The Oracle
Prevention is Possible
Despite increase in suicide rate, there is still hope Dua Mazhar
The first thought that will cross your mind as you come across this article is, “Oh, this is going to be depressing, no thanks.” Yes, this article is going to be depressing, because it will talk about the reality of teen suicide and the source, depression. On a more positive note, it will also offer hope to those who are suffering from these situations. At its worst, depression can lead to thoughts of suicide. Thus, informing our community about the reality of depression is critical to understanding suicide. Adolescents, from the moment that they hit their growth spurt, either girl or boy, become targets to stress and depression. They have to deal with competition in school, social problems with friends, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self identity issues. Unfortunately, these stress-
ors pile up so much that teens can unknowingly become subject to depression. Teens are unable to handle so many stressors simult a n e o u s l y, so instead of seeking help they turn to al-
cohol or drug abuse to cope. “The worst thing you can do is alcohol,” says crisis counselor D’Ann Franklin. Alcohol is a depressant, only making the symptoms of depression even worse. Two million teenagers in America alone suffer from depression, according to an
Understanding Others
article published by the Associated Press. Teens refuse to admit and get help for their depression; eventually, suicide may seem to be the only solution to end all the stress in their life. Depressed teens may talk about suicide because they want or they need someone to notice and get them out of depression. If a depressed teen shows aggression, you shouldn’t show anger as your reaction, in fact that is the last thing anyone should be doing while dealing with a depressed and suicidal teen. The best thing anyone can do for someone who is suffering from suicidal or depressing thoughts is to offer their support, show patience, take time to spend with them to show them you care. There are positive coping strategies that help to express the anxiety and aggression that depressed teens often
Give others the opportunity to understand you Esther Jeon
“North or South?” I don’t expect it every time, but I hear the question asked a good number of times when I tell people I’m from Korea. At first, I thought it was a little ridiculous. I had peers who thought it was ridiculous- how could I be from North Korea when the country’s as tightly sealed as a lid on a pickle jar? I regretfully admit that I couldn’t understand how those people didn’t know- and that I couldn’t help but to see them from another perspective (a not-sogreat perspective). Most of us will feel the same way; we look down on others when they don’t know the same things. My question is, why do we do it? Why is it that when people ask others questions about things they don’t know, there are those who’ll see those people differently? After all, we’re an incredibly unique and eclectic bunch of people. We’ve all had our own unique experiences (I think I can safely say that my break-
ing the bathroom sink with a jawbreaker is a one-of-akind experience) and we all love different things. There’s bound to be things we don’t know about and things we can’t ever expect to understand about each other. I’m part of a fantastic group I fondly like to refer to as the Questieswe all met through this scholarship program called Questbridge, and although most of us live states away from each other, Facebook keeps us close in thought and soul. We come from a variety of backgrounds and love a variety of different things, but we do identify in one way: nearly all of us are considered low-income students by colleges. So a few months back when the election was all that ever covered the news, the Questbridge group was electrified by the tense debates and campaign coverage. When the pictures of Paul Ryan washing dishes were released, the group had a good laugh. Who
15 OPIN IONS The Grade Game
Friday, February 15, 2013
was this man and who did he think he was? Did he honestly think that pictures of him washi n g dishes
would help the lower class to feel they identified with him? I won’t lie; I honestly thought it was all a bit ridiculous. Surely he could
feel such as meditating, writing, exercising, listening to music, and even talking to a trusted adult. The increase of suicidal thoughts and self harm in a teen should be treated immediately. Stratford is re-implementing the LifeSaver program that seeks to help students that might be suffering through bullying, depression, or anxiety . The process is quite simple. If you are worried about a friend, there are 2 LifeSaver mailboxes located in front of the clinic and in front of the library, along with a form you can fill out anonymously, stating the concern you have about your friend or even yourself. The boxes will be checked daily and help will be immediately offered. Teen suicide and depression is a reality. How hard can it be to give some assurance to your loved ones, to let them know and have a peace of mind that there is someone out there who cares for them? There is still hope. Graphic by Bronte Ye
come up with a better way of reaching out to those who had less than him. But even before I’d clicked on the title of the article to read it, I was already predisposed to thinking that people like Paul Ryan would never understand. (Washing dishes was not going to cut it.) I think back on that memory and I wish I could’ve realized what I’ve thought about now. Why do we dismiss the attempts of others to help us because we think they couldn’t understand? Why is it that we beg for others to understand us, but when people make the effort to, we dismiss their efforts because they haven’t experienced it themselves? Now, I think I’m a little ridiculous. I ought to get off my high horse- I’m not so knowledgeable about the affairs of the world to be able to turn around and whisper with my friends about how ridiculous the North/South Korea question is. Graphic by Molly Richter
High school turning into competition
Claire Galbraith
The competition in high school seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Students are constantly comparing themselves to their classmates. Whether it’s a homework grade or a test grade, they always want to know where they stand. If they are not among the best, they try to put others below them to make themselves feel superior. As competition rises, so do the insecurities, and unbearable stress is created by the aggression shown between agitated teenagers. The feeling of lagging behind because others are ahead can be very frustrating for a kid, and people who boast about their grades are not helping. Competing to be the best and brightest student should be a good thing as long as no one is being hurt in the process. When one receives a good grade on a piece of work, it is natural to want to tell friends and others. However, if one is doing it merely to show off how they are smarter than others, it is a very malicious thing to do. Just because someone did extremely well doesn’t impugn another’s work. Declaring yourself to be the best does not actually mean one is the best. A person who brags about their grades is usually insecure, so this person must show they are better than what they think others perceive them to be. And if they don’t stop the habit, it will spread into other parts of life. The competition between students is like a contagious virus that only gets worse over time. It tears friendships apart and classmates become inimical towards each other. Competition doesn’t stop after high school, it branches out. By building up the habit of trying to be better than everybody, a bog of hate and insecurity can grow between coworkers. When applying for a job one must be competitive to get the position, but the continuation of aggression and combativeness in the work place is inappropriate. By being competitive towards colleagues or friends, one can seem pretentious or arrogant, and it becomes easy to make enemies. Who would
want to be with a person who puts people down and believes they are above everyone? Nobody wants to look at the great qualities they have when there’s another person to challenge them. What does it mean if they aren’t outstanding students? Nowadays, it seems like grades dictate who people are. Yet, people aren’t their grades and they have to focus on finding a way to be secure about themselves. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” and this is true. Due to the gross amount of competition around them, students are allowing others to make them feel inadequate in comparison. People often fail to see that there will always be a person who may be better and it shouldn’t make anyone feel less than who they are. Instead of focusing on who is the best, one should reflect on how well they believe they did. By building confidence and using self motivators to do better, people avoid using others as stepping stones. Another way a student could strive to do better is by knowing what they want. If one wants an “A,” ask questions, work harder, and go the extra mile, because that’s what is desired by themselves, not what is expected from other class mates. Also, one could keep track of their progress to see how much they have improved. This builds confidence and makes them believe they can do better in school. Taking the high ground is the best way to become successful in life. There is no need for aggression when trying to be a top student; one just needs to be willing to work hard and also be respectful to others. Yes, there will still be people who try to hoist themselves up by putting others down. The appropriate response to that would be to ignore them and continue working to the best of one’s ability. Being competitive is not a bad thing, it’s an effective motivator for some. Nevertheless, there is excessive amount of competition in school and it’s the leading cause of unhappiness for many young teens.