March 2013 MHS Panther Press Student Newspaper

The Panther Press

March 15, 2013 Volume VII

Stand for the Silent Everyone has met at least one person in their life who's participated in bullying, whether they were the bully or the one being bullied.

Bullying: we’ve all seen it. Some of you may have been bullied or have bullied someone else.

Bullying is very serious and should never go unnoticed. Bulling may cause the victim to go into depression or even commit self-harm.

Bullying should not be mistaken for friendly teasing. Messing with your best friends is only teasing if everybody knows it’s just a joke. Bullying is when someone purposely hurts the feelings of someone else. Friends, teammates, and siblings tease each other and joke around with one another-- that’s what they do. Bullying is meant to hurt the self-esteem of the victim and to make them feel like they are nothing.Bullying cannot be stopped all at once. It’s going to be an uphill battle. The good news is that there are groups rising to the challenge of that battle. One group is called Stand for the Silent. SFTS was started by Kirk and Laura Smalley in 2010. Kirk and Laura lost their son Ty to suicide when he took his own life after being suspended from school for retaliating against a bully.

Kirk and Laura have dedicated their lives to working to defeat bullying. So far they have spoken to more than 550,000 kids and teens. Cartoon Network has also jumped on board with the SFTS. Cartoon Network has begun distributing "speak up, stop bullying" banners. These banners encourage students to stand up for bullied kids and tell an adult that they trust about instances of bullying.

Most people agree that bullying is a problem. Few have the courage to stand up against bullying and speak for the silent. Will you have the courage to be more than a bystander? -- Brett Potts, 12th grade

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Book Review: Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why Thirteen Reasons Why is what I like to call a page turner. Jay Asher is excellent at making you want to keep reading.

In Thirteen Reasons Why, a girl named Hannah has killed herself and a set of tapes she’s made is circulating through 13 people. Thirteen people, thirteen stories, thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. Some reasons are bullying, betrayal, and neglect, but those are only a few of the reasons that drove Hannah to the edge. !

Clay, the narrator of the story, can’t believe that his name has made the list of people who Hannah intended to see her tapes. He never did anything wrong to Hannah.

Even though he didn’t do anything, he listens to the tapes, overtaken by curiosity. All throughout the night he listens to the stories, her voice soaking into his ears. The things he hears, all the things Hannah says, changes him forever. !

This story is ABSOLUTELY amazing. I read over 100 pages of it my first night reading it. Everyone should read this book-- everyone! It’s magnificent, and it could change your life. It might even help you save another person’s life. Jay Asher is a great writer and I hope to read more of his books in the near future. -- Haven Labaki, 11th grade

Real Talk: How Do I Leave an Abusive Relationship? “It can't happen to me." One of the most common answers studies get when asked about abusive relationships. But did you know that one in three girls is physically, verbally, or emotionally abused each day? !

Cute icons or Facebook pictures that say things like, “You should be glad I’m jealous. It shows I care. When I stop is when you should worry” might seem cute at the time, but jealousy indicates lack of trust and signs of possession. Relationships are built on trust, affection, and passion. Relationships are not a game, toy, or something you can have one day and ignore the next. Each day partners should strive for improvement, new memories, and great times. Nowadays teenagers are being physically abused, cursed at, and even mentally destroyed by their partners, and the number one question asked is: why don't they just leave their abusive partner? !

Picture this. You and your partner are sweethearts all through high school. You're looking at prom court and maybe moving in together after graduation. But suddenly after high school, they go away to college, and you stay home. While scrolling through Facebook before class at Zane State one day, you notic your partner kissing someone else in a photo. Cheating! You’re so upset that you call them and scream at them. But 2

eventually, you decide to give them one more chance. Keep in mind that this can be dangerous, though: soon one more chance can turn into three or four chances. You may fall into a pattern of abuse in which your partner cheats on you repeatedly. Did you know cheating is a type of abuse? Dating someone else without everyone in the relationship knowing about it is cheating. Just because they are not physically harming you does not make acceptable. !

One of the biggest concerns about staying with an abusive partner is, has your partner really changed? I asked a loveisrespect.org spokesperson, do you believe someone can change from being abusive, whether verbal, physical, or otherwise? They said, “Often many peers believe they have changed, but often get worse over time.

People sometimes change but only if they truly dedicate themselves to change and see professional help. You have to want it: try seeking a counselor, and even then the result is still not promising, your best bet is to get out if the relationship is too bad, or fix it before it gets worse." !

If you are in a verbally or emotionally abusive situation and you feel it’s no big deal, keep in mind that verbal or emotional abuse can lead to physical abuse or traumatize a person’s brain; it can make a person feel so helpless that they can’t look in the mirror.

Being told you're undesirable repeatedly can make you believe it, stated the rape and abuse crisis center at loveisrespect.org. !

But how do you safely get out of an abusive relationship? When I talked to the loveisrespect.org hotline I asked them this, and their response was, “You need to stay strong, while doing this bring a friend. Don’t be alone with [your abusive partner], if they have hit you once, they might do it again. Don’t answer their texts or calls and avoid any further communication. You don’t want to get back into a situation where you can’t get out of. It’s good to have a support system and somewhere to go after, somewhere safe is the best interest. After you have ended the relationship you might be physically or mentally damaged, so if you need it, seek professional help.

"It’s going to be hard, but hold your head high and remember: you're doing what’s best for you." -- Amy Smith, 12th grade

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Students Should Be Counting Sheep, Not Test Scores According to a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers (age 10-17) should sleep for 8.5-9.25 hours every night. However, in research found by Stanford University, teenagers actually receive 6.5 hours of sleep.

Inadequate sleep, researchers found, prevents students from staying attentive in school, thus resulting in a loss of education. In addition, researchers discovered that the lack of sleep teenagers report is due to their homework or “social life.” Researchers at Stanford suggest that school districts adjust their high school/ middle school start times, since their studies have proved that teenage students who start school later in the morning, like at 8:30 A.M, have more sleep and higher grades.

On top of a school schedule packed full of Advanced Placement classes and College courses, an anonymous student also has chores at home and extracurricular activities outside of school that consume some of his time. He says, “I barely have time to enjoy dinner with my family. My life consists around studying, working on my activities [outside of school], and practicing for a musical I’m in.” He continues, “I doubt I get more than six hours of sleep on a school night.”

On average, according to Smithsonian Magazine and research conducted by the University of Michigan, the amount of homework students have every night has increased “from two hours thirty-eight minutes to three hours fiftyeight minutes since 1981.” In addition,

students spend about seven and a half hours at school every day. This leaves little time for students to spend time with their families and friends. Many students also participate in sports and other extracurricular activities which take up to several hours of their time, as well.

Due to the lack of sleep teenagers have recently received, some teachers have taken steps against assigning too much homework, so students can rest more at night. According to the article, “Do Kids Have Too Much Homework?,” written

by LynNell Hancock, a school district in New Jersey has eliminated homework, due to two teen suicides that were caused by test anxiety. In addition, Hancock notes that countries with the highest academic excellence, “like Japan,” have less homework given to their students.

Not only should school districts give less homework, but they should start school later in the day for high school students. According to the Children’s National Medical Center, school districts who have started school later have noticed that test scores has risen and that students receive “an extra forty-five minutes of sleep” too. Cydney Cappello, a writer affiliated with the Children’s National Medical Center, says schools that start later in the day will also witness less 4

automobile accidents, since teenagers who sleep more will not drowse into sleep while driving.

Adolescence is an important stage in every human’s life, where they transition from childhood to adulthood. Bodies change, and sleep is an important part of that process. Therefore, school districts should start school later and assign less homework, so students can receive more sleep. -- Nathan Cole, 12th grade

Grades, Scholarships, and You Throughout school, grades are the main concern of most students. Grades are one of the keys to success in the job world. If employers see that you are capable of keeping good grades in school while having to balance out a job, sports, and other activates that happen every day, then they will know that you are capable of being responsible for your duties on the job.

Grades can also help you get into college. Colleges like it when you can keep your grade point average (GPA) above a certain mark. Each college or university its own target GPA for applying students. After you’ve been accepted into a college it’s very important to keep your grades up. You may be eligible for academic scholarships.

A scholarship is a certain amount of money awarded to a student who has met the requirements of the organization that is supplying the money. There are many types of scholarships out there just waiting to be grabbed. Some scholarships are for small amounts of money that won't make much of a dent in your college debt, like $200 or $1000 dollars. They can also be full tuition scholarships too. There are also athletic scholarships that are awarded based on athletic performance.

Grades may help you get into college, but scholarships will help you get out by paying off your tuition and potential loans. It's important to apply to as many scholarships as possible... You just might get them! -- Brett Potts, 12th grade

Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief: Nathan Cole Managing/Layout Editor: Mack Folger Production Manager: Sam Grubbs Poetry Editor: Markie Dunn Fashion Editor: Ashley Ferrell Fashion Editor: Chelsy Leach Head Reporter: Amy Smith Food Editor: Ashley Reed

Book Editor: Haven Labaki Supervisor: Myra Warne

Sports Dept.

Tori Himmelspach Kirstynn Kirk

Politics Dept.

Alexis Herda Sam Grubbs

Photography Dept.

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Photo Editor: Chyene Triplett Photographer: Mikaela Hamilton Photographer: Mack Folger

Reporters Codi Trout Alis Compton Kyauna Bailey Erin Hastings Natalie Paugh Brett Potts