Lemony Emily

     Hi I am Emily. I am 13 years old but my birthday is coming up. I am very short for my age but I like being small. I play soccer on Black Diamond Soccer Club (BDSC). I am a forward or an outside midfielder. I also love music. As a matter of fact, I play the tuba. Some people say that it is too big for me, but I think it is perfect. But not all music works for me. I am the absolute worst singer you will ever hear. My family says that I am tone deaf! My absolute favorite color in the entire world is YELLOW! Like Lemons! (Hence the name) I love yellow so much, my room is yellow, lots of my clothes are yellow, and my shoes are yellow. My favorite food is pizza. I also love just about all candies, and chocolate is my idea of heaven. Ice cream with warm brownies and my mom’s homemade Strawberry Shortcake are my favorite desserts. Unless you count whipped cream as a dessert. I love whipped cream, one time, when I was little, I ate the entire can of whipped cream. 

Intelligence

Intelligence is a form of status. Different people are gifted with different abilities in life. Some are talented at music, others at sports, and some just in education in general. However, there are some that are naturally born with a lower IQ. Those people have to work harder to achieve what others may do easily. Normal everyday activities are difficult and surviving the day may be a challenge. Unfortunately, these people are looked at with distaste. It is harder for them to earn the status of being 'smart'. Many people do not want to be friends with them just because they are different. They can still be wonderful people even if their disability is severe. Smarter people should help those with a lower IQ, so it is easier for them to feel included. Be kind to everyone and the world will be a better place where no one is discriminated on their.

There are two kinds of "smart". There are the book and school smarts, and the street smarts. The kind of smart that everyone seems to notice is the school smart. Probably because these people are the ones who are "the odd one out" when it comes to group projects or other school related get to togethers. I think that they don't have many friends because, "smart" people always seem to have a certain vibe to them that make people not want to be around them. We think that Charlie, from "Flowers for Algernon" doesn't realize that most genuinely smart people have the same socially awkward ways that he does. So, even if he does grow out of his mental disability, there is still the big possibility that he could have the same amount of friends that he has now. Charlie doesn't realize that being smart isn't the full ticket into the fabulous world of having many friends. Also, he has to find people that has the same hobbies and likes as him in order to make more friends. But, there are always going to be those people in the world who won't like him, and he will soon come to realize that he can't please everyone.

Everyday Challenges

Brooke Clements
Evie Edwards
Jordan Mendelsohn

          "Smart" people are respected, but that doesn't always mean they will have more friends. The people who have the most friends, whether they are smart, or not are the ones who are truly nice people, someone who can get along with everyone, and treats everyone equally.  Being smart does not guarantee your friends, it's how you treat other people.  Charlie believes, that if he goes through with the experiment/surgery, he will have a straight shot at having friends, but what would give him friends, would be being the nicest that he can be. Some people with mental disabilities, try to fit in a much as possible, because sometimes they are the ones who stand out. Sometimes people with mental disabilities can’t learn as well, as people who don’t have those disabilities, in some cases people who have mental disabilities can’t be as ‘smart’ because their disability limits them. People with mental disabilities have to try harder to learn in the same ways people without a disability can learn. "Smart" people have many challenges that they experience. One challenge "smarter" people have is that people expect so much out of them, and they add a lot of pressure to their schoolwork. Everyone has challenges in life, friends, and school even though they may or may not have a mental disability. People with a mental disability also have everyday struggles that people who don't have a disability don't go through. Things from just doing grocery shopping can sometimes be a struggle. All in all everyone has struggles with everything in life, it does not matter if you have a disability or not.

Limitations and Discrimination by Lauren R. and Madison D.

     

        Intelligence comes in many different forms, sometimes in forms that most people don't recognize right away. Charlie from Flowers For Algernon is mentally disabled but that doesn't hold him back from wanting to be "smart". He sees "smart" people as people who have friends and no problems. He believes that if he was smart that he would have more friends and not that many problems. But Charlie doesn't comprehend that smart people have problems too.
         Everyone has challenges and difficulties in their life. They range from family issues, to friendship problems, to intellectual comprehension. Every person has their own battle they deal with secretly, regardless of their IQ. For example, smart people deal with stereotypical people who think more of their intelligence and less of their personalities. As for mentally disabled people, they deal with seeing the world in different ways and being seen in a different way.
         People think that being intellectually gifted is a walk in the park, but they don't see it from smart peoples perspectives. For instance when gifted children are placed in a regular class, they are easily bored because the work comes so easily to them that they have no reason to try. Also, many people stereotype the smart people thinking that they want the hard, boring jobs and that they grow up wanting to be genius' but that is not always the case. Lastly, gifted children are sometimes raised with high expectations that they will be the next President or brilliant scientist. The parents and teachers probably don't know that they want something else in life because they grew up doing nothing but learning. Smart people have challenges in the world that most people don't recognize immediately.
       Mentally challenged people also have their fair share of difficulties. Sometimes, they can't comprehend simple concepts while others pick it up quickly. They get scoffed at from others because of their limitations. It's hard for other people to relate to them because of their differences. In the end, regardless of your IQ, we all have to face challenges that we have to fight to overcome.

By: TD, Jacob, and Cassidy

Do you think intelligence is overrated?  Many people who are very smart can be mistaken for nerds, but that is not always the case.  Being smart doesn't really change the number of friends you have in most cases.  People with above average grades can have difficulties.  They may think that they have friends, but the "friends" are just being nice because they want to get good grades.  If people are very smart, we believe that they can have little or no common sense.  Also, they can get very bored because the grade/ elementary school are not challenging enough for them, or they are not getting the learning that they need.  Smart people could have many problems later in life when they are too smart for the people around them.  People that may focus too much on grades, may have some difficulties with making friends.  Also, they may be anti-social, or have problems with being social.  Some people may have problems, but they may not be life long.  Unlike Charlie in "Flowers for Algernon," he has life long issues to deal with.  He has problems with making friends because of his mental disabilities.  Smart people, and people with mental disabilities both have problems, but they are not the same.  Smart people can have the same number of friends as someone who is dumb.  Smart people have to face the fact of being super smart and not having the common sense needed in life.  Dumb people have to face the fact of being dumb or getting bad grades and getting in trouble lots.  People with mental disabilities have to face the issues of having the troubles of not being able to make friends.  In all, everyone has difficulties that are all different.

Inteligence, Overrated?

Being smart does not guarantee that you have friends. People who lock themselves in their rooms studying all day may not have many friends to be with. If you look at grades, some people who are failing can have friends, and they are classified as "dumb". Being smart does not mean social skills. The two may not come hand-in-hand, but it may help. Learning how to interact with other people is a key skill to learn, and is probably one of the most important skills to have. Intelligence is, in fact, overrated. Intelligence is not a ticket for having friends, and your friends usually could care less whether your smart or not. People like Charlie, the main character in "Flowers for Algernon" who has a mental disability, face daily difficulties of fitting in and understanding others. Then there are people who don't have mental disabilities and they too may have troubles fitting in and making friends. Charlie says he wants to become smart, have friends. When he wants to have friends, he really means that he wants the skills to interact with other people and learn how to be with other people other than the people in his special school.  Everyone is born with a certain IQ, but if they don't use the skills of their brain, their IQ won't be used to the full potential it is capable of. Intelligence and amount of friends does not move together, it all depends on whether or not you apply yourself and have the skills to interact and communicate with other people.

By: Amanda Parry and Bryan Croce