At Via News Didi, we believe in the power of student voice. Whether it's about vaping teenagers, cheating in exams, queer representation in the media or women in sports - we want to hear students’ opinions on the questions that matter.
For our 1st Writing Contest we asked students to complete a sentence - “If my school had its own newspaper…” and here’s what they told us.
The results for our second Writing Contest are here. We asked students:
What is one thing you know to be true about your mental health?
Here are the winning responses :
My whole life, I craved for everyone to like me. So much so that if you wanted my opinion on something, I would have said what they wanted instead of what i wanted, because i wanted to fit in. Eventually, i went through a terribly lonely month and i needed company. The ones I used to change myself for, proved that there was no reason for me to chase them like a puppy who craved the attention of a neglecting owner. Now, healing, I am trying to establish my own path, with myself speaking up for me from within me.
By Bhumika Chouhan, Grade 9
With time, it becomes crucial for us, especially teenagers, to be aware of our mental health which I think I have achieved. I have often heard my peers saying things very casually like- “I am depressed” or “My anxiety is at it’s peak”. This, I believe are extreme terms. At this age when we often form mindsets, it is vital that we identify what we are feeling, recognise the distinction and most importantly, know how to manage it. I have learnt that reliable adults and experts like counsellors should be our point of contact for such circumstances.
By Tejaswini Subhash Chandane, Grade 11
You can read our top 5 entries here.