It’s a new semester: a supposed “fresh start” for those with the willpower to accept it. Below the surface, however, what becomes of the students who just can’t keep up with the shifting environment?

They’ve slipped through the cracks

In several instances, it’s deeper than your average case of “senioritis.” Especially in large classes, there remains a silent majority of students that lay just beyond a teacher’s line of sight; they sink deeper into dread as their genuine attempts to learn and stay motivated fall short. 

Is it a lack of school spirit? An influx of harsh reminders about the seemingly infinite amount of wake-ups we have left? A genuine lack of interpersonal connection among students and staff? So many reasons pile up like missing assignments, and the pressure on our back becomes suffocating. 

We’ve slipped through the cracks.

Fortunately, we here at MHS are lucky enough to have a rich network of mental health enthusiasts; however, even these sorts of implementations can feel foreign from an outside perspective with a lingering air of uncertainty. Are we really just allowed to walk into a social worker’s office, or will we get scolded? Can we really ask our teachers and counselors for help, or will they shut us down?

Performative attempts at awareness end up widening the divide – you’re all for mental health until it comes to genuine mentally ill students with self-sabotaging mindsets. 

We’ve formed a chasm.

What about the break room we had during finals? Can’t we use all those pristine study rooms in the media center that are probably collecting dust? Being tossed into the guidance office’s back rooms with a tiny chair and a mint feels more like a bandaid on a broken limb than anything: it should not be difficult to create relaxing sensory areas with the resources we have. 

Changes like these will benefit the entire student body year-round, whether they experience severe mental challenges or not. For the ones who need a sense of community and ease the most, we need to stop letting this school feel like some washed-up sanatorium, especially in our bleak, sub-zero midwest winters.

Every student should feel welcomed by MHS. Every student should have a voice. It should never be taboo to ask for help when we need it.

If you grab our hands, 

We’ll finish the climb.