the
echo the
the mental health issue January 2022
Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jackson Parks PRINT EDITOR: Ava Musgraves JUNIOR EDITOR: Lydia Urice VIDEO EDITOR: Calum Shank SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/ GRAPHICS EDITOR: Zeke La Mantia BUSINESS MANAGER: Izzy Poole NEWS/ OPINION EDITOR: Emily Goben SPORTS EDITOR: Owen Crews PODCAST EDITOR: Maren DeMargel ADVISOR: Donald Johnson SOME MATERIAL FROM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE The Echo is a monthly publication of the newspaper staff of Webster Groves High School, 100 Selma Ave., Webster Groves, MO. To contact staff members, call 314-963-6400 ex. 11157 or write to wgecho@wgmail.org. The Echo is available online at wgecho.org. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of a majority of staff members; signed articles are the opinion of the writer. Letters to the editor of 300 words or less are welcome; submit letters by the 10th of the month to wgecho@wgmail.org, or room 155. All letters must be signed, although the name may be withheld from publication if requested. The Echo has the right to edit letters for publication as long as intent remains unchanged.
the
echo
Students, staff recommend healthy coping mechanisms Is social media the cause of body image issues in our generation? Student athletes advocate for mental health ‘Quote/Unquote’ How has COVID affected your mental health? Academic burnout plagues students Student safety impacts school life Teacher shares insight on mental health-focused class Teachers relieve stress for students LGBT+ students and teachers discuss coming out and resources for the community Teachers share thoughts on mental health Pets benefit mental health in students Gender neutral bathrooms important for mental health
3 4-5 6 7 8-9 10 11 12 14 15 15 16
Read about student athlete mental health on page 6. Art by Maya Hamid.
Read about mental healthfocused class on page 11. Art by Claire McCarthy. Read about how teachers try to relieve stress for students on page 12. Photo by Maren DeMargel.
The Echo is a member of SSP, Quill and Scroll, MJEA, JEA, MIPA, NSPA and CSPA.
Cover Cutline: This is a mental health issue of the Echo. Cover art by Sadie Coalier. 2
wgecho.org
Table of Contents | January 2022
4 Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Students, staff recommend healthy coping mechanisms
Photo by Emily Goben
Senior Matthew Webb plays soccer during gym class. “I would also say one of the easiest ways to help with stress, and this seems like a plug, is to take physical activity in your day, whether that be waking up and going for a jog, whether that be taking a P.E. class to have in your day or during your lunch period, getting movement outside because that movement is the easiest way to get rid of the bad negative hormones we want to get rid of,” physical education teacher Evyn Spencer said.
News/Opinion Editor Emily Goben Counselor Ken Winingham thinks exercise and being active is one of the most overlooked healthy coping mechanisms. Other healthy coping mechanisms include journaling, getting enough sleep, taking breaks and asking for help. Anxiety occurs when one’s limbic system is activated. The limbic system evolved to help humans recognize a threat and trigger their fight or flight response. The fight or flight response is really a release of adrenaline in the body. The limbic system cannot differentiate between stress caused by life and death issues and stress caused by modern-day man-made issues. However, with today’s issue, the fight or flight response is not
January 2022 | Opinion
normally used, and the adrenaline just sits in the body and builds up. This adrenaline is what causes people to feel anxious. “Right now, we are getting hit by bad news or scary news from all angles. Just our normal stress right now seems amplified because of all this stuff,” Winingham said. Winingham also advises talking to someone about mental health problems because they can help the person struggling to see around the issue. He added it is important to engage in hobbies that help people to pull away from their issues. Winingham emphasized the importance of breathing exercises to bring down one’s physical response and force one’s heartbeat to slow down, which mitigates anxiety responses. Physical education teacher Evyn Spen-
cer is also an advocate for mental health and healthy coping mechanisms. “Taking breaks, getting some movement, getting some sleep and then asking for help,” Spencer said about the biggest healthy coping mechanisms she recommends. Spencer said taking breaks is often one of the first things that students stop doing when they are under stress. She added during a break, people should do something that they enjoy in order to create positive hormones to combat the negative hormones released by stress. Spencer said sleep is important because it helps put off stress hormones. Getting exercise is also important because it releases endorphins which help to get rid of stress hormones. When the body is stressed, it produces cortisol which can cause appetite changes, acne, fatigue and irritability. “When you take breaks, when you do things you enjoy, when you move, when you sleep, when you ask for help, the other hormones get produced, and those hormones directly disintegrate the cortisol,” Spencer said. Senior Camille Herrman said that one of her favorite healthy coping mechanisms is journaling. “Every morning, I do a reflection journal, and it’s called record and reflect, and you basically record like goals you want to complete for the day and then like statistics of what you did during the day, so like how much time did I spend on a screen, how much time was I with friends, what was my favorite part of the day, what recharged me most, and that’s a great way to cope because you kind of make a log about what you did in life,” Herrman said. Other healthy coping mechanisms Herrman uses include going to the gym, walking her dog and getting outside. “It’s also good to manage stress so it doesn’t turn chronic because the older you get the harder extreme stress will be on you,” Herrman advised. “I really think a big thing that the students here could benefit from is learning their bodies response to stress, learning what coping mechanisms help them the most, and then utilizing that so that it doesn’t ever become overwhelming,” Spencer said.
wgecho.org
3
. .. s y a s s e t o d c e t @ava’san # Print Editor @Ava Musgraves is social media the cause of body image issues in our generation? #maybe...
@ava’santecdotes I downloaded Instagram in fifth grade. My mom was wary when I begged her for it. I convinced her because I was into nail art at the time, and that was pretty big on the internet in 2012. I think the first Instagram post I made was a picture of my purple Uggs on the floor of my parents’ bedroom. My most recent Instagram post is a picture taken on my DSLR camera which I edited on VSCO (a photo editing app) given a filter that matches “the aesthetic of my feed.” Instagram and social media turned from a place where I posted a single photo of my favorite pair of boots in fifth grade to a place where I study the pictures I post for hours, scouring for imperfections. Staring at the pictures until I find a reason to hate them. I sometimes wonder when I started to think about my body in such a critical lens. Now it seems like it’s been forever, but there was a time when I didn’t think about how thin I looked or if I fit the “standard.” I realized it was around fifth grade when I dove into social media and fell into a world where girls drank “slimming green juice” instead of three meals a day and edited their bodies into something that was unattainable without literal plastic surgery. In today’s age it’s even become a first impression. This generation grew up in a world where a profile is enough to create an idea and a first impression of an individual in another’s head, full dating apps are created on the premise of pictures and deciding, “Yes” or “No” on an entire person based on a selfie they screenshotted from their Snapchat memories. The stress held behind the pressure of a profile has become detrimental to our generation. The stress is sometimes overwhelming to me, so much so that I consider deleting all my pictures, all my accounts and literally throwing my phone into the Mississippi River. An internal study done by Instagram in March of 2020 found that “when 32% of teenage girls ‘felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.’”
4
wgecho.org
Column | January 2022
@ava’santecdotes @ava’santecdotes
‘is it that
social media has
made us critical of ourselves or vain?’
Artwork by Bridget Moehlman
Is it that social media has made us critical of ourselves or vain? According to Time Magazine, “Psychologists found robust cross-cultural evidence linking social media use to body image concerns, dieting, body surveillance, a drive for thinness and self-objectification in adolescents.” Getting likes and comments about how “hot” or “gorg!” you look in a picture or your friends telling you, “I want to be you!” becomes addicting. These are all comments I’ve gotten on pictures I’ve posted or commented on my friends’ posts. In a way, it is objectifying because we are so much more than a perfect moment captured in a picture. There is endless content of these “perfect” pictures to consume. It can become an obsession, or it can provide a sense of control. You can’t control how skinny your arms look when you walk out of the house in the morning, but you can control it on an online profile. With the rise of apps like Facetune and influencers admitting their usage, it’s hard to not want to edit the imperfections that can’t be fixed with a swipe of concealer. I don’t know the solution to the crippling body image issues produced in teens as a result of social media. I don’t think anyone does. The only way to help the issue is to start presenting your real self. We need to take the pressure off a post, the pressure off the “lifestyle” and just showing a real human and posting a picture of your purple Uggs again because they are your favorite shoes.
@ava’santecdotes
32% of teen girls who have body image issues claim ‘Instagram made them feel worse’
Graphics provided from Instagram and Twitter
5
wgecho.org
Column| January 2022
Off the Field
Student athletes advocate for mental health
Art by Maya Hamid
Sports Editor Owen Crews Student athletes get put under a lot of pressure when it comes to juggling their school work and their sports. With stress, school and sports piling up, students use certain strategies and participate in spare activities to help keep their interests in the sport and stop themselves from experiencing burnout. Senior Nora Marcinkiewicz feels very
6
wgecho.org
strongly about this topic. “It is more important to take care of yourself, your mental, emotional and physical well-being rather than striving for an A on every single assignment. Do what you can, when you can, work hard and be sure to take care of yourself. Additionally, it is healthy to talk about your feelings, to address how you’re feeling and to seek help if you need it,” Marcinkiewicz said via email. “My advice for any athletes that may be struggling mentally is to time block home-
work,” Marcinkiewicz added via email. Senior Eliza Maupin said being committed can help with burnout. “Being committed keeps me motivated to keep going because it’s something to look forward to. At times it can get a little slow during school, sports, etc because you know your plan and what’s next for you, and I just want to skip to the next chapter, but I have make sure to stay focused on the things I’m doing now, so that I don’t experience a burnout,” Maupin said via email. “Motivation is key to not experiencing burnout because without it there’s nothing moving you forward. Mentally, being committed keeps me grounded in my school/life,” Maupin added via email. Senior Alex Turley also has another way to decrease stress levels. “I deal with the ‘stress’ of extra curricular activities by having the mindset that getting to do them is a privilege and wrestling and music is something I GET to do, not something I HAVE to do. Also gaining perspective is something that I have improved on and realizing that in 10 years nobody is going to care how many wrestling matches I won or how good my jazz band solo was,“ Turley said via email. Senior Naia Kniker also has some advice for dealing with being overwhelmed. “It can be overwhelming most of the time, but if you stay focused and take it one step at a time it gets easier. I have found that planning out when I am going to do each thing helps a lot,” Kniker said via email. Junior William Zareh also talks about how he avoids burnout. “I keep myself from not getting burned out by pushing myself, but not to the point where it makes me dislike the sport or activity,” Zareh said via email. Turley feels like this advice is very crucial to other students. “My advice would be that activities and clubs are an opportunity. Results shouldn’t be a catalyst for stress because what matters is becoming the best possible version of you,” Turley added via email.
Feature | January 2022
‘quote unquote’ robyn foley she/her
lizzie nieman she/her
gillian o’neil she/her
the echo asks... how has COVID affected
“That’s actually a really complicated question. Well the isolation definitely enhanced my depression a lot. Definitely the isolation was very bad, and I didn’t have like the outside seeing other people to focus on like other stuff, so I started focusing on me and all the bad stuff about me, so that kind of got me in a really bad place where things were pretty dark. Once things started opening up again it got better, but it’s still not the same.”
your mental health?
“First I got really anxious just ‘cause covid and a new disease so it really highlighted my OCD and all that type of stuff. Throughout the pandemic it got worse and of course the escalation made me focus on just that. I didn’t have any outside things to really help me distract myself from that. So then it got so bad over Summer 2020 then eventually I finally talked to my parents because it was getting so bad I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and that’s just not good. Now I’m going to a therapist and stuff like that to help with OCD. In hindsight it made it worse but it made me deal with it so it’s gotten better.”
“I definitely felt very isolated, and going into the pandemic I was already in a pretty bad spot. The beginning was probably the worst my mental health has ever been so it really didn’t help at all. I was obviously isolated and then I had a lot of intrusive thoughts like ‘Oh I don’t have any friends’ or like ‘No one cares’ even though we were all just isolated. So I really struggled with maintaining and nurturing relationships that I care about. The beginning it was really had, but at the end I survived.”
Art by Sadie Coalier January 2022 | Column
wgecho.org
7
Academic burnout Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks Through another school year of masks and always-changing schedules, students are feeling stressed more than ever. Whether it be an increased course load, college applications or COVID concerns, this feeling is more than stress: academic burnout. “Academic burnout” can be defined as a negative emotional, physical and mental reaction to prolonged study that results in exhaustion, frustration, lack of motivation and reduced ability in school, as defined by University of the People. More so than usual, seniors are feeling the effects of academic burnout and the added stress of living through a pandemic (and not just senioritis). Senior Sadie Coalier explained how academic burnout impacts her. “I definitely think academic burnout has affected me. I have always tried really hard to do my best and always end up feeling unmotivated and so stressed to the point of feeling like it's too hard,” Coalier said. Coalier learned about academic burnout through physical education teacher Evyn Spencer’s Kinetic Wellness class. (See page 11) “I always thought this was just me until I took Kinetic Wellness, and we learned about academic burnout. I think Coach Spencer gave us really good tools and things to
“It’s been hard this year with the ever changing schedule and unpredictable future. It’s hard to stay motivated when the future of next week is so up in the air. I feel like while I handle it well, it’s still been a drastic adjustment and has caused me stress. I’m not motivated to do my work, especially with being a senior on top of everything else.” Senior Nora Kelty said, “I 100% think that I have struggled with academic burnout, as I think most people have. I can definitely be hard on myself when it comes to school, and I stress myself out pretty easily.” Kelty believes that COVID has impacted her struggle in school. “As a senior, I think I am struggling with it now more than ever, especially with the ways that COVID has affected school and our workload. It can be really challenging to keep up with assignments,” Kelty said. Teachers have noticed the impacts of COVID on learning and academic burnout this school year too. SSD teacher Marina Holcomb said, “Being in person this year appears to be more effective, but so many students are experiencing mental health issues and still have gaps in their learning. I do believe that WGHS has some of the most committed teachers who are trying their hardest to close the gaps and keep the students engaged.”
“so many students are experiencing mental he
“The stress of COVID on top of the stress of school in a bad way. I feel tired: burnt out, if you will.”
- Senior Margot Siener
help with it, but this year it's been harder than any other,” Coalier shared. Senior Sydney Harp shared her concerns with the future after such an unpredictable time.
8
wgecho.org
“I do feel that students and staff feel the negative effects of the crazy past two years of the pandemic and COVID have had. I have been teaching for almost 30 years, and the past two years have been the most challenging,” Holcomb shared. College and career counselor Jennedy Lombard explained the mental health climate and increased signs of academic burnout at WGHS. About academic burnout, Lombard said, “I think it isn't because there's more work or more expectations on the students. I just think that everybody is just dealing with so much more at home, so instead of being able to focus and set aside time for school to be like real clear headed about it, there's just too much going on
January 2022 | Feature
plagues students
“I feel unmotivated and not as in tune with everything happening this school year...I feel like I already graduated.” - Senior Hannah Heimann
to navigate, like restrictions, rumors, quarantines. A lot of it has nothing to do with school, so we don't have so much control over everything. So now, school is just a lot to deal with. School is just not the most important thing right now for a lot of families and kids.”
Senior Katie Wiedemann explained how COVID has made academic burnout more present this year. “It just gives you the motivation to do nothing. COVID kind of made me just forget how to do school in a way. Like when we were online, I didn't really study for tests. Coming back to school and actually having tests in person and having to relearn how to take in information was very different,” Wiedemann shared. Siener said, “I think academic burnout has affected me in the sense of the stress of COVID on top of the stress of school in a bad way. I feel tired: burnt out, if you will.” A lack of motivation is very present in seniors this year. Senior Edrie Gowan said, “We've already gotten into college, so it's hard to feel motivated to keep working once we've already achieved those goals.” Senior Hannah Heinmann said “ Yeah, I definitely experience academic burnout this year more than others. I feel unmotivated and not as in tune with everything happening this school year. I honestly feel after last year with online school and COVID, I’ve already graduated.” The ongoing pandemic has clearly had its effects on the mental health and motivation of students this school year, more so than others. Lombard said, “We have data and numbers to support that students are struggling. The amount of students that w e ' v e seen in our office with certain concerns has increased a lot. I think that we are aware of it, but because we are having to respond to difficulties with COVID like with staffing, and subs and custodians. All of that operational stuff has had to come first before confronting all the needs of the students and staff. I think we're trying.”
ealth issues and still have gaps in their learning.”
-SSD Teacher Marina Holcomb
Lombard said, “First semester, for sure, tensions were high. I think that everybody is very much on edge. The baseline of general anxiety and optimism: optimism is low and anxiety is high. Everything’s just been a little more extreme.” Lombard said a change in schedule has had its effects on students and staff. “For students having four classes to focus on at a time as opposed to this year having seven, just that change for so many people has been significant. Three days a week, you have seven different classes that you have to be prepared for. It's just a lot. It's more teachers to get to know and understand and understand the expectations of all of the classes, as opposed to four. There's just more to navigate that isn't actually related to what you're learning in class,” Lombard said. Students also feel affected by the constantly changing schedules. Senior Rory Smith said, “It’s currently my last semester of high school, and I’m enrolled in four classes. I chose to do this because I feel so unmotivated, I think I can speak on behalf for a lot of seniors, we all feel it. COVID has taken a toll on everyone, but especially on students. Things are crazy and filled with so much uncertainty.” Senior Margot Siener said, “I think it's hard to get back into the groove of doing school in a full day after having asynchronous learning, and half days and the different schedule changes we have had.”
January 2022 | Feature
Art by Sadie Coalier
wgecho.org
9
Teacher gives insight on mental health-focused class Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks Kinetic Wellness is a new course for the 2021-22 school year. The physical education class differs from the usual gym class, as it is structured around mental health and the positive effects that movement can have. The class is given for a semester and earns a half credit. Physical education teacher Evyn Spencer, who teaches the class, started it in a joint effort with principal Dr. Matt Irvin. “Dr. Irvin came to me and said, ‘Hey, I’d really like to incorporate this kind of class, and I think that you’d be interested,’ and I was like ‘you are 100 percent correct.’ I am a big believer in working smarter not harder throughout your life, and I think a big part of that is learning how to take care of your brain, and a lot of people don’t understand how your body’s movement affects your brain,” Spencer shared. The class was a joint effort of Spencer and Irvin -- building a new class from the ground up. “It was a really collaborative thing between me and Dr Irvin. Him and I worked together, and we went through a lot of research. I interviewed some other teachers, and I went on some wellness experiments and things like that. I read some awesome books about everything, and then we worked together to create the curriculum for the class,” Spencer explained. Kinetic Wellness is not the average PE class. It’s very gameheavy and allows for student freedom. The class also features lessons pertaining to mental health and skills. Spencer said, “The idea was PE for kids who may not like traditional PE but need the movement. Also, it was a big thing of ‘what are some things that these kids can take with them from this class that will help them for the rest of their lives?’” About what is taught in the class, Spencer explained, “The Kinetic Wellness class is basically a movement-based class, so there is quite a bit of movement. There are lessons on things like mental health and that includes things like: how to cope with stress; how to cope with anxiety; what academic burnout is, and why it happens and how to prevent it and how to recover from it, which is a very real thing; dealing with grief; what’s normal and what’s not normal when it comes to your emotions; connecting with your mind and understanding why you’re upset with
10
wgecho.org
somethings.” To sum it up, “The whole idea in the class is ‘Let’s get some movement, let’s get some understanding of why it’s helping us, and let’s do some activities to help our brain even further,’” Spencer said. Spencer suggested to students why they should take the class. “Well, besides the obvious and that it’s the best class ever, I think a lot of students would benefit from it. I think that the chances of a student not benefiting from it is zero, so I think every student in every grade would benefit. If students take it, they’ll have a better understanding of their brain, what’s going on inside of it, how to work with it and not against it. You also just learn a lot of life skills that apply outside of school that you’ll use for the rest of your life,” Spencer offered. Although Spencer may love the class, she is not the only one who enjoys it. Students have taken the class without Spencer’s suggestion. Senior Sadie Coalier said, “I liked Kinetic Wellness, because we got to learn about things as well as do physical activities and how they coexist. It’s important to keep yourself healthy and your mind healthy, and you can’t have one without the other.” Junior Sydney Thornton explained how the class relieved her of the stress of a normal school day. “I enjoyed Kinetic Wellness because it gave me a good in between in my day to Graphic by Claire McCarthy reflect on the stress of school and give me good tools to deal with this stress. It was a good break in the day. It would give me the chance to move after sitting all day, whether we could go on walks outside or do activities in the gym,” Thornton said. Junior Ella Bene valued what is taught in the class. “I really enjoyed Kinetic Wellness because schools don’t normally teach about mental health struggles and how to cope with life and high school. We were taught about things that no one had ever really talked about. Not only did we learn about anxiety and depression, but we still moved around quite a bit; we were taught about how the movements we were doing helped us physically and mentally, which was really eye opening,” Bene said. “I felt it was a safe environment for students with their own struggles. I think all schools should teach their students about what they’re going through and really let them know that they’re not alone,” Bene said.
Feature | January 2022
Art by Lily Musgraves
Student safety impacts school life Video Editor Calum Shank On Tuesday Dec. 7, administration became aware of a concerning text sent to a WGHS student by an unknown number. “The text was inadvertently sent by officials in another district and was related to a school threat they had received,” principal Dr. Matt Irvin said in an email sent to the school. “Personally, the threat worried me and my family. As soon as I found out, my parents called in and got me out of the school for my safety. Honestly, I am not surprised someone would do this to the school. With the recent Michigan school shooting, I think someone is trying to scare us more than we already are,”
sophomore Steven Maschak said. “The threat caused me to question my safety in school. I also am not surprised that something like this happened because things like this have happened before. It’s strange how close the occurrence was so close to the Michigan shooting. I do think that was purposeful,” sophomore Ava Lamitola said. “We are grateful that the student directly shared their concern with staff immediately. We encourage students to share any concerns with an adult at WGHS in the effort to allow us work collectively to address any concerns around safety,” Irvin said via an email that was sent to the whole school. The threat caused students to be called out of school for the remainder of the day. These absences were excused due to a parent or guardian calling their child out of school.
Have an Opinion?Write the Echo! Email us at wgecho@wgmail.org January 2022 | Feature
wgecho.org
11
Give them time to breathe
Teachers relieve stress for students Podcast Editor Maren DeMargel With the end of winter break, the beginning of a new semester, coronavirus concerns and more, stress levels are high for students. Juniors Oliver Doyle and Grace Ensor both noted that their English class was a main stressor for them, but their Latin class led by teacher Jeff Smith was their saving grace. Smith is just one of several teachers recommended by students as educators who provide the best stress-relief for their students. Other nominees include math teacher Jessica Haskins, English teacher Katie Guymon, and science teachers Jane Knittig and Mebbie Landsness. For Doyle, the best things teachers can do to make school less stressful are “study guides and retakes, and extra credit obviously is always nice. Specific time in class to focus on tests and quizzes and stuff.” Smith’s philosophy aligns with these requests. “Rather than give them just a study guide, kids kind of make their own. I will go over the test for a whole hour and go through exactly what they need to know. I want them to know this stuff, so I tell them what they need to know,” Smith said. According to Guymon, the most stressful thing for her English students is the essays and long writing assignments that her class entails. To relieve this, Guymon and the rest of the English department provide the opportunity for students to make up essays. “If you get an essay back and you’re not thrilled with your performance then we can conference about that. I mean that’s a natural part of the writing process anyway-- that vision. Any student who wants to improve and specifically seek me out to improve proactively, you can’t say ‘no,’ to that,” Guymon said. Guymon’s teaching style revolves around the idea of forming connections with her students. “I think the relationship piece is pretty much everything, and I really like my students. I think it’s really fun to chat with them,” Guymon said.
12
wgecho.org
Photo by Maren DeMargel
English teacher Katie Guymon teaches a grammar lesson to one of her sophomore classes. These relationships make it easier for Guymon to check in on her students. “Mental health wise, sometimes I kind of just read the room or bring up the fact that I noticed that the energy level is down, or [if] I hear there’s a big test in this class on Friday, like [maybe we should] move the due date for my assignment in response to some other stressors that I know that they have that may not be as flexible,” Guymon said. Landsness’ teaching style mimics Guymon’s in that her focus on relationships and communication has brought her success in reducing the stress of her students. “What’s been really successful in my case has been getting to know my students and what their obligations are outside of school and what their stressors are outside of school to kind of help the holistic picture,” Landsness said. “I really have enjoyed this semester in particular, just an awesome group of students, and I feel like we’re good at communicating and that’s what builds relationships.” Like Landsness, one pillar of Haskins’ math class is the use of communication to build relationships, not only from student
to teacher, but from student to student as well. “I try to reduce the amount of outside classwork that is necessary and just try to have kids talk to each other. Just like ‘hey, how ya doing, how’s your day, how’s your weekend,’ to infuse less academic time inside of the classroom,” Haskins said. This idea of making the classroom a more comfortable space that isn’t strictly academic is something that Haskins advises other teachers to consider. Haskins said, “For me I think finding the time to connect with your students and give them time to breathe so your space doesn’t feel like it’s purely academic [is important], and a little bit of give and take between the academic bit of it and the social bit of it is really helpful.” Knittig utilizes communication not only to connect with her students, but to help convey the difficult topics that her physics students need to learn. “Physics is really a different way of thinking that a lot of students haven’t encountered before, and so it feels really new to students because it is,” Knittig said. Since these new topics can be very dif-
Feature | January 2022
ficult for students to understand, Knittig supports the use of homework but only to an extent. “I think there’s a balance between how much is necessary, because you do need to practice it outside of class to be successful, versus how much starts to feel like too much and trying to keep that balance,” Knittig said. Haskins recently implemented a new optional homework policy for her PreCalculus students, and is seeing promising results. “There’s probably fewer people that are turning it in, but I think those people are doing it for the right reasons,” Haskins said. Instead of assigning students homework, Smith chooses to offer more work time in class. “I realize they can’t go home and get a lot of help so I stopped like five years ago when I got my masters. They found the efficacy of homework is pretty low unless it’s just a little extension of what you’ve done. Like in math I think it’s pretty valid or if you have to read a book or something for English I get it, but with Latin, if they get stuck, they can’t go anywhere other than like the internet or text their
friends and cheat, so we give a lot of time in class where people tend to work in class,” Smith said. Even though these teachers are good at relieving their students’ stress, it doesn’t mean their classes are completely stress-free. Knittig said that maybe this is a good thing. “I don’t think that school should be stress free. I don’t think it should be super high stress, but some moderate stress is where learning happens,” Knittig said. Guymon offers some advice to other educators. “I’m not rigid. I know some people have a harder time leaning into being more flexible because it means to them giving up their high expecta-
tions or the rigor of their class, but I don’t think it has to do that. The stuff that we do in my class is on par with what I always do. There’s learning happening, but I think that if you do it in a low pressure environment, students don’t even realize how much they’re learning, how much they’re growing. I think teachers have to learn to give it up a little bit, which I know is a hard thing to do,” Guymon said.
Join us in Celebration of the Lord!
January 2022 | Feature
wgecho.org
13
LGBT+ discuss community at WGHS Social Media/Graphics Editor Ezekiel La Mantia “Absolutely discrimination affects mental health,” Anne Gibbs, social worker, said. Gibbs added, “Mental health issues are sometimes caused by situational stressors, but once we navigate the situation, and we come out the other side, the pain can wain over time. If the stressor is something like being a part of a minority community, then that doesn’t go away or lessen over time. You’re left always trying to navigate peace as well as mental health.” Drama teacher Todd Schaefer, who identifies as gay, said about whether being part of the LGBT+ community affected his mental health, “Currently, no, but when I was younger, for sure. My situation and the time in which I grew up, I couldn’t be my authentic self, not in high school and not even in college. It does affect you, being forced into the closet and living a dual life, and we’re not intended to live in two different realities. I’m still unpacking and dealing with the repercussions of being in the closet well into my 40s, almost 50s.” H i g h school is noted as one of the most stressful times in a teen’s life and mental health resources are sometimes a necessity. “School schedule, homework, changing relationships with parents/caregivers, being a little kid to growing into an adult. Just navigating change and how relationships work,” Gibbs said about stressors. These external factors weighing on individuals are already difficult enough and adding on internal turmoil revolving around one’s identity can be even harder. Melissa Gardner, new to the school as
14
wgecho.org
al/ queer and non-binary, said. Gunning added, “It shouldn’t be left up to the students to educate the people who are supposed to be helping us.” “From the teacher’s perspective we can always do better. Remembering to use proper pronouns and seeing where their mental health lies and opening conversations,” Gardner said. “Some gender neutral bathrooms exist, and we could do with having more. It would take pressure off of kids who are in the middle of transition and it’s difficult for students to find their place,” Gardner added. Schaefer said, “As a teacher, I bring the conversation of social justice to my classroom, to our scripts and plays, not just for my LGBT+ students but the whole class and community.” Schaefer added, “Not taking full credit, but my honesty has hopefully helped other people around me who need it. The culture of the school has been open and I feel like I was at the beginning of that. If I’m authentic then kids can be authentic here. They can talk their truth.”
an instructional aid and head women’s lacrosse coach, identifies as a lesbian and wants to do better for LGBT+ students. “It was very difficult trying to find your place where you fit and not being labeled as such. It was hard in college, so I can see how it’s hard in high school,” Gardner said. “I was very lucky to have supportive parents. Hundred percent supportive people help, or guardians and family members or whoever you trust, to have them look at you and just want you to be happy and not care about how you identify. It’s so big. Being happy is the top priority,” Gardner added. As widely understood as discrimination is, there’s nuance in how adults, more specifically teachers and administration, see best to offer their support. “The administration doesn’t prioritize our community as much as they should. Our mental health resources need to be (accessible/inclusive and the people proPhotos by Ezekiel La Mantia viding them) need to be more educated Posters hang in hallways and doors displayabout LGBT+ people’s issues,” senior ing resources for students. Izzy Gunning, who identifies as pansexu-
Feature | January 2022
Students aren’t the only ones...
Teachers share thoughts on mental health Junior Editor Lydia Urice
“What does it say that there’s a threat, and I don’t even register it anymore to be frightened by it?” biology teacher Marty Walter said. “I feel like a lot of times we really talk Walter was referencing the school shooter about the pros, and we often don’t talk very threat that occurred on Dec. 2. much about the cons,” math teacher Eric “That’s the world that I live in. That’s scary Dunn said. that we’re at that place,” Walter said. “The WGSD has a committee called the IsTeachers have faced threats for years before sues Committee. This committee works with this. WGSD administration and certain members “I was fine. I think partly my experience, I Photo by Karl Merton Ferron/ have been teaching long enough that we have of the school board to discuss matters and Baltimore Sun/TNS had so many different threats, there was threats support the staff in the district,” assistant suA poster depicts the U.S. flag perintendent- human resources Sandy Wiley of guns, threats of bombs, threats of- I was in a with school names, all of which Skinner said over email. year when there was an anthrax scare,” Dunn The administration has focused on stu- suffered losses of students killed said. dents’ mental health, sending out surveys by gun violence, during the “I’ve had lockouts and lockdowns, we’ve had like the Trusted Adult survey and Waypoints March For Our Lives rally to electrical fires and water main breaks, electricsurveys that ask questions about stress levels demand stricter gun control ity going out and it’s always been okay. But it and management, and while the administra- laws on Saturday, March 24, was frightening when my friend said ‘we just tion said teachers’ mental health is receiving 2018, in Washington, D.C. don’t even process danger,’” Walter said. the same level of consideration as students’, Dunn and Walter expressed that the reateachers still feel desensitized to threats and have expressed that son they didn’t register the threat as a real danger was because their mental health has declined over the past couple years. they’ve been through threats of varying types of violence so In addition to this, the administration has not used the data many times they’ve become desensitized. they’ve gathered to make any changes to improve teachers’ or “I’m desensitized, that’s what’s happened to me,” Walter said. students’ mental health. “It’s kind of like a doctor that works with cancer; they develop “It is our hope to support teachers as they identify the varied a thick skin to where every time you deal with a patient with supports they need by providing them with space and time,” Wi- cancer you’re not devastated by it. It’s like that with teachers and ley Skinner said over email. lockouts and lockdowns; I’m not actively nervous or worried,” The administration is still trying to find the balance between Dunn said. too much interference and not enough and as a result of this, In general, this year has been harder for teachers’ mental teachers’ mental health has suffered. health, but it’s not as bad as last year. “I have struggled more the last couple years as a teacher and as There is light at the end of the tunnel. a human than the last 20 years before that,” Dunn said. “Compared to last year, this year is way better,” Dunn said.
Pets benefit mental health in students
Public Relations Calvin Lescher
According to “HelpGuide,” “Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health.” “My dog helped a lot when my depression was really bad, or whenever it does act up, I feel better knowing that I can go home and lay down with my dogs,” Xavier Juroitich, junior, said. “Pets are really great especially in younger children in the development empathy so in terms of viewing that idea of creating empathetic people you’re creating people that are more in tune with emotions other people’s emotions and being reflective, additionally most pets love unconditionally and are super supportive so they can be calming effect,” Cassie Aschinger, school
January 2022 | Feature
counselor, said. According to “Nationwide Children,” “Owning pets can also greatly help with taking care of children by playing with the dog. It can help teach a child responsibility by taking the dog on walks or the children will learn how to teach a dog new tricks, which shows a child how to teach and gives a rewarding experience.” Petting animals has also been proven to lower blood pressure and stress levels. The Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital conducted a study on how owning a pet helped with exercise. The results were that the mean weight loss was 15% after a year of walking a dog, according to “Helpguide.” “HelpGuide” also said owning a pet is also a conversation starter to meet new people. Studies show that people who walk dogs when they meet other dog walkers are much more likely to have a conversation together. Pets help can improve mental health, and physical health.
wgecho.org
15
Students ask for bathrooms for all gender identities Business Manager Izzy Poole “We certainly want to make our high school a place where students feel valued in all the different experiences a student can have,” principal Dr. Matt Irvin said. As it becomes more socially acceptable to come out as non-binary, trans or anything other than cisgender, the need for gender neutral bathrooms grows. The school does have gender neutral bathrooms in the drama department, library, music hallway, SSD department nurse and FACs, but not all students know of every single one. “The only gender neutral bathroom I know of is the one in the drama hallway, but it’s always unkept and gross and in the band hallway,” junior Ceci Likos said. The school has many gendered bathrooms so all students have the option to use which bathroom they feel comfortable using. “Just teach people about the Photo by Izzy Poole fact that there are trans people. In response to graffiti, that is now washed off, this message was written on the inside of a As a trans person I went into women’s bathroom stall on the third floor in the language hallway, “to whoever wrote the the male bathroom once and transphobic s*** here, I have something 4 U you were talking abt there only being 2 genders never gone into that one again bc of F and M hormones. First off, theres 2 SEXES (not including intersex), second, everybecause there was a cis male one on Earth has a mix of both hormones. Women just have more estrogen and men just in there, and he called me the have more testosterone. We all have even more hormones aside from those two, but thats not t slur for using that bathroom, important. You (assuming you’re Female) could not live an easy, pleasant life w/o testosterso I don’t really feel comfort- one. The testosterone in your body help w/ vaginal, menstrual, breast, and bone health. Even able, using that bathroom,” w/ your sex drive and fertility and so much more. Having too much or too little of that and freshman Maloy Gordon said. your body will shift. Good or bad. Anyways, if I keep writing it’ll be all the way to the floor. Students have brought up Have a great day and live laugh love. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/dothis issue to the administra- women-have-testosterone” “P.S. Never write s*** like that anywhere ESPECIALLY near my tion, it has started to take ac- art again. Thanks.” tion. building that are more accommodating for one option of transitioning some settings a “Earlier this year another administrator and I met with students single stall rest rooms and some parts that little bit, but at this point there would have about concerns about our bathroom ac- aren’t. I went through the building earlier to be some signage change, some locks cess. I would say it’s in progress, so part with some district level people to look at etc, so we’re in process with that right of that is we’ve got some parts in our those options, and I think we’ve landed on now,” Irvin said.
Visit our webpage at wgecho.org 8
wgecho.org
Feature | January 2021