The Scars Don't Make You

Have you ever felt a pain to where to want to replace that pain without another one? Many teenagers nowadays do that more often than you can imagine. Self-harm is a very serious topic and it’s NOT a joke. It leads to teenagers getting tired of the pain and ending it. One in 12 teenagers self-harm, most teens won’t admit to self-harming because they don’t want the attention. Help is very easy to find it but they are too scared to ask for it.



Lauren Clickscales (Student)

I asked some students and some teachers at Eastern Guilford some questions relating to this issue. I asked them “Why do you think people self-harm?” many of them did not know how to answer. This isn’t an easy question to answer. They all said to help with their problems because they don’t have another way to get rid of it. My other question was “Why do you think this is a serious topic?” they all said because it can lead to worst habits and could also lead to suicide. My last question was “Why do you think so many teens are doing this?” they all had around the same answer. They either said because they have life problems and they want a way out or they want help and they are too scared to ask. Mrs. Laws, a teacher at Eastern Guilford, feels that there are two type of teens who do this, the ones who want attention or the ones that have a mental health issue (example: depression) and they feel like this helps them.

Logan Adkins (Student)

Mrs. Laws (Teacher)



This issue has been increasing, especially in teenagers around the world. According to Redditchstandard.com in the UK, people have been posting selfies on Twitter or Facebook with positive messages on their arms to raise awareness on this issue. They use the hashtag #selfhelpnotselfharm and anyone can take part of this. You can nominate three friends to do this and get the word around. This is a campaign to “stamp out self-harm”. There are many ways to understand this issue better; helpguide.org has an article on this and also how to get help and treatment for this. This website also has the signs so you can know if someone is struggling with self-harm. There are a lot of ways to get the word out and get help for everyone struggling. (http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/cutting-and-self-harm.htm)

This issue is extremely important. I feel like anyone that is struggling with self-harm, just wants an escape. Life, especially a teen, can be very difficult, in this generation; no one takes other people’s feelings and emotions into consideration. I feel like everyone just wants help, and for some people self-harm is a way. This is a serious topic and this isn’t a joke, no one should hurt themselves. If you know anyone who does this or has the signs of it, you should try to talk to them and try to help them or get them help. Self-harm increasing and no one should take this lightly. If you self-harm, talk to your friends or parents, they can get you help. There are other ways to “escape” or get rid of anger or pain, art is a great way and music can help a lot. Self-harm is serious and it should get treated like every other thing.

In the Mirror...

Have you ever looked at the image in front of you when you stand in front of the mirror and think ‘I’m fat’ or ‘I’m ugly’ or ‘I’m not skinny enough’? Has it ever happened where someone has judged you on the way you look by calling you bad names regarding your body size, color, or race? This kind of thinking has led many teens to find refuge in the arms of eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. This social issue has risen tremendously in the past years and has been the major cause of worry among parents because society has made it so that being extremely skinny is something good, when in fact it causes teens to either judge themselves or others. It has come to the point where body size and body image is one of the most important things. Where will this thought process lead those who struggle with eating disorders every day?

I was able to interview people and get their opinion and thoughts on the matter; they answered the following questions:

What do you think is the major cause of eating disorders? Do you think this issue is caused by the media, oneself, people’s comments, etc.?

If you found out a friend or relative was dealing with an eating disorder, how would you deal with it? Would you do anything to help him/her?

What would you tell someone who was dealing with an eating disorder?


In a recent article released by Salem News, they were able to bring attention to Eating Disorders now that National Eating Disorder awareness week has arrived. In this event attention is brought to eating disorders and what can be done to help those experiencing it; this week occurs from February 1-7. This article speaks of the lack of attention that is brought to this epidemic, how compared to other illnesses this is put to be last. It mentions how Ebola has received a ton of publicity, when only a few people in the U.S have received this disease. According to this website if you go to google and search ‘Ebola’ you will receive about 251 million results, while when you search up ‘Eating Disorders’ you only receive 27.9 million. How is it possible that Ebola gets more attention, when eating disorders are a real epidemic as well, is what this article is asking. They go into depth of how anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating affect men and women, and how these eating disorders are slowly taking the lives of many. They especially don’t hide back the disbelief of the lack of attention that is brought to these disorders; change starts with us, their emphasizing.


As I was doing the interviews, I was able to get different opinions from a various audience. My first interviewee was Mrs. Wyrick; the more I interviewed her, the more I saw her going into depth of what we sometimes don’t realize is right in front of us. She was able to recollect the experience she lived with a young teenage girl in her church who struggled with an eating disorder. From what she told me it looks like she would step in to help an acquaintance, friend, or relative; but it’s not just enough to say ‘You’ll get better with time, if you look for help’. Mrs. Wyrick is one of the many people who will use encouragement to uplift the people who may struggle with this issue. “I encouraged her and prayed for her. I told her that ‘What you see on television is fantasyland’; it’s not real. It’s not about what you look like on the outside but on the inside”. The fact is that media, in her opinion, is the main cause for these disorders, and the most shocking thing of all is that we don’t even realize it when it’s right in front of us. That’s right, I’m talking about television. “They project the image that to look good you have to be skinny, with the latest’s fashion, and make up”. The matter of fact is, she’s right; if you place close attention to each commercial, you’ll see that it all revolves around the perfect image.


A student, who would like to remain anonymous, said “We as people sometimes conform to what society say’s is beautiful, when everyone has beauty in them. You don’t have to compare yourself to others because everyone’s different in their own special unique way”. Although we might not know it, many people struggle with this because they want to be like a celebrity or just because one person said just one mean comment, most of the times, one is all it takes. We sometimes think that those around us are the one who are supposed to support us, but in the end they can hurt us. Mr. Wasson, an EGHS teacher said “The ones closest to us might be the ones to bring us down by saying things to be malicious or by saying things that they think might mean well”. This is true in certain occasions, which might be the reason that some people choose to keep it a secret. Another anonymous source said "You need to tell someone, so you can receive the help, comfort, love, and understanding that you need".

Eating disorders are slowly getting to our teens and it’s something that attention should be brought to; the article above mentioned Eating Disorder Awareness week; most of my interviewee’s had never even heard of it, for the reason that it’s not put out in the open. No one deserves to feel like their less than anyone because they don’t look like the female and male models on television or magazines; we’re all different, and that’s what makes us unique. Like my interviewee Mrs. Wyrick said, it’s all a fantasyland, it’s not real. We shouldn’t be defined by what people think or say about our bodies, not even the voices in our heads tell us “You’re not skinny enough”. Beauty is on the inside, and yes, I know that we hear that all the time, but it’s the truth. Once you learn to accept that your body is your own, you can learn to love yourself for who you are…and that is beautiful.

Drug Addiction among Teens

Drug Addiction among Teens 

As you may know, many teens across the U.S are being exposed to street drugs and home made drugs. Teens are getting smarter and smarter learning the in’s and out’s of drugs each day. As they intake and embrace these drugs, some are getting addicted to them. While unfortunate, the sad truth is that it is happening more and more to teens in the United States. Addiction is a harmful disease that does not discriminate. This disease is taking an impact on teens life that let these harmful drugs enter their lives.

As I went around and talked to students and adults about the devastating topic of drug addiction, I asked very general but powerful questions. I asked first “What do they think their life would be like if drugs were in their life?” Mr. Nobers a teacher here at Eastern Guilford answered “Wow, that’s a great question... I guess I would just try and cope with it and find a rehab center. I then asked him how he would feel and how he would react if he found out his child was on drugs? He then replied “I would first try to find out where this is coming from then stop it; I would get (her) the help she needs.” Since the topic is impacting more and more teens daily, I asked some. When asked “What do they think their life would be like if drugs were in their life?” to Tim Johnson a Senior Wrestler at EG and Mariah Peavey a Senior Cheerleader at EG; Tim replied “I think drugs are stupid, I don’t know why people take them. I wouldn’t even get attached to them.” Also Mariah replied “I think that if I were on drugs I would try to stop and get the help I need to get clean”. The last question I had about this topic was “how would you feel if you lost someone to drug addiction or drug violence” and I asked Kiran Morrison a Eastern Guilford Graduate, he gave me a answer that had to do with the Chandler Peraldo situation. He said” I see how many people miss him (Chandler) and how people are so hurt because of his death, and I wouldn’t want that for anyone. So I would feel pretty hurt myself if, especially if it was a person I knew very well. That’s with any death.”

The article below is an article about my friend Chandler Peraldo, who was addicted to drugs. The drugs just happened to take over his life. His death devastated the whole Greensboro community. He left behind a sister, mother and father who are trying to cope with his sudden death. Despite their loss they are making sure others do not make the same decision their son did. They are creating a foundation for drug addiction prevention. In this article Lyn Peraldo (Mother of Chandler) goes into detail about the night and days leading up to her son’s tragic death. In bold to the left in the margin there is a statement saying “I told him it was OK to go and he was gone. The week before, he was upset and said, ‘Mom, I can’t take this anymore. I want to go.’” As this article may be a little low-spirited and dismal it proves a point.

http://www.news-record.com/news/lost-battle-leads-to-new-fight-for-parents-of-chandler/article_6a036148-a4a9-11e4-961e-c3cd8a6139ee.html

Over the past few years of my life I have seen lots of people come and go out of this life. The most devastating deaths that I have been impacted by were the deaths of teens my own age.  Life is such an important thing to take care of and some people are taking it for granted, letting life go past without living life to the fullest each day. Doing stupid things like using drugs takes away from your life span in my opinion. Just a few weeks I had a friend of mine kill himself because he was addicted to drugs. He let drugs enter his life and take over. No matter how much he tried to fight the temptation and desire to quit, he just couldn’t. I’m here to try and stop some of you from following in the same footsteps of my friend, because I don’t wish addiction on anyone. It effects families, friends and most of all it effects you. Seeing his family suffer at his funeral was one image I don’t want to ever see again. Look, you always have other options in life. There is always someone there for you. Somewhere there to be in your corner when you think there isn’t. 

College...are you ready?

Its already February, and many student have their minds on college, scholarships, dorms, books, and so much more. For some students college is a mere maybe 1, 2, 3 years away way but it's never too early to start planning your future. UNCG, Duke, Harvard, Stanford, GTCC, Yale, and Chapel Hill are just a few of the thousands of Universities/Colleges throughout America.  Many students today are highly anticipating and excited for college. There are many planning criterion and planning strategies to help students. There are also many scholarships and financial aid programs you can apply yourself. Some students are awarded high achievement awards, which are great on a college application. Its never too ate to plan your future, but are you ready?

I asked a few students about where they want to go to college.  Chyna a sophomore here at Eastern says “I'd like to attend UNC Chapel Hill.”  Another student named Eris says she’d like to attend Appalachian State. I also asked students if they know about any scholarships.  Eris says “There is a twin scholarship and my sister and I hope to get it” Brittni says “At my father's job, there is a scholarship called EPES Scholarship.” Jessica says “Graduating high school, participating in extracurricular activaties that can go on your transcripts.” are great ways to  planning for college.

Chris M. a sophomore here a Eastern says "I;d like to attend Kansas State University, and a good way to plan for college is to make sure your application gets in on time and being a good speaker. SAT scores matter to those scholarships that you can strive for."

Loan says "Making sure you get a good education and studying is a good way to be prepared for college." She also says she'd like to attend UNCG.

Chris R. is a junior here at Eastern but in the mornings he attends Weaver Academy for Culinary classes.  "I'd like to go to UNC Chapel Hill, picking the right college, having good grades and GPA scores are really good ways to prepare for college." Chris says there's also a $1000 Culinary arts scholarship a Weaver Academy.

Would you like to go to college for free? President Barack Obama has recently launched a plan of two years of free community college. This new plan could really help future students save an abundant amount of money. Over the past 20 years, college and university tuition has went up $40,000 more. With this proposal in thought this will also create more jobs and lower unemployment even more. This program could save a college student on average $3,800 in tuition per year. If your willing to "Work For It" as Obama says; earn good grades, and graduate, 9  million students could take great advantage of this proposal.