In a sprawling discussion that delved into issues such as suicide, sexual assault and social media, Lauderdale County School District students reflected on powerfully pressing problems that may go unnoticed Wednesday morning.

Twenty-four students comprising a “student advisory council” — a council assembled by school administrators — met with school officials and Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie in the district’s Administrative Building to share thoughts related to the theme of “Safe Schools, Healthy Students.” The students came from the district’s four high schools.

Superintendent Randy Hodges said this type of meeting had been under consideration for some time.

“This is something that the central office, the school district, has had on our minds for several years,” Hodges said to the group. “It’s not the first time I’ve done this. I had students several years back I wanted to interact with and let them give me feedback on concerns we had, and we’re doing it again. We listen to students.”

The discussion included students’ concerns about academics, but it lingered longest on social and emotional issues that students face.

Early in the meeting, Hodges shared the account of a classmate of his who, years ago, committed suicide.

“Let’s do everything we can to intervene and interact so that a student will not go to that point of taking her own life,” he said. “It’s happening all over this nation, and it bothers the heck out of me. What’s your feelings on it?”

Students responded without hesitation, noting the need for teachers and students to get to know other students — particularly those who look as if they might be troubled emotionally — and to step beyond their usual circles to interact. One student noted the danger of ignoring troubling signals.

“Especially now, at the age that we are, a lot of people say we over-react about a lot of stuff, and they try to ignore the whole situation,” she said. “I don’t think that it’s actually taken as seriously as it could be, especially in high school, (because) people say, ‘You’ll get over that. It will be OK,’ but they don’t know that inside it’s really hurting this child, and they could go home and harm themselves because nobody believes that their problem is that bad.”

Bianca Thedford, a junior at Northeast Lauderdale High School, noted after the meeting the importance of overcoming discomfort in reaching out to another student, noting that fear might prevent a person from taking that step.

“If everybody could eliminate fear, we could help out more,” Thedford said.

As students discussed date rape and sexual assault, they noted the discomfort of speaking out, pointing out — among other things — the terrible tension that descends when the perpetrator is someone they know. One student also questioned whether a young woman would be believed if she spoke up about sexual assault.

Another student, Emma Pinson, suggested the need for a mechanism — such as a sex education class — that would create the chance to discuss and learn about sexuality.

“I’ve never had a sex education class,” said Pinson, a sophomore at Southeast Lauderdale High School. “It would be an important thing to have … There are things that we don’t even know at all — that we have no idea about until we experience.”

Kameron Burnham, an English II teacher and student council sponsor for Southeast Lauderdale High School, noted that students have health classes where such issues might be discussed — and then she reflected on the problem Pinson raised.

“You all are the outspoken kids,” she said. “You don’t mind sitting here with adults talking about teen sex. But for the majority of teachers at your school and the majority and the majority of students at your school — it’s so uncomfortable, that nobody wants to talk about it … So how can we counteract that and make it so that we all have to sit down and talk about the uncomfortable stuff?”

“That’s my goal,” Hodges said.

Cheryl Thomas, curriculum director for grades five through 12 and the district’s professional development director, agreed regarding the importance of helping teachers and staff members become comfortable discussing such issues.

“This year, counselors were introduced to a safe-dating curriculum, and (some high schools) are incorporating that into health,” she added. “We have a curriculum (through which) we’re supposed to cover those standards, but we can bring in a lot of things to help make it better.”

She said the district, following state guidelines, provides abstinence instruction during seventh grade.

After the meeting, Hodges said that sex education is important for the students.

“I think there’s a need for it,” he said. “I think it all ties in together with our responsibility as educators. If (students) have got a problem, we need to try to help them with it.”

After the discussion, students talked about the need for partners to respect each other’s choices. Landon Conklin, a sophomore at Clarkdale High School, said it was vital for male students to “respect the decision” of female students in a dating situation.

“If she says no, it means no,” he said.

Estefany Chavarria, a junior at Clarkdale High School, added that such victimization is not exclusive to one gender.

“It happens to guys, too,” she said.

The discussion moved into several other areas throughout the morning, including “drugs/alcohol/tobacco,” the danger of texting while driving, social media and various aspects of academic work.

Some students mentioned their attraction to Career and Technical Education courses and noted the importance of postsecondary options other than traditional college. Kevin Cheatham, the district’s director of Career and Technical Education, stressed the importance of early career preparation.

“If you don’t think about it now, in five years it’s going to slip up on you quickly,” Cheatham said.

Regarding the perils of texting while driving, Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie noted that it’s vital for people to appoint a person other than the driver to text, and he mentioned — among other things — the dangers inherent in social media. He alluded to the investigations he’s conducted over the past five years or so in which “a person is being belittled, embarrassed and trashed” through various kinds of social media.

“Nowadays, with social media … that picture, that image, that action, that video — that’s out there forever,” he said.

Students, faculty and staff members frequently returned to the need for deep understanding and love — a word mentioned many times — to dig into the problems raised on Wednesday. After one such expression of togetherness, Hodges shared reflections he made clear were coming strictly from him, and not from the Lauderdale County School District.

“I am so disappointed in our president, and the way he is handling our country,” Hodges said, and then he gestured to a student who had just made a compassionate statement. “He’s not doing what you’re saying, and I’m disappointed.”

Hodges also mentioned protests among football players choosing to kneel during the national anthem.

“They chose to show it the wrong way, I think, our professional football players,” Hodges said. “But here’s my point…”

Hodges then went on to describe the way President Donald Trump used profanity to refer to the football players.

“That bothers the heck out of me,” Hodges said. “I don’t like what they did, but I expect more out of my president.”

Hodges told students that current political divisions are relevant to them — and could affect them if those divisions continue.

But Hodges characterized the meeting among the students on Wednesday, filled with candid sharing, as an extremely affirmative event.

“Now we will give teachers, the counselors, and the principals back at the campuses this information,” Hodges said, noting that students shared thoughts about the discussion afterward in writing. “It’s real important that we don’t leave it here today.”