Raiders and Drinking

Raiders Don't Need a Drink to Have Fun

By Vianney Casas

70% of teenagers drink or have drunk at least once. Approximately 60% of those drink at parties. “My social status rises”, “I forget about my problems”, “I have so much fun” are the most common excuses. There is no need for that; you do not need to drink. Drinking should not be a 'must-do' whenever you go out. Your social status can rise, you can forget about your problems, you can have fun without drinking.

Do you really want to be talked about because you were drunk at last night’s party? "But you had fun. Is it worth it? All that self-humiliation, those rumors, are they really worth it? There will be people talking about you, making fun of you, spreading rumors, and you will probably be remembered as the drunk girl/guy for weeks. “But you had fun”. Do you really want to go through all that, or do you want to have the admiration of your friends and family because you don’t need anything but your fun and great personality to have the time of your life? Those are the people that truly know how to have fun. Those are the naturals. They don’t need this “liquid” which will give them a terrible headache the next day. They were just born fun.

Don’t you want to be a natural too? Don’t listen to those that pressure you. Believe me, they are not your real friends(if they were your real friends, don’t you think they would want the best for you?) They are not the ones who are going to feel sick in the morning. They won’t be the ones feeling regretful and humiliated the rest of their lives. They won’t get made fun of. “Just one drink”. There is no such thing as that. Most people can not resist. One drink leads to another and next thing you’ll know is people will be pointing at you and laughing.

There is no need to turn into another person; you are amazing just like you are. Believe me, you WILL have fun. Make everyone proud, and most importantly, make YOURSELF proud. They say “live life without regrets” and you really don’t need this one.

Depression and Suicide Risks

It's Tough to be a Teen

By Stephanie Meza and Sierra Holter

•1 out of 4 teenagers suffers from depression.

•5,000 teenagers commit suicide every year.

•300-400 teen suicides are reported in Los Angeles every year.

•Suicide is the third leading cause of death of young persons aged 15-24.

•Teens that have attempted suicide in the past are likely to attempt suicide again; in fact, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Center (3), about 1/3 of all teen suicide victims have tried to commit suicide before.

These statistics are alarming; yet, why do people always tend to avoid talking about depression and suicide? Most importantly, why do ADULTS always avoid talking about depression and suicide to teenagers? The reality is, depression and suicide are very sensitive subjects, and many adults make the lethal mistake of not talking about it to teenagers. It’s a morbid thing to talk about; no one wants to talk about death. We all accept it as a part of life but when someone takes their own life it becomes taboo. Teenage suicide is a statewide epidemic.

The fact that society finds a way to go around depression when it comes to talking about it leaves an open gap for curiosity. At Southwest the only open discussion about suicide is in Health Class, which even then leaves one questioning. Statistics really hit home when last year, one of our Raiders was a victim of depression, and saw no escape to it and decided to take his life away. It was a serious situation, however people managed to avoid talking about it, and it wasn’t really heard on campus, given the fact that it as such a sensitive thing to talk about. This situation could have been handled better by taking action and giving a talk about suicide to people on campus, teenagers have the right to learn about it, we never know if it could be affecting someone’s life. Sometimes “the talk” is really all that someone needs to know that depression can be treated, it can save a life. Suicide is 100% preventable.

A survey was conducted among 37 students of different grades to see what they know about depression, and what they think about discussing depression and suicide. The results were the following:

• 100% of the people who took the survey said that they know of someone who has been depressed.

•99% agree that adults avoid talking about depression and suicide.

•38% of them said they have felt sad for no apparent reason, which is a minor symptom of sadness; which can lead to depression.

The truth is, suicide and depression is hard to talk about, but it’s something we must do for everyone’s own good. People who suffer from depression need to know that it CAN be treated and it CAN be cured.

If you think you are suffering from depression, take a look at the following symptoms:

•Feelings of sadness or unhappiness

•Irritability or frustration, even over small matters

•Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities

•Insomnia or excessive sleeping

•Changes in appetite

•Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still

•Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements

•Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration

•Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort

•Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right

•Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things

•Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide

•Crying spells for no apparent reason

•Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

If you have a number of these symptoms, you might be suffering from depression. You need to know that you’re not alone. Many people suffer from depression, and it can be fixed. If you are depressed or having suicidal thoughts you must get professional help immediately: You can contact the school’s physiologist through your counselor or call

(619)628-3614.

You can also call suicide crisis hotlines: 1-800-784-2433

(714) 639-8336

You should also know that you’re NOT alone, and there’s ALWAYS someone out there who CARES and LOVES you unconditionally.

Sources: http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html

http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-suicide/teen-suicide-statistics.html

http://www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/soh/?page_id=1097

Raiders want their teacher

By Jasmine Straw

Last year, there was a lot of ruckus about an AP class that wasn't going to be offered at our school. This class was AP Physics. For our students to be able to get this course offered, many signed a petition and even argued with the principal about why the class should be offered.

Earlier that year, our parents and students fought to keep two of our teachers, Mr. Orin and Miss Waters, expecting to see them on campus this year. To the student's great surprise, they did not see them that following school year. The courses that they had once taught were being taught by a new teacher, or no teacher at all.

In room 905, AP Physics, CP Physics, and Earth Science are supposed to taught, yet there is still no permanent teacher in that spot. It has been over a month since school started and there is still no actual learning going on. Many, if not all, students are getting rather upset about this, even their parents.

At Open House, many of the AP Physics students' parents came to open and complained to the principal about this issue. There, parents were told that there was a teacher being put into the position and that it would take 3-5 business days until said teacher would be finished signing the contract. Yet eight "business days" later, there is still a substitute teacher in that position.

The students are asking their substitute when they are supposed to be getting their teacher, but even she doesn't know. It seems like everything about this is being kept in the dark and the students can only hope that they have their teacher when they walk into the class. They definitely have been more than patient.