By Dasia Whitfield

Teen depression is something that is very common. Many teens deal with depression. Everyone deals with depression differently. Some teens speak about it and some prefer to keep it to themselves.

In 2017, 11.01% youths from the age 12-17 reported suffering from at least one major depression, according to the website, Mental Health America.

Mr. Licier, the principal of cohort 2019, a person that deals with teenagers every day, stated that “Depression is a state of emotional instability”.
Depression could be handled in so many ways. Often, when a kid is really suffering and has no one to go to, it could lead to suicide. Suicide ranked as the tenth leading cause of death among Americans for many years.

Some people could maybe cope with depression if they had somebody to talk to or felt comfortable discussing it with someone.  “Dealing with depression could be hard to deal with because some people have the inability…not wanting to socialize or be with anyone else”, said Mr. Licier.

Depression is natural, but I think that it could be prevented if people go out and enjoy life and do something productive. Diamond Oliver a 12th grader who attends Patterson High, stated that “Yes there are a lot [of things that can help,] such as doing activities that you like, such as hanging with friends and family, getting out the house, thinking positive, and writing how you feel down.”

Dealing with depression could cause a bad feeling because sometimes when you feel like you have no-one, then you feel like you have no support and you can’t really explain your feelings and what was going on in your head.

According to the website, WebMD, depression can be prevented and avoided from coming back by taking very good care of yourself, reaching out to family and friends when times get tough, get help immediately if you feel like you are depressed instead of waiting because the feeling can get worse. Get enough sleep and eat well.

By Essence Talley

What is bullying? Bullying is typically a way to force someone to do what one wants. Bullying can occur on social media or in person.

People get bullied for different reasons, such as jealously or wanting to have power over other people. Bullies might pick on you because of the way you look, a rumor they heard, or a simple argument.

“It may make people feel better about themselves”, explained Valerie Flores, a senior at Patterson High. Valerie recounted her own story about being bullied in the past.

“I told them to stop but they didn’t, so I I told an administrator”, Valerie explained.

Mr. Licier, an assistant principal at Patterson High, explained one of the reasons people don’t fight back against bullying.

“Because [they think that] if they ignore it, it might go away. Some people aren’t comfortable with conflict”, said Mr. Licier.

If you are experiencing bullying, go to an adult for help or call the command center at 443-984-2000.

 

By Essence Talley

Have you ever known somebody that been in an abusive relationship? If you think you don’t know somebody that suffers from abuse, you might just not know about it. There are different types of abuse such as physical, sexual, and verbal/emotional abuse.

Many people stay in abusive relationships for a variety of reasons. Ms. Menetrez, a social worker from Patterson High School, says, “People don’t realize that they deserve better treatment and don’t have a strong sense of their own self worth. Also, there is the fear of being alone.”

If you are in an abusive relationship, you should talk to a therapist or get help from family members. Ms. Menetrez’s advice is to “encourage them to think about what is the relationship is doing for them, if the relationship is making the significant other happy.”

If you are in an abusive relationship or know somebody that is being abused, go to room 113 to talk to a social worker.

By Asende Baele

The Patterson girls soccer team won against Digital Harbor at home on Oct. 1 by a score of 3-1. The Patterson girls team has 20 players. The team has been really hot so far this year.  Communication is very important to the team’s success.

“You have to have communication with the other players and pass the ball to the other players so we can ensure that Patterson gets the win”, Coach Brenda Moreno explained.

Jackline Steema  scored two goals and Meylin Sujey Hernander scored  one.

They won and they played well. We need other players to add to the team’s power.

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