Wrangell Sentinel -

The 18 or so Wrangell middle school and high school students who belong to BASE - Building a Supportive Environment - are the role models I never paid attention to when I was their age long ago (1960s).

They got together on their own because they saw their classmates dealing with stress, pressures, mental health issues, and even drab hallways, which senior Jade Balansag described as "boring corridors of nothingness."

Senior Jacob Dow did his research and learned that surroundings can make a big difference in mental health.

BASE set to work adding artwork and plants to the hallways, setting...