses for a portrait at the Pawpaw Festival held at Lake Snowden on Saturday.

Brother and sister Brice, 16, and Grace, 12, Simon of East Sparta, Ohio, participate in the Youth Pawpaw Gauntlet Contest at the Pawpaw Festival on Saturday. The gauntlet featured many different obstacles that had to be climbed on, jumped over, trudged through, swam under, and slid into. 

Emmett Tobius, 10, laughs as he pulls himself up out of the pool after sliding down a large slide during the Youth Pawpaw Gauntlet Contest at the Pawpaw Festival on Saturday.