download a PDF of this edition - My High School Journalism

BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT JAN/FEB 2011TM“Why can’tyou just benormal?”Bullied for being alesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender, orquestioning teenBy Milanes Morejon // Staff EditorEighteen-year-old Stephen Toyrecalled the day last year afterschool when a buddy of his beltedhim out of the blue.“He legit hit me because I’m gay,” said Toy,who lives in Roslindale.Toy is one of the many lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youthwho have had to endure physical andemotional bullying.The National Crime Prevention Councilreported that six out of 10 American teens witnessbullying at least once every day. However,LGBTQ teens said that, for them, the harassmentcan feel even more relentless. A 2006 surveyfound that 90 percent of LGBT students hadbeen taunted or assaulted during the past year,according to the Trevor Project, a group workingto prevent youth suicides. Last Septemberalone, six young people nationwide ended theirlives due to constant torment from others whothought or knew the six were gay.▲ AFH art by Mary NguyenWhile the interaction between students is theContinued to page 3• STOPPIN’ DROPOUTS PAGE 8 • SIBLING RIVALRY PAGE 14 • CHARLESTOWN HOOPLA PAGE 19In partnership with

ContentsCover StoryFeatures5 Fashion five-0Style police strike again.7 A Venezuelan love storySTORIES4 Charity flatteryNo rewards needed.6 Success = ?9 Planet fitnessSaving the earth one recycledpaper at a time.13 “Underage drinkingis dangerous.”14 CrushedWhen your bestie wants to date you.16 The gatheringYou’ll be amazed at the stuffteens are collecting.17 That’s a rap!514717IGnorant( )Sections▲ AFH photo by Dalena Thai▲ AFH art by Anne Rose Passe▲ AFH art by Nicole BaldnerVIEWS AND ATTITUDES............ 4-6ABROAD VIEW...............................7wassup at school................ 8-9Meet the staff.................. 10-11take care................................. 12community service............... 13relationships.................... 14-15culture club..................... 16-17arts & entertainment... 17-18THE SPORTING LIFE.................. 19▲ Photo courtesy of IGnorantVolume VII, No. 30Art/PhotographyArtists for HumanityStaff EditorsAshley BarkerMilanes MorejonMakiz NasirahmadMelissa RodriguezStaff WritersSherley BelizaireEloisa CabelloTyler CohenPablo GarciaTucker S. GayeZikre HaimanotJose IbarraTom LeuShanique LewisAlejandro MartinezAriana MartinezJavie McLeanMarmarin NasirahmadParnian NasirahmadAudrey NgankamSandy NguyenJorgji NikopulliIeisha SampsonLinda VancolGabriel WardContributing WritersFelicia AndreAlaxzandria BianchiDaijsia BubbFrancisco CastilloMarinela GolemiDennis TanIman WrightTHE BOSTON GLOBERobert Powers, VP Marketingand CommunicationsIrene Mauch, T.i.P.Production DirectorJulie Regan, T.i.P. DesignerWRITEBOSTONBetty Southwick, DirectorT.i.P. CoordinatorRic KahnContinued from page 1backdrop for most of the media stories about bullying-- and the focus of a new state anti-bullying law -- thepersecution extends well beyond the school walls, fromcyberspace to the street.Toy remembered times when he and friends had todeal with anti-gay epithets outside of school.“They call you things like ‘freak’ and say dumb stufflike, ‘Why can’t you just be normal?’ ” said Toy.That kind of sinister stereotyping can give teens thego-ahead to start bashing.“When students see they’re different, they think theyshould be treated differently,” said Yuniesh Robinson,18, of Roslindale.The reasons behind the bullying of LGBTQ youth arenumerous, experts said. Parents who grew up in a societywhere people only looked through a heterosexuallens may pass that ignorance on to their children withouteven realizing it. The beliefs of many religions thatbeing gay is a sin can affect the way individuals grow upand can turn them into bullies.Melody Brazo, LGBT family liaison for the CambridgePublic Schools, who has also worked in Boston, agreedthat teens do not simply take on the role of bullies ontheir own.“Though [bullying] is pretty common, many adultsnever knew how to prevent it, and, when I grew up, theywould simply say to just ignore it,” she said.Many with homophobic mentalities believe that if youdon’t fit into gender norms then you should be bulliedand taught the hard way. It can be difficult to fix oldschoolhate. Brazo said that a teacher once told her: “IfI stopped whenever people say ‘faggot,’ we’d never getany work done.”Patrick Elvin, 17, of West Roxbury, holds strongbeliefs about whom to hold responsible for the bullyingbacklash against LGBTQ youth.“Anyone who tells gays they are worthless shouldbe blamed,” he said. “Every day I read in newspapers,magazines, TV, that most religions don’t support mebeing gay.”Elvin said that he often feels undercut by the worldaround him.“The amount of LGBT politicians is numbered, activistsin the various entertainment industries are minimal,and it takes away all hope I have of a future,” he said.“It encourages suicide.”Still, Elvin said, he tries to ignore the anti-gay expletivestossed left and right and not let homophobicmedia messages get in his way.“[Bullying] is like the hill you must overcome in orderto get to the other side,” he said, “but one must keepclimbing and not give up.” ■A helping hand▲ AFH photo by Emmanuel SantanaHere’s some advice on how to deal with any harassment:• Tell your parents, teachers, or other trusted adults.• Stay in a group. Try not to show fear.• Say nothing and then walk away. Or, use humor to defuse the situation.• Try to avoid places where bullying is likely to happen.• If the bullying occurs on the Internet, print out the messages and showthem to a person who can help you report it.• Join programs where you feel comfortable.You are not aloneBoston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,& Transgender Youth617-227-4313Samariteens 24-hour helpline6 1 7-247-0220-- Milanes MorejonSource: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services2 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 3

Views & attitudesViews & attitudesMore than one billion Muslims can’t be wrongBuild the NYC Islamic community center! By Iman Wright // Contributing WriterIbelieve that the Cordoba House CommunityCenter should be built, absolutely! The FirstAmendment of the Bill of Rights states,“Congress shall make no law respectingan establishment of religion, or prohibiting theexercise thereof….”It is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s constitutional right toerect this Muslim community center – even if it is abouttwo blocks from the site of the New York City WorldTrade Center terror tragedy that was perpetrated byIslamic extremists. The purpose of this center is to createrelationships among people of all faiths. We can’tdo that if we are still constantly fighting about whichreligion is right to follow. Just like the Puritans came tothe New World in the 1600’s to escape religious persecution,so, too, are Muslims seeking religious freedomWhy do people often think the UnitedStates was founded by white people?The U.S. territory was the land of theIndians, who today are called NativeAmericans. We should remember -- and not just duringthe holiday of Thanksgiving that just passed – that thiscountry is their country. And it will always be, no matterwhat happens.In 1831, The U.S. government relocated the Indiansfrom their homeland to Indian Territory, which isin America, our cultural mosaic.“Our name, Cordoba, was inspired by the city inSpain where Muslims, Christians and Jews coexisted inthe Middle Ages during a period of great cultural enrichmentcreated by Muslims,” Rauf writes in an opinionpiece published by The New York Times. “Our initiativeis intended to cultivate understanding among all religionsand cultures.”If we, as Americans, deny Muslims these rights, whatare we saying about ourselves, and, more so, whatimage are we projecting to the global community? Thisposition is reiterated when Rauf writes: “These effortsby radicals at distortion endanger our national securityand the personal security of Americans worldwide. Thisis why Americans must not back away from completionof this project. If we do, we cede the discourse and,A post-Thanksgiving Native American taleThis land is still their land By Audrey Ngankam // Staff WriterPowerful, useful, helpful -- the feeling ofgiving. Charitable projects are done bythose who have a need to give back.Whether it’s for the community, or to afriend, this shows kindness and can leave people feelingas if they made a difference. But does that sentimentapply to those who do it for publicity or praise? Dothey feel the same sense of usefulness as those whodo it without the expectation of getting something back?And is it even charitable if one expects to gain somethingin return? Although offering a reward could lead tomore good deeds getting done, I believe that true charitywork must come from the heart rather than from anyexpectation of repayment.Charity work is a form of volunteerism. The true lessonsof charitable actions are a sense of accomplishmentand pride -- not a tax deduction or even a bettergrade. Rewarding people for their good deeds leadspresent day Oklahoma. Many of them suffered diseasesduring the move.They still suffer today. Several months ago, I sawa Native American on the train. Every one could tellhe was a homeless man. Five minutes later, hepulled a bottle out of his bag and he peed inside it.This made me feel so bad. I asked myself, “Whywould this man be in his own country and not becomfortable?”That is not fair and right for the Native Americans. IfGive and let liveDon’t make charity a selfish act By Daijsia Bubb // Contributing Writerthem to not do it for others, but forthemselves. This is the act of selfishness.Looking back on my middleschool days, my school raisedmoney for the victims of HurricaneKatrina. I thought it was a good wayto show we cared about those wholost everything. Yet all I rememberis a brief explanation of what themoney was for, and a more detaileddescription of beating others in raisingmoney.The class with the biggest contributiongot a pizza party. I don’t oncerecall any of us really caring for the people we helped.All we wanted was the pizza. Our charity for othersbecame a kind of charity for ourselves.essentially, our future to radicals on both sides.”If Americans are true to our values, then constructingthe community center should foster feelings of toleranceand acceptance of those who are different fromus. It will show that the wounds inflicted upon us by the9/11 attacks are beginning to heal; instead, it has furtheredfeelings of hatred and misunderstanding.Some 9/11 families support this project, a true testamentto American values. The ongoing controversyover the community center has allowed Islam to beinterpreted incorrectly; Islam is a religion of peace andlove, not terrorism. If Islam truly is a “terrorist” religion,why are there more than one billion faithful Muslimsaround the world? ■there is a group here in the United States that shouldlive well, it should be the Native Americans. This landon which we live belongs to them.Just like the way it was in my native Cameroon.The Europeans took control of our country, sayingthat they came to help and to make us strong.But that is not really what they did. They came anddivided our country and took control of everything.Related to the Native Americans, this is how theywere relocated and made to believe it was for agood purpose, but it wasn’t. ■Although it is true that the benefit of charity-workincentives increases donations, it is still a horrible wayto prove we care. We are just showing generations tocome that giving is a selfish act. ■▲ AFH art by Darrell SantosTextual abstinenceBy Alaxzandria Bianchi // Contributing WriterIn the fall, a new anti-texting law went intoeffect in Massachusetts. The measure statesthat no one is allowed to send text messageswhile driving and also that drivers under 18cannot make cellphone calls.The law was made to decrease the number of deathsdue to distracted drivers. Although I agree that somethingshould be done to decrease the amount of peopledying due to distracted drivers, I don’t think that thereshould be age limits in the law. Also, police officersshouldn’t have to spend the day searching for peopletexting.Texting while driving is a very dangerous thing -- butso is making a phone call. It seems unreasonable tosay that someone can’t text but can punch in a phonePull up your pants!” This seems to bethe word on the street. Young men havebeen targeted for their particular fashionchoice because it appears that part ofsociety disagrees with this trend. The segment I amreferring to is the older generation who find saggy pantsdisgusting, while teenagers find them hip and cool.Sagging pants remain a controversial issue betweengenerations. Although I understand that saggy pantsmay seem disrespectful to the conservative publicbecause they are revealing, individuals should have theabsolute liberty to dress as they please. Of course,others also have the freedom to express their opinionsabout these styles.I am not a fan of saggy pants, and I do not encouragethem. I do, however, support people’s rights todress as they like. In April 2009, New York City policeissued a ticket to a man wearing pants below his buttocks.The charge: disorderly conduct.The fact that police want to make saggy pantsillegal blows the whole situation out of proportion. Theright to freedom of expression falls under the Firstnumber. James Machado, executive director of theMassachusetts Police Association, was quoted inThe Boston Globe: “I can dial your number but I can’ttext ‘hello’?”Also, how can police know the difference? MedfieldPolice Chief Robert E. Meany Jr. told The Globe: “Theyare going to have some difficulties with enforcement,because how do we tell if you’re under 18 or over 18?Also, we are going to have to figure out, is the personover 18 dialing a phone or texting on the phone?”So, yes, this law is for a good cause. During 2009in the United States, 5,474 people were killed in motorvehicle crashes that involved distracted drivers, accordingto the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.No one deserves to die because a person chose touse a phone at the wrong time. Still, the law is unrealisticdue to the difficulties the police will face trying toenforce it.Some may use the example of the seat belt law. Noone likes to wear a seat belt. Early on, the police hadtrouble enforcing it. But now, those in our generationknow they have to wear their seat belts. Still, the textinglaw is different from the seat belt law: it has age limitswhile everyone has to wear a seat belt.Meanwhile, there is the deeper issue of puttingpolice officers on patrol to look for people who are texting.There is so much violence going on that to havepolice officers looking for texters, while they can belooking for killers instead, seems like a waste. ■Saggy-pants opponents: How low can they go?By Marinela Golemi // Contributing Writer“Amendment of the Bill of Rights. In New York, JudgeRuben Franco threw out the saggy-pants charge thissummer, according to law.com, ruling that “people candress as they please, wear anything, so long as they donot offend public order and decency.”New York State Senator Eric Adams recently used$2,000 of his campaign funds to pay for billboardsdenouncing the saggy-pants style. His message was“Raise your pants, raise your image!” The senatorknows this is a hot topic and he used it to gain votesfrom the elderly people who oppose the saggy-pantsmovement. Instead of wasting his money on billboards,he should be investing it in the education of thoseyoung adults.I acknowledge that saggy pants project a negativeimage, but that does not justify the cause of makingthis a legal matter. This is a free country. For instance,some people like fast food while others think it isgross. But just because it does not meet one person’sstandards does not mean fast food should be bannedfor everyone. People have freedom of choice.The way a person chooses to represent himself isCultural incompetency By Felicia Andre // Contributing WriterMany students have recently complainedthat they are forced to checktheir cultures at the door; they saythat Boston Public Schools teachersneed cultural competency training.My question to that is: How much does lack ofcultural understanding actually contribute to the educationalproblems that Boston faces? Although I agreewith students’ complaints up to a point, I cannot acceptthe overall conclusion that it is the teachers’ lack ofsensitivity towards cultures that causes us to keep ourheritages in check.Oftentimes, people forget that it is the teasing ofstudents by other students that is the most harmful.You don’t go to school expecting to make friends withyour teachers. They have a job to do: to teach students,which usually overshadows whether they like you or not.Kids go to school hoping to be befriended andaccepted by their peers. Therefore, when the teasingcomes from them, it hurts.I had to deal with many taunting remarks growingup here. For the most part, I was known and liked.However, there were always the smart comments thatwould catch me off guard. I made it known that I washis personal business. The extent to which people aretaking this is clearly ridiculous.News reports say that, in October, a 45-year-old manin Memphis, Tennessee, shot and injured a teenager inhis behind after he refused to pull up his saggy pants.This is taking it too far. ■100 percent Haitian, and I was teased for it. Forexample, students would tell me that I don’t look likemost Haitians -- because I dress well and smell good.They may not have meant to insult me, but they did. Ifelt bad.Insensitivity did occur, but not from teachers. So, Iwonder how effective mandatory cultural competencytraining for teachers would be and whether it would beworth the cost. After all, you can’t make people care ifthey don’t. We are talking about adults here; if they hadwanted to, they would have gotten this training prior toeven confirming their positions at particular schools.They know what they signed up for. ■▲ AFH photo by Dalena Thai4 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 5

Views & attitudesABROAD VIEWTriumphant teensMarie Levey-Pabst asked students in her ninth-gradewriting classes at Boston Community LeadershipAcademy to define what success means to them.Here’s what two of them came up with.A rocky road to successBy Shanique Lewis // Staff WriterSuccess might be an easy word to say, butit works up a lot of sweat to get there.Success is an accomplishment thatbrings you one step closer to your dream.Success is like walking on flaming hot rocks or swimmingin the Pacific Ocean. It is a challenge that takes alot of courage because people may give up or might notbelieve in themselves.When my teacher introduced me to the topic of success,I was very shocked because I had some deepsecrets that no one really knew about. When I wasyounger, I always wanted to be a doctor so that I couldhelp sick people, and, up to this day, that is still mygoal in life. But to be successful, there are some challenges.In elementary school, I didn’t really care about success.I argued with teachers, cut classes, and gotkicked out of them. When I got a failing notice, it didn’tworry me. But the way my mother was yelling andSuccess is something that everyone wants.Many people think of success as wealth,power, and fame; that is success, butthere are other things, as well. Success,plays a very important role in people's lives. Withoutsuccess you can't be happy.Success is a really strong word, just like loveand hate.Success could be a goal that you want to achieve.For example, many teenagers want to be doctors whenthey grow up and if they reach that goal they can bescreaming about how I disappointed her made my heartcry. I promised her that I would head in a new direction.Did I keep that promise? Yes I did. I am now afreshman at BCLA. I have straight A’s and never get intotrouble. I hope to keep this for the next three years sothat I can overcome my final obstacle and go to college.In my life, I’ve been influenced by both negative andpositive energy. When I was 12 and 13, I hung outwith the wrong group. It shattered my heart to see thatbeing with these students was not getting me anywhere.In this group were students who cut school, who hadalready dropped out, or who were smokers/drinkers.Then, one day, I was chilling with the same groupies andthe cops saw us and asked if we were supposed to bein school. I got scared. At that point, I noticed that I’dmade a huge mistake and chilling with these studentswas driving me off a cliff. I made a decision that I knewI might regret because they were there for me when Iwas struggling, but it was for my own good.successful in their lives.You can also be successful when you are happy withwho you are. I think that people can create their ownsuccesses if they put their minds into it. Success isalso whatever accomplishments you won’t regret whenyour final moments come. I remember seeing a lot ofparents telling their children to go to school and getgood grades, so they could be successful. Even mymom tells me that at least once a month. She is alwayssaying that if I want to live the life I want that I shouldwork hard. Still, I think that for people to be successfulthey don't really have to finish school. People could▲ AFH photo by Lena YeeToday, we are still somewhat friends and two of themattend my school. But it was the best decision I’vemade. This helped me to open my eyes, because I havea goal to become a doctor in front of me.Success is the trembling feeling that you get at theend of every year. Was I successful? Did I meet myexpectations? Those are questions that float around inthin air without any answers or explanations. But at theend of every year, I would be able to find out. And I canshout, “Yes, I did it!”I don’t want to fail because it hurts my mother.Failure is like getting a rope to climb across a brokenbridge, but I choose to fall instead. Failure is a consequencethat can break you or make you depending onyour situation. But there is always a solution. On theother hand, success makes me the person I am today.Success is me! ■Wealth. Power. Fame. Or, none of the above?By Francisco Castillo // Contributing Writerjust invent useful stuff and make a lot of money and,maybe, if they are smart, they would know how to usethat money to get more money. For example, Bill Gatesinvented a really important thing, Microsoft. Gatesdid not finish college, but he is a very smart man andbecame successful without it.When I say achieving success without school, I don'tmean by selling drugs and doing things that could getyou in trouble. One example is people who give up oneverything and never put 100 percent effort in whatthey do. ■My VenezuelaI will never forgetBy Eloisa Cabello // Staff WriterFlashbacks. Go back to aplace where you had yourfirst kiss, where all youcan remember was theplace you were sitting, when your cheeksglowed the most innocent red. Return tothe time when you lost your first tooth.Where you smiled a toothless smile, andhow you anxiously waited for the toothfairy to vigilantly replace the tooth witha dollar.My flashback goes to a place whereI was exposed to the sensation of mytaste buds recognizing the Venezuelanheritage I got from my father.A place where arepas makeup my mornings, and atogetherness feeling canhelp us get to sleep at night.The kitchen where my sisterand I would devour theleftover dinner to please ourmidnight hunger and to tryand satisfy the craving of myVenezuela that we can't getin Boston.In the summers, theplane would bring me to theairport where my aunt wouldthen drive us through theunforgettable Andes mountainsto a beautiful streetwith a blanket of trees droppingdelectable limoncillofruit one by one, and wewould pull up to the housecalled Araguaney that lies inmy Caracas.In Araguaney, the kitchenis the most memorableplace for me. The cachapaswould make my mouthwater. The collection of teamy cousin had in the bottomshelf decreases day byday because of my "stickyfingers." My aunt woulddance away in her kitchen,with headphones jammed inher ears, drowning out ourlaughter. She would be cookingwhat I call "South American hamburgers"that are, by the way, much betterwithout the bun. A Spanish melody wouldflood the big house, as well as my head,because this is one of many memoriesin my aunt's kitchen that is in the houseof Araguaney, that is found in the city ofCaracas, which is bordered by the unforgettablemountains that will always havea place in my heart.My mother always described her country,the Dominican Republic, so proudly:her red-white-and-blue flag, her coconuts,her beaches, her people; everything ishers. I have the same feeling when ourlittle-old beat-up green van with brokendoors would drive in between immensemountains that could make me feellightheaded. These mountains resemblegiants, gentle green giants that in theirown way welcome us to Venezuela.There are wonders my aunt's handscan bring to the human soul and mouth.When I was little, I would fervently andimpatiently watch her grind corn into abatter. She would shower it with salt andgrease it with oil. My aunt would grill thebatter into a circle that looked like an▲ AFH art by Anne Rose PasseAmerican pancake, but then she slicedwhite cheese into a melted delight. Whenit was in front of me, I took my fork andset it aside. With my hands, I rippedin half the soft cachapa, and let thestringy and gooey cheese stretch, andit released an aroma that smelled likehome. Every food that had the honor ofbeing devoured in my aunt Cecilia's kitchenis usually something that will nevertaste the same in Boston. The astoundingcooking I so often miss back thereis something that makes my Venezuelaspecial, but there is also a particularreason that I find my aunt'skitchen so extraordinary, andit isn't the food.The door in my aunt’s kitchenis a metal frame with bars.This is where I often comein and out on a sunny day, toskateboard with my cousin untilmy butt gets bruised from fallingrepeatedly. That same doorwas where I was introduced tomy best friend. A friend that Iknow will never leave me, ordo me wrong. Humans tend torely on hate and expect the giving,but my friend only relies onfood to eat, a place to sleep,and a person to love.That day this summer wasunforgettable. I remember thevibration of my music blastingthough my ears when I hear littlefootsteps approach me, withmy uncle along her side. Thedrop of my mouth as I see onemonth-and-three-week-oldBellalick my feet and wag her blackand-whitetail side to side.My little puppy, the little dogthat I had met in Venezuela,that little beagle that enteredthrough my aunt's kitchen. Thiswet-nosed piece of Venezuelathat I brought home with me toBoston, her tiny face bringingback the memories ofmy Venezuela. ■6 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 7

wassup at schoolwassup at schoolFirst rule: stay in schoolHalting the deluge of dropoutsBy Sherley Belizaire // Staff WriterJose Barros, 19, from Boston InternationalHigh School, knows that a student can dropout of school for many reasons, as he experiencedhimself.“I had a few problems with one teacher andneeded to work to pay my rent and bills because I livedalone,” he said. “During that time, I felt bored by goingto work from one to eight every day and that is why Ihad decided to come back to school.”For a time, anyway.The Boston Public Schools high school dropout ratefell from 7.2 percent to 6.4 percent, school officialssaid last year, noting that it continued a three-yeardownward trend.According to school officials, the decrease can belinked to a number of factors, including an online classcreditrecovery program, helping newcomers to thiscountry adapt socially while they develop English skills,and trying to draw dropouts back to school.Still, a November article in The Boston Globe warnedof a potential statewide wave of eighth-graders atrisk of dropping out. A report from the Boston YouthTransitions Task Force said students who leave schoolearly often face serious non-academic problems, fromBUZZBy Dennis Tan // Contributing WriterHave you ever felt like you don’t learnanything in class and find it boring? Orhave you ever felt that your teachersaren’t teaching well and you want themto change their styles? Or that your teacher doesn’tunderstand you as a student? If your answer is yes,come to the Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) tofight for the right education from teachers -- and not justsome busy work.Recently, BSAC has been working on some projects:homework policy, anti-bullying, and student-to-teacherconstructive comments. The last issue is about studentsgiving teachers friendly feedback, both on theirown learning and on classroom instruction. The goal isto help increase students’ voices about their teachers’teachings, improve the level of accountability, and buildownership in students’ own educations.winding up in jail to being unemployed.“Usually what I do is find out what barriersmay be preventing the student fromstaying in school,” said Jenny Dunne,a counselor at Boston International.“Oftentimes, the problem is more complexthan simply not wanting to be in school.Maybe there are things that can be done toresolve some of the problems, for example,by helping someone find work or shelter.It’s important to keep encouraging studentsno matter where they are and remindthem of the ability to be successful. It’simportant for them to know there is alwayssomeone in the school that they canremain connected to. Having this personavailable makes returning to school easier.”More support from other students canalso help them stay in school.Katherine Guerrero, 20, from BostonInternational, was thinking of dropping outwhen she was pregnant in her freshmanyear. She encourages others to be strongin any circumstances. She said: “Continueschool. I did it. You can do it. Don’t quit.”■William Mai, 18, from the Josiah Quincy UpperSchool, agrees that students should have input into theway teachers operate. “Students’ feedbacks are vitalbecause the advice helps teachers identify strengthsand weaknesses,” he says.Amy Duong, 17, from JQUS, also believes that it’sappropriate for students to have a voice in this. “I feelthat feedbacks are important because people don’thave the whole 360 view of themselves, so other peoplehelp evaluate them,” she says. “As students, we areaware of how effective are our teachers’ lessons…andthis…will help expand the learning environment.”So, remember to let your teachers know what theyneed to improve on. If you are interested in BSAC or ourwork, please contact Maria I. Ortiz at mortiz@boston.k12.ma.us or at 617-635-8079 ext 104. ■▲ AFH photo by Richie PhilippeWant to be a student reporter?Join T.i.P. Please call us at617-541-2651Recycle paper, save the planetBy Linda Vancol // Staff WriterNelfrey Velez, 16, from BostonInternational High School, understandsthe importance of recycling.“I think that recycling paper at schoolis a good idea because we waste a lot of papers eachmonth and every day,” said Velez. “If we put all thosepapers in a recycle bin, we will save a lot of trees peryear. I recycle paper at home and I encourage all myfriends to do it, too.”In September, the Boston Public Schools declared a“mandatory systemwide recycling program.”Nicole Bahnam, headmaster at Boston International,said at press time that the school did not have a programto recycle its paper, but that it is working toward it.“Recycling is very important,” she said. “It’s no longerabout recycling or not. It’s now about how to do it.”Bahnam said BPS used to provide a big recycling bin,but no one was there to manage it.“There is group of students very active in recyclingbut I want them to know how to do it first,” she said.“I think the students must lead the way.”There are some teachers who are willing to recyclepaper and think it can raise consciousness. Forexample, history teacher Ojala Mwalimu, from BostonInternational, said: “I can put a recycle bin in my roomand encourage my students to recycle. Once a week, Ican take the bin to the recycle center.”Some students didn’t always know about recycling,but now feel it’s a worthy activity.Wesline Cange, 18, from Boston International, said,“When I finished using papers, I just threw them to thetrash. Now I think recycling paper is an amazing idea…inorder to save our planet.” ■Paper, wait!• Paper waste makes up nearly 40 percent of U.S. landfills.• About one billion trees worth of paper is discarded everyyear in the U.S.• Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil,4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water.-- Linda VancolSources: recycling-revolution.com, environment-green.comAs easy as one, two, tree…▲ AFH photo by Boysie WilliamsHere are some tips on how to stop wasting:• Buy a refillable cup for your coffee.• Use scrap paper for making notes.• Use a smaller font to fit more onto your computer printouts-- and use both sides.-- Linda VancolSource: environment-green.com8 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 9

ASHLEY BARKERFavorite Christmas movie? “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”Is trust earned or given? Earned. Some people break it.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Get out of it.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls?Nah. Pointless.SHERLEY BELIZAIREIs trust earned or given? Earned.What’s your best attribute? I make people smile.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Play with it and throw it at people.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? No.ELOISA CABELLOFavorite Christmas movie? “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”Is trust earned or given? Earned. Trust is the most importantthing in any relationship.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Throw people in it.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? I have a life. Gossip is immature.TYLER COHENFavorite Christmas movie? “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”Is trust earned or given? Given.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Snowball fight.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? No.PABLO GARCIAFavorite Christmas movie? “Elf.”What’s your best attribute? I’m funny.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Snowball fights.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? No.TUCKER S. GAYEFavorite Christmas movie? “A Christmas Carol.”Is trust earned or given? Starts off given, then it's earned.What's your best attribute? Patience and imagination.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Get out the snow!ZIKRE HAIMANOTIs trust earned or given? You have to earn trust.What’s your best attribute? I’m a really good friend.Favorite thing to do in the snow? I like throwing snowballs at peoplein the street – sorry.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? Probably the onewho wrote it. Lol.JOSE IBARRAFavorite Christmas movie? “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”Is trust earned or given? It’s earned.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Shoot snow balls at people.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? No.➡➧➧staffmeettheBoston Teens in Print unites the city’s teens to createan outlet to inform, communicate, and providepositive change through written expression.Write for Teens in Print!SEND your essays, letters, articles,commentaries, poems, pen-andinkdrawings or cartoons, and photos.➧ EMAIL submissions toric.kahn.jcs@cityofboston.gov➧ Send them as either MS Wordattachments or email messages.➧ Provide your name, age, grade,and school. You must attend oneof the Boston Public high schools.FORMAT your writing➧ Double spaced➧ Times New Roman, 12 point font➧ In the upper left corner—your name,Contributing Writer, and a titleor headlineNext issue: March 2011Send submissions by mail to:Boston Teens in Printc/o WriteBoston7 Palmer Street,Roxbury, MA 02119➧➧Teachers! Use T.i.P in your classroom.Please go to our website for curriculum ideas.Whatever you submit has to beYOUR OWN CREATION. We only printoriginal work. Please write “this ismy own creation” next to your name.You will not get your work back.KEEP A COPY for yourself.Teens in Print reserves the right toEDIT your work for length, content,or appropriateness.Contact us:WriteBoston617-541-2651bostontip.com➡➧➧FEEDBACK!Was it something we said?Or didn’t say? Somethingwith which you agree – or disagree?Let Teens in Print know what’s onyour mind by sending us an emailto ric.kahn.jcs@cityofboston.govPlease include your full name,neighborhood, and your date ofbirth (this won’t be printed but isjust to verify your age at the timeof publication) and we may runyour letter in an upcoming edition.Thank you.To join theTeens in Print staff,please visit our websitesand download thenecessary paperwork.bostontip.comwriteboston.orgTOM LEUFavorite Christmas movie? “A Christmas Story.”What’s your best attribute? I am nice.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Make snowballs.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls?Who goes to bathrooms with pens?SHANIQUE LEWISIs trust earned or given? Both.What’s your best attribute? Being goofy.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Snowball fights.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls?No, but I’m willing to.ALEJANDRO MARTINEZFavorite Christmas movie?“How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”Is trust earned or given? EARNED.What’s your best attribute? Easy to talk to.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls?Of course. That’s the only reason I go to the bathroom.ARIANA MARTINEZFavorite Christmas movie?“How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”Is trust earned or given? Earned.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Snow fights.Do you read the gossip on thebathroom walls? Sometimes.JAVIE MCLEANFavorite Christmas movie? “This Christmas.”Is trust earned or given? DEFINITELY EARNED!What’s your best attribute? My smile!!Favorite thing to do in the snow? Play in it!MILANES MOREJONFavorite Christmas movie? “Annie.”What's your best attribute? Self-motivated.Favorite thing to do in the snow?Run fast to get out of it.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls?Eh, I try not to.MAKIZ NASIRAHMADIs trust earned or given? Trust is always earned.What’s your best attribute? Honesty.Favorite thing to do in the snow?Stay home and read a book.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? Ifyou’re in the bathroom, you’re bored, so youread whatever you see. Lol.MARMARIN NASIRAHMADIs trust earned or given? Earned.What’s your best attribute? I’m funny.Favorite thing to do in the snow?Playing around with my friends.Do you read the gossip on thebathroom walls? No.PARNIAN NASIRAHMADIs trust earned or given? Earned.What’s your best attribute? I am honest.Favorite thing to do in the snow?Sit at home.Do you read the gossip on the bathroomwalls? Sometimes.AUDREY NGANKAMFavorite Christmas movie? “This Christmas,”“Home Alone.”Is trust earned or given? Somebody hasto earn my trust before I trust them.What’s your best attribute?My honesty and my courage.Do you read the gossip on the bathroomwalls? I don’t have time to gossip.SANDY NGUYENFavorite Christmas movie? I don’t likeChristmas movies.Is trust earned or given? Earned.What’s your best attribute? I’m trustworthy.Do you read the gossip on the bathroom walls? No.JORGJI NIKOPULLIFavorite Christmas movie?“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.”Is trust earned or given? EARNED!What’s your best attribute? Hmmm. Well, I am goodat playing “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” and I am good atMario games. Oh, and I am a good artist and writer.Favorite thing to do in the snow? I love the snow, but Idon’t really go outside. I am more into playing video games.MELISSA RODRIGUEZWhat’s your favorite Christmas movie?“The Nightmare Before Christmas.”What’s your best attribute? Umm, not mysinging. LOL.Favorite thing to do in the snow? Make snowangels and throw snowballs at little people.Do you read the gossip on the bathroomwalls? Yea, it’s just there.IEISHA SAMPSONFavorite Christmas movie? “Home Alone,”it’s a classic.Is trust earned or given? Earned!Favorite thing to do in the snow? I love to sled.Do you read the gossip on the bathroomwalls? Definitely, who doesn’t?LINDA VANCOLFavorite Christmas movie? “Home Alone.”What’s your best attribute? Making friends.Favorite thing to do in the snow?This is my first winter here.Do you read the gossip on the bathroomwalls? Yes I do. I’m so curious.GABRIEL WARDFavorite Christmas movie? You mean holidaymovie? We're a politically-correct newspaper.Is trust earned or given? Earned by defeating alevel-57 gorobeast in the dungeon of Caraka.What’s your best attribute? Earth. Oh, andFire. Oh, and Water. Oh, and Wind.Do you read the gossip on the bathroomwalls? Nah, I'm more of a writer.10 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 11

take carecommunity serviceDigital dangersBoston viceBy Tom Leu // Staff WriterNate Perkins logs intoFacebook for approximatelyfive hours aday. “I am addicted tothe Internet,” says the 17-year-old fromBoston Latin Academy, who cannotseem to quit.Facebook for him is a simple way tostay in touch and meet up with friends.Perkins was shocked when he found outthat teens who actively text or linger onFacebook can develop issues that rangefrom skipping school to underage drinking.Although Perkins clocks in for massiveamounts of hours, he feels no urgeto get into trouble.A study recently conducted by CaseWestern Reserve University School ofMedicine showed that teens who excessivelytext or spend multiple hours onsocial networking sites are prone to dangerousbehavior. According to the study,hyper-texters are more likely than othersto have smoked, drank, done drugs, andgotten into physical fights.Drama that teens deal with digitallytransitions to their real life, only to haveprofound effects. Texting and social networkingdo not necessarily make a teenvulnerable to these potential repercussions,but trying to fit in online can leadto experimenting with drugs or alcohol tobe part of the crowd, too.Arthur Etienne, 17, of the John D.O’Bryant School of Math & Science,seems to be a teen that confirms thestudy’s findings, but only to a certainextent. He spends six to eight hours aday on Facebook and admits to partakingin some of the aforementioned activities.Facebooking allows him to convenientlycommunicate with friends and set uptimes to hang out. Etienne, however,only makes plans once in a while and isnot fully consumed by the lifestyle. Afterbeing introduced to the study, Etiennefound himself disagreeing because hemerely uses technology as an easy wayto connect with friends. He sees no realcorrelation with Facebook and vulgarbehavior.Joseph Wall, 18, from the O’Bryant,admitted to having some symptomsof over-texting. Wall expressed his textingobsession as amounting to up to“5,200 times a day” according to him.Of course, that’s an over-exaggeration,but Wall cannot seem to detach himselffrom his phone, not even during class.Wall agrees that texting plays a majorrole in influencing teens to get into thetroublesome lifestyle; he admits that itis texting that allows him to make planswith ease to go hang out with his friends.Wall, though, does not entirely use thepower of texting for his nefarious activities.“Texting is both good and bad,”he says.The verdict from some teens on thestudy by Case Western Reserve is thatit seems to ring more false than true.Even without texting, they say, teens willalways be experimental and find a wayto get together and indulge in their chaoticfestivities. ■Teens tackle…Underage drinkingBy Melissa Rodriguez // Staff EditorAgroup of teens stands outsidethe Chinatown liquorstore, waiting. As pedestrianswalk in, the teens askthe adults to buy them some booze. Ifpeople say yes, these youth stop and letthem know why buying alcohol for minorsis unacceptable. If the people say no,they explain their cause and thank themfor supporting it.The goal of this group of youngpeople -- known as Asian Teens KeepingIt Dry -- is to raise awareness about theUnderage smokingdangers of drinking and lower the followingstatistics: In 2007, underage drinkersguzzled 15.4 percent of all alcoholsold in Massachusetts, according to astudy by the Pacific Institute for Researchand Evaluation. That same year, 73 percentof high-schoolers in the study saidthey’d already had their first real drinksof liquor.“Underage drinking is dangerous,”said group member Alex Chan, 16.The city earlier this month launched acampaign against underage drinking.▲ AFH photo by Tatiana WareAsian Teens Keeping It Dry wasformed several years ago after reportssurfaced that some Chinatown establishmentswere selling tea mixed with beerto teens.According to the 2007 study, teenswho begin drinking before the age of 15are two-and-a-half times more likely tobecome abusers of alcohol than thosewho start at 21.“When you start [drinking], you getaddicted, when you get addicted, youcan’t stop,” said Albert Wong, 19, anothergroup member.These teens participate in manydifferent projects to share their causewith the public. For example, they goto restaurants and liquor stores in theChinatown area to distribute stickersand posters so adults will think twicebefore buying alcohol for kids.“I know friends that do drink,” saidJanice Tang, a 16-year-old member of thegroup. “I don’t want to see my friendsget into accidents because I don’t wantto lose them.” ■Milkias Asfha,a freshman atBoston CommunityLeadership Academy,loves to play video games: shootingguns, racing cars, jumping around withSuper Mario Bros. “When I play videogames, I feel competitive, I want to win,”says Asfha.Scientists warn that teens imitatewhat they see on screen, and that witnessingviolence being rewarded in videogames can to lead to aggressive behaviorin real life.Okey Chima, a senior at BCLA, playsviolent video games like Grand TheftAuto. He does not think they arehurting him.“Normal state of mind, it is just agame to waste my time,” says Chima.▲ AFH photo by Kin HuynhThis is your brain on video games...By Parnian Nasirahmad // Staff WriterEighteen-year-old Aws Aws, of BCLA,says the relationship between violent videosand true crime is apparent: Humanswho create the games base them onactual mayhem from the mean streets.Meanwhile, other researchers say thatvideo games also teach positive skills,from perseverance to problem-solving.David Bickham, research scientist atChildren’s Hospital Boston’s Center onMedia and Child Health, says that teensneed to beware not to overload on any oftheir interests.“It’s important for everyone to balancetheir activities in life,” he says.Asfha says he’s been told to limit hisvideo-game pursuit to an hour at a timeor he will get a headache or worse -- abad addiction on his brain. ■By Alejandro Martinez // Staff WriterArsenio Negron, a 13-yearoldboy living in the South ference,” says Michael Cordero, 14.“[We] are kids who want to make a dif-End, was inspired by his The teens from IBA have two goals foruncle.the neighborhood over the next several“[My] uncle worked in a drug-preventionprogram during his lifetime and it cigar products to adult-only establish-months: to limit the sale of sweetenedreally made me want to do the same and ments, and to require a minimum numbermake a change,” he says.of cigars per package to prevent the saleNegron is part of a group of young of cheaper-priced singles.people from the South End agencyTo do this, their plans have includedInquilinos Boricuas en Accion who are circulating a petition and developingsurveying the streets, learning about the public service announcements to educatethe community about the risks ofconsequences of underage smoking, andtrying to stamp it out.smoking -- and then taking their causeto the city’s Board of Health.These teens have found out that manyyouth are exposed to the paraphernaliaof smoking on a regular basis: of 52young people asked how often they goto stores that sell tobacco products, 29said every day.“The tobacco industry is targetingyouth, and we are offended by it,” saysRosandys Colon, 14. “If [youth] learnedabout how many chemicals were intobacco, they wouldn’t do it anymore,”According to anti-tobacco advocates,about 3,900 young people in the U.S.under the age of 18 start smoking everyday and, of those, 1,500 will becomeregular smokers.Smoking is influenced through friends,family, media, and many other ways.“My dad has been smoking sincehe was 14, and he has tried to stop,but almost every time I come home,I see him smoking,” says ThashaunaBurrell, 17.Jasmine Burgos, 15, says she knowsyoung people who regularly light up.“It hurts me to see them smoke,”she says. ■12 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 13

elationshipsrelationshipsDating dilemmaWhen your best friend wants to be your boyfriendBy Jorg ji Nikopulli // Staff WriterSiblings are people sentfrom God to us for severalreasons. Siblings are verydifferent from ordinary citizensthat we meet walking in the street.Siblings are either friends, best friends,enemies, worse enemies, or just wannabes.Siblings -- you can’t choose them,no matter how much you want themto be born according to your ownexpectations.Lucy Elizabeth Cabel, 16, from BostonCommunity Leadership Academy, was anonly child until recently, when she foundout that she was going to have a littlebrother. At the beginning, she said, sheIt’s another day. Thesun’s shining and thebirds are chirping. Youget on the bus. Youarrive at school and open thedoors. Now your good day hasgone down the drain. Now youknow your day will be sheer horror.Why? Because today you have tochoose between a guy who hasbeen your best friend forever andthe one you give all your love to,your boyfriend. So which will it be?A lot of teenagers these daysare dealing with the fact that yourbest friend is in love with you-- and so is your boyfriend. Youdon’t want to leave your boyfriend,because you love him, but youalso don’t want to hurt your bestfriend. This brings to mind a verypopular sci-fi romance that hasgirls fainting, and that’s “Twilight.”In “Twilight,” a girl named Bella istorn between her friendship withJacob, a werewolf, and her relationshipwith Edward, a vampire. But,of course, this is reality.“If I had to choose betweenmy best friend and my boyfriend,I would have to say that I wouldchoose to stay with my boyfriendand tell my best friend that wecan only be friends, but at thesame time I would want my friendship,”says Yvelande Merisier, 16,who attends Boston CommunityLeadership Academy. “It might behard for my best friend to handlethe news, but he has to understandthat if he’s my best friend,then he would let me be happyand make my own decisions.”This can be a very hard topic tochoose sides on because, on theone hand, you don’t want to hurtyour best friend, and, on the otherhand, you don’t want to leave yourboyfriend because you are happyand in love with him.Fitaw Beyene, 15, from Roxbury,Oh, brotherThe joys and heartaches of siblingsBy Jose Ibarra // Staff Writerwas shocked and confused. She thoughtof the pros and cons of this new littleperson living in her family.“I would love him however he is,”she decided.People should have siblings, shethought, so they can have company andhave someone to make them happywhenever they are sad.But, teens know, jealousy can turneverything around. Siblings know whatbothers you, what you hate, what disgustsyou; they know more than anyone.Rose Fils-aime, 16, from BCLA, saidshe has four brothers.says: “It depends on how long youand your best friend have knowneach other, and how long you havebeen with your boyfriend.”Friendship grows over time andcan develop even after fights. Butisn’t a relationship the same, onlyintimate? Can’t your best friendunderstand that you only think ofhim as a friend and nothing more?“Even if my best friend likesme…I wouldn’t be with him,” saysTiffany Rosario, 17, from BCLA.“He knows everything about meand I think that would be toomuch. But, if I liked him more thanmy boyfriend, then I would give therelationship a try.”In the end, it’s the person inthe love triangle who’s stuck inthe middle and has to make thechoice. And that’s not okay. ■“My brothers and I are very close,”she said.She said that she learns many thingsfrom them -- such as how not to fall foryoung, blind love too soon, and also howto respect everyone. Even though sheloves her brothers to death, she wishesshe would have a sister so she canshare her deepest thoughts with her.Zainab Hussein, 17, said she haseight sisters and two brothers. For her,there are positive and negative sidesabout having so many siblings. Sheknows that they might have some argumentsand fights along the way, but everytime they have a problem with each▲ AFH art by Nicole Baldnerother, they come up front with it, andthey talk it through.From her older siblings, she expectsthem to set a good example for her.“They can create a good path for me tofollow and learn from,” said Hussein,who attends BCLA.In turn, she will pass along to heryounger siblings the wisdom she hasgathered along the way.“I want to…make sure they don’t dothe mistakes that I made once,” shesaid. “I also want them to be able tosee from right and wrong by themselvesover time.” ■Seekingthetruemeaningof……LoveBy Shanique Lewis // Staff WriterNey-Ney Jones, 18, andDamion Lewis, 20, havebeen dating for over oneyear now. Jones startedgoing out with guys when she was 16because, before that, she thought thatboys were just players and that they werealways up to no good. After getting herheart broken by her former boyfriend,she decided to give up for a while. Shehad convinced herself that love is justa devouring animal that is slowly eatingaway her heart, bit by bit."There are so many different kinds ofrelationships in the world,” says Jones,who goes to Dorchester High School. “Youhave the good ones and the bad ones. Agood relationship would work longer if thecouples can…fix their mistakes. On theother hand, a bad relationship ends whenthere is a bump in the road or one of thepartners makes a mistake. In order for arelationship to work, both partners haveto be healthy and willing to work/talk-outtheir problems. They also have to be ableto benefit from each other."A lot of girls agree with Jones becausethey had encountered similar situations.Female teens say that a lot of males havean intention of lying about their feelingstoward their partners so that they can geta chance to have relationships. A maleteen would manipulate a female to thinkthat he's in love, but then it would turnout to be complete irony. Female teenssay your whole life would seem like it’sfalling apart in a split second. Nothingwould feel real, you would reach out for ahelping hand to smack you back to reality,but the nightmare would never end. A lotof teens agree that love can make you orbreak you."Love is a lot of things,” says KaylaMorris, 16, from Hyde Park. “Love is trust;love is honesty, respect and learning fromeach other. Without these things, love isnothing because in past relationships Iexpressed personal information to thatperson because I feel as if I can trustthem, but after we break up he would usethat revenge against me so that I won’tbe able to date another. Then, most likely,I'll have to crawl back to that person.Over the years, I had learned from mymistakes.”Janisel Hernandez, 15, says she is verycautious when it comes to giving up herheart.“I would never get caught up in a relationshipbecause I never hold to one forthat long because he can get over-conceitedand become a jerk,” says Hernandez,who attends Boston CommunityLeadership Academy. “When you fall toodeep with a person, your emotions getthe best of you, because you once werein love with that person. It’s best to learnmore about your relationship beforeyou end up with a heart attack in zerodegreeweather.” ■…And friendshipBy Makiz Nasirahmad // Staff EditorGumercindo Buenrostro,16, who attends BostonCommunity LeadershipAcademy, thinks heknows exactly what friendship is: “Atrue friend is someone who is therewhen you need them and someoneyou just like to be around.”Friendship is one of the most complicatedthings in the world for teens.Every person has a definition for it.Therefore, friends can have argumentsabout them actually being friends.In high school, friends mostly breakupand make-up. For instance, youcan find friends who find out that theirfriends don’t trust them, so they thinkthat must mean they are not reallyfriends. But maybe for that person,friendship doesn’t include trust.Jose Belliard, 18, from BCLA, thinksfriendship is when you’re with someonewho cares about you. To be his friend,you would need to share interestsand would have to care about whathe has to say. Belliard’s friends wouldsay that he’s very trustworthy, mostlikely because that’s what he wants hisfriends to be.Michael Escobar, 17, who also goesto BCLA, talks about Belliard being an▲ AFH art by Christopher Boliverawesome friend.“Even though I only know Jose forabout a year, in that year I got to knowa great person, who I say is a greatfriend. We have become close…friendswho trust each other with our personallives outside of school.”While Belliard likes to have things incommon with his friends, Kimberly Vegais more interested in having friends whoare not the same as her. She likes tomake friends with people from othercountries.“Knowing different people from allover the world gives me a sense ofhappiness beccause I get to knowthings I never knew before and they arethe best people I ever met,” she says.Vega, 16, from BCLA, defines friendshipthis way: “When you have someonethat you can constantly lean on andthey can lean on you.”Zoraida Ibarra, 16, from BCLA,has high standards for her friends.“Friendship is being there for thatperson that you called friend, in bothbad and good times, without expectinganything in return,” she says. “But loveand care, as well as trust, should bereciprocal.” ■14 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 15

Culture ClubCulture ClubYou collect what?The obscure things gathered by teensBy Gabriel Ward // Staff WriterIt can be anything from stampsto video games, from modelplanes to articles of clothing.But how can things that are sodifferent be gathered in the same way?What makes a collection a collection?“It’s all stuff from your childhood,”said Eddie Lui, 16, from BostonLatin School.Perhaps he’s right.Teresa Cheng, 16, has been collectingstuffed animals, or “plushies,” sinceshe was eight years old. She still spendsalmost $50 dollars a year on them. “Ijust like to admire them,” said Cheng,who attends BLS.But what is it about this compilation ofplushy animals that makes it so great?“It has to be worth something,” said Lui.But, in fact, some collections areworth nothing.William Droser, 16, of BLS, used toamass Boston’s Weekly Dig newspapers.“It was free, you could find themaround Boston in boxes,” he saidAlthough after two or three years ofaccumulating these papers he had tothrow them away because they weretaking up space, he still picks them upevery once in a while.Keeping a weekly newspaper may besomewhat understandable, but whatabout stockpiling pants?“In ninth grade I got obsessed withcollege skinny jeans, and I wanted everycolor -- so I got every color,” said TammieDavid, a 16-year-old from BLS. “I spenthundreds of dollars, but they died down.”Still, David has over 20 pairs of skinnyjeans, and doesn’t plan to stop buying.Like the skinny jeans, a collectiblecan be something you use all the time.Daniel Curran, 16, of Hyde Park, has anaffinity for Nerf guns. While he doesn’tuse them as much as he used to, he stillloves to bust them out with his brothers.Though some may think of this aschildish, Curran isn’t at all embarrassed.“I could stop if I really wanted,” hesaid. “Scratch that -- I’ll always want aNerf gun around.”Initially, 16-year-old Ian Haines, of BLS,said he didn’t collect anything. But aftertalking about his hobbies, he realizedthat he had his own set of instruments.“I have a banjo, a cello, a mandolin, aguitar, and a bass,” said Haines.He can even look at them as accomplishmentsor trophies, each carrying anexperience different from the next.What makes any of these a collection?What makes all these very differentmaterial things special?Teens say it’s the amount of associationthey have with their objects. The▲ AFH photo by Alice Tranmore they collect, the more they becomeattached and share emotional ties withthem. The actual object can have verylittle to do with the collection; with everypair of skinny jeans, for example, cancome a memory of the days you wearthem.But no matter the sentimental valueof the collections, they can all havethe same effect of bringing anybody --whether angry or feeling down -- back toa happy place.“It’s important to me,” Cheng saidabout her assortment of stuffed animals.“It gives me a good recollection of mychildhood.” ■The latest inNew Year’sresolutions:No more New Year’sresolutions!By Ariana Martinez // Staff WriterNew Year’s resolutions:Keep room clean, eatmore vegetables andgo to the gym, alwayshave a positive attitude and, of course,get straight A’s in school. Sounds likegreat ideas – if only you would actuallydo them.Many teens think following pledgeslike these takes too much effort andprobably won’t work. So they don’t evenbother with New Year’s resolutions anymore.Aaron Whitehead, 16, said he doesn’tmake such promises because he knowshe won’t really change.“I don’t know why you would makethem if you’re not going to do them,” saidWhitehead, of Mattapan. “To me, they’rejust pointless.”Manuela Bermudez doesn’t make anyresolutions, either.“I don’t know, I just didn’t make any,I don’t see why I would make them, anyways,”said the freshman at Fenway HighSchool. “What’s the point of making themif you’re not going to do it?”These teens might be right. A story inThe Miami Herald last January said that97 percent of all New Year’s promisesare never fulfilled. Still, experts said thatpeople who make New Year’s resolutionsare actually more likely to change for thebetter than those who don’t.Bianca Glover, also a freshman atFenway, said she’s never made suchresolutions.“I think they’re dumb,” she said. ■Body language says it allBy Tucker S. Gaye // Staff WriterBody language speakswithout having to beaudibly heard. How couldsomething so silentshriek so loudly that it manipulativelyforces our nerves to react and bringabout conflict?Aidid Brayboy, 17, of Fenway HighSchool, tells us: "See, people don'tunderstand [body language] directly, sothey make up their own interpretation."This universal language could be mistakenlytranslated and implanted in thecore of our deepest thoughts, sometimessprouting to a very sharp extreme, piercing,scratching, poking, and itching oursensitivity points.Dary Suero, 15, of Madison ParkHigh School, says: "Silent language isthe many influences we face each day,influences that are silent in that theyare not verbal, but that are quite loudin terms of the effects they have onArts & EntertainmenTour development."Body language, a/k/a silent language,carries both negative and positive connotations,depending upon your translation.A simple smile, a flirt of affection,or a turning rejection says a lot. Bodylanguage is also often used to offend.Staring in disgust at an individual whoexpresses himself as an individual,because in your world that’s not quitehow you would want to sketch it, is anexample of bullying through the use ofsilent language.“You have the right to remain silent.Anything you say can and will be usedagainst you in a court of law.”Silence can have many versions.“When one interprets or assumes,they don’t care for the reason or intentionsbehind, whatever, because theyalready have their minds made up,”says Ayshika Wiggins, 16, of BostonLatin Academy.In fact, all language does not havecomplete clarification -- that's why thereare so many ways to exchange meaning.So, for artists, victims, defendants,and others, silent language is just oneform of communication. Teens declare:Know what you’re saying, and how tosay it, is all we're saying. ■Don’t be dumb: listen to IGnorant’s rapBy Ashley Barker // Staff EditorIf you walked into chorusclass at Boston CommunityLeadership Academy and sawIggy holding his binder andmumbling, or just standing silent in theback, you would never know he is one ofBoston’s young and rising rap stars andis already signed to a label: YungMassRecords and CEO Joker.Things are starting to flow.“I’ve been working on a couple tracksand should be working with a couple bignames soon,” IGnorant says, “once Ifinish a few verses and link up witha specific artist I’ve been talking to fora while.”He doesn’t go on to reveal themystery artist, except to note that itmight or might not be a member of therecord label.IGnorant recollects how he was signedlast year by the YungMass CEO. “I was inthe studio recording a song when Jokercame in and interrupted the session,” hesays. “I was mad at first, and he said thesystem that I was using wasn’t as goodas his. After hearing me rap, a week laterJoker came in with a contract and hesigned me.”IGnorant says he got into rap to showhis middle school math teacher thathe was a better lyricist than him. Eventhough he doesn’t remember those earlylines, he understood that they were bad:“When I first started, I was terrible and Iknew it.”Since then, IGnorant has been workingon his writing skills, improving his lyricsas he grows. “Before it was simply verses,now I’m making songs,” he says.Things have changed for the youngrapper. This fall, IGnorant and the groupthat he’s part of was played on FishbowlRadio -- an online station in Texas. Eventhough it wasn’t local, supporters ofIGnorant stayed up to hear YungMass’s“Finale Remix,” which used the beat toYoung Money’s own “Finale.”Those who listened were surprisedat how good the song was, even thoughone of the members -- IGnorant himself --only found the sound the hard way. “Onefriend called me and said ‘You hearingthis?’ ” he remembered. “No. But [then]I heard it over the phone.”Though the song got good feedback,IGnorant says he was still upset. “Itfelt good,” he says. “I wasn’t too happy,though, because I was hoping somemainstream artist [would] hear it.”Before YungMass came into the picture,IGnorant did not see much happeningwith rap as a whole for him.“I used to do it for fun,” he says. “Itgot to me when I met YungMass. Before,I didn’t think much could happen.”While his determination continues toshine through to show how far he hascome, he knows he still has a long wayto go.“I want to be knee high into it, makesomething of it,” IGnorant says. “Keepdoing what I’m doing, talk to a lot ofpeople…and I’ll be happy.” ■16 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 17▲ T.i.P. art by Tucker S. Gaye

Arts & EntertainmenTThe Sporting LifeThe elite threeAn unbiased review of the most popular video-game consolesBy Gabriel Ward // Staff WriterHS hoopsCharlestown aims to recapture glory daysBy Zikre Haimanot // Staff WriterIf you love video games asmuch as I do, then you probablyreceived some this pastholiday season. But are youdissatisfied with the video-game consoleyou got? Well, then, maybe you'vereceived the wrong one. Hopefully, byreading on, you can figure out which ofthe top three consoles -- the Wii, theXbox 360, or the PS3 -- is right for you.I believe that these systems aren’treally better than one another, but differentin their own ways. Now you’re goingto find out how.Operation is the most importantaspect. You probably figured the graphicson the PS3 are better than the Xbox,but not nearly to the point where you’llnotice it. They’re softer, you can reallysee the texture, and the lighting is a littlebetter. But both systems play the gamesjust fine. The Wii, of course, has far lessgraphic capability, but there are few-tonogames for the Wii that require thesegraphics. The Wii almost doesn’t heat upor make noise, same with the PS3. TheXbox is infamous for its noisy operationand overheating, and most people thinktwice about getting an Xbox because ofthis. But the Xbox Slim now has betterventing, and is quiet, as well.PlayStation nuts swear that thePlayStation controller is fantastic, but,to be honest, it feels kind of strange.It’s too thin; it isn’t really molded to theshape of your hand. Not to mention thatthe analog sticks are placed too lowso that it doesn’t seem natural. Don’tworry, though; you do get used to thisreally fast. The good thing about thePS3 controller is that it’s extremely light.The Xbox controller, meanwhile, seemslike you're holding a five-pound barbell,though it is very comfortable and feelsnatural. The Wii’s controller, with its siliconegrip, feels good.Online play is very important in videogames these days, and the Wii can’tdeliver. It’s slow, it lags, and it’s ridiculousto connect with people. The PS3and Xbox online quality and connection,meanwhile, are almost the same. Peopleargue that it’s stupid to pay $60 a yearfor Xbox Live, Xbox’s online service, forsomething the PS3 offers for free. Butthe PS3 really doesn’t offer the sameservice. Xbox Live provides constantupdates, articles, sneak peeks of thenewest games, and a vast, easy-to-useonline marketplace where you can buyfull games and special tidbits. It’s likeyou’re subscribing to an online video–gaming magazine. Plus, your wholeaccount, including point balance, downloadqueue, and profile, can be accessedfrom the computer. If online is extremelyimportant to you, get the Xbox 360 Slim,subscribe to Xbox Live, and enjoy. It trulyis the best online gaming.Overall, the Wii is the least popularamong teens. Sure, it’s fun, and a greatparty system, but it’s more for the familydemographic and people who loveNintendo games. It’s small and convenientto store, and it offers some of thegreatest games, and you can’t forget itscheap regular price of $200. But if you’relooking for real gaming, then aim towardthe other two consoles.The PS3 is somewhat popular amongteens; its standard price starts at $300with 160 gigabytes. It’s got great graphics,fantastic games, and fast online play.Something great about the PS3 is notonly the fantastic games that are madefor it, but also the previous PS2 games-- some of the greatest of all time. Thisbackwards compatibility definitely sells it.The Xbox 360 is probably the mostpopular among teens, and its standardprice starts at $200 with four gigabytes,but it’s much more sensible to pay theextra $100 for 250 gigs. It’s got a hugelibrary of games, both at retailers andin their online marketplace. Now thatthey’ve shrunk the size with the newSlim, it’s not too much of a pain to store,plus they’ve added wi-fi capability.Don’t let your decision be tainted byvideo-game bias. Usually, those you askwill have strong opinions about the systemsthey own -- and opinions that aren’tbased on all three consoles are no good.Use this guide, and, hopefully, you canfind the one that is just right to keep youhappy for years to come. ■Graphics by Gabriel Ward; console and logo courtesy of Nintendo.Graphics by Gabriel Ward; console and logo courtesy of Microsoft.Graphics by Gabriel Ward; console and logo courtesy of SonyComputer Entertainment America.Talent doesn't always guarantee victory,but if any city team in high schoolbasketball is being crowned because ofits roster, it has to be the CharlestownTownies. With a young and dynamic duo of guard/forward Akosa Maduegbunam and point guard RonyFernandes leading the way, Charlestown seemed tobe a favorite heading into the season.Indeed, the Charlestown hoopsters got off to a sizzlingstart. At press time, the team had won its firstfour games.Last year, as a sophomore, the 6-3 Maduegbunamled the Townies to a 10-11 record. Though the wonlossledger wasn’t exactly stellar, it foreshadowed theamount of potential they had. Now, adding a floor generallike the 5-11ish junior Fernandes can only improveCharlestown High.What may separate the twin talents on the Towniesfrom other teams is the way they complement eachother. Fernandes isn’t the type of guard who looks forhis own shot before passing, and Maduegbunam isexactly the shooter he needs to rack up his assists.Both understand that they will need to give up shotsand play together for the team to win – like King Jamesand D-Wade.“Me and Rony have known each other a long time,”said Maduegbunam. “He’s my best friend, so me learningto play with him is something I’m willing to do.”Coach Edson Cardoso is optimistic about his squad.“We feel that we can compete with every team that weplay,” he said.Bob Holmes, High School Sports Editor at TheBoston Globe, senses that positive vibe, too.“Charlestown’s potential is always high when itcomes to basketball and they could always be competingfor a city championship,” he said. “What seemsto make this team special is that if they can worktogether and live up to their talent level, they couldmake a run at, not only a city, but state championship,as well.”One of the story lines of this Charlestown team hasbeen the development of Maduegbunam. After improvinghis game every year, some say this could be theseason where he becomes the star that manyhave predicted.During a competitive AAU tournament this summer,Maduegbunam delivered some of his best games andcaught people’s attention with his deadly jump shot,according to gymratchallenge.com. He was named oneof the tournament All-Stars.Before this season, Maduegbunam said he wasfocusing on the other side of the ball. “I’ve been workingon my ball-handling and defense,” he said. “Defenseis what is going to carry this team when our offense isin a slump.”With all the talk about Maduegbunam, some peoplemight sleep on Fernandes. That’s their first mistake,because when called upon he can be one of the mostexplosive players on the court. Fernandes had a greatsummer himself competing for Metro Boston, one ofthe top AAU teams in Massachusetts. Over the summer,Maduegbunam and Fernandes played against eachother, though Maduegbunam’s team came out on top.In that game, Fernandes lit up his defenders for 21▲ AFH photo by Tim Nguyenpoints. People should expect to see him post someridiculous assist numbers and exploit defenses usinghis high basketball IQ.Though there has been a lot of hype given to thisCharlestown team, they are still in the shadow oftheir predecessors in recent history, teams that wonfive state championships in six years. Those lineupsincluded some of the most dominant figures in Bostonbasketball history, led by coach Jack O’Brien.This season’s leaders don’t have the same mystiqueabout them, but they are a group of hard workers. Thestandards for a good season are going to be very high,but they can ponder the banners of previous teams andtry to get one of their own. ■18 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / JAN-FEB 2011 / bostontip.com bostontip.com / JAN-FEB 2011 / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / 19

Write to the top in 2011.The Boston Globe and WriteBoston developed the Teens in Print newspaper tooffer young writers a place to perfect their skills and voice their opinions.Improve your writing and showcase your work bycontributing to this innovative publication.Frustration NationBOSTON TEENS IN PRINT NOV/DEC 2009Foreign-bornstudentsfeel fear andisolation at school.By AnonymousThis article was reported and writtenby a Boston teenager. Due tothe sensitive nature of thesubject, Teens in Print iswithholding the author’sname, as well as otheridentifying details. Whilethe story focuses on one place,students and teachers say thatits theme of hostility directed atnew immigrants by American-bornyouth is not unique to that school.■ HEAVY METAL DETECTORS PAGE 7 ■ PDA: WHAT’S IN PLAY? PAGE 8 ■ GETTING A KICK OUT OF SOCCER PAGE 20[Frustration Nation, PAGE 3]▲ AFH painting by Maliek Tui tIn partnership with theTMBOSTON TEENS IN PRINT JAN/FEB 2010■ CYBER-BULL PAGE 8 ■ HAT’S OFF TO TOPPERS PAGE 22 ■ CHICK-FLICKS ARE FOR GUYS, TOO PAGE 23Good hair,bad hairThe politics of follicles▲ AFH painting by Marvin BynoeIn partnership with theTMOn Page 3■ boo who? PAGE 5 ■ cAn't drink to thAt PAGE 8 ■ thE truth shAll sEt you frEE PAGE 10 ■BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT maR/aPR 2010Afterlife sentencesWhat does death look like to you?▲ AFH artwork by Sarah Nguyen[Afterlife Page 3]In partnership with theTM▲ AFH image by Szu-Chieh YunBOSTON TEENS IN PRINT SEPT/OcT 2010A national holiday forMJ?Yea or naY■ S H I R T T A L E S P A G E 1 6 ■ ’ H O O D T A T T S P A G E 1 7 ■ A P I G S K I N P R O P H E c Y P A G E 2 1 ■Pg. 3In partnership with theTMBOSTON TEENS IN PRINT NOV/DEC 2010Blood lust The lure of vampire lore▲ AFH photo by Jane Carper• VOYAGE TO VIETNAM PAGE 11 • THE NAME GAME PAGE 17 • THE COMEBACK KID PAGE 21By Keeja Paisley // Staff WriterIn partnership withTMBe part of Boston’s only youth-led newspaper in 2011!