TP_020719

14 | February 7, 2019 | The tinley junction school
tinleyjunction.com
Student Column
The effects of winter
weather in Tinley Park
Olivia Lehnert
Student Columnist
In Tinley Park, and the
midwest as a whole, this
winter has hit harder
than even most natives can
remember. With record
breaking low temperatures
debilitating Tinley Park,
among others, the effect
on the community is vast.
From business closures to
plumbing and electrical
damage, the winter is taking
a toll on communities like
ours which already consider
themselves well adjusted to
the colder months.
An often overlooked
resultant of this sudden and
sharp cold, however, is its
affect on individuals who
are forced to live through
it. Different demographics
come with different sets of
problems, and it may be
surprising that a heavily affected
group is students and
adolescents. While this may
come as a surprise when
considering the high physical
health and relatively
lesser financial responsibilities
of high school students
and other young people, the
cold weather often puts this
group at a significant social
and emotional disadvantage.
During teen and preteen
years, adolescents
are already in a period of
turbulence when it comes
to their emotions, due
to hormonal and chemical
changes going on in
their brains. In the winter
months, the lack of sunlight
adds another imbalance to
the mix. Lesser daylight
hours and colder weather
keeps adolescents inside
for the few after school
hours each day they might
usually get to spend in the
sun, and this leads to influx
of melatonin and a decrease
of serotonin in teen brains.
According to the U.S. National
Library of Medicine,
this particular imbalance
leads to increased fatigue
and difficulty concentrating,
two behaviors which have
strong correlations with
poor academic performance
and social outreach. This
is not to say that these
specific chemical changes
do not occur within other
age demographics, but with
students and adolescents
already being at a difficult
hormonal stage in
their lives, and adding on
social pressures and academic
challenges, this cold
weather hits them particularly
hard.
This past week even,
schools in the area were
closed for a minimum of
two days, and Andrew
High School was forced to
initiate late starts on two of
the three remaining days,
cutting out early morning
classes and shortening
remaining class lengths.
This uneven schedule leads
to atypical assignment
planning, resulting in high
work loads for students to
compensate for lost time.
From this we see a general
domino effect: a higher
workload results in more
time focusing on school and
less time getting necessary
social stimulation, which
lowers mood, then adding
further emotional stress.
This cycle does come annually
with the changing of
the seasons, and even with
this winter being an outlier
in terms of extreme cold and
weather, there are still ways
for students and adolescents
to combat this physiologically
induced stress. While
getting outside is often
unachievable, being able to
work in a comfortable, yet
community space, like a
local library, can allow for
a change of ace that gets
students out of an exhausted
mindset while still allowing
them to work. Enforcing
a regular sleep schedule
and maintaining a sense of
personal health, whether
that be through basic skin
care or simple hygiene, aids
physical wellness, as well as
chemical balance, which is
absolutely essential in these
turbulent winter months.
As we progress through
what we all know to be a
long winter in Tinley Park,
it’s important to take note
of how these winter temperatures
are affecting different
citizen demographics.
While teens and adolescents
are already in a place of
vulnerability, everyone
should pay close attention
to their own physical and
emotional state as the cold
months drag on. We can
hope for spring though, and
power through the weather
as we always have here in
Tinley Park, until then.
Tinley park’s
Standout Student
Varun Paluri, Morgan Park
Academy, fifth-grader
Who is your favorite teacher and why?
My favorite teacher is Mrs. [Elizabeth]
Raser, who was my first-grade teacher. I
like her because she always challenged me
to learn as much as I could. She was my
first teacher at Morgan Park Academy and
helped me get familiar and comfortable
with the school.
What’s your favorite class and why?
My favorite class is science. I really like
doing science experiments and learning
about the earth. One of my favorite experiments
was making oobleck, a gooey substance
that helps us learn about solids and
liquids.
What’s one thing that stands out about
your school?
One thing that is special about Morgan
Park Academy are the overnight trips. This
year, my grade went to Camp Duncan. It
was fun hanging out with friends and we
learned about water ecology and wilderness
survival.
What’s your best memory from school?
My best memory from school is when I
was Principal For a Day in fourth grade. I
liked coming up with the activities for the
day and having special privileges for the
day.
What do you like to do when not in school
or studying?
I like to play sports like baseball and basketball.
I also like to draw. I like to relax by
watching TV.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to be a doctor. I want to
be an orthopedic doctor because I want to
figure out a way to for bones to heal quickly.
What is one thing people don’t know about
you?
I speak two languages, English and an
photo submitted
Indian language called Telugu. At school, I
am learning a third language, Spanish.
Whom do you look up to and why?
I look up to my parents because they
work hard and make enough time for my
brother and me even though they are busy.
What is one essential you must have when
studying?
The one essential I must have while
studying is water.
What are some of the most played songs
on your iPod?
My most played songs are: “Demons”
by Imagine Dragons and “Stressed Out” by
Twenty One Pilots.
What’s your morning routine?
I wake up at 6:45 a.m., brush my teeth,
eat breakfast, and get ready for school.
Then I am off to school.
What’s your favorite thing to eat in the
cafeteria?
My favorite food in the school cafeteria
is the nachos. They are very flavorful and
not too cheesy.