Look into Student Health Services

While reading Technician, I came across the article Russell Witham wrote about the recent suicides at Cornell University and wanted to make a remark on that.

As you, and many others, apparently see it, those students who are more academically inclined to succeed should have a lower likelihood of becoming a part of this so-called “epidemic.” I would have to take a completely opposite stand on the issue. From my experience, many of the students who tend to do well in classes and progress accordingly in academics are those who have constantly been pushed to their limits, challenged from the beginning (most often starting with their parents). If that is the case, would we not expect them to crash and burn at some point? Is it so hard to recognize that even Ivy League students can reach their breaking point?

As far as prevention goes — like David Skorton says — if you’re having trouble, get help.  The counselors and psychiatrists at the Student Health Center (and elsewhere) are trained to help students in that state of mind. From my personal experience, those people can save your life. No, nothing is going to magically get better overnight — it doesn’t work like that. But there are gradual steps that these professionals can help you take to become a happier person — one with more confidence. Confiding in a friend or a loved one can also keep you in check; those people can help you get on track whenever you’re feeling down. In my case, one of the friends I confided in actually brought me to the Counseling Center at NCSU and made me “just talk to someone.” Because of that, I am where I am today.

Anonymous

sophomore, mathematics education

It’s the qualities of the person

The article in the February 25 issue of Technician, “The gender of coaching,” started out very informative and gave me a good impression that the article was going to really highlight gender equality in sports. I was very impressed that the athletic director was well versed in reasons that female coaches might be needed for coaching female sports and that the article concluded that personal qualities, not gender, were the important factors in deciding the coaches for sports teams. The article included statements from coaches such as “A coach is a coach,” which showed me how progressive our sports programs are at N.C. State.

There were also two statements that were included that I do not think should have been included because the content suggested that men were more fit for coaching positions. The first was a quote in the second column of the article that alluded that the reason the girls on the team lost respect for their last coach was because the last coach was a woman. The second quote was on the second page of the article, by a coach, which stated, “There are some great female coaches out there. There just aren’t that many of them.” I was outraged at this comment and felt angry for all of the great female coaches that I have had during my lifetime and all of the wonderful women coaches that we have and have had at NCSU.

I would encourage Technician to include more articles about gender issues but to choose more carefully the quotes that you use, realizing that they may be offensive and untrue as they are just the opinions of a single person.

Rebecca Bishopric

junior, biological sciences

Jesus risked jail to help the sick

Another reason to stop caging sick humans for using the relatively safe, God-given plant, cannabis (marijuana), that doesn’t get mentioned in Tuesday’s column, Medical marijuana: a personal decision, is that it is Biblically correct since God indicates He created all the seed-bearing plants — saying they are all good, on literally the very first page (Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). The only Biblical restriction placed on cannabis is that it is to be accepted with thankfulness (see 1 Timothy 4:1-5). And “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (see 1 John 3:17).

Jesus Christ risked jail to heal the sick.

Stan White

Dillon, Colorado