The Final Magazine[2]

Our Story

our story is one that is never told that’s your story in the media not ours that is your story that’s depicted in movies that’s the story you want to see when you look at it

our story is one that using media to exis held close to our press exactly how we heart feeling in a way that that beats when our only we can heart beats that bleeds when we telling our story like bleed its never been told our story is one that can only be exthe best quality the pressed in the words best sound the truth of young teen growall the way around ing up in a senior and aint nothing you society can do to stop it

YOU LOOK IT UP!!! Credits Executive Editors Matthew Arnett Cicely McClennon

Layout Design

Myesha Vance Christian Fernandez

Staff Writers

Tionna Gause Myesha Vance Shawanna Taylor Tashayla Baker Christian Fernandez Naquita Patton

Guest Writers

real teens self portraits page 5

Departments Digital Media Digital Media Rituals Self Portraits What Is Digital Media? Digital Media Poem

Features 4 Prom Dos and Don’ts 5 Music Review: 6 Live Your Life 7 Weather and People

Domestic Abuse Never Take A Smile For Granted A Goodbye Letter To Mom Poem by Tashayla What’s Going On In The Village? Child Abuse

8 10 11 12 14

16 20 22

Words From The Youth Intro Monkey Mania Stat Tuesdays HOTT Blog Topics Art By Theo

Andre Fisher Tiarika Baymon Darren Crowder Breshay Brittany Dockery Kellie Robinson John Jackson Theo Harney Maurisha Smith Aleshia Smith Renard Chambers Darius Davis Teira Sanders Cordairo Tolbert

Artists

23 24 25 28

Antoine Lukes Renard Chambers Theo Harney John Jackson Tiarika Baymon

Digital Media Rituals The World and media do not make me I am an individual with my own thoughts and ideas Media is what I make it I am media - Tionna Gause I will do my best

The Practice of Rituals and Ceremony is and Ancient and established way to Until my best is my best reaffirm goals and objectives. Observe an Ancient Libation Ceremony being Media is what makes me performed below.

me

Media is all I can be I will not rest until my best is my best - Christian Fernandez

4

SELF -PORTRAITS

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What Is Digital Media?

“This Program is an opportunity for change, an opportunity to make a difference in your

life and the lives of others. It is like the pebble being dropped in the pond, sending ripples

throughout the very outlying regions of the pond, all because of one pebble.

You are that pebble. The pond is this world. And “I Can” is your vehicle.”

Digital Media to me deals with a lot of techourselves. Then from there we can help others nology and equipment. It deals with team with changes they need. A Change isn’t much, work and trust among your co-workers. Digibut in order to have change in the program tal Media can be base on fiction or fact, it’s we have to work as a team and not as an indi- up to what you make it and how you make it. vidual. If we can do this anything is possible. To be in digital media, you have to have more thoughts in your head. So basically it’s all We should think positive and not negative. about how to develop your ideas with others. - Christian Fernandez I think we can put a positive In Order

to make change we have to change

influence on digital media just by showing the world not fictions but facts. the reality of what we

Show the world have to go through.

What everybody has to go through in their lives. The way I look at it, we are not only the future but we are the truth too. So like I said digital media is what u make it, how positively you can bring it out. - Darren Crowder

Every

day,

I

see negative things on the news

or in the paper.

I

plan on showing the world

through my eyes.

the

world is all

I don’t believe that bad. There is some good in

this

world and

plan on showing it through my

work.

I

- Tionna Gause

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I want to affect the world through digital media by writing positive and inspirational stories for people to read.

I want to become a professional

Digital media

writer and a role model for those who don’t believe that they can achieve their dreams.

I

This is a story of my life and how it’s been being a freshman and now a sophomore.

want to be living proof that no matter what

people say, you can always do whatever it is you set your mind to. Just as long as you believe in

I’ve went thought a lot I’ve been strong I’ve been hurt and I’ve cried.

yourself, things are always possible.

I want the world to know that Crane High School isn’t all about bad kids, gangs and violence. I want the world to know that Crane also helps us achieve

I’ve been happy loving life and joyful,

our long life goals and they are positive goals

I’ve had my bad days and good, I’ve song my song and did what I could,

- Shawanna Taylor

I’ve did my thing and shot for a dream,

that others should try to achieve too.

I still show my light and sing I get angry and blow up and I’m a calm person I’ve got into argument and my agreements and I’ve said something’s I didn’t mean I’ve seen my share of death and heard my share of gossip

I’ve heard my share of “oh she’ll get pregnant” To “you need a man” I’ve seen it, the blood, sweat and tears and all of the school pride

I

I’ve seen, I’ve heard, I came, I’ve gone………….but I’m still their

plan to make a change through media by help-

ing in producing positive information.

There is a lack of positive influences in the media. Someone

Waiting till the days I can walk of stage with that diploma and a college welcome with open arms.

needs to take a stand and help show the younger children that there are still some positive people in the world.

I’m still their waiting for obama on January the 20

Also I want to evolve my writing. I want to take Still their waiting for my turn to truly shine and it to the next step and share it with the world. waiting…..just waiting for maybe my time to fly I want to shine a beam of good on all the things though the skies that seem bad in the world. I want to use digital Tashayla baker media to help motivate optimism and creativity. - Myesha Vance

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NEVER TAKE A SMILE FOR GRANTED

By Myesha Vance HAVE YOU EVER PASSED SOMEONE IN THE STREET AND THEY SMILED AT YOU BUT YOU DIDN’T SMILE BACK? DID YOU EVER WONDER HOW MUCH IT TOOK FOR THAT PERSON TO PUT A SMILE ON THEIR FACE? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND ONE OF THEM WAS LAUGHING BUT THEIR EYES WEREN’T SMILING? HAVE YOU EVER WONDER HOW HARD IT MIGHT BE TO LIVE ANOTHER PERSON’S LIFE?

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY COULD BE GOING THROUGH? MAYBE WHEN THEY WENT HOME LAST NIGHT THERE WAS NO FOOD ON THE DINNER TABLE. OR MAYBE WHEN THEY OPENED THE DOOR THERE WAS NO ONE THERE TO GREET THEM WITH A HUG OR A HELLO. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, THEY REALLY WANT TO BE A SOCIAL PERSON BUT THEY COULDN’T BECAUSE OF A FAMILY SETBACK. WHAT IF THAT WERE YOU? WHAT IF YOU HAD NO ONE

AT HOME TO LOVE YOU? WHAT IF YOU HAD TO GO TO BED HUNGRY AT NIGHT BECAUSE THERE IS NO FOOD IN YOUR HOUSE? TODAY WE LIVE IN A VERY CRUEL AND NON-UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY THAT CASTS OUT EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY THAT THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE REFUSES TO SURRENDER TO THE BELIEFS OF THE REST OF THE WORLD THEY HAVE TO BE TREATED LIKE THEY ARE BENEATH THE REST OF THE WORLD AND THAT THEY DON’T DESERVE TO HAVE THE RIGHTS THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS. FOR INSTANCE, THE WHOLE GAY RIGHTS THING. HOW DARE PEOPLE SAY THAT BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS A DIFFERENT SEXUAL PREFERENCE THEY ARE DENIED THE RIGHT TO LEGALIZE THEIR LOVE. SEXUALITY DOESN’T ASSIST PEOPLE IN LOVING, EMOTIONS DO. PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE TOO MANY DECISIONS THAT AFFECT MORE THAN JUST THEM. I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY WE AS A PEOPLE FEEL THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY ARE LESS THAN HUMANS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO THAT PERSON YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WILL BECOME

IN THE FUTURE. THEY MAY BE IMPOVERISHED NOW BUT THEY MIGHT BE YOUR BOSS IN THE FUTURE. IT IS SO EASY FOR US TO POINT OUT THE FAULTS OF SOMEONE ELSE BUT WE CAN NEVER SEEM TO FIND WHAT’S WRONG WITH US. YEAH THEY MIGHT BE DIRTY TODAY BUT THEY WERE CLEAN YESTERDAY AND YOU NEVER NOTICED. OR THEY DIDN’T DO THEIR HAIR TODAY BUT YOU DIDN’T DO YOUR ALL WEEK AND YOU NEVER CONSIDERED IT A PROBLEM. WHEN WE CAN SIT AND MAGNIFY EVERY FAULT, EVERY MISTAKE, EVERY ERROR, AND EVERY MISFORTUNE IN OUR OWN LIVES AND TAKE FULL CREDIT FOR THEM, THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN WE EVEN FATHOM THE IDEA OF SPEAKING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE.

A GOODBYE LETTER TO MOM.. By Naquita Patton

abused and no one seems to notice anything. Can you get me out of this place I no longer want to be here. it’s unsafe here. My little sister don’t know whats going on all she knows is that her big sister is crying and not telling her why.

Bleeding on the inside, crying on the outside. words, punches, and scars. Many people ask what’s the matter and where did the bruises come from? I lie so I won’t get hit just for telling. Different men come in and out the house at different times of the night.

What if I just take my little sister and leave and never come back? But where will we go? I need help but theres no one out there who can hear my cries. I look in the mirror and I don’t see the little girl I once seen before.

All I see is a child who’s been taken advantage of. Someone What if I told her what happened who has no idea. while she was asleep will she be- I ask myself why did this have to happen to me. lieve me? Or will she take up for I’m never able to have friends, him like not able to play. always? So many nights I cry, I’m hunI got to listen to mama and her gry. I’m a child whose been

new boyfriend. I wonder do they even care how much that they’re hurting me and my little sister. I guess when they are asleep, I will take my little sister and we will just leave. Its not safe at all here for me or my little sister. I’m tired of the bruises, the foul names. I’m done. So mommie here’s a letter for you, Dear mom, I know this will be kind of hard for you to take. But i’m tired of the bruises and the foul name callings. I’m also tired of the many nights without food. So I decided to take my sister and leave. We don’t have a destination yet, but I’m pretty sure there’s a family out there who doesn’t mind taking me and my sister in. They won’t mind treating us like the princesses that we are supposed to be treated like. So I’m gonna end this letter with I love you and I will truly miss you. Love, Nicole

Why do we cry when love hurts us or when others die

Why

do we cry?

When both of them hurt so much you cant tell the other from the other

Why do we cry when were lost and

seem to never be found why do we even think that we can’t cry

TASHAYLA BAKER

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Whats Going

on in the

Village?

By Myesha Vance We always hear about children being taken from their parents on allegations of sexual abuse. It leaves me with the question: What’s going on with their parents? If the golden rule is that it takes a village to raise a child, what village are you living in that it is o.k. for an adult or any older person to step outside of their boundaries and touch any child in an inappropriate way? I hope I don’t raise my future children in that village. You are always taught that there is no place like home, but what happens when home is the place that you dread the most? For so many children that’s the case. According to Estey & Bomberger, a law firm in San Diego “77% of child molesters of

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boys and 87% of child molesters of girls admitted imitating the sexual behavior they had seen in pornography they had watched. Roughly 33% of girls and 14% of boys are molested before the age of 18, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Nearly 2/3 of all sexual assaults reported involved minors and roughly 1/3 involved children under the age of 12. In most cases, however, child molestation goes unreported. Estimates are that only 35% of sexual abuse is reported. Kids can be frightened or embarrassed and many times do not say anything.”

fects of sexual abuse never go away. The road to recovery is one paved with humiliation. People often say “get over it” but it’s not that easy. The abused child can grow up facing problems with their sexuality, friends, family, they may even have trust issues. This is not something you can sleep off or take a magic pill for. They are scarred for ever. I mean wouldn’t you be if your trust was violated at such a young age?

This is ridiculous and its time that this is magnified. We as Americans have the tendencies to stay quiet about things that make us uncomfortable. The longer we keep quiet and live our lives with eyes wide shut, the Would you want that to be on more it’s going to happen. your conscience? Every time you don’t speak when you are I pose to you the quesaware of a child being abused, tion ‘What if that was your you are just as guilty as the family member that was beactual abuser. As a matter ing abused?’ Wouldn’t you of fact, you should be charged want something to be done as an accomplice. about it? So many times we complain about wanting to Like I previously stated, see things improve, but the it takes a village to raise a key to that is becoming the child. So tell me; change that we want to see. What village do you live in? So if we want to see less children being abused, we can ARE YOU AN ABUSER OR start by speaking when we ARE YOU GOING TO HELP feel the slightest suspicion. HEAL THE ABUSED? Like scar tissue, the ef-

CHILD ABUSE

1 CHILD + 1 ABUSER +1 ANTI-ABUSER = A BETTER LIFE By Shawanna Taylor Child abuse plays a huge role in the lives of young children who are in foster care. Some may wonder exactly what child abuse is. Well, child abuse is doing something or failing to do something that results in harm to a child or puts a child at risk of harm. Child abuse can be physical, mental or emotional. Neglect, or not providing for a child’s needs, is also a form of abuse. In short terms, abuse is a condition in which a child’s basic needs are not met regardless of the cause. Some parents are just too young and dumb to take up for their responsibilities and its sad that one of those responsibilities include young children. When a child is brought into this world, they can’t ask for the best parents in the world and they really don’t ask to be brought into this world from the beginning. Every now and again people see a sign of child abuse yet they say nothing. Teens see and know of a friend being physically, mentally, and sometimes emotionally abused. Signs of a child being physically abused will be if you start to see bite marks all over their body. If you see that they have been burned or they come around you and have fractured bones and unusual bruises on them. It’s now that you should have the feeling that you need to tell somebody with the authority to do something about it to protect the child. Normally when you have a feeling that a child is being abused in any sort of way usually, your feeling is correct. Do you think they tell someone?

On the other hand, when a child is born into a married family it begins off nice and sweet. Then when the parents just so happen to get a divorce, the mental abuse just might kick in. It’s not always that way but it’s possible. The divorce of the parents is a prime example of a child being mentally abused because the parents are no longer together. Like for instance, say the child is caught in between the mother and father after a divorce. Both parents might want total custody of the child and then the child will be stuck in the middle of a war, going back and forth, to and from court. The parents can also talk down about the other parent to the child, regardless if they know that it’s right or not and at times they might not even notice that it’s hurting the child at the time they are doing it. They might think that they are just talking to the child to inform them of something that the other parent does that the child might not know but at times the child can take that in many differ-

ent ways and you never know which way they will take it. Mental abuse and emotional abuse kind of tie in together and become one but they are two different things. When it comes to emotional abuse, it involves words, actions, and indifference. Abusers constantly reject, ignore, dominate, and criticize the victims. This form of abuse may occur with or without physical abuse, but they can overlap at times. Most people pass by the fact that someone that they know is being abused but they feel and believe that its OK and that if they confront the person that everything will be

tinue on with what they are doing and not really care and or know what they are doing. The fact of the matter is that if there are no consequences for them they will keep abusing and neglecting their responsibility, which is that child. If a child is the witness of child abuse, there is a chance that they are afraid to tell someone because they just might believe that the same will happen to them. When an adult bypasses something like that, it’s a shame. It’s a shame because they’re adults. Shouldn’t they know better? Yes, they really should know better because they wouldn’t want to have been treated that way as a child so why would they let that happen to a child that they know personally. I feel that if you are abusing a child and neglecting what you yourself brought into this world then you have a screw loose or a mental problem and need serious help. Honestly, why would a person who must like their life seeing as though alright, that the person will see they’re wrong they are continuing to live it - bring another and just stop, but the fact of the matter is its life into this world just to hurt it and make not going to be alright and they won’t stop. them not feel that they have a reason to live If you see that someone is neglecting a child, their life? you let it be known, you don’t just bypass it So when it comes to child abuse, learn to like it’s something that happens in everyday speak up, not for you but the child. It takes life or like it will just blow over and think one person to abuse a child, one child to be a everything will be alright. Once you do that, victim of child abuse and one person to take you are giving the parent the ability to cona stand and report that they have been a eye

Prom Dos and Don’ts Hair Style Dos These hair styles are simple, but are perfect for a classy night like prom.

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Hair Style Don’ts I don’t know what these people were thinking when they let some one play in their heads.

This would be okay if we were back in the day, but we’re not.

This is a big ugh, NO!!! DO NOT DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!

Below: This wouldn’t even work at a basketball game why try prom?

Below: If you were going for a cake design

Above: Just don’t even think about it. Just say no, it’s not worth the humility. #1 DON’T!! Above: Be true to yourself in others eyes, people will actually have to look at this. BE RESPECTFUL.

To the right: Its a nice fitted dress. Its just georgous. This is a DO. Now this is a DO!

Above: Not too much not too little. This will always be a DO.

Above: This dress is hot if you can’t do better get close to this. 19

DON’T do the opposite of what you see here. This is a DO.

LIVE YOUR LIFE

Amazing they ungrateful after all the game I gave away. Safe to say I paved the way, for you cats to By Andre Fisher get paid today. You still be wasting Lyrics by the living days away now had I King T.I. “The hoonever saved the day” tin’ and the hollerThis is another well in’, back and forth known bar in this song with the arguing. about living your life. I Where you from, see that this tells you who you know, what that its not always you make and what bad to have a hater. I kind of car you in.” say he means that its This quote means a good thing to have that people are ala hater because they ways worried about let you know that they how other people are watching you. are doing. People in Also ignore them ungeneral need to wortil the can’t hate no ry about their own more or their is no lives, and where it reason to hate you. would lead them in This is also an act of the future. The fuT.I saying he made a ture is not about bad choice that he did where you’re from, but still wants people positively speakto see how he made it through a rough situaing, the phrase “where you from,” to other tion. Now he says that the people that didn’t people is how you adapt to an environment, listen to how you can change their life due to how you adapt to or what your value is to the the situation he had are very ungrateful. enrollment to that neighborhood. The second quote “what you make” is about the way peo“Some move away to make a way not move ple would want to know how much you make away cause they afraid to see if they need to rob you or cause you I brought back to the hood and all you ever bodily harm. The phrase “who you know” did was take away” is about the way a person wants to know if T.I meant that even if he moved away it you know a top rank person. Mainly its other doesn’t mean that he forgot where he came people worried about material things. Lots of from. This means that majority of the people people think it is so good to laugh or bring shouldn’t forget where they come from. This down another person when that person is in a is why he said “I brought back to the hood time of need. That is not the positive way to and all you ever did was take away” because settle thing, this is what The King, aka T.I was lots of people got famous then got away from saying in them bars. their hood but too big headed with not giving back. “Never mind what haters say, ignore them ‘til they fade away. Live Your Life

PA U S E ! !

A FEW OF TO D AY ’ S . . .

HOTTEST!!!!

WEATHER AND PEOPLE By Tionna Gause

Why is it that every time there is bad weather, people have bad attitudes? Does the weather have any thing to do with the way people act? When it’s dark and gloomy outside most people are lazy and depressed. Rainy weather can lead to depression. A windy day can lead to tiredness and irritability. A hot and humid day can lead to easy annoyance, sleeplessness, decrease in every day activity, and lethargy. A sunny day fills you would energy and makes you feel good all day. Its amazing how one day the weather is good and a person is nice and the next day comes around with terrible weather and that same person who was all nice turns into the worst person in the world to be

around. I live in Chicago, the “Windy City,” and I’ve seen it all. You never on what to expect out of the weather and I can say the same about the people. On a bright and sunny day you can speak to complete strangers and they will speak back, but on a rainy and or windy day you would probably catch a dirty look or some bad words if you’re just trying to be polite. Even though some people might think they have a good reason for being impolite because of bad weather or just because they’re having a bad day, that doesn’t mean that it’s right to be impolite. You never know who you will run into on any given day. So even if you’re having a bad day, always look towards something positive and smile. Try not to get so upset over little things. Try to act like you do on any other day. Always smile because one can brighten up your or some one else’s day.

Words From the Minds and Hearts of Our Youth Our Youth are marginalized, so often lumped into categories and steriotypes. Rarely are we priviledged to get a glimpse into their minds, into the essence of how they understand the world. Here is a small insight into their world, read on...

The Book of Wisdom STOP!! lOOK!! THINK!!THEN FEEL!! The word of caring/love is like a book written by a narrator with strong words. The book is always passed to another person, this is what you call a “none reader.” A reader feels the vibe in that book, encourages someone to read that book but keeps that book close to their heart. The word love/care is always mistaken for an act of play. Until they read that book twice or more than once, then only they will see they really made a mistake that can’t be changed. This book is like a house, it gives you warmth and comfort untill you misuse it then you end up homeless. I was that book. The first time I read it, I said, “Whatever love/care is nothing to me.” Couple years ago, I looked to read that book when I felt it could help me and now that book is long gone. The point is you never know when you’ll need that book. Sometimes it will be too late to read it. This book is now changed from wisdom to a strong word. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN READ THIS BOOK MORE THAN ONCE SO THAT YOU DONT MISS A GOOD STORY. - Dre

Believe Half of What You See and None of What You Hear Always remember that you are an individual with your own brain because you are to think for your self. A wise person once to ld me that if something doesnt make sense then maybe you dont get it or it just doesnt make sense. In other words never are you to conform your mind set to that of this corrupt society. You were born alone so be an alone thinker. The only thing that sets you apart from the human race is the way your mind interprets thought and if you were to give that up then you are giving up your inalienable right to be a free thinker. Never let anyone put a price tag on your mind...........................its yours and it shouldnt be up for grabs. - Myesha 23

Monkey Mania

Everyone is questioning whether or not that this cartoon is racist. I wouldn’t use the term racist but I will consider it a tasteless innuendo. Yet again, the media has come up with a satirical way to take away what little respect we have. Racism isn’t really the major issue in the article. I’m stuck on the fact that they used a monkey! I guess that they are firm believers in the Darwin theory.............L.O.L!!!

Negative, subhuman portrayals of Black People are nothing new, as we see above and below

Are they serious? Is this what they think of our President? Why does he have to be a monkey and why does he have to be shot dead? Why is there always a negative comment used as a joke towards an African American, even if they’re trying to do something good. People like that cartoonist shouldn't be able to express their opinion because they bring other peoples’ hopes and dreams down. President Obama is just about the only hope this jacked-up country has left. We’ll see how their opinions change when he fixes this economy. - Tionna I think that that those cartoonists are wrong, even thought people might say that they are not wrong because they made fun of GEORGE BUSH, they didnt draw him as a monkey and have him getting shot as an animal used for racism no they didnt. - Tashayla

- Myesha

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Stat Tuesdays

Teens give their analysis of commonly discussed statstics and the messages they send. Statistic #1:

I don't believe that there are more black men in jail than in col-

lege. I believe that in the 21st century, there are more black trying to do better for themselves. I think that more people are taking advantage of an education. I think that blacks are trying to prove a point by owning their own businesses. I also went on www.ask.com and looked it up and found out that there are not more black men in jail than in college. I think people make up statistics to scare people. When I hear Fact: Out of almost 20 mil- things like this, it makes me want to do better so that the 1 lion Black Men in out of 3 would not be me.

1/3 of Black Men are in jail. There are more Black Men in jail than in college.

America, over 800,000 - Tiarika (about 1/24 or 4%) First off, I think most black men are in jail for selling drugs or are incarcerated. Fact: In 2003, according to Justice Department figures, 193,000 black college-age men were in prison. While 532,000 black college-age men were attending college. Let’s see what the teens have to say...

just doing nothing with their lives. I think it is true that a small minority are going to college and they also have an idea of what they want to do in life. And as far as people making comments, talking about how they make that choice to go to jail, I don’t think that’s true in most real cases because I don’t think anyone makes the choice to go to jail. I think they just do the crime then do the time. Because truthfully I don’t think that the black men want to go to jail. I think they just expect to do things then get away with it but they have another thing coming. This is why I think the rest of the men who are left are going to college and straightening their lives up. Thank you for listening - Breshey

Statistic 1 Continued

Statistic #2:

Young black are in jail more 50% of Young Black Women have STDs than college because it is hard for black to do this. Many black can’t get the job they want or go to the school they want to go to. So many black people are on the street or they are in the big house.

- Renard

Fact: The Center For Disease Control has found that 47% of Black Teen Girls have STDs. However, most common STDs affect about 1% or less of Black Women. The most common STDs in for all people is the Human Papillomavirus [HPV]. It’s estimated that at least 80% of women will have contracted a genital HPV infection by the age of 50 and the body will usually cure itself naturally within 2 years.

Black celebrities being potrayed as criminals is nothing new, as we see with Jimi Hendrix below. | V

Conclusion: If this is the case, then the statistic of 50% of black women with STDs seems nor-

- John

Black

men aren’t the only men that go to jail. I believe that black men are smart people, if we put our minds to anything we can accomplish it, like Barack. But we’re are not alone in this place we call Earth, some people need help and if every race works together we can make this world great.

mal since apparently, almost everyone will get HPV at some point in their lives. Looking for a virus on a person’s private parts is like looking for a virus in someone’s mouth. You will usually find something but usually it will be a common as a virus that causes the common cold. This recent scare about HPV seems lika scare tactic to market the new HPV vaccine, which is known to have side effects like fainting and dizziness. Think about it, if it was really dangerous, then humanity would be in serious troubled with 80% of women likely to catch it. But you don’t hear about women dropping like flies from cervical cancer. WOMEN DON”T BE FOOLED, THIS IS A HOAX!!!

Statistic 2 Continued Let’s see what the teens have to say...

To begin with I don’t think all

statistics that people come up with are all true because we personally weren’t there when the people that made I believe that the case is the statistics did their so those who have a disease call tests. If we weren’t should have help with their there, then we can’t speak problem. People should not for what other people are judge people. If someone saying because that would has an std, they should be treated the same no matter be like spreading rumors. But I do believe that a big what the case may be. - Kellie

I think that

stereotype that there are more black people with AIDS than any other race is not true. All people do is bring black people down.

do what they are supposed to do to keep themselves safe from any sexually transmitted diseases and they are doing what’s right. - Breshey

I feel that all the things the

media says are lies. I feel like they are trying to make black kids look bad and nastier than others. Me myself, personally I think that the numbers are made up. Can’t no one base me on another girl because everyone is different and we all have different backgrounds. I don't believe what they say because they didn't test me and I don't know if they even tested anyone else. - Tiarika

The people who feel

- Brittany

I believe that

everything that was said about blacks isn't true. If they would have tested more people from a large place, they will see it isn't true. They will find out that there aren't as many blacks that have AIDs as they say when they test the small place. - John

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majority of black females have an std. And I’m not just saying this because I hear other people saying this, I’m saying it because I think certain people are not doing what they are supposed to do. Because if they were then most females wouldn’t have the std's they have now. On the other hand, there are the females that

that 1 in every 4 females has a std is wrong because I can count 2000 girls that they didn’t test. People shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and everyone should just use condoms, both female and male condoms because most diseases are not cureable and if they are cureable you will have to take like 30 pills a day and who wants to live their life like that day after day...so a boy just needs to cover up and a girl needs to cover up just as well. - Darius

HOTT Blog Topics From wordsoundlife.ning.com

Violence. And according to recent news reports seems to affect our youth more than ever. From relationship abuse and domestic violence to outright gun violence --- Teens write out how they feel about these occurences and reports. T HOT C TOPI #1 Myesha

How

do you feel about the toll gun vio-

lence has taken?

The current death rate

What are you willing to do to help quell the violence?

doesnt evoke a feeling it stirs my emotions. All that are humane should be sickened by the thought of someone taking the life of another, because of the simple fact that it is our destiny is to die anyway, who is man to say that we should speed that up? The death rate is more of a philosophy to me. True, no human should have the right to say Another should live or die but everything happens for a myriad of reasons. What isnt meant won’t happen, therefore, it was time for all of them to go. I take it as a reminder that all can die and all will die. Not a fear because nothing besides what is written will happen and nothing can happen without it being written. Therefore the death rate makes me feel like a human that recognizes a higher power.

What

can i do? Nothing. I am just a tiny piece of the fabric that is woven into life. My input will stop nothing. Think of all the times you have heard that violnce is not the answer. That has done nothing, and i was taught that repitition was the best teacher. Until we reconize that we are puppets in this stage play nothing we do will ever matter and nothing we do can change what is going on around us. I could preach to people until i am blue in the face about ho violence is inhumane but what will that do but make me tired? We have to stand up and be responsible for ourselves and instill in ourselves a level of dignity and pride that reminds us that that person walking past us bleeds red blood just like us so who are we to say that wedeserve life and they dont?

Who really dies when someone is killed the murderer or the victim?

T HOT C TOPI #1

Every day people are coming and peo-

ple are going, but there are more going than coming. Me as a person feel that it’s crazy that every time you look up or look at the news, there is someone that is dying. We have the highest rate of deaths. Some are by accident, some are on purpose. People are dying for what? I ask, for what ? Is It because someone is better than another person? Is it because people have nothing else to do? The truth is no one really knows. We are worse than wild animals killing each other to survive, but is this what the world really needs? No one deserve to die, but is that what others think?

What can I do? I’m not superman nor am I a hero,

But you don’t have to be a hero or superman to change a nation. I think I could get an opinion of others to see what they think as a person and find out not what we can do as individuals, but as a whole. We should really get every one to under-

To be perfectly serious ,there reason to be crying

WHAT CAN I DO? Truth be told, I can’t do a damn thing. I can't bring back the dead, I don’t have a power that can make people live forever. I honestly like death, it's a release from the pains and sorrow that we deal with every day, it is the only way to have true peace.....unless you go to hell then you just jagged hard I’m sorry. Death is a gift that we all should look forward to ....sikke!!!!! It really is the only way to have eternal peace in life, well not life but you understand you know that. I also wish that we didn’t have to die at the same time also I wish that we could go somewhere after we die that wouldn’t separate us from the ones we truly love and care for, but the simple fact is that we can't.

and screaming that my baby gone he was taken - Theo from me before his time, and he had so much to live for. To be frank, I’m sick of hearing that crap. Look, it ain’t no one's fault that yo baby dead that he gone and screaming and crying ain’t really gone help it none. I don't really care for 2 reasons, one because I know no one I care for or about is dead, and 2 because death is a natural thing , it’s meant to happen, you can’t stop or escape it. As much as I would like the people i care about to live forever, I know that I can’t stop death, I would have loved to have my girlfriend who died in my arms to still be here but the fact she is gone and......never coming back.

T HOT C TOPI #2

Relationship Abuse. Domestic Violence. Chris Brown v. State of California

I feel that it was very wrong for Chris

Brown to put his hands on a woman and I feel he is old enough and no matter what happened I feel that he should have not have done it. He knows better and he knows right from wrong. I feel it was very bogus for him to do what he did if he did it to Rihanna. I feel that Chris Brown is very wrong for what he has done and I feel that some people look up to Chris Brown and that is a bogus way to show kids and other people how to be. So the people that call him their role model they’re thinking man well I should put my hands someone. I don't care if he did go through someone beating his mom, that does not mean that u have to go through the same thing. U can set a better example for the men, women and kids and I feel that he was bold but that's my opinion. - Teira

Domestic violence is always wrong but

just like everything else, it can be justified. A man is stronger than a woman true enough but they can be very pushy. Sometimes women take the whole domestic thing to the head. Just because they know that the male will go to jail, they feel that they can do whatever they want to the man and get away with it. That is wrong in itself. In the event that something is life threatening, violence might not be the intended but we are only human and the animal in us is going to get violent. - Myesha

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I really don’t too much care about men

beating on women because if a woman can hit a man, she should get hit back. So in my opinion if a woman don’t want to get hit... She shouldn’t hit a man - Darius

I think abuse is not a big deal. When I

play with boys I make sure it’s a limit but I won’t say I’m against it because I get hit by boys all the time. - Aleshia

I think it was all misunderstood. Since

I don't know anything about what happened. But I did listen to what everybody said. I think that most of the things that people were saying were rumors and they were made up. - Tiarika

I believe that domestic violence is a huge prob-

lem because a lot of people are going to jail for it, both men and women. Chris Brown should have never hit on Rihanna, regardless of if she gave him something or not. It does seem like a good reason to do it but now he might have messed up his career and have a record of violence just because of a female. I had a friend that was going thru that and she had to get beat up while she was pregnant before she tried to get out of it. I feel that the men shouldn’t be put in jail just because they hit a women because of the simple fact that women hit men all the time and have no regret and they don’t get put in jail as quick for it. When a man reports domestic violence everybody just say that they a punk or something but when it’s a girl all of a sudden it’s a life threatening big deal. If I hit a boy, I expect to get hit back and I won’t report something that small unless he just trying to literally kill me or something like that. - Shawanna

I

am a big fan of Chris Brown. So what I heard Sunday on tv and the radio made me disappointed. I don’t see him doing something like that, the girl must have did something to him in order for him to put his hands on her. No one knows the truth but them and if he really did put his hands on her, his career is over. Ever since I found out what he supposedly had done, it made me think twice about him. I know I’m his biggest fan but you don’t put your hands on no woman. I would really love to hear the truth about what happened cause it's so many rumors going around, that's crazy, off the subject. It could be the other way around and Rihanna hit him or said something out of pocket. That's what I heard, she was supposedly had said something disrespectful to him that he didn’t like and he reacted like any other young man. That's still besides the point, he was supposed to handle that situation better than that. - Maurisha