Just recently, all teachers were required to play a video about suicide prevention and discuss it with their classes. This is a very sensitive subject to talk about. Consequently, many people have different thoughts about the video. Some students feel that the school just wanted to make an effortless video that didn’t really encompass all that it could have. They felt that if there had been information in addition to tips, they would look at the video differently.

“The video kept repeating the same concept; it didn’t really provide the information we really needed; all they really did was talk about the Safe UT app,” Miriam Maldonado (10) said. Suicide is a very deep topic, and the students wanted it to be way more detailed than how it was described in the video.

“We should be taking things like this very seriously because suicide rates are going up yearly,” Zuri Alcantar (10) said.

 Every student has problems outside of school, and some problems are worse than others. Thus, many students come to school tired, stressed, and worried about what is going on outside of academics. What some students don’t realize is that teachers genuinely care about their students and notice their moods. They can tell when a student is feeling down. “I actually care a ton about my students and their lives. I try to build trust in them so when they are feeling down, they can open up to me. When they do, I try to find out the basics on what’s wrong and what I can do for them,” Mr. Okeson said.

“They could have put more feeling into the video. Perhaps a talk from a suicide survivor would have allowed students to see how someone felt and recovered. Other than that, the video did give good tips on how to help someone in need and what to do if one is feeling down,” Kimberly Abarca (10) said.

Other students thought the video was very well done. They believe that it was incredibly thoughtful of Granger to make this video because to some it may have been a small gesture, but to other students it might have been the highlight of their day. The fact that Granger’s staff wants their students to be here another day made some Lancers feel wanted and loved.

People aren’t always happy and optimistic, and that is OK because all students have days that simply are not as good as the others. So, if someone is having an off-day and just want someone to talk to, there are some resources listed down below that could help. Do not be afraid to seek help; everyone has challenges.

RESOURCES:

Confidential Free Hotline:

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line:

Text “START” to 741-741

Meet with person:

801-587-3000