HHS Responds hosts Fish Bowl

The fishbowl is a method of large group discussion adopted by many teachers. An inner circle is open to talk freely on a subject, while those on an outlying circle silently observe.

HHS Responds, a club that meets weekly to provide a safe environment to discuss race, gender, identity, and politics, hosted its own fish bowl on mental health.

Around 60 students and several faculty members, including Kelly Richey, school social worker, Marit Lee Dohse, health, and Bobby Pointer, school nurse, met after school on Thurs. April 19.

HHS Responds provided pizza, chips, and beverages for attendees, and set up an intimate circle of around 10 chairs in the center of the room.

Miranda Shapiro, senior, and one of the HHS Responds leaders, explained the rules: no interrupting a speaker and casually tap on the shoulder of someone in the inner circle to remove them and take their place.

The first question asked to the group was “Why is mental health important to you?”

“Our mind is responsible for all of our body’s functions. We should value it as much as we do our bodies,” Reyan Ugas, sophomore, said.

After a near 20 minutes of emotionally charged discussion on the first topic, the next question was introduced: “How can we focus on health and not illness?”

Teddy Bernard, junior, highlighted the importance of frequent therapy, “It’s like having a personal fitness trainer for your mind.”

The fishbowl lasted for two hours after school, club leaders had to cut the discussion off due to active student engagement.