LF_032218

22 | March 22, 2018 | The lake forest leader LIFE & ARTS
LakeForestLeader.com
Leave the
writing
to the pros.
Kiwanis Foundation helps enhance music
department at Lake Bluff Middle School
Submitted by The Kiwanis
Foundation of Lake Bluff
and Lake Forest
The Kiwanis Foundation
of Lake Bluff and
Lake Forest continues to
stand by their motto, “To
Serve the Children.”
The Foundation saw an
unmet need at the Lake
Bluff Middle School and
decided to step forward.
For years, the band department
has asked to replace
their old chairs with ones
designed to provide proper
support, promoting a more
natural performance. With
the purchase of 80 chairs
(and movable storage
racks), the students will
now have chairs that help
mimic standing posture in
a seated position.
“When we learned of
the need, it made sense. ...
Knowing there are a variety
of office desk chairs to
aid posture, why wouldn’t
there be some for musicians,”
said David Lee,
foundation president.
The Foundation went
even further by purchasing
additional band instruments
that the district
would own, but could lend
out to a student who may
not have an instrument or
may have be held back by
the limitation of their current
instrument.
Daryl Beese, director
of bands, was ecstatic the
foundation selected the
district to help. The chairs
will see tremendous use by
the students during practice
sessions as well as in
band performances. The
foundation will also find
another local organization
that is in need of 45 used
chairs — recycling at its
best.
For more information on
the Kiwanis Foundation,
visit www.KiwanisLBLF.
org.
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TEDX
From Page 19
comedy and helped audience
members understand
the different types of comedy,
while cracking a few
jokes.
Dr. Chala Holland, the
principal at Lake Forest
High School, spoke about
her experience as an educator.
She told the story about
her days as a student teacher,
all that she learned and
how students continue to
help her learn, even as an
administrator.
“It is you (students) who
continue to push me and
my thinking; you continue
to contribute to my learning,”
Holland said during
her speech.
Students also heard
from Dr. Matthew Dewar,
the English and wellness
teacher at LFHS, who had
an important message to
share with students.
Six years ago Dewar
walked into his classroom
after his students just
learned one of their classmates
committed suicide.
Dewar shared a story of
his struggles to deal with
his anxiety and or stress.
Through time he learned
to cope with his problems
and stress through practicing
mindfulness. He
helped students understand
what mindfulness is,
but more importantly told
them how important they
are to this world.
“As time goes on, one
thing becomes increasingly
clear to me as a
teacher,” he said. “It does
not matter if you guys can
check off all the boxes
on the rubric of academic
achievement, if at the end
of the day you find your
life so overwhelming or
bereaved of meaning that
self harm seems like a viable,
or even desirable, option.”
To end the speeches Tessa
Kerouac took stage to
tell her peers how therapy
helped her learn how to
live with her mental illness
— Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder.
Kerouac explained she
was diagnosed with OCD a
year ago. She realized she
has obsessive compulsions
in the form of doing things
even in numbers such as
stepping the same amount
of times on each foot.
She took three weeks off
of school to get therapy to
help her with OCD.
“Mental illness is surrounded
by so many stigmas
and stereotypes,” Kerouac
said. “The reason I
am here talking is to break
down that shameful wall.”
She also told students it
is important to talk about
therapy, and not feeling
ashamed of needing therapy.
“Therapy has saved
me,” she said. “I have gone
through a lot in my life. I
will never stop advocating
that therapy is a very
valid option for anyone,
and anyone should be able
to get the help they need
without the social shame
that comes with it.”
To view all the speeches
at the TEDx event, visit
www.tedxlfhs.com.