Content Warning: The following article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Welcome to the second edition of Ask the Register, Central High School’s only advice column!  

You can submit to Ask the Register here!

How do you politely disagree with an ignorant person? 

You can plan out what you’re going to say in advance to make challenging someone’s ignorance easier to confront. To better understand someone’s perspective, ask them why they think what they think, or where their ideas come from. Then, you can refute those statements with your own facts or experiences. Confrontations can be really difficult. You can invite a friend or someone you trust to be by your side and help you share your perspective. Successful dialogue generally doesn’t come from accusations or insults, so though it may be difficult, try and stay focused on the issue at hand. A helpful perspective could be that it’s you against an ignorant idea, not you against another person.  

However, it’s important for you to protect your peace and take care of yourself. Constantly challenging someone else’s ignorance is exhausting, particularly if your own identity is targeted, and if they’re not willing to listen. It is not a failure to take a break and say “no” if someone is trying to provoke you into an argument. 

Best of luck! 

How to prioritize schoolwork again while healing from a sexual assault? I am failing most of my classes because I was focusing on therapy. 

Prioritizing yourself and your healing is essential. You deserve to be able to care for yourself without the pressures of school and homework. Your well-being is so much more important than any grade. 

Have you explained your situation to your teachers? You don’t need to disclose anything you’re not comfortable with. A statement like, “I’ve been really struggling to complete schoolwork because of a personal reason. I want to do well in your class. How can I increase my grade?” can be helpful. Teachers, generally, want you to be able to pass their class. Most will be willing to help. 

Your therapist, as well as your teachers and counselor, can be a resource to help you return to school while continuing to care for yourself. Remember that you do not need to be perfect, and you do not need to sacrifice your healing or well-being for schoolwork. There are always options to make up classes or credits.