The posters served as a reminder of the importance of avoiding and preventing violence, Harutunian said.
“Honestly, our generation has become so politically apathetic,” Harutunian said. “If they have something visual, they’ll actually understand more and get involved.”
At least 200 students posted messages by Thursday afternoon, Harutunian said, after the posters had been up in various locations around the school since Tuesday.
Some of the messages focused on the school — like “I Love Hoover,” while others were more international in scope — such as “Peace — Stop the War.”
Arsen Nazaryan, 17, said the posters demonstrated the unity of the diverse student body, and what he described as the mostly harmonious relations between student groups from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
“This is a united school,” Arsen said.
The posters also served as an advertisement for Yellow Ribbon Week, said Arsen, who has come a long way since his freshman year, when he didn’t know what nonviolence week was about.
“When other people see it, it makes them think,” Arsen said.
Students who contributed to the effort were handed yellow ribbons, buttons and bracelets by the student organizers of the project.
Members of the Associated Student Body also tied bright yellow ribbons to columns and trees around the campus to help spread the word about the week.
Creating a mural with the peaceful messages was the students’ idea, said Nareg Keshishian, a Hoover teacher who advises the school’s student government.
“We’re taking a week out of the year to concentrate on nonviolence, just being peaceful with each other,” Keshishian said.
Normally, students at the school organize games as part of Yellow Ribbon Week, but the rainy weather this week has hampered some of those efforts, Keshishian said.
It’s important to continue to remind students about the importance of nonviolence, Keshishian said, but he was also pleased with the current safety level of the school.
“It’s been a really peaceful last few years,” Keshishian said.
