2 October 24, 2013
Opinion
Volume 110, Issue 2
Ten second editorials...
On the Spot If you could permanently dress up in a Halloween costume, what would you be and why?
“Wonder Woman, so I could save the day every day.” -Freshman Emily Edsell
“A sloth, because what girl isn’t attracted to sloths?” -Sophomore Ethan Long
Thumbs up ...to super-frosh Reagan Beyer’s 43rd place finish at state golf, and the admirable efforts of the senior girls at state tennis. ...to fundraising and rescheduled evacuation drills gifting us with hour-long lunches. ...to the start of haunted house season. However, attendance may be down this year: Capitol Hill is horrifying enough for even the biggest scare-junkies. ...to the return of caffeinehappy Wachholz to Wildcat Wednesdays and the end of Doleysh’s well-intentioned, yet painful, Wiley roars. ...to Mother Nature finally allowing us to break out those snuggly fall sweaters. ...to the Wildcat Cafe for providing that vital third-hour pick-me-up donut. ...to the shiny new Index website hastening the ultimate death of print media. Hooray!
Thumbs down ...to schools not being federally funded, and having to slog through the government shutdown without so much as a half-day. ...to the onslaught of “Keep Calm” merch. Are we anticipating a fire-bombing? ...to the frostless fall delaying the annhilation of mold and pollen, and dooming allergysuffers to eternally sniffle. ...to those who have not realized the socially acceptable way to stand in the middle of the hall. (Hint: there is none.) ...to the nation’s collective surrender to Big Pumpkin Spice and its crack-like cinnamon blend. ...to municipal age limits on trick-or-treating. You’ve gotta fight for your right to peanut M&M’s. ...to Austin Wooldridge’s nonstop gutteral stress-groaning.
The Oshkosh West
INDEX
“A hot potato, because I like to play games and I’m always steamy.” -Junior Billy Courchene
Oshkosh West High School 375 N. Eagle St. Established in 1903 Volume 110, Issue 2
General Adviser: Mr. Trent Scott
“Catwoman, because I love cats and they would be attracted to me.” -Senior Alison Williams
“Homer Simpson, because he’s my favorite cartoon character and I could relive my childhood.” -Business teacher Scott Gremminger
Managing Editors: Megan Diermeier Daphne Thompson Editors: Steven Ellefson (Sports) Taylor Ferrere (Sports) Rachel Fisher (Business) Claudia Koechell (News) Lauryn Lahr (Community) Noah Ludwig (Graphics) Hannah Schacherl (News) Courtney Schroeder (Photography) Kaylyn Stanek (Features) Marissa Sugrue (Photography) Erin Thiele (Advertising) Emma Thompson (Features) Austin Wooldridge (Enter-
tainment) Asreen Zangana (Web) Laura Zornosa (Community)
Writers: Jessica Anderson, Max Antonneau, Tanner Calo, Julia Colantonio, Nick Doberstein, Valraye Herring, Caroline Janotha, Lexi Kasubowski, Ashleigh Kent, Sam Kozimor, Charity Labuy, Courtney Labuy, Kevin Moline, Ashley Moss, Alyson Niehans, Jake Rost, Carley Schnabel, Arjun Sharma Photographers: Max Antonneau, Derek Bathke, Brandon Clark, Ashley Corley, Collin Groba, Keegan Lim, Erin Pyle, Gwen Schreiter
Non-Profit Organization Oshkosh Area Schools P.O. Box 3048 Oshkosh, WI 54902 Oct. 24, 2013 Issue #2
The purpose of the Oshkosh West Index is to educate, inform, and entertain through eight publications each year. The paper will provide a forum for students’ ideas and opinions. All letters must be signed. Index editors reserve the right to edit all letters for reason of space, clarity, or libel. All letters express the opinion of their authors and not necessarily that of the Index staff. Drop off all letters in E25, direct them to www.the-index.org, or mail them to Index, Oshkosh West High School, 375 N. Eagle Street, Oshkosh WI 54902. Index accepts advertisements from businesses, faculty, or students, thus creating a market for saleable goods.
Scott reflects on loss and need for change As you read these words, I will be 2,200 miles away. I am attending memorial services for a former student, a friend, a member of my extended family. Witty, compassionate, loving, this young man’s life ended far too early as his gifts were just beginning to enrich this too dark world in which we live. Tragically, this beautiful young man fell prey to his inner demons and the lies they had to tell, taking his own life and leaving behind friends, family and an entire community asking why. Reading the email bearing these dark tidings immediately shattered me. When my mom passed away last year, this young man reached out to me in support and prayer. And as I read this email, I wondered if I had reached out to him. And I wondered… When you turn to page eight of the newspaper you now hold in your hands, you will see an in depth report on the subject of teen depression and suicide. Specifically, this report was triggered by implementation of TeenScreen. Part of the backlash against a program like this one, a “backlash” limited to a fairly slim minority, stems from the notion that speaking about, learning about and informing about suicide will somehow augment or exacerbate the problem. This is utter nonsense. Only through transparency, the chosen vulnerability to invest into one another’s lives, will we vanquish the inner lies that lead to depression and suicide. One of the sources for this report, Jenny Wesner, lost her son Alex to suicide on July 31, 2007. I remember that day all too well. The crisis hotline had been activated and I received the phone call we, as a school community, dread. Alex was my student, and I always enjoyed our conversations and philosophical exchanges. As I sat at his memorial, again, I wondered why and what more could have been done. Since Alex’s death, Wesner has spearheaded a community-wide effort to educate schools and students about the issues of depression, mental illness and sociological causes that lead students to consider suicide. “The very most important thing is telling these kids that there is hope. You will get past this, and you are going to need help and support. But there is hope,” she said. Hope. It lights the darkness, but we must lift our heads and open our eyes to see it. If you have made it this far, may I ask a favor? If you are in that darkness, reach out for a light. It could be a friend, a parent, a teacher. If someone reaches out to you, do not shrink back from their hand. Step forward and embrace them with the words and love they so badly need. So, today I say goodbye to one of my kids. It’s not the first time, and I fear that it won’t be the last. God knows, I hope that it is.
by Trent Scott
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