Teen Drug Use
Drug use in teens has been a big issue in the new generation. Teens begin smoking and taking pills. Selling drugs and messing with the law, maybe even messing up their lives. More and more kids are being pressured everyday. What causes these young teens to do this? Why do teens feel the need to do this and what can we do to stop it?
27 students were surveyed at Heritage Middle School and it revealed that about 14.8% of people have felt pressured to do drugs and about 3.7% of people would do drugs if they were asked to. All of the students that were surveyed were asked "Why do you think kids do drugs?". A popular answer that was heard was "to be cool." Other answers were, they feel insecure or depressed, they want to be popular, they want to fit in, they feel stressed, they have family problems, they want to feel better, they feel pressured, and/or for fun. Also, many were asked if they think parents should talk to kids about drugs and 14.8% said no and a parent said, "I don't think we should be forced to talk about drug use to our children because it should be something that should be taught to kids during school and it should also be common sense." but what parents don't know it that about 81.5% of the parents don't know that their children are doing drugs. Students aren't well educated about drugs.
Addictions and poor health happen because of a simple mistake of drugs and the best way to keep from this is to stay away. Resist the need to do things that could damage your life for good. Students should become more educated on drug use and the long term effects that could happen. The facts that a majority of students think that kids do drugs to be cool is where the problem is. Students should not feel obligated or pressured to do something you don't want to do. Say no to drugs and if you're having a problem, seek help from a trusted adult such as teachers and parents.
iPads are iDifficult by Samantha Sedo
In the beginning of 8th grade, all students at Heritage Middle School would receive an iPad instead of those old, bulky, white MacBooks. HMS is doing this because they were slowly but surely getting rid of all of the white MacBooks because there was too much problems with them such as being very slow and crashing all the time.
Getting iPads was a big deal because all of the 8th graders were used to laptops and to be suddenly switched to iPads was a rough change. Not many students and teachers were happy but not many were sad. When it was announced to the students, students explained that, "I am not happy with these iPads and I'd rather use pencil and paper" and, "Why couldn't the 6th graders get the iPads since they're new to this whole computer thing." An advantage to the iPads are different ways of learning and a variety of apps to use. Disadvantages were blocked websites and the keyboard issue. With iPads, hands began to get cramped up from all the typing and keyboards are now being asked for. How are you supposed to do big essays on an iPad? An add-on to the situation was blocked websites. Teachers began to get frustrated with lots of website being blocked off due to restrictions.
It is now two months into the school year and most students are getting used to the whole iPad concept but others are still working on it. According to some students, "iPads are much easier now that I know how to use it." Students just needed a little bit of time to get used to the iPads.
It's Just Life
It was a normal Thursday in October 2014. It was a day like any other day. It was beautiful day. Not too cold or too hot. I got ready for school and my dad came around and picked me up and dropped me off for school. I remember that the last words I said to him before I got out of the car were, "See you later" like I said every other day. If only I knew what was coming for me later. We had a half day that day because it was report card pick up, so we got out at around eleven o'clock. That was when everything happened.
Later on that day, I got out of school. I was elated and excited walking home because I was extremely exhausted and I was finally able to go home. I was barely a block down walking with my friends when my sister came around. I was a little confused why she was here because she never picked me up, but she just told me to get in the car with a harsh tone. I was a little worried because she didn't look so good. My brothers were in the back seat and my sister took my brothers and I to my dad's crowded, one bedroom apartment. We all sat in silence for a bit on the new, brown leather couches and stared at the broken flat screen TV until my sister broke my silence. "Dad is in the hospital," and all I thought of was the worst.
After that, we arrived at MacNeal hospital and I wasn't feeling so good. My head was spinning, I was dizzy, and my stomach was in knots. I kept telling myself that he's okay but I was just thinking of the negative instead of the positive. It was absolutely difficult to look on the positive side when I just knew that we had an immense past of heart attacks on his side of the family. Was it possible that it could've got to him?
As I sat in the crowded emergency room, my aunt came in and told me that she was going to take my brothers for a little bit. So I sat there alone. I just heard people coming in and out of the doors, babies crying, people talking to the people at the desk. Doors opening and closing and suddenly my sister's voice.
My sister told me the worst news that I could have possibly ever heard in my life and from then my mom, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and I were all in a dull, square, small, quiet room. The mixed sound of sobbing and phone calls filled the tight spaced air. I definitely didn't feel good at all after that. I just felt the urge the vomit but I couldn't. I was emotionally drained. I couldn't think straight and I just wanted to leave and go to sleep. I felt as if it was just a dream. A nightmare. Maybe something even worse than a nightmare. My mom had finally let us see him and it was just heartbreaking to see. We were in the hospital for what felt like centuries. Finally, at around five o'clock we left the hospital and said our last goodbyes and walked to my dad's house that was a block away.
Soon, my whole family sat in the living room completely shocked. Nobody would have thought that this would've happened so soon. He was old but not to old to pass away so suddenly. It was just all a coincidence though because my mom and dad were going through a rough two years and that morning they forgave each other for everything and were back on good terms. Also, my dad had talked to lots of family member that lived out in Philadelphia, Puerto Rico, and Florida including my sister who he had recently talked to about death. He said that if he dies, he wants everything to be in one day. He wanted his funeral and burial all in one day so we didn't have a hard time, and that's what happened.
All I could really say is that when my dad passed away, he didn't suffer. It was quick and whatever happened, happened and I can't do anything about it. It was a hard time and it's not things that I will forget, but I know that my dad was happy in life and he looked really peaceful to the point where it looked like he was smiling a little bit during his wake.
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