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Vol. 32, No. 2
Nov. 28, 2012 Homestead High School, Mequon
under pressure Students feel weight of life’s demands By Nicole Martin and Genna Fish
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80
Percent of teenagers don’t get the 9.25 hours of reccommended sleep -National Sleep Foundation, 2009
2.9million 1 in 10 Number of AP exams taken in 2009 -USA Today, 2010
Students in grades 7 to 12 who have abused Adderall to boost scholarly performance -ABC News, 2010
hroughout the last few years, the MequonThiensville School District (MTSD) has implemented systems to help alleviate stresses affecting students: removing class rank, allowing exemptions and implementing flex-time, but are these changes actually working? As a community, we need to “provide kids the opportunity to learn stress relieving techniques,” Mr. William Woessner, school psychologist, said. Ms. Kate Dunning, assistant principal, agreed, “There are times now where kids don’t get to be kids. They are expected to grow up a lot faster and are dealing with a lot of adult issues.” “In this community, the question is not ‘are you going to college?’ it is ‘to which institution of higher learning are you going?’” Mr. Woessner explained. Agreeing, Mr. Jeff Clark, parent, said, “we all need to understand that the students will have the opportunity to excel without extensive pressure.” In Homestead’s competitive environment, students place a great deal of stress upon themselves due to a desire to succeed. Accordingly, parents add to students’ stress levels. Mr. Woessner said, “we have high expectations on children that not only will you excel at one, but you will excel in multiple areas.” As a result of external pressures, “stress has played a huge part in either creating a problem that becomes a crisis, or taking something that was initially manageable and making it a crisis,” he added. When students don’t know how
to cope, some eventually turn to illegal wrongdoings, such as taking amphetamine drugs without a doctor’s prescription. These drugs are prescribed to kids with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD), namely Adderall or Ritalin. The website, End the Race to Nowhere, stated, “between 1998 to 2005, calls related to adolescent abuse of prescription ADHD medication rose 76 percent.”
“Stress has played a huge part in either creating a problem that becomes a crisis, or taking something that was initially manageable and making it a crisis.” - Mr. Woessner “I take them [unprescribed drugs] before I study for big exams,” an anonymous Homestead student said. These drugs provide instant gratification to those who want to improve their ability to concentrate and to focus, Mr. Dirk Steinert, Medical Director for the district said. “Study drugs” are not difficult to obtain since 2 to 18 percent of schoolaged kids have ADHD, according to Jenna Johnson of the Washington Post. “I am much more excited to take
1.6million 1 in 5 2x Number of teenagers in a year who abused ADHD stimulant drugs -Washington Post, 2006
Adolescents have thought about suicide -National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
Number of 7-17 year olds who needed treatment for depression doubled betweeen 1995 and 2002
the test if I use the drugs,” the anonymous Homestead student said. This student also admitted to taking Adderall before the ACT and said there are other students at Homestead who use the drug as well. There is no real way to tell if someone is on a “study drug.” These pills are colorless, odorless, and difficult to notice in everyday life; according to Mr. Woessner, however,the possibility of overdosing could potentially put a student at risk of a hospital visit. Additionally, habits such as not getting enough sleep can have detrimental effects on a student’s health. According to the National Sleep Foundation, not getting enough shut-eye can hinder the “ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems” while also leading to potential weight gain or illness. Furthermore, Daniel K. HallFlavin, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, stated “chronic stressful life situations can increase the risk of developing depression if you aren’t coping with the stress well.” Depression can then lead to permanent consequences, such as suicide. In 2007, “suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Researchers, school administrators, faculty and parents alike are worried about the results of so much stress. Mr. Clark said, “I don’t want this to become such a pressure cooker that kids fail socially or fail because they feel overstressed that they can’t turn around and just have reasonable fun without looking for other ways of relief.”
41.5
Percent of students failed an AP test in 2009 -USA Today, 2010
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-David A. Brent, Journal of Adolescent Health
Photo Illustrations by Katie Bandurski