bf cracking the
cranium
bear facts student media @LZBearFacts | november 2014 school lake zurich high november 2014
bear facts
letter from the editor
print editor-in-chief:
Dear Readers,
lexi fye
print managing editors:
Without this, we wouldn’t even be ourselves. We wouldn’t have thoughts, we wouldn’t have intelligence, and we would basically just be walking zombies going through life. We all have them, but we’ve never seen them. If you haven’t guessed it yet, we’re talking about our brains. Obviously going class to class makes you use your brain for educational value, but Bear Facts decided to dig deeper, into the secrets of the brain. So the theme for this issue is mind games. From myths to tricks, the brain is more capable than describable. How does this one organ hold every piece of memory you know, yet still has room for the everything else you’ll learn the rest of your life? Solving Rubik’s cubes may keep one entertained for days on end, and the subconscious actions of liars is another topic to explore. A student with dislexia in the school talks about the effect it had on her academic life, and another talks about the emotional and physical tolls of abuse relationships. Whether it’s about stretching the abilities of the brain or how certain actions make it work a different way, the brain is a remarkable muscle. In this issue, Bear Facts will have you explore what really happens in the brain.
genna danial meagan bens
web editor-in-chief: lexi miranda
web managing editor: emmy schwerdt
staff writers: hannah bostrom allie brandl michael gallagher madison hart julia ketcham jemma kim stephanie pavin amanda pflaumer brianne saab jenny steinberg katie szarkowicz danna tabachnik natalie ullman
Sincerely.
adviser: carolyn wagner
Lexi Fye Editor-In-Chief
Bear Facts Student Media Lake Zurich High School 300 Church Street Lake Zurich, IL 60047 TopWeb Printing 5450 N Northwest Highway Chicago, IL 60630
cover art by emi kopke
About Us All decisions are made by the Bear Facts staff. The advisor is responsible for making recommendations based on school rules, applicable laws, ethical journalism, and other concerns. However, final authority rests with the staff. Bear Facts staff and writers strive to inform, entertain, and showcase high quality work to our readers on a monthly basis. We always seek to uphold standards of journalistic integrity, acceptable ethics, and truth.
Website Bear Facts is also published online at http:// www.LZBearFacts.com. Online materials report daily news occasionally related to our print publication. Advertising To advertise in Bear Facts, please contact our editorial board at bear_facts@lz95.org. Prices vary on size and placement of the advertisement.
Letters to the Editor Students are invited to submit articles or letters to the editor. Students submitting can contact any Bear Facts staff member at bear_facts@lz95.org. Staff reserves the right to edit any material submitted while retaining intent. Special thanks to our sponsor: Offbeat Music Store
For a complete editorial policy, please see our website.
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november 2014 | LZBearFacts.com
What’s inside? spin on 6 student’s Rubik’s cubes Take a look into the benefits of solving puzzles and divergent thinking.
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60
second story
truth about the brain
Discover the busted myths of popular misconceptions about the brain.
10
revealing the motivation of deception
Learn about the behaviors behind lying and how to recognize the truth.
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fighting mental manipulation
Read about a local girl’s personal experience with emotional abuse.
a 16 managing reading disorder Discover the experience of a student dealing with dyslexia.
photo used with permission of connor newman
Student not just clowning around at Fright Fest by allie brandl
Most high school students have a job, but very few are paid to dress up like a clown and scare their customers. Connor Newman, senior, is a paid actor at Six Flags during Fright Fest, a time when the amusement park turns into a Halloween theme park from September to November. Newman has been working at Six Flags for two years and can be found in the Mardi Gras section this Fright Fest. “I used to work in a haunted house. I worked at St. Matthew’s for eight years [until it was shut down], so I looked for other ways to let out my passion,” Newman said. “Because what I am is a clown.” According to Newman, his whole job as a scare actor at Six Flags is improvisation, which is acting spontaneously and without preparation. “They just let you go wild,” Newman said. A main part of his job audition focused on his ability to perform improv. “The way I view it is a magnification of who you actually are,” Newman said. “As a clown, I can be whoever I want, whatever I want: multiple personalities, jumping around, anything.” According to Newman, Six Flags is the best place to work. His first year applying for the job, the interviewers placed him in front of a large camera and asked him a few questions. They then had him do a clown laugh and improv, in which they chose a topic for him to talk about: museums. This year, Newman was not interviewed, but automatically put on staff. “[The other workers and I] are kind of like a cult,” Newman said. “No one’s [more] important; we’re all the same. I support them. We each believe in what we do as much as the next person.” bf
@LZBearFacts | november 2014
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photo used with permission of jessie houghton
“My favorite part of autumn is wearing sweaters and jeans because they’re so comfortable.” -Jessie Houghton, fr.
“It’s cold enough that I don’t get overheated. I really hate warm weather.” -Jason Baum, soph.
what is your
favorite part of autumn?
“My favorite part of fall is fantasy football season because DeMarco Murray is a beast.” -David Graham, sr.
“Watching the leaves change, and not having it be too hot or too cold.” -Briana Green, jr. photos by brianne saab
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Around the
Town
The Lake Zurich community, as well as surrounding areas, host various activities and events throughout the month. Check out our calendar for something fun to do this November.
#lovemybf
we love your tweets 10/15 Bear Facts @LZBearFacts Tweet us something you are #thankful for this Thanksgiving!
m a c k e n z i e @Macky2017
10/20
so thankful for this little guy
at the high school Fall Play: November 6, 7, and 8 at 7:30pm in the Performing Arts Center. The play, Noises Off!, focuses on the actions of a touring company preparing for a play at the Grand Theatre. Each act highlights events throughout the performances until the final curtain call. Tickets are available on the District website. Drama Club Coffee House: November 20 at 7pm in the Performing Arts Center. Coffee House artists perform on stage, and proceeds will benefit Charity Bash and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Nolan Foreman @NolanForeman111 10/20
I’m very thankful for my great family!
Studio Theatre Showcase: November 21 at 2pm and November 22 at 7:30pm in the Performing Arts Center. Studio Theatre I students will be performing a play that is directed by student directors.
lincolnshire Mini Comic Con will be held at the Vernon Area Public Library on November 8 at 12:30pm. The event will feature a costume contest, superhero drawing workshop, and a superhero training academy. Admission is free and open to patrons of all ages.
barrington 11/09 - Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project Benefit Concert
Lauryn Johnson @l_johnson14 10/23 I’m thankful for my amazing friends/teammates
libertyville 11/23 - Cold Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk mundelein 11/21 - Make Your Own Glass Pumpkin
Don’t see your picture? Check the website at http://LZBearFacts.com! @LZBearFacts | november 2014
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students’ spin on
Rubik’s Cubes
LZHS’s puzzle Masterminds by natalie ullman
Fast Facts The world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube is 5.55 seconds. How does LZHS rank?
Eric Brown
11.27 seconds
Jake Stevens 14.59 seconds
Troy Mundschenk 68.00 seconds
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In th the time it takes the average person to w walk five to ten feet or to brush one and a half teeth (if they brush for the pres prescribed two minutes), world record-holders cord-hold can solve a standard, threeby-three Ru Rubik’s Cube, despite that there are approximately 43 quintillion possible approx solutions, according to Wikipedia. s a Solving a Rubik’s Cube is performed S through a series of algorithms, or patterns, which tell you when and how to turn the Rubik’s Cube, as well as what order to turn the cube in, according to Troy Mundschenk, sophomore who frequently uses Rubik’s Cubes. “I was on my way to Cleveland, [Ohio] for a band trip and one of the [saxophone] people in the band was doing a Rubik’s cube, and I was very interested in the process. I asked him if he would teach me,” Mundschenk said. Learning how to use the Rubik’s cube took four hours, but in order to fully master most of the tricks of the Rubik’s Cubes, it took weeks of practice, according to Mundschenk. “The five-by-five cube is the hardest, but it’s about the design of the cubes. Picture cubes usually are the hardest,” Mundschenk said. “Not only does everything have to be in the right place, but everything has to be facing the right direction as well.” Different cubes pose unique challenges. “My hardest Rubik’s Cube would probably have to be my three-by-three by five cube, which has six sides,” Jake Stevens, ns, sophomore, said. “What makes this one ne harder to solve is that it shape-shifts. With th
november 2014 | LZBearFacts.com
one side being a different size, once you twist it, it doesn’t match up.” The cube is also harder to solve because of the wide variety of incorrect scrambles and because of the orientation and complicated shape, Stevens said. Rubik’s Cubes are also a form of group entertainment for Stevens and Mundschenk when with friends. “I’ll put the cube in a pattern, like a series of stripes, or polka dots or something like that and then see if [my friends] can undo it,” Mundschenk said. Solving Rubik’s Cubes can be beneficial in more than just Rubik’s Cube competitions, according to Andrea Collins, AP Psychology teacher. “Any type of puzzle will help students develop their divergent thinking skills. Divergent thinking is just when your mind thinks of multiple ways to solve a problem,” Collins said. Students who use a Rubik’s cube or other type of puzzle regularly have noticed an increase in abilities as well. “[Solving Rubik’s Cubes] has definitely helped with my reaction time,” Stevens said. “For example, in football, I’m a running back, so sometimes I have to make quick decisions; cut one way or another. Completing Rubik’s Cubes requires requir split second decisions like that, soo it helps a lot.” bf
truth about
the brain
Busted
Myths about the brain
by meagan bens Drugs create holes in it. People only use ten percent of it. Drinking alcohol can kill its cells. Bombarded with misconceptions, teenagers may not know the truth about their brains. “I have heard that you only use ten percent of your brain, according to that movie Lucy,” Nicole Gaggiano, junior, said. “The movie also said that if humans could control their brain and use every single part of it at once, they would have supernatural powers. The ten percent fact seemed really weird to me, but the theory that we could have super powers sounded ridiculous.” The fact that people are confronted about what is real versus what is myth might be because of how elaborate the brain is. The brain is a complex organ, and researchers are still uncovering the mysteries of it, but nonetheless, scientists have mapped out much information about it. Students start learning about the brain in
elementary school, learn about it throughout middle school, and dive into more depth during high school. Despite several years of health education, students are bombarded with media that sometimes capitalizes on misinformation about the brain. One of the most common warnings about the brain is the idea that drugs and alcohol can permanently damage young people’s brains. “I have heard that your brain is not fully developed until your 20s, which is why I think alcohol is bad. I think it can stop the growth,” Gaggiano said. “I have always heard that drugs cause sections of the brain to die, and those sections are then useless.” The reality, however, is much more complicated. Considering the common misconceptions some people have about the brain, Bear Facts took the time to ask Dr. John Millichap, neurologist at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, for the truth. bf @LZBearFacts | november 2014
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Are people are either left-brained or right-brained? “This topic returns to the idea that all activities use various parts of the brain, and all the parts are connected, so you are always using your left side and right side of your brain at the same time. Certain areas may be involved more in an activity, but the other side is involved, too. Speech may be mainly located in the left hemisphere, but you are using other parts all over the brain to speak, too.”
Does alcohol kills brain cells? “Alcohol is not good for the brain, and high concentrations can poison and injure cells, a common neurological condition for chronic alcoholism, but it does not kill cells. Excessive drinking can lead to thymine deficiency, which results in problems with thinking and moving. So in essence, alcohol does not kill brain cells, but definitely damages or injures them.”
Is a bigger brain is a smarter brain? “The folds in the brain increase the surface area and are the reason why we have different levels of thinking. Size does not matter at all. Intelligence is related to multiple factors, and folds, wrinkles, or the organization of them are some of the factors.”
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Dr. John Millichap, neurologist at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, answered Bear Facts’ questions about commonly held misbeliefs about the brain.
Do drugs destroy sections of the brain? “As of now, I am not aware of any drugs killing sections of the brain or creating holes. Cocaine can restrict oxygen in blood vessels and in the brain, leading to strokes that damage sections, but the physical damage is not a direct effect. As for smoking marijuana, I am learning more about how it appears to have an effect on developmental aspects of the brain and cognitive function. Even though it does not create a physical hole, THC in pot is still dangerous and the chemicals can affect your development. Nicotine is an addictive substance if the body becomes accustomed to it, resulting in withdrawal symptoms due to the chemical imbalance, but once again, the brain cells are not physically killed.”
Do we only use 10% of our brains? “That idea is false, and we use our whole brain. Some areas may be more involved than others, but regardless, our whole brain is always working. Every part of the brain is connected, like a mini network. Due to this network, there are always computations being done in all areas of the brain, and one part is never shut off.”
Is brain damage always permanent? “Brain damage is not always permanent because the brain is quite plastic. The younger you are, the greater neuroplasticity your brain has, which is the ability of certain parts of the brain to take on other tasks that a damaged part can’t take on anymore. Even if you have an injury, your brain can recover, which is evident in stroke patients today.”
@LZBearFacts | november 2014
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revealing the motivation of
deception
“People tell lies to protect themselves, at least in their minds. They tell lies to protect their ego, their sense of identity, their sense of self.”
Shameful Behavior
The truth about lying photo by casey mcginnis
by stephanie pavin The truth is that most of us have told one little white lie at least once in our lives. Whether it was telling your parents you are studying when you are texting friends, or convincing your teacher you forgot your homework when you actually did not do it, lies are an inescapable reality in our lives. Each one of us has altered the truth for one reason or another, but why are we telling lies in the first place?
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What is it that makes us tell lies? “People tell lies to protect themselves, at least in their minds. They tell lies to protect their ego, their sense of identity, or sense of self,” Robert Knuth, psychology teacher, said. “A lot of times, they tell lies because they are afraid that the truth may reflect poorly on them.” That fear of judgment may be what influences people to lie, especially when it comes to living up to society’s expectations.
“I think people lie to meet society’s standards or essentially keep up with the social contract,” Jake Malinowski, senior and former psychology student, said. But once a person has told a lie, they may have a hard time trying to cover up a lie. According to Knuth, more often than not, a lie will reveal itself in the end. “Some lies are more harmless than others, but when lying becomes a habit, and it becomes an ‘out’ from
to lie. They know that lying is a bad mark on their character because no one will trust them, while other people are almost pathological. They lie because they don’t care. It is whatever is good for them now, and they do not care about the consequences.” Knuth says the consequences are about more than getting caught. Telling lies is about who you are. “A lot of people are good liars and can get away with it sometimes or even most of the time,” Knuth said. “But the end result, lying is a character flaw on you. If you tell a vindictive lie, that is a mark of your character and your personality.” What are ways of determining if someone is lying? There are different ways to tell if someone is lying, one of which being through a person’s facial expression and body movement. “When people lie, they tend to rub their mouth or touch their nose to try and hide the fact that they’re [lying],” Knuth said. “You can also tell by their facial tension.” Another way to tell if someone is lying is through a person’s tone of voice or their eye movement. “It is easy to tell if someone is lying if they lack confidence in what they are saying, which is often heard in the tone of the person’s voice,” Malinowski said. “It is also easy to tell someone is lying if they do not maintain eye contact and their body language is not tall and confident.” When a person is telling a lie, their eyes tend to wander in a series of directions. “Anytime people lie, they are probably making up information because if you know something is true, it is just going to be logical and you’re just going to talk about it, which is a left brain function, but if you are lying, it is a right brain function because you are making something up, which is the creative and artistic side [of your brain],” Knuth said. “In which case, when people lie, their eyes go up and to the left.” bf
When you’re lying, your eyes move...
to the RIGHT, which indictates you are trying to remember auditory sounds to form the lie.
to the UPPER RIGHT, which indicates you are trying to remember previous images that help you visualize the lie.
to the LEFT, which indicates you are using sounds around you to create the lie.
to the UPPER LEFT, which indicates you are using surrounding images to help you build the lie. source: http://visual.ly/psychology-lying
@LZBearFacts | november 2014
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illustrations by monika monko
all kinds of unpleasant situations; it actually is a mental illness,” Knuth said. “You always hear that honesty is the best answer and it’s the best way to go. That’s true because lies end up catching up in the end. So a lot of people will think that when they lie, they’re fooling other people, and sometimes they do, but more often they’re fooling themselves.” But even if liars are only fooling themselves as Knuth warns, people may find conflict in telling lies. For example, they may lie to avoid a tough situation. “A lot of people avoid confrontation. Lying is one way to avoid confrontation, or to be held accountable,” Knuth said. Aside from avoiding confrontation, people may lie in order to have a sense of control. “Lying satisfies a person by helping them to achieve a false sense of reality or by impressing others and getting people to like them more,” Malinowski said. But when a person finds out that someone has been continuously lying to them, it becomes hard to trust a word they say. “That five letter word, ‘trust,’ is a big deal. Lying can break trust, even little lies,” Knuth said. “Around [liars], you know you cannot say things. You don’t want them around because they’re unpleasant people to be with, they make you uncomfortable because you know that they lie, and some people just feel no guilt for [lying]. There’s no remorse. To them, it’s ‘all is good as long as I get away with it,’ which has to do with different levels of morality.” Why do some people experience guilt after lying, but others do not? Such issues of morality may help answer why some people feel more guilt than others about lying. “Some people, when they lie, feel guilty because they know it’s wrong to lie,” Knuth said. “[It is because] they have been brought up that way. They have been told that it is wrong
fighting
mental manipulation
the untold side of
ABUSE
photo illustration by casey mcginnis
by jenny steinberg
“[After we broke up,] John texted me and said, ‘Hold your head under the water and don’t come up,’” local college student Kristy, age 24, said. “I was like, ‘did you really just tell me to kill myself ?’ Finally I went to my mom and said, ‘alright this is done.’” Kristy and John, whose names have been changed by Bear Facts for this publication for privacy, were in an abusive relationship with John being the abuser. However, John never once slapped her or hit her—he was emotionally abusive. Though there were no physical scars left on Kristy, the emotional damage has changed her forever. For five months, she was a victim of John’s words until she built up the courage to leave. 12
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relationship
MIND GAMES
“[Abusive relationships] start subtly. What looks like love at first could be a lot of attention, a lot of affirming. It can feel quite nice, cozy, and flattering,” said Denise Casey, clinical psychologist at Barrington Behavioral Health and Wealth. “The [abuser] starts to make him or her indispensable, which is nice because you have help. Later on, that can turn into possessiveness, control, and aggression. The dependency needs of the [abuser] starts to surface, so abusive relationships—at the core—are usually [about] control, dependency, and power.” The pattern was evident in John and Kristy’s relationship. Kristy said the first month of their re-
lationship was “perfect.” But later, John started to demand Kristy to text him when she arrived or left somewhere and to send a picture of who was there. Their relationship followed a pattern known as the cycle of abuse which consists of three phases: honeymoon, tension building, and explosion. “It starts off with all the romance and attention, and then there’s an abusive incident that occurs like [not allowing] you to go out with your friends. It could be covert [like] pouting, manipulation, or sabotage, so you feel guilty, or it can be overt as, ‘I don’t like what you’re wearing, I’m going to hit you,’” Casey said. “Abuse occurs, and then there is
@LZBearFacts | november 2014
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some distance in the relationship [before] the apology starts [once] the abuser starts to feel like there is distance in the relationship, and then you go into a honeymoon period where the relationship started and it’s wonderful.” The first abusive incident can happen far apart from the next, but Casey says the incidents start to happen more frequently, and the cycle goes faster and faster. Before being in a toxic relationship, a person may have had several healthy ones before it. Kristy, however, had several toxic relationships in a row. She traces back her history with emotional abusive relationships to her high school years. Kristy believes her choice in men is reflected from the saying, “you become one of your parents, and you marry the other.” “I was looking for someone who was very Type A, like my father, that had this aggression but had that nice side,” Kristy said. “I feel like in high school, I was drawn to [the type of guy that was] attractive, but not the greatest student Then when I found myself being with that person, it was constant abuse, getting named called, and none of [the relationships] lasted long, ever.” Kristy found herself in the same cycle with John as she saw in her parents’ relationship. The household a person grows up in can influence one’s actions in a relationship. If someone comes from an abusive household and shows abusive tendencies, it is a red flag, Casey said. As a
Abuse Hotlines/Helplines: -National Dating Abuse Helpline: (866)-331-9474 or text 77054 -National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800)-799-SAFE (7233) -National Sexual Assault Hotline: (800)-656-HOPE (4673)
photo illustration by jenny steinberg
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specialist in addiction, she sees the relationship between abuse and substances abuse, especially in a household. “An abusive household is where [the abusers] are being made to feel small, where they are being hit or named called, which can bring up a lot of inner conflict, rage, and self-esteem that then gets reenacted in other relationships,” Casey said. “A lot of abuse occurs under the influence of substances, and [the addiction] is genetically passed down, which [can] create a chaotic environment. Linkages to [physical, emotional and sexual] abuse with substance abuse are significantly high.” Once in an abusive relationship, it is hard to get out, according to Casey. Kristy said she was emotionally and mentally unstable due to John—every conversation she had with him left her on the verge of tears due to constant name calling and belittling. Making someone feel lesser of a person is one of the reasons why it is hard to leave the relationship, according to Casey. “Your self esteem gets torn down, and if the abuser is successful, your circle of friends has shrunk down. Your self esteem is getting smaller and smaller, and you become more dependent on this one person, which is dangerous for anybody,” Casey said. Kristy’s dependency to John caused her family to alienate her. Kristy’s sisters, who she considers as her best friends, gave her an ultimatum—they would not talk to
“He told me he was going to kill my parents.” her until John was out of her life. Her parents would not bring up her relationship with John. Once she realized how alone she was, Kristy turned to Casey for help. “I was hoping she’d give me an answer, [but] no one can tell you what you can do to make things perfect. Obviously everyone wants you to leave that person, but ultimately you have to be the one to realize everyone around you is just trying to help you because they love you,” Kristy said. “They’re just so concerned; they’re hoping that breaking away from you, it’s going to make you realize what you’re not having, and that this relationship isn’t everything.” Kristy reached that point after John asked her to move in with him, and she realized her priorities to finish school over-ruled settling down. “If I could go back in time and tell myself something, it would probably be wake up and listen to the people around me because when you’re in that situation, you’re going to stand your ground because this is what you want, and this is what you feel is right,” Kristy said. After ending the relationship, John was constantly trying to get in touch with Kristy by repeatedly sending texts saying he was cheating on her and he was going to kill himself. “As soon as everything ended, it was like a continuous threat to me of, ‘I’m going to come after your mom and dad, this is their fault, and you didn’t want this.’ He told me he was going to kill my parents,” Kristy said. “That, to me, was scary.” Besides fear, another impact abuse has on the victim is what Casey calls “crazy making.” She describes crazy making as the abuser says one thing but does another. For example, the abuser may say he or she loves their significant other, but then hits him or her. Casey also describes crazy making as the abuser makes the victim feel guilty or responsible for his actions. “I tell a lot of young girls, ‘don’t listen to the words, watch their feet, what they do,’ because anyone can say anything. Abusers have an uncanny ability to pick women with weak boundaries,” Casey said. “Once you’re caught, you’re caught. It’s very hard to get away, and that’s the hard part—when they’re apologizing, they get desperate. There can be suicidal threats on their part, they stalk, and they may threaten to harm your loved ones.” To get to the point where she could get away, Kristy focused mostly on self-care and leaned on family, friends, therapy, and books for support.
“What I found super helpful was getting back into the things I really enjoyed doing and [realizing] that there are other things besides this angry environment to go to and that taking care of yourself has to be your priority,” Kristy said. “If you want any kind of relationship to work, you have to be happy with what you’re doing, and who you are before anything will work out.” Kristy is now in a healthy relationship but still sees the long term effects John has had on her, like questioning what she does in her current relationship. Kristy says she fears of doing certain behaviors in her current relationship that John did to her, but when she does, her boyfriend understands. “It took me time to be like, ‘okay, everything is good [in this relationship]. I trust me. I’m not John. I can’t be that [abusive] person. I don’t want to be that person,’” Kristy said. Casey compares what Kristy is experiencing to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. “Once in an abusive relationship, you carry the story with you, and then you may start to overreact to normal things in another relationship. That’s the baggage that can get carried forward; low self-esteem can get carried forward and precursor can be codependency,” Casey said. Low self-esteem and codependency is one of the reasons it is hard to leave an abusive relationship, according to Casey. If you suspect yourself or another person to be in an abusive relationship, Casey says not to swear off the relationship, but have healthy boundaries for yourself. Kristy says to not be afraid to reach out to an adult if the situation is too much for you to handle like if the abuser threatens suicide. “You don’t want to ignore the problem. If your friend is in school with her shirt inside out, do you let them go through the day like that, or do you go over and [tell her]?” Casey said about the need to confront people about suspected abuse. She stresses, especially for teenagers, understanding what healthy boundaries are and to understand codependency. Casey stresses these four guidelines for teenagers: no means no, stop means stop, it’s my body so my boundaries, and know your deal breakers. “I can’t imagine [where I would be] if I was still in that relationship. Who knows if I would still be on this Earth if I was still in that relationship,” Kristy said. “My story may not be as bad as someone else’s, but it still shouldn’t be happening to anyone.” bf @LZBearFacts | november 2014
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managing a
reading disorder
b
L1fe with Dysl3x1a
photo illustration by lexi miranda
d
j
p
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L
How one student deals with her learning disability by lexi miranda
For stubents wi thdyslexia, reading even thesimp lest of sentneces can be extraorbinarily challenging, andthere is no way to sto pit. Sidney Sorrells, senior, was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade. She describes dyslexia as a learning disability where the brain cannot understand words and letters like the common brain can. Other students would make fun of her when she was not able to read and write at the level they could, she said. “It was really hard because I didn’t know I had a learning disability [at first], so I just thought I was stupid and couldn’t understand things like other students could,” Sorrells said. “I would get made fun of because I couldn’t understand even the simplest of things, and I didn’t know why.” When teachers noticed she was developing slower than other students, they suggested she get evaluated for a learning disability. Her family began to seek help for her as soon as she was diagnosed and found it through the Davis Program. Created by Ron Davis who struggled with dyslexia, this program works to improve the learning of people with dyslexia by relying on the mental talents they have. Some of these talents include solving a problem using the whole picture rather than looking at it step-by-step, according to the Davis Dyslexia Program’s website. “For two weeks, I was out of school, and they basically taught me how to learn again,” Sorrells said. “I learned the alphabet, how to count, how to add and subtract even though I already knew how to do those things, but this taught me in a way that was beneficial to me.”
Although Sorrells was forced to relearn even the simplest of skills, her mother believes getting diagnosed with dyslexia was the best thing for her daughter. “I was actually very excited [when Sidney was diagnosed],” Shari Sorrells, Sidney’s mother, said. “Some areas she was excelling in and other areas she re-
“I have to re-explain things a lot to myself because some ways that teachers teach lessons aren’t the way that I can comprehend material,” Sidney Sorrells said. “I’m really visual. I do little tricks to remember because my memory isn’t like everyone else’s. I have to bring things from my short-term memory to my long-term memory.” Dyslexia is a reading disability due to a defect in the brain’s processing of graphic symbols, which is typically characterized by difficulties in word recognition, spelling, and decoding, according to Medical News Today’s website. This learning disability is caused by genetics and is not linked to intelligence in any way. Dyslexia is also not a visual problem, but a linguistic one. In order to help with tests, the school provides Sorrells with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which allows her extended time on tests when needed. But for average issues she experiences during the school day, there is not much the school can do for her. “The problem with dyslexia is that words, numbers, and letters can switch around, but the way that I see it, it looks
Dyslexia affects 10% of the population
ally struggled in, we just couldn’t figure out why. When she was finally diagnosed with dyslexia, it was kind of the ‘a-ha’ moment because it all made sense. The artistic part of Sidney was very gifted, but she just couldn’t memorize things, like the times tables. She was very frustrated, but to finally know what was wrong and have options on how to help her was a big relief.” Sorrells had trouble memorizing basic material because she is a very visual learner and has a different way of learning and remembering content than most.
@LZBearFacts | november 2014
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Thew ord sare notsp aced cor rect ly. We spell wrds xactle az tha snd to us. Sometimesallthelettersarepushedtogether.
normal, so I never know when they switch,” Sidney Sorrells said. “I can look at the number 21, when it will actually be 12, and I won’t know, so I’ll be frustrated with how someone found that number. Math is the hardest [subject] for me. When I get stressed [the numbers switch around] a lot, so I have to keep an open mind even if I don’t understand a lesson. I have to remember to stay calm and refocus.” After evaluating Sorrells, the doctor said it was the worst case of dyslexia she had ever seen. Shari Sorrells became Sidney’s biggest support system and has helped her deal with her learning disability ever since. “When we told the school district I was dyslexic, they said they didn’t have a program for me,” Sidney Sorrells said. “They put me in with students with special needs, and it took them a while to understand that I needed special accommodations, but not to that extent. She fought for me to get the help I needed.” The biggest obstacle Sorrells has had to overcome with her dyslexia is trying to explain to her teachers how she learns and what she needs from them in order to excel in their class. “[Sidney has built] her own selfconfidence,” Sidney’s mom said. “In elementary school, kids would work on
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source: kidshealth.org
their times tables and would have a star on the wall when they finished one. Everyone in the class had all of their stars up, and she only had her 2’s and 3’s done. She struggled with that, and the hardest thing for her was ‘what’s wrong with me?’ Once she had that diagnosis, she learned how to work around the dyslexia and build her self-confidence. She doesn’t walk around with a t-shirt that says, ‘Hi, I’m dyslexic’. It’s not something she is outing to everyone, but the IEP has taught her that if she doesn’t tell her teachers about her dyslexia, they can’t help her. She has become a very strong self-advocate and has done an extraordinary job. It can be hard because teachers don’t always understand dyslexia and how to modify their lesson plans to help her, so Sidney has to figure that out herself. She has done a remarkable job.” For Sidney, having dyslexia causes her to do more work outside of school than average students. She often has to go home and reteach herself the lesson in a way that makes sense to her if she could not completely understand the lesson in class. “I remember when she was in second grade and she was trying to learn the difference between quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies,” Shari Sorrells said.
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How do dyslexics read?
“We would go over it every night and finally she would say she had it. I would say, ‘Thank you, we’ve got it! We’re done!’ Then she would go to bed, wake up in the morning and it was like she had never seen a nickel before in her life. It never transferred to her long term memory. She has to put a logic to it and make it sensory learning in order to remember it. She can’t just look at a quarter, she has to touch the quarter, the nickel, the dime, and the penny in order to understand the difference between them.” Even though Sorrells has been made fun of for her dyslexia in the past and works harder to learn than others, she believes she is blessed to have it. People with dyslexia are often more gifted in other areas, or ‘intellectually gifted.’ “There’s good things that come from dyslexia. I have a really strong creative part of my brain and I can think more outside of the box. I excel in music and singing because it’s actually a benefit of dyslexia,” Sidney said. “It has taught me to be grateful for having dyslexia. It sounds weird, but it defines me as a person because even though I have a learning disability, it has given me so much more than that. It’s like when a blind person can’t see, their smell is better. For me, since I can’t learn as well, I’m more creative because of it.” bf
Ongoing
coverage
Online
Follow the continuation of this month’s theme on our website, where a theme-related story will be uploaded each day.
Monday: Explore into the idea of insomnia and what it means for those diagnosed.
Tuesday: Discover how optical illusions trick your brain and fool your eyes.
bf
My coach hates it when...
bears box “We don’t pick up p n after ourselves in the locker room.””
joey stutzman freshman wrestling
Wednesday: Learn about how students dealing with ADD alter their learning process.
Thursday: Explore through the world of apps that are made to strengthen the brain to their maximum potential.
Friday: Find out about the new Erin’s Law about the requirement to learn about sexual abuse in school. Visit www.LZBearFacts.com for more coverage.
clarifications In last month’s bears box, michaella anderson’s name was miswrittten. In “Social media is true to blue,” the photo was taken by madison hart. Bear Facts apologizes for the incorrect photo placed on the boys’ XC sports hightlight’s story.
“We don’t do our lunges and when we dance.”
lauren shon cross country sophomore “We play our pre-e game music in the locker room. He thinks we have bad taste.”
sebastian medina junior hockey “I sky him. That’s when you jump higher than someone one and grab the disc above them.”
isabelle armbruster senior ultimate frisbee @LZBearFacts | november 2014
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kyle gilboy
kelly ledinsky
sarah blechschmidt
amanda kamins
Athlete of the Month
scott shadrick 20
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Bear Facts asked all varsity coaches of sports in season to nominate an “athlete of the month” for their sport. Their nominees are listed below for sports in season as of press time.
Girls’ XC Kelly Ledinski, freshman “Kelly is a freshman this year and has worked her way up to earn a spot on the varsity team. On top of working really hard in practice and at meets, she is also really cooperative and never complains.” -Lisa Ledbetter
Boys’ Soccer Scott Shadrick, junior “Scott is a selfless teammate who sets a positive example on a daily basis with his effort and attitude. He has done a great job at defense all season.” -Michael Schmitz Cheerleading Sarah Blechschmidt, senior “Sarah Blechschmidt is a four year varsity team member. As a veteran on the team, she is a leader, and always steps up to take on the most difficult tasks. Sarah not only works hard at practice, she also puts in extra time at the gym to give herself a competitive edge. Her strength, work ethic, leadership, and “never quit” attitude is what makes her a highly valued member of our team.” -Pam Bonnevier
Boy’s XC Kyle Gilboy, Freshman “Kyle accomplished a feat never done in LZXC history: completed the Quadruple Crown by setting a 1-mile PR, 2-mile PR, 3-mile PR, and 4-mile PR in the same workout (5:52, 12:02, 18:27, 24:39).” -JB Hanson Girls’ Volleyball Amanda Kamins, Senior “Amanda has been asked to play many different positions and is willing to do whatever is best for the team. She has been dedicated to the program for four years and always puts the team first. She truly cares about everyone and works hard on a daily basis to get better.” -Amanda Rodriguez
To vote for your favorite Athlete of the Month, visit our website at http://LZBearFacts.com. Voting closes on Friday. An interview with the winner will be posted online.
@LZBearFacts | november 2014
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sports highlights “We also have a much younger team this year. A majority of the team is underclassmen, and our varsity is made up of four underclassmen,” Milner said. The last race for was the Conference Championship at Lake Forest High School on Saturday, October 18. The freshmen/ sophomore team and varsity team placed first at Conference, but the rest of the team is still training. “We’re looking to put in a good winter of training to set us up for a strong track season,” Burns said. photo used with permission by pam bonnevier
boys’ cross country
As boys’ cross country nears State on Saturday, November 8, varsity prepares for the meet, and the rest of the team trains for track season. In the regular season, the team was undefeated in dual races, which consist of two to five other school teams and usually are not very intense. The team is different this year, and with a different focus. The focus this year was to keep the 2-5 runners together consistently, according to Matt Milner, junior.
cheerleading Even though their season started off at tryouts in April, the cheerleading program has been non-stop from the minute they hit the ground running. “I like having our tryouts really early,” Sammie Fye, sophomore varsity cheerleader, said. “It really helps get to know our team better, since we have a set team even before major practices start.” As a team of 24, the varsity cheerleaders recently began choreographing their routine, done by one of their coaches. With the State finals coming in three months, learning a routine this late in the season is something new to the team. “Usually when we get to the end of a season, a lot
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of people are injured and just trying to finish out the season to the best of their ability,” Fye said. “By getting our routine later, we are able to save ourselves the trouble of dealing with ongoing injuries at the end of the season.” This new schedule was implemented this year with the initial idea of simply working on technique of skills before throwing them all together into a competitive routine. “We compete in about a month,” Fye said, “and I already really enjoy the way the routine is formatted. It helps us work smart by putting a lot of the harder skills at the beginning when we have more energy.”
for sports coverage, follow @lz_scorecenter on twitter
girls’ cross country
boys’ varsity soccer
all photos and articles by bear facts staff
The boys’ varsity soccer team won regionals on Tuesday, October 21. After Palatine made the first goal, Collin Foreman, senior varsity soccer player, scored a goal. “Scoring the first goal was huge for me and the team,” Foreman said. As a whole, the team has become very close due to their successes. The “Boys in Blue” have made their mark this year and were still in season as of press time. “Every single guy on our team has worked extremely hard this year,” Foreman said. “We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but we’ve worked to get through it.” According to Foreman, the key to keeping up the good work was staying positive. “I think the biggest factor contributing to our success this season was staying positive and having each other’s backs,” Foreman said. “The support we give [one another] is better than any team I’ve ever been a part of and it’s really motivating.” With the team’s successes, they have managed to bring more fans into the bleachers. “I think it’s great that at the school this year we’ve finally started to prove that soccer at [Lake Zurich] is a sport worth watching,” Foreman said. “We had something to prove this year and we did it.”
girls’ volleyball
Nearing the end of the season, the girl’s cross country team is focused on every practice leading to the last race of the season, State. “Our varsity goal this year is to place well in state,” Kiersten McDevitt, sophomore, said. Optional practices are available for those not on varsity, but who want to stay in shape for the upcoming track season and still support the team, according to McDevitt. During the week of Conference, the team had birthday day, an annual tradition where everyone on the team runs to Culvers, gets a scoop of custard, get birthday cards, and run back, according to Olivia Miller, freshman. “It’s to celebrate everyone on the teams birthdays but all in one day,” Miller said. While the team enters the IHSA series with Conference, Regionals, Sectionals, and State, the focus is to peak at your last and most competitive race of the season. “We are always giving our best every day at practice with State and conference in mind. Now that the end of the season is approaching, we’re focusing more on being the best we can be,” McDevitt said.
The volleyball team anticipates and prepares for their last games to finish the season in success. This season, the team has had to adapt to the loss of graduates and bringing younger players up to varsity. “It’s a lot about learning new stuff and working together as a team and figuring out how to play,” Siena Robertson, sophomore, said. Some highlights include playing St. Francis, one of the top teams in
the nation, according to Robertson. “We played 25 - 23, and we ended up losing, but we still played really hard,” Robertson said. The next chance to watch the team play will be Tuesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 6 for the Sectional and Super Sectional. “Before each game, we do a chant and dance, and it’s really fun. It gets us pumped up,” Robertson said. @LZBearFacts | november 2014
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