WB_111419

12 | November 14, 2019 | The wilmette beacon NEWS
wilmettebeacondaily.com
From Nov. 8
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 6 days ago
No threat found after false, ‘stressful’ lockdown at New Trier
Megan Bernard
Contributing Editor
The Winnetka Police
Department responded to
New Trier High School’s
Winnetka campus at 2 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 8, for a report
of a lockdown.
The lockdown was activated
in error, according to
a tweet posted at 2:25 p.m.
from the Winnetka Police
Department’s Twitter account.
In the tweet, the police
said: “The Winnetka Campus
was in lockdown. It was
activated in error. More details
to follow. All students
are safe. Police have verified
the campus is safe.”
When reached for comment,
New Trier’s communications
department was
unable to provide immediate
information; however,
Superintendent Paul Sally
sent an email to parents following
the incident.
In the email message,
Sally confirmed it was an
error that lasted for approximately
15 minutes.
“Our students and staff
responded extraordinarily
well to the lockdown announcement,”
Sally says
in the email. “They went to
safe spaces and remained
quiet while we worked as
quickly as possible to determine
that the campus
was safe. We made an announcement
at the end of
the lockdown and released
students to their next period
class after it was over.”
Sally acknowledged
the lockdown was “a very
stressful experience for our
students, staff and parents,”
and thanked the police for
responding.
New Trier officials will
also be reviewing lockdown
procedures to prevent
this error going forward.
“We will be discussing
this experience with students
and staff to ensure
they are feeling OK and
to learn how to improve
in the future,” Sally added
in the email. “Our social
work staff, psychologists,
and adviser chairs gathered
in common areas to
help students who were
struggling following this
incident and will be available
for students next
week. Thank you for your
patience and partnership.”
The high school’s annual
LitFest was taking
place Nov. 8 during the
lockdown. Several of the
presenters publicly tweeted
regarding the lockdown.
“I’m at New Trier High
School for their LitFest day
and we are in a lockdown.
Going on 15 minutes now,
no info. Kids are amazing
and brave,” author Rebecca
Makkai said.
Another LitFest guest,
Adam Morgan, the founding
editor of Chicago Review
of Books, confirmed
the lockdown was the result
of a staff member accidentally
activating the
lockdown alert.
“I’m at New Trier High
School and the lockdown is
over, the campus is ‘safe,’
but we’ve been told to stay
in our rooms,” Morgan
said. “These kids are braver
than me.”
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Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 4 days ago
Wilmette hypnotist teaches meditative states can help with stress
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
When pain, trauma, bad
habits or the daily grind
wears on the soul, Glenview’s
Shawn Mosell —
founder of Wilmette Hypnosis
Center, Spinal Touch
Clinic and Stop Smoking
Center at 522 Poplar Road
— believes a dose of focused
concentration can
cure what ails.
Mosell is trained in medical
and pain management
hypnotism and has over
40 years of experience in
both medical massage and
hypnosis. He believes that
the answer to most of life’s
stressors, lies right between
the ears.
“My No. 1 job as a hypnotist
is to teach people
how to get into a meditative
state both physically
and mentally. Only then,
can the subconscious be
reprogrammed. This is important
because so much of
pain, anxiety, depression is
a result of a chronic buildup
of cortisol. When our
cortisol levels reach such
high levels for prolonged
periods of time, it’s hard
to see our problems having
any solutions,” Mosell
said. “When one goes into
a meditative state, however,
serotonin, the feel
good hormone, is secreted.
Endorphin too are released
and are known to squash
pain and reduce inflammation.
Just one hypnosis
session can do wonders
to begin to reprogram the
brain to see things from a
new, more optimistic perspective.”
Mosell also clarifies
some common misconceptions.
While television
shows and movies often
portray hypnotism as a
state similar to sleeping,
the opposite is true.
“When the brain goes
into a meditative state the
connection between the
neurons is 6-8 times stronger.
The brain is actually
awakened and ready to be
reprogrammed. The hypnotist
is the guide, using
words to rewire the brain,”
Mosell said. “Also, while
many believe achieving a
hypnotic state is hard to
do, it’s not. In fact, we all
achieve the deepest meditative
state each day during
our first 17 seconds of waking
up. During that brief
period of time we are more
calm, reflective and open to
the words we tell ourselves.
This is one of the reasons I
teach patients various positive
mantras to repeat before
stepping out of bed.”
After a hypnotism session,
Mosell reports that
patients feel more optimistic,
due to the reduction
in cortisol. Only then,
can someone begin to see
a perceived problem in a
new, solvable light. Levels
of optimism linger, leading
to prolonged periods
of happiness and a general
sense of well-being.
Mosell also shared that
only one in ten people use
Shawn Mosell, founder of Wilmette Hypnosis Center,
Spinal Touch Clinic and Stop Smoking Center, at 522
Poplar Road. Alexa Burnell/22nd Century Media
both their right and left
brain and those who do are
typically more mentally
focused, relaxed, intuitive.
They are the type of person
who seem to have all the
luck and can see the silver
lining in life. Hypnosis can
help individuals use both
hemispheres of the brain,
leading to a more balance
way of approaching life.
“Humans can alter their
whole lives by changing
the way they think,” he
said. “Just think of this
statistic- 80% of chronic
pain is a result of stress
— that’s mind-blowing to
me. Once a person is in a
state of chronic pain for six
months or more, it can be
very difficult to see situations
clearly. The brain
needs to be rewired and
doing so through hypnosis
can lead to decreased pain,
elevated moods, better
sleep, less fear, less worry
and so much more.”
Along with his training
in pain management hypnotism,
Mosell also works
with athletes to improve
their focus. He meets with
folks for one on one sessions
in his Wilmette office
and hosts workshops,
trainings and presentations
at local churches, police
and fire departments, corporations
and sometimes at
Northwestern’s The Norris
Center.
For more information on
hypnotism, medical massage
and stop smoking
programs visit, www.wilmettehypnosis.com,
or pop
in to 522 Poplar Drive.