On May 20, students had the fortunate opportunity of listening to the inspirational words of Tyler Durman during “What If Week.” During this week dedicated to bringing students on campus together, Durman shared his thoughts on the importance of having a strong community. He told the story of an actual high school student whose inability to share his feelings with anyone he trusted led to poor decision-making. Durman urged students to learn from this teen’s mistakes and highlighted the thin line between good and bad choices.

Through this story, Durman preached one significant overarching message: we need each other. With just these four words, Durman resonated with an auditorium packed with students. Using his message, Durman hoped to shed light on how vital it is for each and every student to have someone to turn to when dealing with difficult situations.

In response to Durman’s visit, we would like to commend our school’s staff and student body for supporting such a strong and cohesive community here on our own campus. Durman spoke of how important it is for students to feel safe enough to express their thoughts and feelings, and we feel that the Warrior community provides exactly this sort of security. Through our counseling system and excellent staff, students always have someone to turn to. If a student is struggling with a personal problem, he or she can turn to their counselors or the school psychologists.

“You can always reach out to a staff member you trust. Your counselor or a staff member in the counseling center can also assist you,” school psychologist Christina Argerich said. “You can make an appointment with myself or the other school psychologist, Sharri Hogan, if you feel that you need more assistance.”

There is no doubt that high school students often endure high levels of stress, whether caused by academics, peer conflict or home life. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, during the school year high school students experience a higher average stress level than adults.

Durman expressed that if anyone tries to deal with this stress alone, he or she will only plummet down a hole like the student in his story did. We believe that no student on campus has to feel this way thanks to our easily accessible support system through counselors and the school psychologists.

Another important aspect Durman highlighted, one that we feel Warriors excel in, is building a sense of community among students. We want to commend our ASB members who work hard to organize spirit weeks and school-wide events that help foster a strong community among students. It is also easy for students to find their niche on campus through various arts departments or the multitude of clubs on campus, which also helps students feel a sense of belonging on campus.

“One of the most important ways that we encourage unity between diverse groups of students is through our clubs and organizations such as Warrior Nation,” Argerich said.

A central question driving “What if Week” was the question, “What if we came together?” We believe that our staff and students truly do come together to build one strong, united Warrior community that would make Durman proud and any student feel welcome.