May 2017

in-depth 9
THOUGHT?
IN OUR DIFFERENCES
et within the specific context of
ly been forgotten. In fact, in a
students said they felt pressured
ative in school.
that the Extrovert Ideal presents
the classroom. With classrooms
class discussion and group work
ollaboration, one must begin to
r not this current practice is, in
rcent of West students say they
ngly dislike group work.
inars, difficulties often present
tudents are unable to equally exup.
“There are many times when
o talk just because other people
hard to get your voice in when
scher said. 30 percent of West
e in class, introverted students
d for contributions from teachdifferences.
This particular situussions,
when the final grade is
ion, instead of preparation.
alking seem to get all the credit
ng themselves out there—while,
e the one putting in all the work
credit,” junior Norris Tran said.
ifficulties, teachers like English
eorge have observed alternative
ive use. One particular example
iscussion, “but there was a back
ents could type in their responsappageorge
said.
alternative classroom approachhe
quiet student by being more
ces and, for the most part, they
rs can be really good about acior
Katie Lane said. “But with
right now, it’s just ‘turn and talk’
o work on their own, so it’s still
lso developed itself outside the
ularly on a social level. “We are
xtrovert persona—so introverts
they leave their house, or some-
Montgomery Peng describes.
XIAO LIN HE
When it comes to functioning in
Western society, an extrovert persona
can be quite helpful. Often, this social
adaptation can help individuals appeal
to the standards of different students and
organizations—specifically, in the case of
leadership.
However, this is not because introverts
lack the specific qualities to be a leader. Instead,
introverts are commonly overlooked
for leadership positions due to their introversion
and perceived limitations, forcing
students to once again, fit the script.
Take, for instance, Maine West Principal’s
Leadership Team (PLT), an organization
that has in the past, presented a bias
against the quiet type. “In the sense of the
application process, introverts might get
fewer nominations. However, I think
that once an introvert becomes part of
the PLT, they will not have any difficulties
fulfilling the responsibilities,”
Principal Dr. Audrey Haugan said.
Mindful of student differences,
Haugan and the PLT have made
changes to their past admission criteria.
“We’ve tried to make the process
better each year. I’ve started to weigh
the writing portion more than I have
in the past. Last year, we did a longer
essay and I got a lot more insight into
what the students were like,” Haugan said.
Unfortunately, some introverts might still
find themselves needing to change—not for teachers,
but for their peers. “Sometimes the introverted road can be a
little lonely if you’re not realizing that you’re just not that kind
of person,” guidance counselor Gilit Abraham said.
Similarity, as much as it may be desired, is simply not
true of life in general. Diversity is important to both
high school and life beyond it. “It’s not interesting to
have everyone who wants to do the same thing making
up your student body at college. They want different
types of students—students who are passionate
about different things,” Abraham said.
BY GRACE YUE
reporter
Remember those kids even back
in elementary school who
seemed to prefer more time to
themselves? He or she was probably
introverted; however, understanding
the character of introverts can be more
complicated than meets the eye.
Not all introverts are necessarily
shy; even the shy kid can be an extrovert.
The defining characteristic of
introverts is that they need time to
themselves. Social interactions leave
them worn out and in need of some
alone time.
Introverts generally do not speak
out as much, and there is a good reason
for this—they are physiologically
different from extroverts, according
to AP Psychology teacher Patricia
Montgomery Peng. While extroverts
blurt out answers with ease, introverts
spend more time processing information.
They refer to long-term memory
(stored in the cerebral cortex) and to
the brain’s frontal lobe (for decisionmaking)
before they decide to speak
out. Extroverts don’t reflexively refer
to neural networks or the frontal lobe,
so responses naturally come more
quickly to them.
Unlike extroverts, who are energized
by other people, introverts are refreshed
by “quiet time.” As sophomore
Elizabeth Rovegno put it, “I always
need some down time at the end of the
day. Whether it’s watching TV or just
being by myself, I need some time to
recharge my batteries.”
Introverts usually have a few close
friends rather than a group of acquaintances
because of their preference for
solitude. They generally are not comfortable
in a talkative, large group. This
can put introverts at a disadvantage
in classroom collaboration; since they
are quiet and dislike interactions, their
voices can be drowned out by the extroverts.
However, this trait of reclusiveness
makes introverts more independent
learners. Since introverts find social interaction
tiring, they don’t rely on others
as much - for example, in school.
Junior Alexandra Juszczyk, who identifies
as an introvert, said, “You learn
pretty quick how to teach yourself [academically].
You don’t have to make
a schedule around
other people.”
57%
OF STUDENTS DESCRIBED
THEMSELVES AS
INTROVRETED
in•tro•vert
“I would definitely describe myself as an introverted
person—I wouldn’t say shy, though. There’s a fine line
in distinguishing between a shy person and an introverted
person.”
-Junior Norris Tran
Reporting contributed by
Ashley Dwy, asst. editor
*ACCORDING TO
A WESTERNER
SURVEY OF 93
STUDENTS