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Williams’ suicide sparks important conversations By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
While the death of Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams has prompted expressions of sadness from around the globe, some local grief and suicide prevention experts said the loss also has stimulated important conversations. When news hit that Williams had taken his own life Aug. 11, the celebrity’s death sparked discussions about suicide, mental illness and grief. Williams’ death is tragic, but it has focused attention on a topic that many people would prefer to avoid, said Betsey Westuba, chairwoman of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition. “When I say the word ‘suicide,’ I find people will change the subject. I call it the ‘S-word,’ because people want to run away from it,” said Westuba, who also facilitates a group that meets in Lutz for people who
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Suicide Hotline: (800) 273-8255 Local 211 hotline: Visit 211.org and enter your ZIP code to find help for all sorts of issues.
have lost a loved one to suicide.“The point is, it’s real. It’s out there.” To help combat the problem, people must become more alert to signs that others are thinking about suicide, and must be willing to step in to do what they can to help, she said. Jason Tompkins, a licensed clinical social worker, said the death by suicide of a wellknown personality, such as Williams, can serve as a catalyst to raise awareness to help prevent suicides. “A high-profile suicide starts a lot of conversations with people who would not be See WILLIAMS, page 7A
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Counseling and medication can help people who are suffering from depression. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, there are people who are trained to provide help.
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Lutz Elementary School kindergarten teacher Courtney Hartman, left, puts together binders for her students with the help of assistant Becky Caldwell, the day before classes started in Hillsborough County.
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Kindergarten students have a friend to greet them each day in one Lutz Elementary School classroom as school begins for tens of thousands of students in Hillsborough County.
Jeff Young, a fifth-grade language arts teacher at Lutz Elementary School, enjoys one last day when he can wear his Pittsburgh Steelers Tshirt as he gets ready for the first day of school.
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‘Concept College’ helps make dreams a reality By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
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In some Pasco County families, attending college after graduating high school is almost a given. There’s money, opportunity and plenty of options for a student to continue their education. But in others, college seems like a farfetched dream. Even before they graduate high school, those students know that the opportunity isn’t there, and that makes it hard to focus on good grades and pursuing whatever options might exist. “Their parents are like, ‘Well, we don’t have money for this,’ so they’re like OK, there’s no point,” said Lauren Rowold, who graduated from Sunlake High School earlier this year. Rowold wasn’t one of the students who had given up hope. Unlike some of her peers, she made sure her senior year was spent getting her grades up and preparing for a college career. She also took part in Concept College, a program implemented by Pasco-Hernando State College, designed to help at-risk youth and disadvantaged high school students explore and obtain college opportunities.
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Lauren Rowold, a Sunlake High School graduate who is registered for classes at Pasco-Hernando State College later this month, credits the school’s Concept College program for answering questions and making the transition to college easier.
Rowold was one of about 600 students per year who participate in the program, which takes them on campus, gives them a
firsthand look at college life, answers questions, helps with applications, and explores scholarship opportunities. Concept College provides some optimism for young people who think college is beyond their grasp, said Maria Hixon, PHSC’s director of development. “This is really targeting students who need assistance to help make them believe that college is possible for them,” Hixon said. “Sometimes without that direct outreach and personal attention, they kind of fall through the cracks.” Guidance counselors at the high school level identify juniors and seniors who might be in danger of falling through those cracks and could benefit from the program. Students who are disabled, pregnant, or have discipline problems or economic disadvantages, are among those who might qualify.An advisor from the college then visits the high school to provide confidence-building exercises, and those who join the program schedule a visit to either the Dade City or New Port Richey campus that normally lasts more than two hours. On campus, students tour the school, ask See COLLEGE, page 7A