“Don’t sweat the petty stuff, and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.” - George Carlin Dexter High School - 2200 N. Parker Road Dexter, Mi 48130
October 21, 2005 Volume XVI, Issue 2
Depression leads to student's death Hilary McCown copy editor
His parents said he was caring. His mentor called him kind. His schoolmates remember him as fun. If there is one thing all of these people have in common, it is that they all have nothing but positive things to say about Spencer Saunders, a Dexter senior who took his own life on Sept. 28. “The best word to describe (Spencer) is caring,” math teacher Brian Baird said. Baird, who like Spencer has chronic depression, acted as Spencer’s mentor since his sophomore year. Baird, who has struggled with depression since college, wants to emphasize to students that depression is a disease, not just a mood. According to those who knew him best, Spencer was not just a sad teen who killed himself out of self-pity. He had an illness that he couldn’t compete with anymore. His counselor, Gerry Holmes, said Spencer came to DHS as a sophomore and found it difficult to fit in. Because of this he developed a lot of ideas for about how to treat people. “He wanted us, particularly students, to be more supportive and understanding toward one another,”
Holmes said in the speech she gave at the memorial service for Spencer on Oct. 2. In fact, it was Spencer who came up with the idea of a buddy system for new students which has been implemented the past couple of years. Together, he and Holmes also came up with an analogy to fit Dexter High School. “(It) is like a 1,100 piece jigsaw puzzle,” Holmes said in her speech, “ in which each of us represents one piece of the puzzle, each piece having its own characteristics. “Some pieces are easy to fit into place and others are not. You have to rotate some pieces to see them from all angles. And if you think you have it, don’t force it into place. If it feels forced, it isn’t in the correct placement, and you keep hunting until you find its proper fit. “When each piece is comfortable and the puzzle is complete, it brings joy and contentment. If even one piece is missing though, it changes the complexion of the puzzle.” For Baird, Spencer’s death emphasizes the importance of students understanding the seriousness of illnesses like depression. “Someone can’t just walk up to you and make you feel better just by saying, ‘Feel better’,” Baird said.
“There’s no magic bullet to solve depression.” However, like any disease, Baird said there are medications that can help. Antidepressants such as Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac and others can help to even out the chemical imbalances in the brain that cause depression in the first place. “(Medication) helps tremendously,” Baird said. “It helps me fight my battle ... (but) it’s not for everyone.” Baird compares depression to other serious illnesses such as cancer or diabetes. “Why would a diabetic not take his medication?” Baird asked. For students who think they may have depression, there are ways to tell. According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, changes in eating and sleeping habits, withdrawal from family and friends, marked personality changes and drug and alcohol use are just a few of the symptoms most commonly associated with depression. “(Students) with depression need to talk to people,” Baird said. “(They need to) share their concerns and their troubles.” According to Baird talking to parents, teachers, counselors or professionals are the best options for depressed teens. “The biggest thing is
that if your depressed (you need to) talk to more than just your friends,” he said. Baird also said that any student who finds out a friend is seriously depressed needs to tell and adult immediately. “It’d be wrong not to tell someone,” Baird said. “Being quiet hurts more than helping.” If a student is unsure about talking to a teacher or parent, they can contact a help line such as the Covenant House “Nine line,” the Community Crisis Center or General Crisis Counseling. Regardless of the situation, Baird said it is crucial to realize that there is a healthy way out. “Depression doesn’t mean suicide,” he said. Holmes agrees. She paraphrased Spencer in her speech as saying, “You are in control of your destiny, and you can make a difference in anything you choose to do. Your happiness doesn’t depend on someone else. It depends on you and whether you’re willing to accept the situations you’ve been given. “You may have stress and some complications here and there to deal with, but smile to yourself, knowing that you’re in charge. You can handle your life and that you’re going to make it the best you can.”
Dialing in the tunes
By the numbers Classes over the contractual maximum for this semester: 71 Classes at contractual maximum this semester: 30 Classes under the contractual maximum this semester: 119 Amount paid in overloads this marking period: $18,700 source: teacher overload forms, Jim Bannan
on the inside
•Major depression strikes about one in 12 adolescents •Teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to develop depression •Teens with a family history of depression are at greater risk of depression •Depressed teens frequently also have problems with alcohol or other drugs •Among teens who develop major depression, as many as seven percent (or one in 14) will commit suicide as young adults •For every two homicides in the United States there are three suicides To get help for depression: 1-800-999-9999 1-800-SUICIDE 1-800-7858111 Information from: www.aacap.org
•Memory card slot that holds up to 1 GB of pictures, movies and music
Kim Wiesner staff writer
The newest thing in cell phone technology in the 90s was caller ID. Next came the flip phone with the address book. Today we have color LCD screens, cameras and the Internet all in one object, conveniently located in a purse or pocket. But the newest cell phone feature is a built in MP3 player which, for freshman Natalie Rutherford, makes no sense. “If you want music you should just buy an iPod,” Rutherford said. “The phone doesn’t hold very many songs for what it’s worth.” For example, the Samsung p735 holds 1,000 songs while the iPod holds approximately 10 times that many. And the cell phone is also considerably more expensive. At prices around $200, most students would prefer an iPod. “I think (an MP3 player on a cell phone) is frivolous,” senior Greg Smith said. “You can find better speakers.” Others, however, think a built in jukebox is the best thing since real ring tones. “I like it,” freshman Taylor Verna said. “If you don’t have an iPod or a phone, you can just get one thing and have both.” The Samsung p735 also includes a megapixel camera with a zoom, a video camera and a currency converter. “I guess it’s a good thing,” senior Candice Marrin said. “It’s like two things in one.” The cell phone is smaller than most iPods which can be an advantage, and if you misplace it, you can call the phone to find it, which may be the greatest perk. Will the p735 actually replace iPods? “iPods can hold a lot more songs that the phone,” Marrin said. “I doubt they will (replace iPods). When I’m listening to music, I like to listen to music, not take phone calls.” Even if the cell phone doesn’t replace iPods, adding an MP3 player makes some people wonder what will be next in the expanding world of technology. “What can’t cell phones do now?” Marrin said. “Maybe they’ll have Gigapets or something.” Although many phones can record action, there is one thing they’re missing. “I have a great idea,” Verna said. “Phones should have DVD players.”
Facts about depression
•Headphone jack for the built in MP3 player
•Volume controls for music and video
•Wireless communication to other phones to send contacts and music
•Charges when plugged into a computer
State says no to teacher aides Ryan Yuenger staff writer
Prior to this year, many seniors took teacher aide as a class to ease stress as their high school years wound down. But this year the Michigan Department of Education decided to more strictly enforce a rule that was already in place, which may eliminate students from being teacher aides after this semester. Each year, the district receives $6875 from the state per student. The state requirement for a student to count as full time is that each student receives 1080 hours of instruction per school year. If students fail to meet this requirement, the district will not receive the full amount of money for that student. “The Governor wants more bang for the buck when it comes to students,” Principal Jim Bannan said. “They want what the teacher aides do to be relevant or related to what they want to do as a career.” However, the “Library Sciences” and “Lab Assistant” classes are not effected by this rule because they require some initial training before the students actually start their work. This newly enforced rule doesn’t sit well with senior Jacob Lavalli. “I think this is a stupid reason for explaining being a teacher aide, because no one really knows what they want to do for a career right now,” he said. “But if that’s the way we have to explain it to the state, then we might as well say that the school is full of future teachers. “I think it’s the Democrats in Lansing looking for a way to make up for their shortcomings by regulating schools in Michigan,” he said. “If the teacher and office aiding positions are in fact taken away, I think the teachers will realize how much they do rely on aides, especially in the office.” Bannan said he is currently working with some teachers to develop a curriculum for the teacher aides which might allow students to remain as aides for second semester. English teacher Deb Marsh is helping Bannan with this proposal. “Right now I am trying to create a hybrid between (the teacher aiding position) we have now and the one the state wants us to have,” Marsh said. “I have not completed it yet, but I hope to have something out by the first Tuesday of November.” She added, “I think having our teacher aides more accountable is a good thing, otherwise the school wouldn’t run as well. “But the state also should have told us about this earlier so we wouldn’t be in the situation we are currently in.”
Overcrowded classes cost district money Austin Shapiro staff writer
Walking through the halls is a little tight, especially in the middle stairwell. But nothing compares to the crowds many students meet when they step into their classrooms. In fact, almost every class this semester is within five students of the maximum number allowed by the teachers’ contract. In addition, 93 of the 222 classes offered are either over or at the maximum number of students contractually allowed in the class. Sixty six of these classes are over the maximum. Some classes even have 10 students over the maximum number. English teacher Andrew Parker teaches three classes that are over or at the maximum number of students allowed by contract. He said he finds it harder to work with students when there is an excess number of them. “I don’t get to work one-on-one as much as I’d like. Sometimes
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you get less work done because there are so many kids you can’t be as thorough as you would be with a smaller class,” he said. Students also feel at a disadvantage with large class sizes. “Sometimes when we’re checking something over you can’t ask a question you want because there are too many kids with questions in the class,” sophomore Natalie Fluent said. “It’s a lot harder to understand what you’re doing because the teacher can’t go back over something if you need them to.” Principal Jim Bannan said that teachers are paid $79 for each extra students they have in classes over the contracted maximum. This sum is paid four times a year. Last year teachers were paid more than $50,000 for extra students in their classes. Bannan said that this semester overload pay will exceed $18,700. Teacher union president Joe Romeo said overages aren’t the fault of any one person but are caused by a variable unbeknownst to administrators: new students.
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“When Vicki Glowacki (Assistant Supervisor of Technology, in charge of district scheduling) schedules students at the end of the previous year, the classes aren’t over the maximum,” Romeo said. “But when new students come, we have to put them somewhere. This year I believe we had something like 100 new students in the high school.” Romeo added that a lot of high school overloading comes from large class sizes in ninth and tenth grade. “There are a couple classes in eighth grade that have too many, and a lot of freshman and sophomore classes are too. The most overcrowded classes are the freshman science classes, IPS and ESS, American Studies and Spanish I and II. “I’ve made a request to the board and Mrs. Shirk that we hire sufficient people for next year.” “I hope we can get this under control,” Romeo said. “(Teachers) would rather have manageable class sizes where they can actually teach than the extra money.”
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