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Letter from the
Editor
staff Editor-in-Chief: Maia Ferdman
Online Editor: Tess Wallenstein News Editor: Nachi Baru
Feature Editor: Jessica Mersten
Opinion Editors: Glenn Borok
Entertainment Editor: Arianna Irwin Layout Director: Crystal Long
Layout Designer: Jan Carstens
Layout Team: Kailie Dishong, Alison DelNegro Photo Editor: Daniel Metz
Staff Writers: Lee Brage, Garrett Peterson,
High school students are often so consumed by their academic, personal, and social worlds that they become oblivious to real life issues that their peers deal with every day. In this issue we focus on students with some common and some lesserknown medical conditions—everything ranging from ADD to Crohn’s Disease. We follow these student’s (and staff’s) experiences, from their diagnosis to their treatment, and witness how they overcome their condition and succeed in the realm of high school anyway. For example, Malia Rappaport, a junior with Tourette Syndrome, is part of a global campaign called “I Am Norm,” which seeks to “redefine normal” and encourage inclusion of people from all walks of life. John Schnell, a sophomore, has Asperger Syndrome. He participates in the Nest class, and is faced with the struggle of working with people and connecting on a level that may be extremely difficult for him. Matt Sugar, a CCA senior, suffers from Crohn’s Disease, an irritation of the intestines that causes extreme pain. Garrett Peterson explores how despite this condition, Matt managed to climb Half Dome in Yosemite. We also hear from our own staff member, Alex deVleeschauwer, and his traumatic experience with Lyme Disease. This disease has cut his GPA in half due to absences, and it has changed his perspective. We also examine some other aspects under the umbrella of student health. Carly Gutner-Davis uncovers our district’s astoundingly out of date curriculum for sexual education. Michael Wang gives some suggestions for staying healthy in college, and avoiding the dreaded “freshman fifteen.” This semester has come with a new, larger Pulse staff. To compensate for our financial difficulties, we have decided to cut down our pages and publish three (rather than two) issues this semester. This shorter Pulse is condensed and to the point. We hope that we continue producing a top-notch product for CCA to read, enjoy, and perhaps learn from. In this issue, we seek to inform. And to remind the CCA student body that though some face roadblocks or health conditions that set them apart, we must not forget that everybody has some sort of limitation or challenge. We must collectively seek to have a more open mind regarding these conditions, and Pulse is looking to do just that. Enjoy our Health Issue, Maia Ferdman
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Carly Gutner-Davis, Alex deVleeschauwer, Henry Uhl, Michael Wang, Hannah Barker, Elijah Granet
Business Team: Joelle Leib, Rithika Verma Advisor: Christopher Black
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For reader feedback or advertising information please contact Pulse at: 5951 Village Center Loop Rd. San Diego, Ca 92130 (858) 350-0253 x 4192
ccapulseonline.com editors.pulse@gmail.com
All photos by Daniel Metz except where noted.
The opinions expressed by the writers and the content of the advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of Pulse Magazine, Canyon Crest Academy, or the San Dieguito Union High School District.
Publishing of this issue made possible by CCA ASB. Thanks a bunch, you guys!
f
contents April 2011 / Vol.6 / Issue 3
Health. Tourette Syndrome [12] Crohn’s Disease [15] Lyme Disease [15] Asperger Syndrome [16] Insomnia [17] Dyslexia [19] A.D.D [20]
Sex Ed. [p.13] How our district is not giving you the right information.
OBAMACARE The ongoing battle over health care in America.
[p.19]
[p.17]
Stay Stozki [p.7] Student Entrepenuer Freshman Fifteen?
[p.11]
Envision Conservatory
&
A Night at the Bijou [p.5]
Teen Life: Italy
[p.10]
Teacher profile [p.6] Unwinding with Unwin Samba Band
[p.6]
Spring Sports Lacrosse Baseball Softball
[p.16]
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Calendar
April 1st Opening Night of Chess @ 7:00 pm
28th Stairs to the Roof Preview @ 7 pm
7th-8th Midterms
29th-30th Stairs to the Roof @ 7 pm
11th-15th Spring Break
May 2nd-13th AP Testing
15th-17th Coachella 18th-22nd ASB Elections 26th-29th Star Testing 27th Jazz Night @ 7 pm
4th – 6th Stairs to the Roof @ 7 pm 6th - 7th Envision Theater Children’s Show @ 2:00 pm 10th – 11th CAHSEE (10th grade make-ups & 12th grade retakes)
For more updates and info, check out www.ccapulseonline.com 4
JOIN CCA YEARBOOK ‘11-’12 REDEFINING CONSPIRACY
con·spir·a·cy [kuhnspir-uh-see]
(n.) A group of ravens .
Contact Michael Gaughen at: michael.gaughen@sduhsd.net or your guidance counselor for more information. 5
Envision Conservatory
&
A Night at the Bijou
CCA Theater is known for debuting spectacular performances, such as our original takes on ordinary plays like last year’s A Comedy of Errors. This year, CCA continued this streak of unique theater with A Night at the Bijou, directed by Bernard Baldan. A Night at the Bijou revived a type of American theater referred to as vaudeville, which was popular throughout the 19th and early 20th century. It consists of a series of unrelated acts that range from skits, dances, musical performances, and gymnastics. It is similar to a modern-day talent show, showcasing a multitude of acts. A Night at the Bijou was an original vaudeville play written by Baldan with the help of his actors. Actress Vanessa Csordas- Jenkins explains that “some scenes were already scripted and some scenes were improvised.” During the first rehearsals, Bernard allowed the actors to improvise their lines for some scenes, which were then added to the script. Bernard also casted his actors based on their talents and integrated them into the script. For example, one actor can do back flips, which he performed during the vaudeville show. The show narrated the story of a town that would like to host a vaudeville show with professional performers. Chaos ensued when the performers got trapped in a snowstorm. Tony, the host of the vaudeville show, was forced to scrape together amateur performers for his show instead. Meanwhile, the Smyth sisters, who
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By Joelle Leib
found the vaudeville show to be “immoral,” tried to end it permanently. Some of the acts included in the vaudeville show within the show were song, dance, and even a magician. Through zany, exaggerated characters, a twisting plot, and hilarious dialogue, A Night at the Bijou is definitely was a must see CCA performance. It was comedic, random, and employed a multitude of artistic mediums, including a live band that played in between the dialogue and two short silent films that were produced by two of the cast members. A Night at the Bijou also featured dance and gymnastics, with wild and irrational moves such as cartwheels during fighting scenes. Actress Angela Han describes it as “fun, multimedia, and musical.” Bernard Baldan, a CCA actor mentor and director, is highly respected by the theater community. Last year he directed Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors, which he changed to a western theme and added many strong and unique characters. Baldan did not disappoint this second time around, with even larger and more dramatic characters. He encouraged his actors to develop their characters with specific voices, accents, and physicalities. One of these characters, Tony, was played by Brandon Kirshner. Tony was an overly enthusiastic emcee who hosted the amateur night for the vaudeville. He utilized the “typical” emcee voice, but made it much more dramatic, while the band
playing during his pauses adds to the hilarious exaggeration. The cast for this show was larger than normal, with many actors playing multiple characters, adding to the wide array of creative and fun characters in the show. The talented actors worked diligently in rehearsal, some of which were for dance and others which were for theater. When not rehearsing on stage in front of Bernard, the actors worked in groups to develop their characters and practice their dialogue and stage movements. Angela Han, who plays Virginia Smyth, said that while Baldan did help her with her character, her fellow actors helped her further develop her physicalities and character choices. Han’s cast mate, Ana Freeman, also says that other CCA actors helped her improve her character, Corynth Smyth. Both actresses have never worked in vaudeville before, but find it very interesting, saying that it expands their knowledge of theater. Han said that while vaudeville is fun to watch, it is very difficult to perform, which is why she found the aid of her cast mates and director very useful. With three dimensions of media (drama, music, the live band, and video, the two silent films that were produced by the cast members) and very distinct characters, it is evident that this show will be remembered at CCA for a long time.
Unwinding With Unwin
John Unwin is a staple at CCA, but until several years ago, teaching was a far off dream. Mr. Unwin was working at UCSD as a production engineer, but he knew that his heart was in the classroom. “It was a good career at UCSD but in my heart I knew my passion would be teaching.” Unwin says. After talking to his wife, Unwin decided to go back to school full time, followed by attending the teacher certification program at CSU San Marcos. After becoming a certified teacher, the district placed him at CCA four years ago, an assignment he said was his “dream job.” Although teaching a course as advanced as AP Macroeconomics in his first year posed a challenge, Unwin still loved being a teacher. “I’m so proud to be able to say ‘I’m a teacher’ and I’m even more proud to be able to say ‘I’m a teacher at CCA.’” For Unwin, one of the most rewarding experiences in teaching has been not only teaching economics, but also teaching his students how to be responsible adults in the world at large. When asked what the most important lesson he could teach was, he responded, “That life isn’t just about how smart you are, but how you treat people and
By Elijah Granet
your work ethic.” He adds, “Brilliance is great, but if you can’t parlay that brilliance into working with others and completing a task it’s irrelevant.” Economics, Unwin’s main class, has an enormous impact on students’ futures. “I think that economics is incredibly important to becoming an educated voter. I don’t think you can vote on issues unless you have some understanding of economics and how our market system works. If you don’t, you’re being an ignorant voter. It doesn’t say how you’ll vote but you have to know that every vote, every governmental decision we make, has some economic impact on the country. And you have to know that when you go into that voting booth.” he said. Looking forward to the future of his teaching career, Unwin says that he hopes to continuously improve his teaching skills. “My goal is just to be better than I was the year prior and try to improve every single year, because ultimately that’s what I expect of my students because they try and get better and I don’t see why students should expect to see their teachers try and get better every single year.”
Samba Band
Photos by Henry Uhl
At some point you might have been at sports event, or maybe just walking around our campus, and heard an outburst of Brazilian percussion. That would be none other than CCA’s samba band. Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre with origins traced to Africa. Specifically the samba band at CCA is a Batucada ensemble, known as a Bateria, or drum line. Batucada is typically led by a high pitched tom-tom called a repinique, while the bass beat is provided by a large drum known as the Surdo. A variety of ten or eleven specific instruments combine to create one of the faster varieties of Samba. This opportunity is provided by the instrumental conservatory at CCA. A professional music instructor, Mike Atesalp, who has taught at local colleges such as SDSU comes in during the week to teach the students of Instrumental Conservatory. Luke Nassar, a CCA sophomore and samba band member, enjoys Atesalp’s instruction. “He’s a great leader and whenever he leads the group he really knows what he’s talking about,”
By Henry Uhl
Nassar describes. While it has played at a few school events, the Samba band opened for the Festival of the Arts on January 8 of this year. Band members marched through the Proscenium Theatre on either side of the audience and then finally arrived at the stage. Combined with the unified movement, the music converged naturally into the climax on stage. Each beat felt important, and though the main rhythm was held throughout their performance, small variations kept the audience visibly interested and engaged. A soloist added to the excitement as the band built into the satisfying grand finale and prepared the crowd for the rest of the show. As the Samba band is part of the Instrumental Conservatory program, one would need to audition and fill out an application. The application process is currently closed, and those who tried out will discover their results in April. For those getting interested, more auditions will be taken this summer.
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Stay Stozki
Student Entrepreneurs
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By Kailie Dishong & Rithika Verma
Seniors Alan Bialostozky and partner Philip Molin own and run their own t-shirt business, “Stay Stozki.” They sell their products at the CCA Nest and even advertise them online at their very own website, appropriately titled www.staystozki. com. Bialostozky and Molin have expanded their partnership and business widely over the past year. Bialostozky first expressed an interest in the t-shirt business during his junior year, when he was assigned a project in his marketing class. “After that, I realized that people liked it. So, we continued and sold thirty shirts.” The recognizable “Stay Stozki” name first stemmed from Alan’s last name, Bialostozky. If you were to look up “stozki” in the Urban Dictionary, you’d be supplied with an intriguing definition: “the rush of adrenaline you feel when you are completely content about something, almost like a non- drug high on life.” Bialostozky’s original partner, Joe Brown, graduated from CCA and the t-shirt business halted. Not expecting for the business to go further, Bialostozky met Philip Molin during a math class they shared last semester, and officially became partners in November. Thus, the t-shirt company was reborn. Bialostozky and Molin, with the occasional help and advice from their parents, work continuously to make top of the notch t-shirts for their eager customers. Though Bialostozky and Molin recognize the well-known “Noble Life Apparel”, also promoted on campus, they assure that they are not rivals in any way. “There is a little tension, we rarely talk about our shirts with them. But we’re friends, we don’t compare.” They add, “They’re great guys, we really like them. They’re doing well for themselves.” And the same can easily be said for “Stay Stozki.” With interviews and meetings ahead, the dedicated partners are currently working towards selling in local stores and restaurants, like ‘Jersey Mike’s Subs.’ Bialostozky and Molin’s main goal this year has been networking. With the help of siblings and friends, “Stay Stozki” has been sold at various schools including Torrey Pines and Cathedral Catholic High School. Their third partner, Arie Modiano, helps to advertise the t-shirts at his high school, Chula Vista High. Outside of school, Bialostozky and Molin are working to promote their t-shirts on a wider scale. On February 26, Bialostozky and Molin sponsored a massive “Stozki” party held at the Club Emporium. Each person admitted to the ambitious event paid twenty dollars for
a regular ticket and twenty-five to be a VIP. This promotional party helped expand their market, as well as being a perfect occasion to sell their t-shirts. Their unique t-shirt designs, incorporating the word “Stozki” in each design, have come about with the help of our very own CCA students. Their main designer, Matt Gorgas, along with contributors like Brittney Meredith, who helped create the wellknown octopus design, help design their t-shirts. Certain designs exclusive to “Stozki” incorporate animals, like the notable zebra and octopus, suggesting the designer’s love for animals and the environment. Bialostozky and Molin love contributing a portion of their proceeds to causes. Three dollars of their t-shirt sales go towards helping the environment. Bialostozky says, “We are going to try to come up with a new line and we hope that it’s going to be about the environment. Every shirt we sell we will donate the money to a charity.” Showing that money isn’t of greatest significance, Bialostozky says, “We love to see people wear our shirts. It’s the most amazing feeling ever. All of our money that we’ve made in this goes back into the company.” Since both Bialostozky and Molin are seniors, they hope to maintain the legacy of “Stay Stozki” when they graduate. Bialostozky, addressing the future of their business, states, “What we’re planning to do is try to make it run by itself, almost.” Since they have younger siblings, they plan to have them contribute and help “improve the business.” Despite minor trouble juggling schoolwork and SAT’s with their business, both have managed to finish college applications and say they want to go to college in California. Calling high school a “trial run” for university sales, they hope to keep their company alive while in college. “I can totally see us selling at the schools that we go to,” Molin says. Looking to the future, Bialostozky describes working with “Stay Stozki”saying, “This would be like a dream job for us.” The pair’s t-shirt company has managed to develop itself into a full-blown business during the past year. The duo says, “We think of ourselves as an empire, we’re just trying to expand to different schools and places where we can continue the process. We got to keep it hot, and that’s what we’re doing.” Bialostozky and Molin are well on their way to creating their empire, selling over one hundred and eighty shirts since last November. Their last words? “CCA is stoked about Stozki”, and we’d have to say that we agree.
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Teen Life
Teen Life: Italy By Jessica Mersten
t is hard to overlook Giacomo Cabrini; he is a shock of large, brown curly hair and has a wide smile Icarefully and attentive eyes. He speaks in capitals; everything is an exclamation or quote of wisdom spoken in worded English. Giacomo has a wild, infectious sort of personality. His attitude towards life is fresh and bright, and he was helpful enough to answer a couple of questions about living in Milan, Italy, his dreams, and his ideas of the American way of life.
What is your average weekday like? My average day is pretty similar top everyone’s average day. I wake up, go to school then spend the rest of the day on the phone, studying, and chatting with my friends. What do you like to do with your friends on weekends? Weekends are my favorite days of the week, of course. On Saturdays, I often have coffee with some friends in the morning, then we spend some time in the center and shop a lot. I usually have fun during the night by going to parties with friends and meeting new people! I spend mostly all my Sundays sleeping and studying for the tests I’ll have during the week. What is your favorite place to visit? Via Montenapoleone is the most famous shopping street in Milan. It’s very glamorous and you often can spot many famous Italian celebrities. I love walking I that street, especially when special events happen, such as Vogue Fashion Night Out. What do you like and dislike about living in Milan? Milan is a very busy city, full of cars and pollution. It’s terribly cold during the winter and extremely hot during the summer. Milan is also full of random people on the streets who want to sell you every kind of stuff and annoy you as you’re hanging around.
Photo Courtesy of Giacomo Cabrini
What extracurricular activities/hobbies do you participate in? When I’m not busy with school, which doesn’t happen many times, I often work on my community service hours that I need to complete for school. I babysit and tutor some young students as well. How do Italian students view American students? Italian students do have general view of American students. They imagine them as they are represented in movies. A society built on different groups of people, such as the cheerleaders, the nerds etc… Where do you see yourself in five years? I really don’t know where I see myself in five years. I have no clue of what I’m going to do in the future. I’ll probably be in college somewhere studying something I’m interested in, hopefully.
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Photo by Jorge Castro on Flickr
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The Freshman Fifteen Fact or Fiction? By Michael Wang
Tips in a Nutshell: 12
1. Get enough sleep on a regular schedule 2. Take regular naps during the day if feeling tired 3. Eat healthy (or at least avoid binge eating junk) and eat breakfast 4. Drink enough water (being thirsty already means dehydration) 5. Commute by walking or biking
schedules will often learn to dip into their sleep time in order to finish homework and projects. This habit can enforce the idea that sleep is a leisurely convenience rather than an essential function and can deepen the length and frequency of sleep deprivation over a person’s lifetime. A Tufts University study states, “the results are significant because the eating habits men and women develop during their college years often follow them into their 20s and 30s.” Habits practiced through both high school and college are likely to last even longer. This trend is reflected in the statistics which state that nearly 60% of all American adults fail to get enough exercise. Because of this, sedentary lifestyles have become a hallmark stereotype of the 21st century of technology and have paved the path for the obesity epidemic sitting at roughly 17-20% for adolescents. While exercise is not a universal panacea for one’s problems, it can serve as a useful natural medicine which helps with stress, energy, productivity and so forth. For the majority of people in the modern age, the concepts of “stress” and “life” remain synonymous as a fact of existence. Life is stressful, life is difficult, life is unfair; these are all common sayings that have established themselves in the layman’s philosophy. With rising academic rigor and job market competition, it is true that stress has become an ever-present factor in our lives when it was once merely an occasional flight-or-fight response. Chronic stress doesn’t have to be identified as a continuous chain of immediate stressors; it can also creep up on students through constant worrying about exams and papers. In this state of stress, the brain lacks endorphins and other natural painkillers, this is especially so if the student remains sedentary because of studying and/or procrastination. Junk food is pleasurable to eat, and because of this it is often taken up in large quantities as a way of replacing endorphins. Unfortunately this is where the cycle of unhealthy habits continues to loop as the ominous freshman fifteen draws closer. While all of this may make college sound frightening and painstakingly difficult, ultimately making the effort to establish healthy habits is key for smoother sailing the rest of the way.
6. Spend some time at the gym or other student recreational center 7. Get regular check ups 8. Learn to relax via meditation, yoga, or stress management course 9. Make use of mental health counseling if needed 10. Take precautions if sexually active
Photo by kadluba on Flickr
One of the most interesting superstitions which surround college is no doubt the dreaded “freshman fifteen,” which refers to the tendency of college freshmen to gain weight by up to fifteen pounds. While such a high number is a ballyhooed exaggeration, weight gain during college years is still a problem. One’s weight can be influenced by a myriad of medical factors, but the prime factors we routinely look to in weight gain are diet, sleep, exercise, and stress. In the eighteen years most prospective college freshmen spend with their parents, regular benefits such as healthy meals, enforced curfew, afterschool or in school exercise regimes, and the comfort of close confidants allow high school students to focus their attention on academics and socializing without having to worry about basic lifestyle choices. Some students enter college with a healthy living routine that they can uphold successfully through college and beyond, but many others fall into bad decisions without the guidance of their parents. College campus cafeterias often offer classic buffet and food court choices of high-calorie foods such as pizza, fried food, and ice cream. With college expenses already on the rise, college students are financially wary and will often settle for the cheapest or minimal food choices. Many of these will include low nutrition choices like microwavable dinners and fast food which are not adequate in covering a person’s recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. UCSB freshman and CCA alumni Anna Solomon mentions her current experience in college, “I have definitely gained weight in college. I haven’t gained fifteen pounds but I have gained some weight. Probably around five pounds but my weight fluctuates all the time. All of my friends have gained at least some weight in college but I don’t think any of them have gone to the extreme of gaining fifteen pounds.” She continues,”I have found that the weight gain is mostly because of the buffet style food in the dining commons. There are lots of vegetables and healthy options in the dining commons but there are also lots of sweets and not so healthy options. It is very tempting to eat unhealthy food especially because we are unlimited on the amount of food that we can eat.” Sleep deprivation is an ongoing problem for students of all ages. Despite curfews set in high school, students with difficult
Photo by kadluba on Flickr
Tourette Syndrome By Tess Wallenstein
“For the most part, I am just a run-of-the-mill student at CCA ,” Malia Rappaport says about herself. She likes to play basketball and softball and build things with her hands, most notably the tree house in her backyard and a project for the Nest called “The Egg.” She likes to create one-of-a-kind jewelry out of recycled materials, such as a ring made out of wire to resemble a bird’s nest and a bracelet made from the leather and the seams of a baseball. She is outgoing, energetic, and has a sarcastic sense of humor. Malia Rappaport is also living with Tourette Syndrome. Tourette Syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder that affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States, including Malia, each of her three siblings, and her mother. Malia describes TS as though “something in the brain is telling [her that she] must do or say certain things. Sometimes it feels as though someone else is calling all the shots.” TS manifests itself in a wide variety of ways, most commonly in “motor tics,” including uncontrollable facial twitches, head motions, and jerking movements of the limbs, as well as in involuntary “vocal tics,” or noises such as tongue clicking. Contrary to popular belief, Tourette Syndrome does not always constitute random outbursts of obscenities or offensive comments. While this is a type of TS, called Coprolalia, it afflicts only about ten to fifteen percent of all people with TS. Unfortunately, this uncommon variation has taken over as an incorrect characterization of TS. Malia has found that people often assume and expect her to make random, inappropriate outbursts, even though she does not have Coprolalia TS. Malia’s case of TS is very mild, and her tics, including a bird-like noise, rarely surface while she is at school. If a tic does become apparent, however, Malia has found that if she is able to look at the tic as something that does not bother her, “others seem to just accept it.” Malia realizes that she is lucky to go to school each day at CCA, where she has found people to be accepting, but realizes that thousands of other students don’t have the same fortune at their high schools. In January of last year, Malia, along with her older sister and CCA graduate, Tali, and eighteen other teenagers from across the country met in Washington DC with the hopes of making change. In DC the group created the “I Am Norm Campaign.”
The campaign finds its basis in the idea that “diversity makes us stronger, and discrimination breaks us down.” With that in mind, the campaign’s goal is to redefine “normal” to include all people. Although Malia is working to expand the idea of “normal,” she is very comfortable with who she is. “For me, TS is not something I allow to get in my way. It has led me to become who I am today, and I am very proud of who that is,” she says. “If TS wasn’t a part of my daily life, I would not be Malia, and that really does scare me. I guess I don’t see it as a disability, but an asset, an ability that furthers who I am as a person and the impact I choose to make on the world.” For more information about Malia and the “I Am Norm Campaign,” please visit Iamnorm.org
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Sex Ed What you’re not being taught
By Carly Gutner-Davis
As much as our community, our school district, our educators and our parents would like to believe, the truth is, not all teenagers remain abstinent until marriage. There will always be teenagers who will choose to become sexually active. While many people may not approve of that behavior, the freewill teenagers possess and the way in which they use it is nearly impossible to control. One thing that is possible for our district and community as a whole to have more influence over is a proper education. The best protection that can be provided to teenagers are comprehensive health and sexual education programs that include updated information and resources that students can use to help them make more informed choices and decisions. Mrs. Barbara Stroud, one of CCA’s current assistant principals, sheds more light on this controversial issue. “As an educator for over twenty years, I have seen teenage sexual activity as a consistent and continuous problem. As an educator, I believe that students have to have information to make informed choices. I do think that students will only be able to make better decisions if they have all of the information.” However, students in our district, unfortunately, are not being taught how to protect themselves if they should choose to be sexually active. This is because the district’s official health education textbook, Lifestyle Health, which was published in 2004, only covers abstinence-only information. If you look through the entire textbook, you’d be unable to find the words “condom, contraceptive, pill,” or “birth control” anywhere in its 688 pages. These are the pages used to constitute the curriculum and content outlines for our current health and sex education classes. Mr. David Jaffe, Executive Director of Curriculum Development & Assessment for the SDUHSD school district, who confirmed that Lifestyle Health
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“is our district’s official textbook for health curriculum,” also insisted that “our program has not been an abstinence-only program, and has not consisted of abstinence-only material.” For an educator whose job it is to understand and assess the curriculum being taught within the district, it is concerning to hear his inconsistent and contradictory statements regarding the content of our current health and sexual education program. While there are benefits to abstinence, especially for teenagers, it’s not a comprehensive basis for sexual education curriculum because it doesn’t actually teach anyone about sex; it only mandates not having it. In order for a teenager to understand how to protect themselves, it is essential that they know and learn what condoms are, where they are available, how to use them, where to go to get tested, and who to talk to about prescriptive contraceptives. As our “progressive” district climbs in API scores and national rankings, our students are still being taught antiquated health education information, which has proven to be ineffective in recent years. Stroud stands firmly behind her claim that “abstinence-only education is unrealistic. Your media generation is shifting its cultural focus towards the topic of sexuality because of teenagers’ access to social networking sites. In the end, I think it all comes down to giving [students and teens] the most information that you can and then hopefully, they will make their choices.” Assistant Principal Stroud is joined in her opposition towards our abstinence-only textbook by Mrs. Deb Abrahamson, CCA’s own health and sexual education teacher, who is “a firm believer in teaching comprehensive lifestyle health, and not just ‘abstinence-only’ courses” to her students. However, Abrahamson, as well as all other health teachers within the district, are being left to decide how exactly they are to provide students with more accurate
resources and information so that they have some basic understanding of how to protect themselves, especially to those sexually active teenagers who have a need for this information. Abrahamson is taking on the challenge (of trying to enhance the district’s antiquated textbook and curriculum with necessary sexual education information). She revealed that CCA has teamed up with Vista Community Center to help augment the health course’s lack of sexual education information. The guest speakers from the Vista Community Center “are up-to-date on everything that teenagers are into, are doing, what they are calling things, and the diseases spreading through the community,” says Abrahamson. “They come and help teach with us for four days during the sexual education unit.” According to Stroud, Abrahamson may not be the only teacher truly dedicated to finding ways to provide students with the best possible resources and updated information. Stroud shared her belief that “the teachers within the district are doing their jobs as best as possible, as they are bringing in guest speakers and outside resources to help provide information to supplement what they are teaching in class. The teachers do a lot of outreach, and I think that’s how they’ve supplemented the materials or any limitations they have within the instructional materials.” While it is a relief to hear that health teachers in the district are doing their best to supplement such curriculum, the school board’s decision to place so much trust in these teachers, with hopes that they will successfully supplement their curriculum poses another risk: inconsistencies between each teacher’s approach to increasing and enhancing the health education content within their respective classes. Ultimately, inconsistencies are bound to happen, as teachers may or may not put the same amount of effort into finding outreach
d
Opinion
programs, resources, and guest speakers. Jaffe admitted that “because of the textbooks that are available at the schools...and how the teachers have augmented the textbook, there probably have been some inconsistencies and some teachers have to deal with that.” He also claimed that “again, our program has not been an abstinenceonly program, and has not consisted of abstinence-only material. Now, whether it’s been inconsistently applied teacher-toteacher, I am sure there have probably been some inconsistencies there.” But there was yet another “inconsistency” that, when discovered, set off some red flags. At the bottom of each of the policy sheets on instructional guidelines for “family life and sex education” (found on the district website), the last recorded dates of “Administration Regulation Revision” ranged from 1997, 2000, to 2004, and all legal references made to California State Education Codes are no longer in existence. Our district policies and curriculum and content requirements for health education outline a comprehensive program to be taught within the schools,
and yet, our district-adopted textbook goes against these policy’s instructional guidelines. According to district policy 6142, Article-1, the family life and sexual education program “shall be age-appropriate and address a full range of topics, including parenting and birth control,” and goes on to state that “the Superintendent shall ensure that family life/sex education materials and instruction are continuously evaluated.” This policy’s last recorded “Administrative Regulation Revision” date was May 13, 2004, the same year in which our district adopted a textbook that contained none of the policies’ “full range of topics” in its pages or content, rather, it promoted a strict abstinence-only education. That textbook, Lifestyle Health, is the same textbook used in our classrooms today. In the district’s “Curriculum Development and Evaluation” policy (6140), it states that “The Board of Trustees accepts responsibility for establishing what students should learn. The Board shall adopt a district curriculum...this curriculum shall also reflect the desires of the community and the needs of society as a whole. The Board considers curriculum improvement to be a top priority for the district. Curriculum
development and evaluation will therefore be an ongoing process.” The Board of Trustees and the SDUHSD district administrators have not upheld and honored their promise to keep the students of this community fully informed and equipped with updated information and basic knowledge, nor have they maintained their “continuous” system of curriculum development, assessment, content inspection, and revision within the health education program. The school district administrators and the Board of Trustees claimed to accept their responsibility to the community and the students, to keep their education and curriculum content as beneficial as possible, but the current lack of proper health and sexual education is not benefiting, nor meeting the needs of the students within this district. Stroud emphasized the importance of the responsibility and duties of administrators and educators: “Our stance as educators is to present students with as much information, especially up-to-date information, as possible. What it all comes down to are student’s resources, and as an educator, it is our responsibility and our goal to provide students with the most information and accurate resources.” The bottom line, as Abrahamson pointed out, is that “comprehensive programs are necessary for sexual education. It’s about saving lives. It helps reduce incidence of disease and pregnancies, and helps kids to learn how to protect themselves. It’s important for teenagers to know where to turn for help and accurate information.” Jaffe acknowledged that “we see that the district is in need of a new health curriculum,” and that “the district’s direction…for next year’s class is to unify the curriculum to give to the teachers, or it will be offered and available online. We’ll be online and what’s more important is that we’ll be online with our district’s own system and our own curriculum.” However, nothing promised is always guaranteed; so while the district hopes to have implemented an entirely new online and in-class health program, the reality is it may take more time to complete the creation, organization and finalization of the new health course and curriculum. If the new comprehensive and updated, districtapproved health course will actually be up and running by the fall of the next school year remains to be seen.
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Crohn’s Disease By: Garrett Peterson
It may not be the most publicized medical condition, but for between 400,000 and 600,000 people living in North America, Crohn’s disease is a part of daily life. So what exactly is Crohn’s disease? Simply put, the disease is an inflammation of the intestines that can cause
a variety of complications. Among the effects of Crohn’s disease are acute abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Having siblings affected by Crohn’s disease makes an individual more likely to suffer from the condition, suggesting a genetic link. Currently, a cure for this disease does not exist; therefore medical treatment focuses on controlling effects and relapse prevention. Matt Sugar, a CCA senior, numbers among the people who live with Crohn’s disease. Sugar recalls when he discovered that he had Crohn’s disease, “A week before sixth grade camp I woke up with the most intense pain in my abdomen that I have ever felt in my life. That was probably the worst I have ever felt in my life.” Up until that time, Sugar had been experiencing pain, but nothing severe enough to alert him or his father of serious complications. Reflecting on his middle school experience, Sugar stated, “It was hard to focus because I was distracted by the pain that I was feeling.” Fortunately, once Sugar became aware
Lyme Disease By: Alex deVleeschauwer
A 4.0 GPA, people liked me, being an involved student, never being sick. Homework was always done and teachers respected me. This was me in the beginning of 6th grade. 2.6 GPA, very few friends, always angry, homework never done, always sick. That is me now. What happened? It’s a thing called Lyme Disease, and I am still trying to get used to it. Very few people in San
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Diego know about this disease. Yet it is growing at the same speed as A.I.D.S. The main reason for this is because the conditions in San Diego do not allow for a rapid spread of the disease. Lyme disease requires Deer Ticks to carry it, and Deer Ticks require a temperate wooded area to reproduce. I lived in such a place called Newburyport, MA which was right next to the New Hampshire woods. This is the number one spot for contracting the disease in the U.S. On a hike in the woods in August, 2006 my mother was bitten by a tick carrying the disease. 6 months later, I was bitten while playing a game in the woods with my friends. In nearly 4 years, this disease has all but destroyed my sense of self and made me a completely new person. And yet up until lately I have been labeled a hypochondriac. Partially because the disease mimics so many other things including Fibromyalgia, M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis), Narcolepsy, and
of his condition and began to receive treatment for it, his daily life dramatically improved. “Now, I rarely ever feel pain or discomfort. On a day to day basis in high school it has not affected me very much, which has been great.” Currently, Sugar takes daily calcium and iron supplements. Also, every two weeks he self-injects a shot similar to an EpiPen. Sugar takes an active role both on the lacrosse team and the yearbook staff; he has not allowed his medical condition to prevent him from enjoying a well-rounded high school experience. Although he is not currently certain about his career plans, Sugar is determined to aid in finding a cure for Crohn’s disease. As he stated, “I hope that in the future a cure is found for Crohn’s disease and I hope that I will help contribute to its discovery.” Sugar has already taken a considerable step toward find a cure. During the Summer of 2008, Sugar decided to prove to himself, his family, and his friends that he is a healthy individual. In order to prove this [continued on p. 23]
dementia. For this reason this disease has been dubbed “the great imitator.” The disease itself brings in a whole slew of problems. These include but are not limited to fatigue, depression, heightened nerve sensitivity, memory loss, excruciating pain/headaches, delirium, dementia, and, in extreme cases, major organ failure. As one can imagine this has presented me many massive challenges to overcome, not least of which is the social stigma of being absent more than present. Of all of the effects of this disease, the one I feel I shall never fully get used to is the sense of overwhelming fatigue when confronted on it. The more people come up to me and suggest in the most sarcastic way possible that I, in some way, am a little short of a dropout, the more I feel that coming to school is not a luxury, but a curse. Words cannot describe the embarrassment of being your group laughing stock/punching bag. Even outside [continued on p. 23]
S ring Sports
The spring season for sports started on February 19. Coaches are planning new strategies and players are training for games. Jen Fisher, a CCA freshman, has just finished her first CCA soccer season and is now training for her first CCA softball season. She practices everyday with the team on the CCA field and on the weekends, and also trains in the gym to build up her strength and confidence. With all her hard work, Fisher achieved her goal and made the Varsity team as a freshman. Through preseason practice, she has met a lot of the players on the team and says “they are very supportive and I will be able to rely on them throughout the season.” Fisher understands that she needs to earn her position on the team through hard work and is confident that her team will back her up. She says she has enough experience to earn a position on the field; she has been playing for eight years (eleven seasons). Softball is a big part of her family; her older sister plays, her dad coaches and her mom is always involved in the team she plays on. She says that her dad is her biggest motivator and he inspires her to keep working hard. Lauren Uchiyama is a sophomore who is currently playing lacrosse for CCA. She played for Junior Varsity last year and is now continuing playing into the new season as one of the team captains. She participated in preseason practice with her team and trained at home. Uchiyama acts as a model for incoming players, like the upper classmen did for her last year. The team is working hard to improve for a better season and a stronger team. Last year the Junior Varsity team won only two games of their sixteen. Uchiyama described that the team did not realize their strengths until midway through the season. This year, however, the incoming players
By: Alison DelNegro
are active in team practices and Uchiyama is anxious for the new season. A senior, Galen Morrison, is starting his fourth year of baseball for CCA. He has been playing year round for the fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons of baseball for CCA. He is starting his third year on varsity this spring. To prepare for the season Morrison has participated in off season programs and is currently in the weight training class at CCA as a way to get stronger before the season. He says that his coaches are doing a great job of preparing the young athletes for the next level, if the players choose to continue playing. Even though the coaches are a little harsh, they only want what is best for the players and they know what they’re talking about. Morrison is looking forward to his last year on the team and hopes to bring home a banner or two for CCA but is excited to go off to college and be on his own. Morrison feels that playing a team sport, baseball especially brings out the character in each individual person. He describes how “even if you don’t like someone on the team, once you step onto the field those people become your family and you need to pick them up when they get down on themselves.” He also gives the advice to future players to work hard and listen to the coaches and to other players. Morrison believes that playing on a team sport teaches teamwork, enforces good habits and teaches patience with yourself and others. He believes that the quotation, “You play how you practice, and you practice how you play” applies to baseball and also to life. Morrison knows that he’s going to miss his team a lot and thanks the coaches for a rewarding four years.
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Asperger Syndrome
By Maia Ferdman
According to the American Psychological Association, Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder that includes “impairment in language and communication skills,” “repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior,” and “qualitative impairment in reciprocal social interaction.” According to John Schnell, a CCA sophomore, Asperger’s means “I’m good at math, I get obsessed with a lot of stuff, and I have a heavy intolerance for bulls**t.” John Schnell was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a developmental disorder related to mild autism, a few years ago. This disorder affects one in 300 kids, and mostly boys. His parents first noticed that he was different when he was three. “He did not enjoy group play and always stayed on the perimeter of the playground. He was a big wanderer and would sometimes become fixated on one particular object. At this time it was garage doors,” say Gail and Rick Schnell, John’s parents. In kindergarten, after John’s symptoms became more pronounced, his parents took him to his pediatrician, who diagnosed him with ADHD and prescribed him with medication. In middle school however, his symptoms continued. According to his parents he had trouble in groups, he was easily upset, and he turned to electricity as his new obsession. “John was always more comfortable with adults and enjoyed their conversations more than playing with his peers,” say his parents. They then consulted with a specialist in the field of autism. She diagnosed John, and helped him obtain an IEP for school. His current fixation lies in video games. He notes, “I could tell you pretty much down to the year details of nonexistent events that have happened in four video game universes.” And when he’s not playing video games, he’s researching them. In addition, Asperger Syndrome can lead to hypersensitivity. In John’s case, certain objects (such as a smooth table) give him what he describes as a “prickly feeling.” Other objects are “sometimes painful to touch…not psychologically but physically painful,” he says. A few weekends ago John was having dinner at Italian restaurant with his family when he had to step out for a few minutes due to the amplified sound of the building. To him, the high winds and the hail of the evening were preferable to the loud noise. “John sometimes has trouble with change or sudden departure from the routine. He
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will have difficulty adjusting to new settings or trying new foods,” continue his parents. As a response, they “just adapt to each situation, try to anticipate potential problems, stay calm at all times and carefully pick and choose our battles.” People with Asperger’s often lack a complete understanding of social norms. Though John seems to be aware of them, many of them perplex him. For example, he believes that our sympathy for the deaths of those who we do not know personally is feigned or simply not real. To John, religion is pointless and hypocritical. He points to the many wars it has caused as evidence, and adds that “sometimes they [religions] donate to charity but that’s why they have aid organizations.” Though these opinions are not necessarily due to his Asperger’s, he notes that his Asperger’s does lead him to be more forthright than the average person. “I’m a very direct person. I don’t beat around the bush,” he says. He also notes, “I have a tendency to bring a lot of people down.” While some people, such as his computer science comrades, appreciate his unfiltered critiques and “use me as a reality check,” his unexpected and blatant honesty can sometimes “cause friction with people.” Say his parents, “John is a literal thinker and this often creates misunderstanding and makes communication tricky.” One of John’s most noteworthy activities is his involvement with the Nest class at CCA. He began as a freshman last year, and has been involved in its opening, but he is unsure as to whether he wants to continue. This year he became a facilities manager, which means that he is responsible for cleaning, as well as any number of maintenance inquiries. Jeannie Chufo, who has been at the forefront of the creation and implementation of the Business Management class and the Nest, describes John as “willing to do things that are well outside of his scope of knowledge because he’s naturally inquisitive.” She says that he tries doing “electrical work when he’s not an electrician, or fix a light fixture, or he’ll get underneath a piano to try to fix the legs.” She adds that “I have to kind of watch him to make sure he’s not doing something that he’s not trained to do where he could actually harm himself because he’s totally daring to investigate and take things apart. He’s totally fearless which is cool.” However, despite John’s industriousness, he has faced challenges when dealing with groups of people, which he often
has to do. Last semester he had a team that would help him clean up and with other responsibilities. Though he still gets help with his tasks, he no longer is in charge of a group of people. Chufo disclosed that though his honesty is valued, “the way he communicates is blunt,” which offended some of his coworkers. She now works with him to practice his communication skills: “I want to give him the latitude and the freedom to grow as a person but at the same time I have to protect him too because he can get himself into trouble,” she says. When John is asked to retrieve a ladder to fix a ceiling decoration (which people ask him to do because of his extensive knowledge of the equipment on campus), he says “I go get the ladder but I make it really apparent that they should have done it themselves. And I make them carry it back. By themselves.” Despite his challenges, John finds ways to excel in the Nest and in life. A few months ago the NBC morning show covered the Nest and interviewed him. He was “articulate and thought out,” according to Chufo. Similarly, he has acted as door master for an event, and politely welcomed guests and ushered them out. “If there’s a formula, if there’s something that you say or craft to customers, he’ll do it. If it’s something where he can’t predict how the person’s going to respond he’ll get in trouble,” says Chufo. According to his parents, “John is smart, a good reader, an out of the box thinker, is knowledge driven, loves information, is our ‘go to’ tech guy. He has a good sense of humor, enjoys science, history, politics, and often [continued on p. 23]
At this point, you have likely read the omnipresent privacy warnings, asking you to reconsider what information you make available online. Of course, the spread of the warnings extend well beyond just Facebook and applies more generally to all social media. The implications of a single weak point in security are tremendous. Online information tends not to remain in a single place. As most of us are
users, collecting and selling their data to third parties. Although small bans were handed out and new protocols were implemented, security flaws are still common. The new protocol, implemented on the first of January, was one to anonymize user identifications. However by mid January, Facebook granted third party applications access to contact information. This information includes addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, screen names; in
to the immediate area around the individual courts. There has been no federal ruling, nor even a district court ruling, either of which would extend the bounds to which a precedent would apply. Ultimately, social media sites often claim to make efforts to strengthen the protection of their user’s privacy, only to undermine these measures at a later time. Whatever, if any, protection the government
privacy short, any information associated with the account. In mockery of location broadcasting come sites like http://pleaserobme.com. The functions of Facebook Places, Google Latitude, and Foursquare induce risks. By allowing the world to know when you are on vacation, you simultaneously inform them that you are not home and that your house may be unprotected. Legally, there is no universal ruling on the privacy of social media. A New York state ruling, based on an interpretation of the 1986 Electronic Communications Law, provided minimal privacy protections with regard to Facebook, and a California state ruling granted a much stronger degree of protection. Both these court cases are restricted
Everyone has trouble sleeping occasionally, and more often than not, it completely ruins the night as well as the next day. Now imagine if every night was a struggle for rest. Nationwide, an estimated fifty to seventy million people suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders, according to the Center for Disease Control. The term “insomnia” has been used as a descriptor of difficulty sleeping, however it is really much more than just lack of sleep. Types of insomnia are mainly grouped into primary and secondary insomnia. Primary is the sleep disorder alone, or not caused by a preexisting condition. Secondary is usually an effect of another condition (mental or physical). Common symptoms of insomnia are difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or not getting quality rest while sleeping. Many people do not realize the severity of its effects. Sleep is necessary to have a fully functioning body and mind. While the body rests, the mind sorts through all the data and information received that day. Dreams are even said to help with mental anguish or issues. Without this rest, it
is common for irritability and depression to ensue. Anxiety is another common symptom, but also a primary cause of insomnia. Physical tasks become increasingly exhausting and difficult, but these are the minor effects. Muscles are not given enough time to rebuild and aches and pains frequent. Eventually the lack of sleep can cause the immune system to deteriorate, making insomniacs much more prone to illness. The recovery from those illnesses is longer and much harder than that of the average sickness due to the already broken down immune system. Here at CCA, psychology teacher Kellie Dunkirk deals with the troubles of insomnia regularly. She has had it ever since she can remember. It appears to be primary insomnia, as she has no underlying causes. She theorizes that it is due to an over-active brain, and is constantly thinking, making it impossible to sleep; a common feeling for insomniacs. She says that it often breeds more anxiety, amplifying the difficulty in relaxing. Dunkirk dislikes medication, and tries [continued on p. 23]
should provide is unclear, but as it stands now, mere legal terminology is antiquated, leading one to question the extent to which future laws may protect individuals. As it stands, online privacy is in turmoil. It’s as if our world is becoming one more aligned with the world Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, sees; one in which one must question, “if you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” The momentary solution: restrict your profile such that only specific individuals (friends or friends of friends) may search for you or view personal information and remove all unnecessary Facebook apps.
By Lee Brage
INSOMNIA
aware, both colleges and businesses are notorious for screening persons of interest by means of their public online presence. However even with private profile settings in place, there are still other means by which information may be collected. In particular, Facebook requires its applications to request authorization before information is granted. However, many requested permissions are unnecessary for the application or game’s function, and in many cases the granting of permission has become thoughtless and automatic. Why do Farmville, Mafia Wars, or quizzes asking about your Harry Potter knowledge need personal contact information? At the end of October, Facebook revealed that some developers exploited their
By Daniel Metz
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News
OBAMACARE
by
Anyone who has paid just the slightest bit of attention to the American political scene over the last few years knows that health care (who has it, how good it is, and how we will pay for it) has become one of the prime hot-button issues of the nation. President Obama made the expansion of health care one of the prime focuses of his 2008 campaign, claiming that the estimated tens of millions of Americans without health care were victims of a great social injustice. Meanwhile, conservatives were concerned over how to pay for the expansion of health care without massively increasing an already huge national debt that continues to pose a threat to American economic security. The clash of ideologies came to a head in 2009 and early 2010, when the White House and a majority Democratic Congress looked to pass a revolutionary new health care law, over the impassioned protests of concerned conservatives. The Democratic majority eventually won out, and the health care bill (referred to derisively as Obamacare by some Republicans) became law. While the full effects of the bill would not kick in until around 2013-2014, and the Obama administration had to settle for a weaker bill than they would have wanted to, the Democrats still seemed to get most of their major provisions: free preventative care to catch cancer and other deadly diseases quickly, increased electronic storage of patient information, and, perhaps most significantly, a ban on insurance companies denying care because of “pre –existing conditions”. Most relevant to CCA students, however, is the clause that will allow children to stay on their parents’ health care plan until age 26, as opposed to only 18 as is the case in many states. As most young adults work jobs that offer sparse or non-existent health insurance, and deal with other financial burdens such as student loans, Democrats viewed this extension of the age limit as a crucial measure to reaching their vision of universal coverage for all Americans. The bill, however, contained a major provision that proved controversial, one that conservative political leaders swooped upon; a government mandate that would force everyone to buy health insurance. Democratic leaders viewed that mandate as essential to ensuring that many demographic groups that often don’t buy health care (the poor, minorities, non-English speakers, etc.) would be required to get themselves health insurance, at little or no cost. Conservatives viewed this as the height of excessive government intervention,
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and used it as a rallying point en route to retaking Congress in the 2010 midterm elections. Aside from the moral considerations, however, Republicans also felt that such a mandate was financially unfair to a group it claimed to be helping, in young adults. Conservative economists feared that forcing health insurance companies to cover those whom they normally would not (the elderly, the very sick, etc.) would force them to raise premiums on the nation’s healthiest demographic, i.e. young adults in their late teens and twenties. Such objections found their way into the courts as the basis for a judicial challenge to the law. A legal coalition of 26 states opposed to the law brought their lawsuit to the Florida court of federal judge Roger Vinson. The decision, made on January 31 of this year, struck a massive blow to the Democrats’ healthcare plan, as Judge Vinson ruled that the mandate clause violated the Constitution by regulating economic inactivity. While in most cases the single clause could be struck while the rest of the bill remained in intact, the wording of the health care law stated that the mandate was “essential” to the bill, forcing Vinson’s hand in striking down the entire law. Of course, the ruling is far from the end of the battle over the president’s health care
reform. The White House will appeal the decision to the next circuit of courts, but, no matter the verdict, the case seems destined to eventually find it’s way back to Washington DC, to be debated in front of the Supreme Court. Such an event will almost certainly inspire widespread debate among legal experts and cable news talking heads, not to mention much salivating among the ranks of politics junkies. The current Supreme Court currently contains four reliably conservative judges, as well as four other strongly liberal justices; the final decision on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care bill could come down to the discretion of the ninth and final justice, Anthony Kennedy, whose decisions often fluctuate between the two political extremes. Depending on how drawn out the appeals process is, the suit against the health care bill may come in front of the Supreme Court right as the 2012 presidential race heats up. A potential decision could energize Republicans looking to reclaim the White House, or provide a boost to Democrats; especially if President Obama looks for a second term. Politics aside, however, a final legal decision on “Obamacare” could go a long way into determining exactly how health care will work in America.
Photo by Fibonacci Blue on Flickr
Nachi Baru
Photo by Fibonacci Blue on Flickr
According to recent polls, at least 15% of the student body has a learning disability. Canyon Crest Academy has raised its API scores this year, making its students more appealing to top-notch schools. It’s already hard enough to keep up with the pace and difficulty level of classes, and for senior Tracy McDowell academic success is even more challenging. McDowell has a learning disability called dyslexia, otherwise known as Developmental Reading Disorder. Dyslexia is a reading disability resulting from the inability to process graphic symbols. Not only does McDowell suffer from dyslexia, but she has another processing disorder. According to McDowell, “a lot of my world is flipped.” She often experiences situations where her response is the opposite of what others expect. Around the time she was learning to read, McDowell faced problems that most kids do not encounter. “In preschool or kindergarten,” she recounted, “I was learning to read, except the numbers and letters were all mixed up and I couldn’t tell them apart.” Facing this obstacle was hard, and, as McDowell said, “I was stubborn. I kept on saying, ‘No, I don’t want to read.’” While facing setbacks at such a young and defining age can be traumatizing for some children, McDowell triumphed. Looking back at her initial struggles, McDowell admits, “I used to throw a lot of fits and my parents got really annoyed, but now…it’s a part of me.” Despite initial struggles, McDowell adds, “my family is pretty incredible.” High school is extremely demanding. AP classes, graduation requirements, sports, parental pressure, clubs, testing all take up time and cause stress. Normally, a student with ADHD or dyslexia will get an IEP (Individualized Education Program) that is designed to meet a child’s
unique needs, or a 504, which allows them extra test taking time. Contrary to popular practice, McDowell said, “I don’t get to do that because I started the process too late.” Although her disability was identified at a young a young age, McDowell did not get the paperwork completed in high school that would qualify her for special education. Furthermore, McDowell confides, “for every hour [of homework] for everyone else, it takes me two to three hours more [sic].” Even with these added difficulties, McDowell is in Theater Conservatory and is involved in multiple clubs. Despite all of her accomplishments, it is still hard to imagine what everyday life is like for McDowell. She admits that “until someone points it out, I don’t know I’m wrong.” A distinct experience McDowell recalls was solving a six step math problem in Mr. Hayden’s math class. She solved the whole problem and got it wrong, but could not find her mistake anywhere. After taking it up to the teacher, McDowell was disappointed to find out that she had put a “10” where there was supposed to be a “4” simply because she saw a “5” instead of a “2” earlier in the problem. Nevertheless, when McDowell completes a difficult task, the accomplishment is worth the wait. McDowell admits that after mastering reading, she became a “supernerd” who reads all of the time. McDowell conquers each task with assurance and practice. She confesses, “When I was learning to drive, it scared the [crap] out of my mom.” But yet again, McDowell rose to the challenge. McDowell’s experience has proved to all of us that it is possible to overcome learning disabilities. She has taught herself to “stay positive,” and has developed an outlook that allows her to many sides, her natural perspective and the perspective of others that she has come to accept. McDowell makes us wonder, is this a disability, or in fact a gift?
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Life With
By Hannah Barker
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A.D.D.
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By Arianna Irwin
Just try your best to control it, manage your time and get help if you need it
There are a lot of prejudices and stereotypes surrounding two very distinct disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). With the help of CCA senior, Rachel Gardinier, I will attempt to bring light to the subject and change some popular ideas. For instance, it isn’t uncommon to mix up the two conditions; personally, I have used the titles interchangeably more than once. Both conditions lead to difficulty focusing, but the most apparent differences between the two are that ADD is an older term, and the patient can be with or without the hyperactivity and impulsivity of ADHD. Rachel Gardinier was diagnosed in the middle of her junior year with ADD. “I had a really hard time focusing on school work. Like homework, it took forever to finish or even start it. When I did start, my mind would wander and it was hard to bring it back. In class, I had a hard time listening to anything the teacher was saying. I wasn’t doing very well and I was getting frustrated.” Gardinier had discussed the possibility of having this disorder with her mother continuously since her freshman year. Finally they agreed to take an online survey and look into finding an ADD/ADHD doctor. “My mom and I brought the survey to the doctor and she evaluated it. She had a chart that was split into three sections, symptoms of people without ADD, people with mild ADD, and people
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with advanced ADD. And I matched with the advance group. Almost all the questions had to do with focus in daily life, house chores, school, conversations and stuff like that.” However, there are alternative treatments for ADD or ADHD. Medicated stimulants, including Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta increase the ability to pay attention but have unfortunate side effects. Mood changes, insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability and headaches are the most commonly seen. One successful natural remedy is Cantella Asiatica (Gotu Kola). It is known to reduce anxiety, help memory and overall brain function. Another popular option is Green Oats (Avena sativa) whose calming effects grow with time and use. Thirdly there is the Chinese herb, Panax Ginseng, which has improved motivation, reduced stress and strengthened the immune system. According to natural-treatment-guide. com, these remedies have helped men and women diagnosed with ADD and their children who have inherited the disorder. However, it is important to remember that every patient is unique and that all the above medications and natural remedies will not work for everyone. Gardinier is grateful for her and her family’s decision to find a doctor and medication. “Before I got diagnosed I was struggling a lot. I remember my sophomore year was the worst; I was so stressed out and couldn’t handle anything. But, now I take medicine. It sucks taking it all the time, but it helps me take
in what people are saying, helps me on tests, helps me with my job, and it helps me when I read things. Everything is much easier now.” The one regrettable aspect of now being officially diagnosed is that Gardinier feels that people see it as an excuse. “When I do tell people I have ADD, I feel bad because it’s like an excuse to get by with things.” But for the most part, people don’t treat her any differently than before. “My friends sometimes say ‘You’re so ADD.’ But it’s all out of good fun.” According to add.about.com, ADD and ADHD are typically inherited disordersmore than 80% of people diagnosed with the disease have inherited it. Others have gotten the disease after brain injuries/trauma and other abnormal brain activities. There are some existing theories that propose that everyone has hints of ADD or ADHD, it is when the disease interferes with your daily life that you may want to do some research. If you have a true concern about focusing, hyperactivity, forgetfulness or any of the other symptoms associated with ADD or ADHD, discuss it with your parents and do some research. There are several websites that offer surveys, advice and answers to questions you might have regarding the disorder. Rachel Gardinier has her own little bit of advice for anyone struggling with the disorder, “just try your best to control it, manage your time and get help if you need it.”
Here are some helpful websites that offer a surplus of information regarding ADD and /or ADHD.
www.chad.org
www.addiss.co.uk www.newideas.net
www.adhd.com
Continued [Crohn’s Disease from p.16] claim, he successfully scaled the 4,737 foot granite face of Half Dome. Yet, Sugar not only seized this opportunity to accomplish a goal for himself, but also to aid in the community of Crohn’s disease sufferers. “I called all my friends and acquaintances. I sent emails to everyone I know and I said, ‘Here’s what I’m doing, I’m going climbing Half Dome to raise money for Crohn’s.’” Not only did Sugar conquer Half Dome, he also won the competition sponsored by NASCAR driver Scott Speed to see which individual could raise the most money for Crohn’s disease research. Sugar personifies the individual who accepts the difficulties in his life, but never allows them to limit his potential. Regardless of the field he chooses to enter after college, Sugar’s determination will certainly reap him countless benefits. During his college years and even after, Sugar will be a positive force aiding in the effort to find a cure for Crohn’s disease.
[Lyme Disease from p.16] of my group I feel no relief from the constant berating that comes with being some sort of social pariah. When I can show up, I feel like a ghost incarnate. I am present but barely so. What especially sucks is the fact that this is permanent. There is no known cure, however there are antibiotics that can slow the progression of the disease within ones system. Not necessarily cure oneself but stop the expansion of the bacteria. This is largely due to the fact that the disease runs in cycles. One only feels it’s effects when the actual bacteria die off in your system and release their toxins. So I can feel perfectly fine one day and then the next be on my ass with no hope of ever getting up. As stated before there is no cure for Lyme disease and the mortality rate is depressingly low, so a person bitten will live out a normal length life always having this horrible disease. This is part of the reason it was never widely used on the battlefield by the creators, The Nazis. However they still did use it on G.I.s marching through the Black forest. When these men returned they brought the disease and the ticks with them. Fortunately Lyme is not contagious except by means of a massive blood transfusion, so many of you will never have to live with this life altering malady.
[Insomnia from p.19] her best not to use it, although has used certain medications in times of need. “The less chemicals I can put into my body the better,” she says. Many people experiment with sleeping
aids to help their insomnia, but they can have negative side effects and can possibly be more harmful to the user. Another helpful way Dunkirk battles insomnia is with exercise. She attempts to exercise frequently to help wear out her body, making it easier to rest. She speculates that at the root of it all is stress. On Friday and Saturday nights she can sleep considerably more soundly, but as soon as Sunday comes she is wired. The thoughts of the week ahead and the work that needs to be done runs through her mind keeping her uneasy. She is lucky to have never battled with any severe medical issues, such as the ones mentioned before, but is depend on coffee through the day, specifically at 3:30 pm. However even without the illnesses, insomnia has negatively affected her life. She is a runner and often feels extremely fatigued and unable to run. Thankfully there are seemingly no permanent damages due to the lack of sleep. She highly recommends meditation, even though she knows it may be extremely difficult to try and relax (from experience). Meditation usually refers to a state of extreme relaxation and concentration, in which the body is generally at rest and the mind is quieted of surface thoughts. There have been many studies on the most effective way to cure insomnia. There are hundreds of different sleeping pills, as well as psychiatric treatments. Herbal and homeopathic remedies have also been discovered as a more natural way to aid the body to sleep. Acupuncture is a very prevalent method and helps the body relax so insomnias can get real rest. When asking CCA students how many hours of sleep a night they average on a school day, most said around six, and often less. All students emphasize that they often feel weary and exhausted throughout the day. High school students should receive about eight and a half to nine hours of sleep a night. The students are often sluggish and stressed, and it is clear why. Most of the school, let alone the world, do not give their bodies enough time to rejuvenate and prepare for the next day. Students are battling with increasing distractions and keeping their minds too busy for sleep.
[Asperger Syndrome from p.18] offers a unique perspective on topics. He is very independent and does not run with the pack. He has no problem being by himself and is an excellent XBOX player.” Clearly there is more to John than meets the eye. Both John’s family and CCA have provided him with assistance. He has the option of extended time for tests, which he says he never uses but “it’s nice to know they’re there.”
He uses a state-funded computer to type notes during class, and his family bought him a computer for home use. He described a weekly speech therapy class at school, which focuses on discussing ways of interacting with people effectively. John does not find these meetings to be helpful for him, and after six years of pushback convinced his parents to let him drop it. John used to take prescribed medication to control his behavior, but he noticed that he was a lot happier without it. However, worrying about passing his classes increased his anxiety, despite his doing well in school. Therefore his family has also gotten him involved with counseling and he now takes anti-anxiety medication, which has helped him significantly. Despite his difficulties, John does not feel too different from his peers: “Sometimes I feel a little different. Sometimes I’ll react more directly than other people and they’ll say ‘John why do you do that’ and I say because it’s what I’m supposed to do.” He finds his Asperger’s to be more beneficial than harmful. He says “I can do stuff in my head that other people have to use a calculator for.” He also expresses that it does not stop him from doing anything he wants to do. Asperger Syndrome and autism varies from case to case, and John has been fortunate enough to be equipped with a determination and fervor to succeed, and to be surrounded by people who care about his wellbeing. Some of John’s qualities are Asperger’s related and some are not—we must all make an effort to understand these developmental disorders more fully. Gail and Rick Schnell have the following advice for parents with children with Asperger Syndrome: “Families should educate themselves, friends and other relatives…Be open about it. Always, before you get angry ask the question, ‘Why are you doing what you are doing?’ Because they are so literal and out of the box thinkers, there could be a very good reason for their actions.” For more information on Asperger Syndrome or autism spectrum disorders, please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/ or http:// www.aspergersyndrome.org/.
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CCA Bucket List By Maia Ferdman
What every CCA student should do before graduating...
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Ride in Hector’s cart Mob Cornerhouse or Caliente for lunch Order a panini at The Nest See a dance show, theater show, choir concert, or band performance Make a suggestion at a Comedy Sportz match Hear Mr. Stiven’s Disneyland lecture Be shot at by Mr. Leal’s nerf gun High five Rupert the Raven Chant “API!” at a sports event Read Pulse Magazine! Visit the greenhouse Watch an egg drop Twirl across the quad when no one is watching Take a picture of a trashcan for Digital Photography Click on Ms. Chufo’s Panic Button Have a conversation unrelated to school with your counselor Win a food party for your 2nd period class Participate in Red and Black day with Mrs. Lawless Find a hidden seran wrap sculpture Read the writing under the stairs Stand in an eternal line to switch your classes Laugh at CCA TV’s jokes Break out into song during lunch Send a song to play in the announcements Hear a story about Mr. Spilkin’s daughters Throw Mr. Danssaert’s stuffed cat Enjoy a free period
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Create a tune on the computer for MIDI Meditate with Mr. Vikas Participate in a lunchtime competition Set off a fire alarm by burning popcorn Hear one of Mr. Hopp’s childhood stories Go to a class council meeting Ask someone to a dance creatively Send or receive a Halloween/Winter/Valentine’s day gram Participate in Spirit Week Get your free Roberto’s burrito by filling out your senior survey Watch the Halloween costume contest Watch Mr. Shakeri perform a fiery chemical reaction Vote for your favorite Ravel Idol Write on a smart board Learn about the golden ratio with Mr. Moldovan Cheer in the pep rally Play “Seniored Out” Watch the sunrise at school Get positive (or negative) reinforcement from Ms. Dunkirk Be spoken to in a language that you don’t understand by a language teacher Unplug your ears after Mr. Unwin gets your attention Participate in a sport or in Conservatory Rage at Battle of the Bands Eat one of Ms. Atkinson’s chocolate chip cookies
Have anything to add? E-mail us at Editors.Pulse@Gmail.com!
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