Lt. Gov. Rodriguez visits Colby School District

By Neal Hogden

Mental health was the topic of discussion as Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez came to Colby schools on Monday, Feb. 12.

Rodriguez, along with state Rep. Donna Rozar, took a tour of some of the district facilities before meeting with members of Colby High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club in the high school theater. The opportunity was facilitated by Rodriguez’s staff as Justin Koestler, Rodriguez’s Chief of Staff, said they highlighted Colby High School as a place they wanted to get to because of the good work organizations like SADD were doing within the district and community.

Students chatted with the duo as the group shared what they do at Colby High School to promote mental health initiatives. They also learned what Rozar and Rodriguez do to promote mental health in school settings.

Students relayed to the elected officials that speakers and other activities that promote mental health cost too much for a small program like SADD to be able to afford every year. Rozar told members of SADD to look to local health resources such as the Colby guidance counselors and Clark County Health Department. Rodriguez emphasized the importance of local support when she said she, as a 48-year-old, was considered young for politics.

Rozar also said at the state level, the Governor and state legislature have put in additional resources to promote mental health statewide but cautioned that money isn’t the answer to solving mental health issues.

See RODRIGUEZ/ Page 5

Lt. Gov. talks mental health

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and Rep. Donna Rozar visited Colby schools on Monday, Feb. 12. The visit included a tour of the facilities and a question and answer session with members of Students Against Destructive Decisions club. Right: Rodriguez (left) and Rozar (right) chat with students in the Colby High School theater. The session included questions about mental health and how more resources for mental health can be directed towards smaller communities.

STAFF PHOTOS/NEAL HOGDEN Rodriguez

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“Money can’t do everything that we want it to do within that health and mental illness [category],” Rozar said.

Rozar also implored members of SADD to be leaders of the social culture surrounding the school. “I encourage you to reach out to people,” Rozar said. “Maybe they’re sitting in class by themselves. Maybe nobody approaches them much. Maybe they’re eating lunch by themselves. They are the kind of people we need to reach out to.”

Rodriguez said things are harder than ever on students from a mental health standpoint with Covid presenting challenges and social media or cell phones creating issues that weren’t seen when she went to high school. She also said her son really enjoys video games and during Covid, video games were a good way for him to connect with his friends.

Students told the representatives that social media has both positive and negative effects on mental health of younger adults and shared some of their experiences. On one hand, the students can connect easier than ever with friends from other schools who might be in the same extra-curricular activities as they are, but also, students are exposed to cyber bullying or cruelty online.

A student said there was less human interaction today with the use of online technologies which could be construed as a negative thing. Another student mentioned that online aliases allow for people to appear different than they might be or act in real life.

SADD advisor Monica Tesmer said the club has had some cyber bullying programming but admitted the kids are much more tuned in to the issues that come along with cyber bullying than staff who might have grown up in a different era are.

The students were encouraged to speak out when they see issues arise online.

High school guidance counselor Chrissie Wright shared her experience when teaching health class in the past and said the biggest thing with mental health is recognizing who needs help.

“If somebody walks in the room and they’re bleeding, we’re going to stop everything and we’re going to fix the cut,” Wright said. “But if someone walks into the room and has something attached with a mental illness, we’re not going to talk about that.”

The session lasted about 20 minutes and the representatives stayed after for a time as they spoke to school staff about their resources and needs. Rodriguez also visited the Bridge Community Health Clinic and Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility in Wausau on the trip.

TAKING A TOUR - Members of the state legislative and executive branches looked at ways Colby Elementary students are learning ways to handle situations that happen in their every day lives. Painted on the blacktop on the elementary school playground are effective ways of handling conflict. From left to right are: Justin Koestler, Office of Lt. Gov. Rodriguez Chief of Staff, Jessica Pipkorn, CES speech/language pathologist, Rep. Donna Rozar, elementary school guidance counselor Donna Schmidt, Dora Wilcox, CES Title 1 - Intervention teacher, and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.

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