R.I.P. HIP at Palmetto

I am involved in the HIP program at Palmetto. It's a club where students teach other students about health topics that are relevant to teens (similar to this blog) and we have candid conversation about those topics that teens might find difficult or awkward discussing with an adult. This program has helped a countless number of students at our school and many other schools across dade county. We used to teach to the biology classes but this year we had to switch to the P.E. classes. We have made accommodations to keep HIP at our school but today the PHE's were informed that HIP will no longer be a program at Palmetto. This might be the most inconsiderate, ignorant, uninformed decision ever made by our new principal. Harley would not negotiate with anyone from our current board and future board. HIP had tons of new recruits coming in for next year and the juniors involved this year were all going to continue on to next year. Now, all of these kids who are eager to help and inform their peers will miss out because Harley is unreasonable. And hopefully I can say all of this because this is my blog and it's freedom of speech but I am infuriated. This is probably THE most important club at our school and it deserves to be taken care of. There are no sex education classes at Palmetto and this year we taught students a lot that they were not aware of. I know that a lot of kids didn't listen but it was worth it if we helped just one person. The HIP website has even helped the PHE's. It has resources to help find free clinics around our school and tells you if you need a parent to get STD checked and what clinics let you go alone and much more information. We need HIP at Palmetto. The school is already so... disgusting, mainly because students are uninformed. Imagine what school will be like without the one program that gives students information that could change their lives? When there are STD outbreaks and more kids dying from mixing drugs and more pregnant girls at our school, maybe Harley will regret her lack of support in HIP. We don't have the club at school anymore but you can still stay informed. Go to the BEHIP.org website and it can show you all of the health topics covered in a year and give you resources and answer questions you may have. You must stay informed and take it upon yourselves to learn about everything you have questions on. Take care of yourselves as best you can and I'm always here to help, as well as www.behip.org

Bullying

At palmetto and probably every other high school in the world, bullying occurs to all different people for all different reasons. It is a sick and pathetic way for people to feel better about themselves. But why must people be so cruel to lift themselves up? Bullying has pushed many teens over the edge to the point of suicide. Other people tourture their peers and make them feel terrible about themselves and the bullier thinks its funny. We are all human and we all have feelings. People spread rumors, call people names, spread more rumors, scream things at them in the hallways, give nasty looks, embarrass them in front of others, and ask like they know what they're talking about. You may think the worst part is when people start to believe the rumors without question, but it's not. The worst part is when YOU start believing them and you gain a sense of worthlessness and just give in and give up. You succumb to the low lives who pretend to know everything that goes on in your life. If you're being bullied to a point where you can't handle it anymore, talk to an adult. Don't let yourself get to a place of self loathing and misery because other people made you feel that way. Don't let other people have the power over you to "make you feel" anything you dont want to feel. Last year, I had to report two girls for harassment because they tortured me for a whole year. They screamed names at me in the hallway, they'd see me at the falls and cause a scene, still screaming vulgar names at me. The final straw was when they followed me halfway home screaming at me and tellig me what a disgusting person I was. Ignoring these girls didn't help anything so the next day I reported them to Bales and they never bothered me again. But of course there are always more people to give you a hard time. If you plan on sticking up for yourself, as in speaking up for yourself, make sure you let them know that they don't know you and they don't know anything abou your life. Also, use big words and don't curse. It makes you seem more intelligent and above the people who are giving you problems. If these people have such low self esteem that they have to put others down to feel better about themselves, they are pathetic and honestly sad. I know I've had more problems with bullying than most should have but I'm trying to learn from my experience and I don't want any of you getting to the terrible lows I've experienced because I let other people rent negative space in my mind. Don't lose sight of who you are, no matter what people tell you. Stay true to yourself and know that you're the better and bigger person. Also, if things get out of hand you need to talk to an adult you can trust. Sometimes we can't handle everything on our own and it's okay to ask for help. And if you see someone being bullied, help them out. I know people don't like to get involved in other peoples drama but wouldn't you want someone to stick up for you? Be the better person and take care of yourselves as best you can. If you don't walk with your head up, this world will chew you up and spit you out. You control how you feel. Don't let others have that power over you.

Being Aware and Staying Protected

Although the next post isn't due until Wednesday, I feel that it is necessary to address the tragedy that has struck our community yesterday, April 13 2012. One of our peers was in a car crash with her father and little sister. The little sister, Kaely Camacho, died in the crash. A drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into the back of the Camacho's car, where Kaely was sitting. Such unexpected tragedies leave us all at a loss of words and in a state of disbelief. Personally, I don't understand why things like this happen. My father has been through two wars and made it out fine but now kids can't even go to school and come out alright. It sickens me that someone else's choices effects an entire community, a family, a school. I am not close with the family and I am only acquaintances with Bree but this has still effected us in major ways. These are our peers, we are a community. A stranger can hurt us so badly and try to run away from it. We don't have to say everything happens for a reason, but we are obligated to learn from these situations. You think it'll never happen to you. You see it happen to someone else and say how sad, you say poor thing. But when it's you its something else - its everything. Please don't let it be you. Things happen beyond our control but there are ways to help prevent these tragedies. First of all, Never. Drive. Drunk. It's one thing to kill yourself while driving drunk but to kill innocent people because of your stupidity lack of self control is disgusting. We have all heard the horror stories of drunk driving but people still do it. So stop it. Get your parents to pick you up if you or a friend is too drunk to drive. You would rather be grounded than end up killing yourself or your best friend. Second, be a defensive driver. Look everywhere and expect everyone else to be a bad driver. Don't get distracted, your life is more important than the text you're receiving while driving. Try to take a defensive driving course. Just be prepared and use your common sense. I can't handle another tragedy like this again. Too many people have passed away in a short period of time. Avoid the tears and heartbreak and misery and loss of loved ones by being careful and taking care of yourselves. Please be careful in everything that you do. Screw YOLO and do what you can to stay safe. Be smart while you're being dumb. My heart and prayers go out to the Camacho family. Rest easy Kaely, we're all thinking of you. <3

Drugs

One issue at Palmetto, as we all know, is drugs. Teens are using and abusing marijuana, "bars", certain forms of ecstasy, and even acid and cocaine. I remember during my freshmen year, I didn't even think most of those drugs were an issue in school for kids my age. Now, kids as young as 14 and coming to school high and barred out. The mix of marijuana and bars (different types of depressants) can drop your heart rate. Most of you don't realize that mixing different drugs can definitely be fatal. People abuse prescription drugs and recreational drugs. Some examples of prescription drugs are pain pills like Vicodin, Morphine, and OxyCotin.Others are for anxiety or ADD such as Valium, Xanax, and of course, Adderall. Recreational drugs are marijuana, LSD, shrooms, heroine, ecstasy, and  cocaine. Many people believe that it's healthier to smoke marijuana than smoke cigarettes but marijuana users can eventually develop the same kinds of breathing problems and possible lung cancer. The danger of mixing is that one drug you take can be a depressant and the other could be a stimulant. when you mix the two, your body gets confused, leading to heart rate and blood pressure fluctuations which can then lead to heart attacks and death. There are many ways to mix different drugs and they can all almost lead to death. I'm not here saying to never smoke weed because I know most of you reading this do it without a second thought. All I am warning you about are the little facts that you probably don't know. Don't mix, keep it simple, and certain things are okay in moderation. Just be smart about the choices you make because they can effect the rest of your lives or end your life that night.
 

STDs and STIs

The purpose of my blog is to talk to you guys about teen health issues that are going on in your lives right now. Some issues are definitely hard to talk about with your parents so I'm here opening candid conversation and giving you information that could be beneficial to your health right now or in the long run. I am a peer health educator at school so I'm going I discuss what I have learned in HIP and discuss it on the blog. The first topic in going to address is STDs, sexually transmitted diseases, now formerly known as STIs, sexually transmitted infections, because not all of the conditions are diseases. I know many of us think that STIs and STDs couldn't and wouldn't apply to us, but they do exist and if you're not careful they can e very easy to catch. Many STIs have no symptoms, meaning you are ASYMPTOMATIC. If you have a disease or infection and show no symptoms, that is what you are called, ASYMPTOMATIC. That is why it's important to get tested. You cannot always see if someone has an STD or STI. Many people don't realize that when you have unprotected sex with one person, you are also technically having sex with everyone who your partner has had sex with, and the partners of their partners. You can't guarantee that everyone is clean because chances are that someone has something and gave it to you. They might tell you they have been checked when they haven't or maybe they are ASYMPTOMATIC and have no idea that they are carrying something. Then you would get it and pass it on. All you need is a condom and that can protect you from many diseases and infections but not all of them. Thats why you need to e careful with who you choose as a partner and you need to get checked out yourself. When these conditions go untreated they can have fatal results, possible infertility and pennant damage to reproductive organs. STDs and STIs exist and it is so important that you all protect yourselves as best you can. Your bodies are the only thing you really own so take care of yourselves and make the right decisions for you.