The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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Three Sure Fire Ways to Succeed at High School

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Irene Byrne playing varsity lacrosse

Hey everyone! My name is Irene and I graduated from Byram Hills High School this past June. My sophomore year, just as everything was going right, Covid hit. As an extroverted and awkward 15 year old girl (I REALLY wanted to be a woman at that point) who was finally coming out of her shell, this was the worst case scenario. How did I manage to turn my junior and senior year into the greatest years of my life so far? Here are some of my tips:

Get a job. 

Getting a job, for me, was a non negotiable from my parents. At the time I was resistant, but I learned three key lessons that improved my life as a student and a person. The first lesson: good customer service is critical. With the rise of self check-outs and automated messages, having good customer service (the ability to talk on the phone, send emails and conduct conversations) can really set you apart from your counterparts. I found my confidence in the classroom immensely improved as well. I could vouch for myself significantly more because of my work experience. The second lesson I learned was to find your strengths and use them. An individual’s strengths are what make you an asset, so if you want to become invaluable, you need to learn how to use them in life and in your career. I tried several different jobs. I learned that I was great at working with children and not so great at wrapping gifts. The final lesson I learned was you have to finish your jobs. This wasn’t school anymore. I couldn’t procrastinate on my responsibilities and somehow pull off an A. The faster I learned this the more efficient I became in school. I was handing in assignments earlier, and I became much more proactive when asking for help. 

Get involved

Okay, so I was the captain of three varsity sports my senior year. Naturally, I encourage athletic activity to everyone. Sports helped me learn to work with others, taught me how to play fair and fostered healthy habits in my lifestyle. I can’t even begin to describe the countless friendships I formed from playing on teams in school as well. Now, for my unathletic readers/friends you can still get involved through clubs or community service! I had a lot of fun in the band, and my friends in theater are always looking forward to the next show (I can proudly say I never missed a winter show). There is no downside to putting yourself out there. You might just discover what you’re truly capable of.

Take Risks

And lastly, coupled with putting yourself out there, is to take risks. This can include talking to someone new, raising your hand in the classroom or even sticking up for someone against a bully. If you make mistakes, who cares? That’s how you learn. The biggest risk I am taking is attending college in Ireland. I knew how much I would have regretted not applying, and if I crash and burn- so be it. Taking a risk to achieve a goal requires courage to face the fear of uncertainty. No matter the outcome, either way, I will grow through the process and become more resilient and confident.

 

Good luck in High School!! Don’t blink. 

 

Top 10 Financial Tidbits

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BY SCOTT M. KAHAN CFP®

  1. Join your company’s retirement plan and try to contribute as much as you can. Make sure you are contributing enough funds to get the maximum matching contribution from your employer.
  2. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to help pay the education costs for your grandchildren. Any gifts, regardless of how large, made to anyone for the purpose of funding education, do not incur gift taxes as long as the payment is made directly to the educational institution.
  3. Update your estate planning documents. Protect your health and your wealth with a health care proxy and durable power of attorney. Make sure your will and trusts leave money to the correct people.
  4. Maximize your tax deductions. Donate items you don’t need to charity. If you expect a large income tax refund, change your withholding tax so you get more per month in your paycheck and less of a refund.
  5. Buying low and selling high is a lot easier said than done. Have a solid rebalancing strategy in place that helps take the emotions out of investing.
  6. A shorter mortgage isn’t always better. Consider taking a long-term mortgage, and then make additional payments when you can. If things become financially “tight,” you can stop making additional payments.
  7. Protect tangible assets with the right amount of homeowners, automobile and liability insurance for liability and disasters.
  8. Withdrawing retirement plan assets before age 59½ may lead to a 10% penalty; not withdrawing enough after age 70½ may lead to a 50% penalty. Moral of the story? Know when to make withdrawals.
  9. Pay yourself first. As you set your budget each month, set aside money for savings and fixed expenses first. What’s left over can be used for other purposes.
  10. Like regular checkups with your physician, regular reviews with a Certified Financial Planner professional are important to your financial “health.”

Scott M. Kahan, is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and President of Financial Asset Management Corporation, a fee-only wealth management firm located at 26 South Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua. Call Scott Kahan at 914-238-8900.

The Truth about Crunches Plus Safer Alternatives

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By Matt Marucci 

A crunch might be the most common abdominal exercise, but it fails to accomplish the two most common goals of abdominal work: protecting the lower back from injury and toning your mid-section. If you can perform one single crunch, you have a six pack. Whether you can see it, is a matter of body fat. Decreasing body fat is a function of cardiovascular exercise and sound nutrition, neither of which is addressed by crunches. Crunches may enhance the appearance of your rectus abdominus, but this comes with some risk.

Crunch
Crunch

To understand the risk, let’s talk about your core–which is designed to stabilize the spine. Comprised of the transversus abdominus and deep extensors, these muscles act to minimize movement of your spine. Crunches and pelvic tilts require flexion of the spine (think of slouching in front of the computer): the antithesis of stability! Repeated flexion of your spine places stress on your vertebral discs and ligaments. Over time, such cumulative stress can increase your risk for lower back injuries.

Plank
Plank

Exercises like planks and side planks properly emphasize stability of the spine. You can even work your core by keeping your stomach firm while performing other exercises, such as pushups or rows. The difference is that your ability to keep your stomach tight should be the rate limiting factor for these exercises. For example, if you can perform 15 pushups with good form, you are doing a great job of strengthening your pecs and triceps. However, if you want to focus more on your core, you would perform only as many pushups as you can with your stomach tight. If you feel your stomach fatigue at seven reps, the exercise is done because you have fatigued your core. Bottom line: There are worse things you can do to your spine than crunches, but if your goal is to work your core or decrease your risk of lower back problems, you can do far better than a crunch.

Matthew Marucci, PT, MSPT, OCS, CSCS, is Chair, Hudson Valley District NYPTA, and owner of New Castle
Physical Therapy & Personal Training. www.newcastlept.net