There are some things that you want to keep behind closed doors. Often, they are things that we feel shame about or want to keep a secret. Whether they are bad habits, memories, or circumstances, it feels better to leave them locked away. 

It feels wrong or uncomfortable to shed a light on these things. It reveals the reality of the situation and emphasizes the depths of the problem. It is often easier to hide the key and forget about it.

Making the choice to find the key, unlock the door, and turn on the lights is difficult, but often necessary in order to make a change. 

Some people may think that students writing about self-medication is wrong.  It seems like an adult issue and that requires adult solutions. It is something we should keep locked away, they may think.

The truth is, this is an issue that affects us everyday and requires student participation to find a solution. One way we can participate is to talk about the issues.  By bringing issues like this into the light, like this month with self-medicating, or other issues people are going through like having their parents taken away from them due to new laws and regulations, we hope to inspire change.

We can’t change things for you. There are certain limits as to what we can do with a single letter, but one of those limits is not asking you to talk about things.  Open your doors and share your problems with others. The only way we can get stronger is together.

Even if your issues aren’t issues at all, maybe you have a talent that you are just too scared to show, or talk about.  By sharing even the simplest of things we are able to branch out and build those connections that strengthen you as well as others.

This is one of our last deadlines as editors of this paper. What we have tried to do is talk about those things that nobody wants to talk about, and in doing so, we have opened up our doors to you.  If we could ask one thing as we write one of our last letters, is for you to open up your doors to others, because these issues that nobody wants to talk about could get better if we all weren’t so scared to open up the door and turn on the light.

There are big issues facing us today. 

Health issues, such as sleep deprivation and self-medication (Pages 8&9), affect our everyday life and can have long term repercussions.
Social issues, such as immigration laws that hit close to home (Page 5) and pressure to succeed, change the way we view others and our lives.