SANDPOINT — Positive thinking can improve quality of life, boost the immune system, and help people cope with stress.

For her senior project at Sandpoint High School, Yeo Won Yarnell took on the topic of “The Power of Positive Thinking.”

“I just think that the way we think about things, the way we process things, has a huge effect on how we live our lives and the decisions that we make,” said Sandpoint High School senior Yeo Won Yarnell. “... A lot of times when we think about positive thinking, we only think about our mental health, but it actually has some huge benefits to our physical health.”

Yarnell outlined her research on the “Power of Positive Thinking” during her senior project presentation at the high school on Thursday.

While senior projects had been set up in the gym in previous years, the SHS seniors presented their projects in their Connections classes for the third year in a row. Connections started in 2016 at SHS and is centered around the Idaho Department of Education’s Sources of Strength program, a nationally recognized suicide prevention program. While the seniors will graduate, freshman, sophomores and juniors will stay in the same groups each year in order to grow and retain support as they progress through high school.

Completing a senior project is required in Idaho for students to graduate, and while following the guidelines outlined by the state and the school, each senior chose a creative topic that appealed to them in some way. In the past, Yarnell said, students have been required to write an argument as the basis for their project, but this year they were told to find something they are passionate about, as well as share a bit about themselves.

Yarnell said she chose her topic because, as a freshman playing soccer and running track, she was hard on herself when she made mistakes, and her confidence was “shaky.”

“Part of my journey through high school was learning how to think positively, so I really wanted to share that because I think that the more people who think positively, the better their experiences will be,” she said.

With aspirations to become a travel nurse, Yarnell said she plans to go to college, possibly play soccer, and then travel around and work where she is needed.

Nick Peitz said he recently found an interest in lucid dreaming, where people have some control over their dreams, though his topic focused on the benefits and negative side effects of completing or not completing a sleep cycle.

“Dreaming was kind of too controversial of a topic, because nobody really knows why we dream ... so I kind of just went toward sleeping in general,” Peitz said.

The most interesting thing Peitz said he learned through his research is that brain waves during REM sleep are basically the same as when you are awake.

“That’s why people have such strong and vivid dreams in REM sleep,” he said. “Another thing that was pretty interesting is that nobody really knows why we dream ... the most common theory is that it is about processing emotion and stress.”

Alana Baumgartner found her passion in plastic pollution. For her topic, “Why plastic straws should not be commonly used,” Baumgartner outlined the impact of plastic straws on the environment, as well as animal and human health. A single straw is typically used for 20 minutes a day, she said, and 500 million are used each day, just in the United States. People don’t need straws to drink from, she said, but a lot of places will put a straw in the drink without asking.

“So I think more businesses should be aware of it,” she said, adding that there have been some cities that have tried bans, but to little or no effect. “I am not trying to argue that straws should be illegal ... but that people should be more conscious of their choice to use straws.”

Baumgartner said she requests no straw when she can, and also uses a reusable straw. The reason she is so passionate about the topic, she said, is that she enjoys outdoor activities such as surfing.

While Baumgartner was not sure what she wants to do for a career, she want to do something that includes human interaction, because that was the part of her job at the Pine Street Bakery she enjoyed most. She also wants to continue spreading awareness about plastic pollution.

“Especially in our community, because we do have a beautiful lake,” Baumgartner said, asking those in attendance to help pick up plastic and trash if they see it, even if they are not the ones who put it there. “I know there is not a lot, but I do see some plastic in our lake ... it’s really not good for the wildlife and it’s not pretty.”

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.