Editorials/Opinion Pieces in this Publication: "Answering Your IGP Questions, a Guide from a Guidance Counselor" by Aubrey Stillwell "What is Love? A story of chocolate, chemicals, and other components of falling in love" by Madeline Rutherford "Fighting Chronic Illness Together Campaign" by Mary Ellen Morrison
Answering Your IGP Questions, a Guide from a Guidance Counselor by Aubrey Stillwell
It's that time of year again. Your midterms are over, you know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, and you're starting to think about next year's class choices. Whether you're taking one AP class, three, or none at all, it can still be a lot of pressure to choose what classes you want to take. That is why, in this article we will be discussing some common questions students may have about IGP conferences and schedules for next year. I asked one of our resident guidance counselors to elaborate.
"One thing that I love about Spring Hill is that SO many of our electives are popular," notes Karen Fallaw, a guidance counselor who is on staff here at Spring Hill. "We have students take fine arts, exercise science electives, business electives, social studies electives. Not one class stands out more than the other, which tells me that we have great course offerings…" That's the good news for students, there are lots of class choices. You can tailor your choices to your interests, depending on what classes you are recommended for by your teachers.
Another question that needs to be addressed is this, "Where can students find descriptions of the classes they are interested in?" The answer to this is actually really simple. Mrs. Fallaw says, "A great place to find descriptions of the classes is in our District High School Course Catalog." Yes, we have a catalog! The resource contains further details on the available classes for next school year such as how many credits you receive for the course and how long you take it for. The catalog can be found on our school website under the header "Academics,'' or by clicking here.
"Don't be afraid to try something new," says Mrs. Fallaw when giving advice to next year's sophomores. "High school is a great time to explore your interests and strengths." In conclusion, there are many classes to take at Spring Hill. Whether you end up focusing on science or English, art or math, here's to hoping you can find the right courses for you.
What is Love? A story of chocolate, chemicals, and other components of falling in love. by Madeline Rutherford
What is love? Science views “love as a cocktail of chemicals released by the brain” (University of Wollongong). On a more emotional level—keep in mind that love is different for everyone—it can be described as intense affection. Love comes in different forms. The love you have for your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner is not the same love you have for your dog(at least I hope so). The feeling of love can mean different things to different people, but at the chemical level, it’s hard to tell the difference. Today, we’re going to talk about romantic love, but chemical-wise. A long time ago, back before we were homo sapiens, we were animals. As most of you might know, most animals carry the crude need to find and protect a preferred mate. That primal drive evolved into what is now called romantic love. Love keeps people together, helps raise children. Love isn’t just about reproduction, as it used to be. Love is a motivator, just like hunger, thirst, sleep, or physical relations. PHASE I: passionate love There are stages to love. Falling in love is fun and exciting, at least for your brain. The first stage of falling is an extreme neurobiological state. This is denoted “by heightened responses and high passion” (University of Wollongong). The hope is that most of you understand how testosterone and estrogen (hormones) work so that this makes sense to you. Another component of falling in love is the activation of your limbic system (emotion and memory) and reward centers. Other parts of the brain are activated, but they aren’t as important. The activation of your limbic system when you’re falling in love tells scientists why the faller usually has a more positive mood and why the “memories associated with new love are so strong” (University of Wollongong). The brain also releases dopamine and noradrenaline. Both of these are happy chemicals. Dopamine increases the motivation, obsessive thoughts & behaviors to pursue the love interest (why some people seem crazy when they first fall in love). Noradrenaline causes euphoria (again, why people seem crazy at first). Have you ever been feeling completely normal, but then your crush walks by and suddenly your heart rate is up, you have butterflies and can’t stop moving? That’s noradrenaline. In addition to certain parts of the brain being activated, some are deactivated. We all probably know (or will know) a person who’s obsessed with some really bad person (a red flag). Her friends have tried to tell her no, that the boy isn’t worth it, but she can’t see his faults. This is due to the reduced activity of the frontal cortex, which in turn reduces the negative emotions and judgment she may have had before. Let’s not forget the increased feelings of stress and uncertainty and risk. (I hate cortisol). PHASE II: companion love The “passionate” phase of love we just finished talking about can last for several months. The next phase is that of intimacy, attachment, and commitment. When we move into this phase, the levels of oxytocin and vasopressin within our bodies increase. Vasopressin promotes territoriality and self-protectiveness. Oxytocin works to quell any stress or uncertainty you may have felt during the first few months. These two chemicals help you balance connecting to others while protecting the relationship/situationship you’re in. You don’t need to fall in love with someone to feel the bettering effects of oxytocin. Oxytocin is known as the “love hormone.” As I said before, love doesn’t have to be romantic. The love you feel for your favorite food is not the same thing you feel for your best friend. Your brain can release oxytocin just from petting a dog, eating some chocolate, or even sitting in your bed. Oxytocin is shown to help a person feel better overall, not just in romantic relationships. Positive relationships are good for you and your mental health. APHRODISIACS: chocolate and ASPARAGUS Welcome to the Ted Non-Talk about aphrodisiac foods. Some people think that chocolate makes people fall in love. It doesn’t. Chocolate, like strawberries, honey, coffee, figs, or even asparagus, is an aphrodisiac. In order to satisfy his many, many wives, “the Aztec emperor Montezuma was rumored to have consumed 50 cups of chocolate each day” (Avey). Even the notorious Casanova mentions drinking cups of chocolate in his memoirs, thinking it was needed to sustain his exploits. Chocolate is a natural way to “increase energy and desire levels” (Sutherland). From what was explained earlier, one can understand why this feeling can be equated to being in love. What are the exact chemicals, one may ask? Scientists have narrowed it to two key ones, “phenethylamine and tryptophan” (Avey). Phenethylamine is a stimulant that is released during phase one (passionate love). Tryptophan helps to create serotonin, a brain chemical associated with elevated moods. To sum it all up, love is complicated, and different for everyone. Go forth upon the world, and what “love” means to you. Thanks for reading.
Works Cited Avey, Tori. “10 Edible Aphrodisiacs | The History Kitchen.” PBS, 10 February 2014, https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/10-edible-aphrodisiacs/. Accessed 30 January 2024. Sutherland, Hayley. “The Connection Between Love and Chocolate.” Capsicum Culinary Studio, 10 February 2020, https://www.capsicumcooking.com/the-connection-between-love-and-chocolate. Accessed 30 January 2024. University of Wollongong. “2023 | What happens in our brain and body when we're in love? - University of Wollongong – UOW.” UOW Media Centre, 14 February 2023, https://www.uow.edu.au/media/2023/what-happens-in-our-brain-and-body-when-were-inlove.php. Accessed 24 January 2024.
Fighting Chronic Illness Together Campaign by Mary Ellen Morrison
The Fighting Chronic Illness Together Campaign was created to help support anyone with a chronic illness who has ever felt alone in their battle with their health. As someone who has struggled with my health for nearly a decade, I understand the hardships one must endure as one battles their health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 60% of adult Americans have at least one form of chronic illness. That is an average of 6 in 10 adults who have to think about their healthcare and what they can/can’t do because of their health every day. While this number is high, there is an even more worrying statistic that prompted me to start this campaign, and that is the number of people who just don’t know what chronic illnesses are. After talking to many of my peers, family members, and acquaintances I found that most people can not give examples of chronic illnesses, and even more do not have a definition of chronic illness. Some even had a chronic illness and just did not know because there is not enough education to the public on chronic illnesses. When conducting a poll through Spring Hill High School I found that 35% of respondents knew the percentage of Americans with some form of Chronic illness. Most of the respondents, to this multiple choice question, selected the option “45%” which is nearly 50 million people off from the actual answer 60%. Millions of Americans are in a constant fight with their health, but when they don’t have anyone to talk to about their struggles, because most do not understand what they are going through, and don’t see an easy way to help those who are struggling. This lack of acknowledgment and understanding of what chronic illnesses entail leaves those with chronic illnesses in a state of seclusion from society. That’s where the term “Fighting Chronic Illness Together” was coined. To provide a sense of inclusion to those with chronic illness, and to get those without chronic illness involved in the fight with chronic illness. Additionally, light blue is the nationally recognized color of chronic illness that is meant to draw attention to all chronic illnesses. That is where the Fighting Chronic Illness Together fundraiser was created, where we combined the phrase “Fighting Chronic Illness Together” with light blue to help raise awareness and cohesion throughout our nation (and eventually our world). We decided to sell light blue hoodies, T-shirts, and bracelets that would hopefully market themselves to others to raise awareness everywhere they are worn. This fundraiser was promoted throughout our school on posters and announcements, through our podcast “Chronically Aware” on Spotify, and on Instagram (@fightingchronicillnesstogether) We decided to donate to the foundation Good Days Effective Compassion, which advocates for and aids those with any form of chronic illness who haven’t had the support they needed before. Combining this fundraiser, awareness campaign, and marketing we hoped to raise the most awareness possible so nobody would have to feel alone as they fight to keep going.