BEAR WITNESS | JUNE 2018 | BHSBEARWITNESS.COM “Given the amount of shootings that are happening recently, I was not surprised.” Anmol Dhaka, junior
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OPINION
BULLETIN BOARD
Editorial | The opinion of the Bear Witness editors
Santa Fe shooting How did you respond?
All choices valid when choosing career paths
I was sad, definitely, because regardless of how many of these things happen, you can’t turn a blind eye to it. But unfortunately, because of how many shootings have happened, I was desensitized to it. I was like, “Oh, just another shooting,” which is incredibly sad. Emma Tucker Senior I wasn’t as shocked by it [asompared to Parkland], I had a certain amount of sympathy for the students there and the teachers of course, but I wasn’t as surprised when I found out. Donald Cox Sophomore It was just kind of a sense of disappointment that this would happen so soon after something like Parkland. I kind of wish I knew a little more about this one, because the motive behind the shooting was not as clear as it was [in Parkland]. Because that one was very clear-cut, and people knew about it beforehand. There wasn’t much about who did it, or why. Milo Ford Junior
tudents face a tough choice at the end of senior S year. They are forced to decide what path they will chose for their career. For most, the only option con-
sidered is a four-year degree. However, there are other options that should be weighed with the same amount of worth. There is an expectation in American society that the only acceptable career path after high school is to get a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. Trade schools and two-year degrees are left out of this expectation. Going to trade school should be just as acceptable as going to a university. Trade jobs such as plumbers, mechanics, and hairstylists are just as valid as jobs requiring four-year degrees. These jobs are just as valued in society as those one can get with a bachelor’s degree, and you are able to avoid hefty student loans and still have a stable, well-paying career. Another common view is that community college is not a valid form of education. This is also not true. Going to a two-year or community college is just as respectable a choice as a four year. You are still in school and should be validated for continuing your education. The option often viewed with the most stigma is not going to school at all and going straight into the work. This option allows for students to go straight into their desired career path instead of spending time in school. This also allows them to keep their options open. They
can save up for college if they wish or travel with the money they earned. Choosing not to enroll in any school and going straight into work or the military is also a perfectly acceptable option. All of these choices should be viewed as normal and acceptable as going to a university. Regarding all other options other than attending a four-year as atypical can force students down paths . It can make them feel like their choices is not valid. Branham should serve as an environment for students to explore whichever paths intrigue them. All career and education choices are valid and should be treated as such. Students should not feel pressured into
Catherine Monroy/Bear Witness
To stop suicides, we need to talk about mental health In the United States, the suicide rate for males 14.2 for males and 5.1 for females per 100,000 deaths.
Given the amount of shootings that are happening recently, I was not surprised. Of course, I’m devastated and a bit annoyed that the shootings keep happening, but it didn’t come off as a shock to me, and at this point, I’m just really ready for things to start changing, because the nature of our country isn’t doing anything to prevent these shootings, and they keep on happening. Anmol Dhaka Junior I was astonished that there was another school shooting that had gone on. There was almost no news coverage of it at the time. So, I just found out through a bunch of friends talking about it. I was really shocked there wasn’t more news on it. Tiffany La Freshman
a certain path just because it is what society deems as appropriate. They should make their decision based exclusively off their ambitions and interests.
Kimberly Coke/Special to Bear Witness JULIANNE ALVARES Opinion Editor
y middle school classmate committed suicide. M He is not the first teen suicide I’ve heard and, unfortunately, won’t be the last. I reconnected with old classmates, each of us mourning the loss of a friend. After looking through all the in memoriam posts on my phone, I sat down and wondered what could be done to prevent further tragedy. A thought came to my mind, the one thing that was absent from health class was mental health. In physical education, we talked about substance abuse the entire year and had an entire unit of reproductive health, but almost nothing was said about mental illness and suicide. Why did the curriculum not delve as comprehensively into these topics as they did with drugs or sex? Despite not receiving as much class time, suicide is a much more prolific cause of death. According to statistics compiled by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, the amount of drug-related deaths
was 3.7 per 100,000 people. Compare this with suicide-related deaths, which was 14.2 for males and 5.1 for females per 100,000 deaths. What can we do to help stop or prevent teen suicide? The solution is straightforward: Put mandatory mental health education in schools similar to what we have for reproductive health education. The plan would look very similar to the California Healthy Youth Act, which began to take effect in early 2016. This act mandated schools provide students with comprehensive sex education, including information on contraceptives. The act worked; the amount of births for teenage girls between 14 and 18 dropped from 15,002 in 2014 to 11,694 at the end of 2016. Given this knowledge, it would be logical to conclude that information on suicide hotlines and help centers could save young people’s lives. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, a study conducted in Oregon says that schools with health centers may help lower suicide rates in
teenagers. In the beginning of the year, New York implemented a policy early this year requiring schools to educate students of mental health and hopefully other states will follow suit. Education provides insight and information on otherwise taboo topics of discussion, and should be used to tackle the issue of mental illness. Suicide is a prevalent issue, so why do we mention suicide only a few times throughout a whole school year? At Branham, according to the Healthy Kids Survey 35 percent of freshmen, 36 percent of sophomores, 48 percent of juniors, and 41 percent of seniors say they have struggled with chronic hopelessness or sadness. Chances are you know a friend or classmate who is struggling, and you want to help but you don’t know how. Schools exist to educate students on a wide array of subjects, and one of those should definitely be mental health. No one should ever feel so alone and helpless that they feel killing themselves is the best solution and leave behind friends and family wondering why.
