OPINIONS

January 2016 | Prowler

Adults should recognize

student mental illness
by
staff reporter
Alyssa Ochoa

A silent junior slouches into

the last seat by the back of
the class, trying to avoid any
unnecessary attention. His grades
continue to drop and so do his
friends. After constant bullying,
self-isolation seems like the only
solution when every day feels like
a struggle. As self-hate and selfdoubt grow, it doesnt help that
his parents simply overlook the
warning signs of depression and
label the juniors moody behavior
as a teenage phase.
Oblivious to childrens
mental health, and believing
the common stereotype that all
teenagers are just moody or lazy,
some adults are not helping their
children get real help when they
have a mental disorder.
In reality, mental health
disorders, like depression, are
not phases. They are dangerous
illnesses with countless, negative

More Than A Phase

side effects.
Research completed by the
National Center for Children in
Poverty (NCCP) in 2009 found
that 20% of adolescents have a
mental health disorder, such as
depression, anxiety or eating
disorders. The outcome? That
includes years of instability, or
worse, suicide, the third leading
cause of death in teens suffering
from mental disorders.
Take for example, 13-yearold Francesca Simpkins, who
was found dead in April, 2015,
after hanging herself. Having
attempted to overdose just six
months earlier, Simpkins parents
said that they had no idea she
was self harming until after her
overdose attempt. Her father said
that he received no advice on
how to look after a young person
who had attempted suicide.
If mental disorders continue to
go unrecognized, more lives will
be lost, despite the fact that they
could have been saved.
According to Clubhouse
International, 35-50% of

serious mental illness cases

go undiagnosed. Illnesses
like Schizophrenia, Anorexia,
or Bipolar Disorder can be
especially dangerous as they
have higher rates of suicide and
cause people to be more prone
to suicidal and self-harming
thoughts.
Its issues like these that should
be brought to light in school.
Teens and parents who may not
know how to handle mental
disorders can be educated if the
subject is talked at school.
The first step to finding a
solution is accepting those with
disorders. Teens with mental
disorders dont often talk to
people about it because they feel
like no one understands or they
dont feel safe telling anyone.
Teachers and students who show
support can help a struggling
teen to open up. Recognizing
the signs of mental disorders can
also be a big step to giving help.
Mentally ill teens will frequently
deny that there is something
wrong, so it isnt easy for them to

20% of youth

live with a
mental disorder

Suicide is the

3rd

leading
cause of
death among
youths
Approx.

50%

of those 14+
with a mental
disorder drop
out of school

diagnose themselves.
Taking action after noticing the
signs may help save a life. After
seeking professional help, family
member and friends can support
their loved one.
Beyond parents and friends,
the school system can play its
part. Providing speakers to hold
small seminars could be one
small step. Or student clubs step
up, discuss the topic of mental
health and make informational
posters to raise awareness.
If all work together and talk
about mental health issues, the
collective, community awareness
could help save lives.

Source: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill vectors by freevectors.com, cc, infographic by Delilah Rivera

45 shootings, 1 year
by
staff reporter
Justin Baham

Americas gun control problem

has already spun out of control,
and its only getting worse. Loose
gun laws allow normal, everyday
citizens of the United States
unrestricted access to hundreds
of handguns. Therefore, the
prevention of all kinds of gunrelated crimes is next to impossible
and public places, like schools,
which were once deemed shelters
from these types of crimes, are not
as safe anymore.
Worry of a mass shooting at a
college campus is now a rational
fear after 45 United States schools
had a shooter on campus in 2015.
On October 22, one student
was killed and three others
were injured at Tennessee State
University. On October 1, eight
students and one teacher were
shot and killed at a community
college in Oregon. To put it
closer to home, a shooter killed 1
and injured 3 at Texas Southern
University in Houston.
Despite the tragedies, new polls
show that people oppose gun

10 states with
the highest
rating of
shootings

WY
MT

NM
1

OK

AR

TN

infographic by Delilah Rivera

Source: 247WallSt.com,
ALvectors: freevector.com, cc

control even more now than before

these shootings happened. This
is the only country where school
shootings happen this frequently.
Yet, the American population
wants even less to do with gun
control.
In December 2012, a man
named Adam Lanza walked into
Sandy Hook elementary school
and shot 20 children and six staff
members. People called for gun
control to be taken more seriously,

LA MS
but, in the following year, nothing
was done. In 2013, 109 gun control
laws were passed, 70 of which
loosened gun control and seven of
which were enacted in Texas. These
laws included weakening firearm
safety training and allowing
enrolled students with a concealedcarry permits to store a gun in
their car on their college campus.
With all the soft regulations, it
only makes it easier to bring guns
to school and do harm.

Loose gun laws

need tightened
to assure safety

In a recent poll by the Cable

News Network (CNN), taken
three weeks after the Oregon
community college shooting, 52%
of Americans opposed tighter gun
control laws. It seems that even
after a national tragedy, Americans
are adamant about letting more
people have guns. Yet, its obvious
as to what happens when guns end
up in the wrong hands.
Shootings, both in and outside
of school, could be prevented or
reduced if Americans adopted
a better gun control plan. This
countrys leaders should look to
others to find different, preventive
solutions to these types of crimes.
In America, gun-related crimes
have become a normal part of
life, just another news story on
television. No other country has
as big of gun control problem
as America does. In order for
the country to become safer,
something needs to be done.
Its up to the youth of America,
those who have the potential to
become the next target, to speak up
about how guns are mishandled. If
we dont address this issue, it can
only get worse.

Letters
to the

editor

Scholar opportunities

We have a wide variety of classes

that are accessible to us. Ive taken
an eclectic variety of classes such as
ceramics, Spanish and the pharmacy
tech. These extra-curricular classes
allowed me to explore my different
interests and see what would benefit
me in my career choice. Not only do
I benefit from those classes but also
from the AP classes provided. We have
amazing AP teachers who prepare us to
succeed in college level classes.
Senior Raquel Pintor

Fine arts loss

In the school district were looked

down upon because of the fine arts
department, which isnt given anything
to work with in terms of finance. We lack
the proper funds to be able to show off
what our school can do such as [in] band
or theater or whatever. Its frustrating.
Senior Ryder Sanchez

Cell phone zones

The cell phone rule is sort of
obnoxious. I understand that there are
rules set in place for a reason and for
our own protection, but some of the
rules imposed on us are absurd. The
cell phone zones are ridiculous. How
does it help us? It doesnt really make
sense to me.
Senior Necole Lane

Want your voice to be heard?

Write a letter to the editor and drop
it off in room A209. All letters require
the full name and grade of the writer.
Please note, letters may be editing to
fit in allotted space.

Cheers & Geers

Voices of the Student Body

PASSING STUDENTS
I like that the teachers
do a lot of stuff to
make sure their
students pass. We have
a lot of opportunities
to do extra stuff at this
school like free testing.
- Zachary
Huneycutt (12)
PROVIDING NECESSARY
HELP
I like how we are
able to talk to the
teachers when we
dont understand
the subject were
learning during and
after school.
- Hunter
Schulz (11)

CROWDED HALLWAYS
The one thing I
dont like is how
crowded the hallways
get during passing
periods.
- Yessenia
Villalon (12)
DRESS CODE
The over regulation
of the statures of
dress code and the
fact that people
cannot wear hats
inside [are my
concerns].
- Carlos
De Jesus (9)