Suicide

Today, a young man took his own life at the University of Texas, at Austin. On the way to school, I heard on the news that there was a gunman at the University of Texas at Austin, only to discover later that his goal was to commit suicide.

Suicide is a topic that isn't really talked about that often in schools like drugs, alcohol, and sexual education. My school offers "wellness" classes in order to provide lifestyle advice for us high-schoolers; often, there are topics of stress and time management. But, I really think that depression and suicide itself need to be addressed more in teen environments where suicides are more prone to occur.

At a local school, Henry M. Gunn High School, there have been several suicides on the Caltrain tracks. I never really thought about the impact of depression and suicide, but with this suicide at the University of Tecas at Austin, I can't help but wonder why people commit suicide.

In my opinion, teen suicides appear to happen due to depression and specifically - bullying/harassment. I think this gives more perspective to the idea that people need to treat others nicely and with respect. You never know how much impact you may have on a stranger.