by Mallory Mattingly

Mental health is an extremely intricate topic because there are so many different components to it, yet all of them are equally as important as the other. Mental health issues are really common in youth, ranging anywhere from 10 years old to 20 years old, and more; however, these are the most common. An age range that mental health is an extremely big issue for is the mid teens, like 13-17 years old. 

With teenagers, mental health has only become a bigger issue throughout the past few years, stemming especially from 2020 in the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health is greatly associated with the overuse of social media with teenagers and being stuck in the house in 2020, significantly affecting people’s mental health in a negative manner because one of the main things we all resorted to for entertainment was social media. 

Social media can negatively affect anyone because it has come such a long way, and in some cases, that isn’t a good thing. For example, cyberbullying. 

Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully an individual, or multiple individuals. Social media is one of the main ways people communicate in today’s society, and specific platforms and apps are rapidly becoming more and more popular, like the application TikTok. TikTok was essentially a dancing and lip-syncing app and it was meant for ages 13 and up, but several children would get ahold of the app and somehow make their own account and enter a false birth date. 

As the popularity of this app continued to rise, the original meaning for the app changed. It went from being a dancing and singing app to an app where graphic news stories would be uploaded or negative posts would appear. These posts were so unlike the other fun posts, that they blew up and went viral, creating more people to want to create that same content. In addition, since almost the entire world has access to this app and the age restriction is able to be bypassed, there are subjects being revealed to young minds that shouldn’t be revealed to them and all kinds of people use this app and many other apps for cyberbullying.

There are accounts on TikTok whose main goal in posting is to degrade certain individuals and then on top of that, people in the comments that are also belittling these people and agreeing with the creator of the account. When someone is being insulted by thousands of people, that is going to take a toll on their mental health without a doubt. Some people will even get bullied by their own friends and peers, which can be worse because these are people you see everyday and have to be around. 

A specific story that I always tend to bring up when speaking about mental health is about a girl named Aubreigh Wyatt. Aubreigh Wyatt was a 13-year-old girl that committed suicide due to bullying. Her mother, Heather Wyatt, has used a TikTok platform used to bring awareness to mental health and prevent bullying, whether it’s cyberbullying or in-person. Her mother using her platform for a positive impact on people is what we should be doing with our social media. 

If you or anyone you know struggles with mental health or suicidal inclinations, the national suicide prevention hotline is 988.

You matter!

by Ifrah Daber 

In the past few months, anyone who is paying attention to the news has seen how the conversation surrounding undocumented immigrants has been stealing headlines. Sadly, these discussions have been another example of loud misinformed hate-filled rhetoric from people who attempt to paint a group of individuals as the main problem with America. 

Immigration, even when done through the legal process, has always been a hot-button issue. Still, with mass deportations and debate as to whether undocumented immigrants should be afforded the same rights as “real” Americans, the quiet part that racist people have been screaming about for years is finally out in the open:

“You aren’t a person unless you look and act like me.” 

People might call me dramatic, but this has been how America has set up its immigration policy for decades now. The Immigration Act of 1924 was an immigration plan that set quotas and heavily restricted immigration from Asia and certain European areas. Why was this? A fear of change, and a fear of those who are different steers this mentality of sweeping racist ideology. 

And this hasn’t changed, it’s simply been repackaged. An immigration policy in 2017 that is commonly referred to as the “Muslim ban” made it so that countries that were majority could not travel to America. But it has been repurposed again in the current Trump Administration with a colored tier list for which countries can and cannot travel to America.

Those who have seen the list will note just how strict the travel ban is – and that the majority are from Muslim countries. These restrictions that feed the mentality of danger that those from these countries are inherently more harmful than others are insulting. 

Many claim other reasons for why they think undocumented immigrants, or just high immigration in general, is harmful to America. Immigrant restrictionists claim that undocumented immigrants are a drain on the economy, but this is simply an unfounded belief. 

The American Immigration Council found that undocumented immigrants paid around 90 billion dollars in taxes. The research found by Congress in “Effects of Immigration on the Economy” from 2024 shows that in the long term, immigrants help the workforce and lead to innovation. The Council of Foreign Relations even found that the “nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that increased immigration could reduce the U.S. federal budget deficit by some $897 billion over the next decade.” 

So those who claim that immigrants are a detriment to the U.S. economy simply do not actually understand the immense benefits that immigrants bring by boosting the economy and doing their part for society just like anyone else. 

The other main argument against undocumented immigrants is that they are criminals and are coming here illegally. That statement in itself is incorrect. 

Entering the country without proper documentation is not a crime. It is a civil violation, so immigrants are not “illegal.” Some may call that semantics, but if you are stopped for speeding, you would probably care to know that it’s not a criminal charge. 

This second idea that all or most undocumented immigrants are criminals is a fear-mongering tactic that people are falling for and have been for centuries. 

The American Immigration Council used data from the FBI and the U.S. Census Bureau and did not find any correlation between higher levels of immigration and an increase in crime levels. In addition, the National Institute of Justice presented a study that argued that undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes when compared to native-born citizens, or citizens born in America. 

So where did the idea that immigrants were violent or dangerous come from?  Well, there are multiple factors, but in the end, it all boils down to two things: racism and the logical fallacy of hasty generalizations. 

Society sees one person of color or undocumented committing a crime and they believe that somehow is a representation of all undocumented immigrants. However, this is partly the fault of the media and the way that immigrants and people of color are portrayed. Often when a person of color commits a crime, the first thing in the headlines is their race. Crimes are a reflection of the person, and yet people expect their whole race and demographic to pay the price for it. 

The last ethical fallacy is the “breaking into my house” analogy, that those who enter America without the proper documentation are unwelcomed guests in their home, and that if they were to “break in” to another person’s country or home that they would have to leave.

Here’s why neither of these examples works. First, if you were to destroy someone’s home, and then they came to you asking for housing from the destruction you caused, I believe you would have a moral obligation to house them. That’s a more accurate description of the situation that America is in. America has taken resources from other countries for years and yet now acts shocked when these countries’ citizens are suffering and wish to leave. 

The other issue with the comparison of “if I was just going to another country” is the same reason there is a difference between the man who steals to buy a new phone and the man who steals to feed his family and survive. If someone goes to another country just to have a fun vacation and overstays their visa or commits a horrible crime and they get deported, I’ll cry no tears. The problem is distinguishing who is here with good intentions and who is not. ICE and the whole Trump administration have shown time and time again that they aren’t taking the proper steps to give each immigrant the due process he or she deserves to hear each case out. 

But why does this matter? Well, as I said at the beginning, if you have been paying attention to the news there is a clear rise of immigrant hate in America. This is happening for all the reasons I have stated, and it’s why people are cheering when people are being thrown in cages. It’s why people who have every legal right to be in America are treated like criminals, and it’s why people argue if undocumented immigrants deserve basic fundamental American rights – because all the issues I’ve described circle back to the dehumanization of immigrants. 

For some invisible reason, many believe documented and undocumented immigrants do not deserve due process, a right that is guaranteed under the Constitution. Too many believe that young immigrant children do not deserve lawyers to defend themselves, and that they are guilty until proven innocent. 

The direction that America is going to take is scary for anyone who chooses to care. Undocumented immigrants are not criminals – they are afforded all the same rights that any other person would receive. They are human, and that should be enough to make us feel horrible for what is happening. The fact they are human should be enough. 

by Breann Jackson

Problematic people are the most annoying people you will ever meet and hear from in this world.

What is a problematic person?  According to the Dictionary, problematic is when someone is tending or likely to elicit objections or disapproval, or offensive. It can come from other people, for example, your friends, influencers, or a president. Being problematic is being a toxic person, especially when there are people out there who tell you that you are but you don’t care. 

These people can be easily marked as the most common trait, negativity. But most of them don’t make it obvious. Of course, when you’re having a conversation with someone, you would want to make your first impression with positive vibes,  but the more you build your relationship with the person, the more it starts to crumble.

Problematic people mostly come from being manipulative. They see the relationship we build with them as a waste of time, so they’ll just play a selfish action and start to use us. They are lying, feeling dry whenever they’re near, tricking our minds, and blaming us for things they did. 

You may not have experienced this but you can see it through TV and movies and how it is portrayed through characters. For example, Angelica Charlotte from the cartoon show, “Rugrats.” She is a 3-year-old spoiled brat who’s rude to the main characters and manipulates them into bad behavior but acts like an angel in front of the adults. Edward Cullen, from the movie, “Twilight,” doesn’t take the main character’s feelings seriously or set boundaries. 

Being problematic doesn’t have a specific place or time, it can happen whenever we go. If we’re going to work, school, a restaurant, or inside a store, someone could be seen as problematic by their actions. Since there are billions of people around the world, there is no chance that we will avoid these types of situations. But we can solve it.

How can we treat people better? We can try to be nicer and kinder. Being rude is going to cause more problems and make you similar to the person of this topic.

by Sophia Waldridge

In middle school teachers will tell students that high school will be a lot harder and feel longer because of how much work is assigned; and they are not wrong. JHS students are starting to feel the pressure and are realizing how hard school really gets towards the end of the year. 

Freshman Mahalia Smith said the work is getting so hard that she is far behind. “Teachers assign so much work all at once with such a short amount of time to do it before the due date, and it causes students to panic and give up with getting work done; it’s too much.”

However, English teacher Eric Watson disagreed, saying, “Having many assignments all at once allows the students to practice essential skills like time management, multitasking, and prioritization; students should test their limits. It’s good for the mind.”

With personal experience I can agree with both sides of this argument, but I myself am stressed with the workload that the teachers have put on students the last couple of weeks left in school. I feel teachers should have meetings where they agree to do a week-long project in each class until the very last week of school; not all at once.

Another freshman, Calob Somoro, agreed with Watson. “All the assignments the teachers have assigned are easy. Most of them are just slideshow projects that take no longer than a day to complete.”

English co-teacher Michelle Houchin is one of the teachers that sees the situation from a student’s point of view, but since she is also a teacher like Watson, she thinks that a student should never give up on getting assignments done.

“I understand that students receive numerous projects and homework assignments daily. Knowing this and the fact that many students have after-school obligations, I do not assign big projects or any homework, and I communicate with my classes,” said Houchin.

In my honest opinion, I do not think that teachers assign too much work, but I do think that they make the work a little too hard sometimes and they expect students to get it done in less than a week. 

I struggle with keeping up with work a lot of the time, so I can truly relate to these students  and their concerns, but I also try my hardest and know that students should trust their teachers and remember that they’re not here to hurt us, but just to make us better and help us learn more for when we’re older.

by Sarah Yves-Baloucoune

When politics starts touching social life, it doesn’t always turn out well.

From his Jan. 20 Inauguration to the writing of this article, Donald Trump has signed 75 executive orders, primarily focusing on government reform, immigration, border security, and more. 

His policies started with the legal recognition of only male and female genders by signing executive orders proclaiming that only birth assigned sex matters. Ever since the beginning, he had the idea and opened a manhunt for immigrants, even citizens if they have no proof of citizenship on them at the moment, but also Native Americans because the tribal IDs don’t count as proofs to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

His actions were questionable, like firing and un-firing nuclear workers, but in this article, let me present to you one of the lesser known but still present realities of people being put at risk due to the cutting of funds. 

 In a society built on money, we will always find a group in need of support. In a world built on international relations, we will always find a country that is overlooked, such as the less rich and popular developing countries like mine, Senegal, but also more famous ones like Argentina.

The funds given by the government were financing non-profit organizations like Child Protective Services, as well as scholarships and grants.

Cultural grant students are students chosen by the host country to share their cultures and impact their local communities in order to create bonds and make friends and families around the world. 

However, exchange students are in great dread. 

The funding cuts have affected the lives of thousands of students in high schools and colleges. The system of grants for students depends on government funds.

“Cultural grant students are students chosen by the host country to share their cultures and impact their local communities in order to create bonds and make friends and families around the world.” 

They create bridges between countries and communities, opening people’s minds to diversity and helping people know and discover the unity of each culture and take the best of each to make life better.

What if these bridges didn’t exist? 

The world would be doomed. In a world like ours, making peace with everyone is the only way to survive. 

What if a country with a lot of resources decided to collaborate with a country that has a lot of knowledge? Two spirits making one strong body is the best way to improve and make life easier. 

The development of the world would have been pretty much slower if the relations between countries weren’t as good as they are now. As an example, people around the world have access to plastic, which was created in Belgium, or petroleum, which is from Saudi Arabia.  

Without these diplomatic exchanges between them all, there would be no long and cheap conservation of products with plastic containers, no fuel for the cars and machines with petroleum, nor a lot of small objects we all have in our lives like scissors, gardening tools and sewing equipment.

But with the new policies, nothing is sure. The kids who were supposed to be connections between two lands and create a friendly bond between the two countries might never come.

As a result, the home country and host country might not work together again and, even worse, stop acknowledging the existence of one another. 

Until today, the future of the grant student programs is unknown, and this may be the last time we will see grant students in the U.S.

by Tyler Anthony

There is an oligarchical, absurd, and distinctly American phenomenon that has been plaguing this country. U.S. Fascism is the biggest danger to societal freedoms and signifies the fraudulence of “The American Dream.” We must recognize this. This is the road our leaders have walked us down, but by letting go of their guidance we can forge a path to far more individual freedoms and real liberty.    

The U.S. Empire was built on the back of exploitation. The moment the pilgrims began their slaughter of the Native Americans, the spirit of U.S. Fascism was born. The pilgrims needed a class to oppress to contribute to the British Imperial machine.

120 years after that, slaves were brought in from Africa for the first time. 160 years after that the U.S. invaded Mexico. 15 years after that the country was so split on slavery that they warred over it. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives because the rich didn’t want to give up their free laborers. The rich couldn’t stop themselves from engaging in the cruelest of human behavior in exchange for the gain of capital. 

The one institution that separated the power of capital from the power of politics was democracy. That separation has become smaller and smaller with every passing year, and now we’ve found ourselves fully submerged in a Fascist Oligarchy. A country that once revolted against the powers of imperialism now stands as the biggest imperial force on the face of the planet. Our ruler is a venture capitalist who conned himself into the presidential role, then was bought out by Elon Musk.

Over $250,000,000 was donated to the Trump campaign. To the average person, that money would completely change the course of their and their families’ lives. To Elon this was just .07% of his wealth. How could you be the single most powerful man in America and still be for the people. The answer? Elon is not. Trump is not. 

Feux-Populist rhetoric has elevated the status of Elon Musk and Donald Trump among Republicans to working class heroes. They have an iron grip on the government and culture and are inching us closer to World War III. This is a scary thought, yes, but it’s time to consider the fact that this may really be the road we’ve gone down. 

In fact, during the creation of this column there have been two major events that have dipped us further into fascism — Trump’s trapping of Zelenskyy and his aggression against Greenland. Inviting Zelenskyy to be disrespected at the White House was anything but a subtle tell of whose side he’s on. Nor is his praise of Russian Oligarchs as “Very nice people.” 

This poses the NATO question. What does Europe do if America leaves NATO? Europe has been very vocal in support of Ukraine. If America secedes from NATO then nothing stands in its way. Trump has been very open in his imperialist rhetoric. His talk of taking Greenland “One way or another “ should strike fear into the hearts of our politicians, but as long as the heavy wealth of the lobbyists lines their pockets, no one will take a stand. 

We can’t rely on politicians; we have to rely on the community. We need to take America back from the ground up.  Put aside our grievances with each other and fight fascism. Politics has become far too much of a popularity competition. It’s time to retake it as the people’s voice. 

Become involved in your community. Write articles for it. Get involved in homeless shelters, even run for office — anything to have some real populist control in this country.

The rapid escalation of Trump’s presidency into a fascist oligarchy has happened at such an incredible rate that we have got to put away social differences to fight this or we will all pay. Except the ones who have the money.