Weighing the military option - Teens in Print

FIGHTING SIBS—Page 4METAL DETECTORS—Page 6UP CLOSE: AMANDA BYNES—Page 14SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS—Pages 16-17PLAY THE JUKEBOX—Pages 21-24T.i.P.B O S T O N T E E N S I N P R I N T ■ M A R C H 2 0 0 6Weighing the military optionINSIDEPhoto by: Ping ZengBy Phil Donahue // T.i.P Senior EditorBoston high school students face aharsh reality as they near graduationand adulthood; soon they will haveto enter the real world. This meansdifferent things to different people:some get jobs, others go to college, and somejoin the military. This spring, with a war in Iraqand US troops still stationed in Afghanistan, militaryrecruiters are all too happy to talk with studentsabout the benefits of joining the military:funds for college, the chance to gain employableskills, and the challenges and rewards of servingtheir country.Paula Barrows, 17, a senior at Boston LatinAcademy, signed up for the Air Force in January.She needed her mother’s consent because she.Patrick McKunes, 17, is a member of Junior ROTCat South Boston High School. Photo by: Elizabeth Leewas under 18. Barrows hasn’t yet decidedwhether she will serve in active dutyor the reserves, but she saysshe’s ready to serve her country.“It’s a huge physical andmental challenge and I’mtotally up for it. I just wantto prove myself.”Barrows says the peopleshe has told of her planshave been shocked andask “Why? You’re a girl.”Barrows finds the reactionstrange and says noone asks her about goingto Iraq because people[ MILITARY OPTION, PAGE 28 ]with a pre-openingreview of themovie and a T.i.P.interview with starAmanda Bynes–Page 14Is youragenda onoverdrive?By Kianna WatlerT.i.P. Staff WriterWork? Basketballpractice? School? Ifeel your pain. Likeyou, I have to work and go toschool. I also get the feelingof relief when vacations comeinto play. Vacations are ourway to unwind from the tiredlives and packed scheduleswe set up for ourselves.Others may have work (a jobthey get paid for) or otherresponsibilities and commitmentsthat take advantageof their vacation time, likevolunteer gigs or specialprograms. When you’resupposed to be homerelaxing, and maybewatching a little TV,you’re at a job,which you reallyhate right now.Every teenagerout there with a[ AGENDA, PAGE 30 ]

OPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSIN YOUR FACEPhoto by: Artists for HumanityOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSOPINIONSHow siblingspush your buttonsBy Tyrell Polk // T.i.P. Staff WriterOne of the greatest battles that has beengoing on since the beginning of humankindis the battle between siblings. It’s either thebrother who annoys the sister or the sister whoannoys the brother. And it doesn’t matter whatage or sex the siblings are. If you have them, theyprobably annoy you.There are certain things all siblings do to irritateeach other. It starts with the fact that siblingsknow what annoys each other so they zeroin on these vulnerable spots. Let’s face it. No onepushes buttons as well as a brother or sister.Here are some classic tactics that siblings useto irritate one another.■ They follow you around the house. There isnothing as annoying as being followed everywhere.It creates a lack of privacy and is obnoxious.It’s right up there with copying everythingyou say.■ They snitch on you. When they tell on you, itonly hurts them. You can’t trust them any moreand then your chances at friendship are shot.■ They talk too much. Some sibs talk for the solepurpose of making you mad, and go on and on tomake you crazy. Often, they ask you countless,meaningless questions.■ They do stupid things. The list is endless butone classic strategy is to quietly pick up thephone and listen in on your conversations. Anyaction that falls in the “spying” category is obnoxiousbut it’s a favorite especially among youngerbrothers and sisters.Now if you want to get on your siblings’ goodside for a change, here’s what you should do.You may even catch them off guard and win thesibling war.★ Do nice things. For no reason, buy yoursibling something from the store. Can you imaginetheir shock?★ Don’t ever snitch. This builds trust betweensiblings, something you will need when you haveto form an alliance against the parental unit.★ Respect their things and space. Don’t be all upon them. Give your siblings some breathing roomand they will return the favor.★ Look for ways to help each other. Help eachother get out of jams with parents or cover foreach other.★ If all this advice fails, just stay away fromone another.4 / T.i.P. / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

OPINIONSPhoto by: Ellianna ColemanBling,bang!Bling,Do your goods attract bad attention?By Stephen Sampson // T.i.P Staff WriterYour sneakers are crisp white, your chainis glistening, heads are turning, but doyou look into the shadows? Do you see thestreets are watching? In the midst of new jewelryand new wardrobe, do you notice jealouslyis brewing?I, as a fellow teen, am a victim of this also. Ihave also been drawn to the world’s flashy dresscodes and shimmering silver. We may look ourbest but does this always result in the best forour safety, or even more important, our health?According to a report from Boston PoliceDepartment published in the Boston Globe, burglariesand attempted burglaries in the city roseby 7 percent last year, while robberies andattempted robberies jumped 8 percent. It’s safeto say that a large number of additional robberiesgo unreported.Robberies range from having your jewelry, CDplayers, and iPods stolen. And many of the teensrobbed are threatened with weapons. You maythink, “It won’t happen to me,” but 15- year-oldJonathan Edwards from Roxbury thought thesame thing. Then one night when he was walkinghome from the library he became an unexpectedvictim. He was approached inWashington Park Mall and asked for his watchand his iPod (two items in his possession whichwere easily noticeable). The suspect thenflashed a knife. Petrified, Jonathan gave up hisvaluables. Before the suspect vanished into thenight, he told Jonathan to close his eyes and thesuspect shoved him to the ground and fled.Jonathan is only one victim. There are manymore. It is up to us to make the decision tochoose glamour or safety.T.i.P. / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 7

CITY DIARYxTheStrandBy Mike Smith // T.i.P. Staff WriterIn honor of Boston’s 375th birthday celebration,Magda Spasiano got a grant lastsummer to run The Strand Summer Seriesfor Boston teens at The Strand Theater inDorchester. The performing arts programswere each two weeks long,and ended with a public performance.I was present a few times aweek during two of the differentcourses—African Dance and SpokenWord. These are some excerpts from myexperience there.erPhoto by: Shawn McLaughlinPhotos by: Magda SpasianoAfrican Dance was the funniest class ever when itcame to the kids. Seems like everybody wanted to fightthe first couple of days. Too bad I can’t remember thedisses flying around.The class itself had a personable instructor and shewas knowledgeable on the subject. But, honestly, noneof that matters because it was all about these teens.When I asked Marisela Lopez what made her join, shesaid she liked dancing. “The class is good; it’s interestingand new,” she said shyly. Her previous experience camefrom hip-hop, ballet, tap dancing, previous Africandance, and salsa. That is what I call a track record. Iwatched her and she always seemed interested. She putthe most energy into the dance.Keisha Wright was another story. Funny and outspoken,she joined because she liked dancing and she’dnever tried this type of dance before. She was experiencedin hip- hop, tap dancing, and jazz. (I didn’t knowpeople could dance to jazz. It’s hard to book a hip-hopshow but it’s easy to book a jazz show because peoplelisten to it while eating dinner and all that. So jazz wasweird but I didn’t press forward. Honestly, I’m justan herb though, so don’t start sending in e-mailsand comments.)One teen I can’t name so as not to put her businessout there didn’t like the class at all. She joined basicallybecause her mother asked her to, plus she wanted tostay out of trouble. When I first asked her if she likedthe class, she said it was “All right.” Then further intothe program I asked if she was interested yet and she8 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMEDIA MESSAGESPhoto by: Arryanna WilsonDoes sex sell?Check out women in hip-hop music videosBy Samantha Mbawuike // T.i.P. Staff WriterMedia molds minds,but how?By Bianca Lao // T.i.P. Staff WriterSex sells, especially for aspiring hip-hop artists.But when is the line of sexual freedom versuswomens’ rights crossed in hip-hop videos? Thisis a huge issue in entertainment today.When you turn on the television to your favoritemusic channels such as MTV or BET, you see barewomen shaking their behinds in front of the camera,grinding and gyrating all over the television screen.These videos contain explicit lyrics and sexual content.In Nelly’s “Tip Drill” video, the women shake so wildly,their bikinis purposefully come off and a group of leeringmen are grabbing their body parts, including theirbreasts. Later the women perform sexual acts witheach other. Is this necessary? The men in these videosare degrading the women, but not only are they degradingthe women, the women are aiding in the belittlementas well. Video “vixens” portray themselves asprostitutes. Why do the women in these videos acceptbeing called out with profanity?It is disturbing that our children are exposed to thisX-rated content. The media can be influential, especiallyto young people. Even if 13-year-olds are not interestedin sex, they become influenced by what they seeand hear in the media.Indeed, I love my hip-hop music as well as some ofthe videos but not if it makes me cringe. When I seethe video “Some Cut” by Trilleville, with their crudelyrics and continuous sounds of a woman’s pleasurebeing played throughout the song/video, I am disgusted.As a fan of hip-hop I want to be able to turn on thechannel to BET and see a video like “Get By” by TalibKweli, which talks about the black struggle or “JesusWalks” by Kanye West, which talks about how Jesuswalks with all people no matter how terrible theperson may be.I am not trying to put down hip-hop artists for theirmusic because I am a true fan of hip-hop. But I doquestion how some artists package their product inthese videos and I’m concerned by the sexualizeddepictions in many acknowledged hip-hop videos. Isanyone else disturbed by these explicit images? If so,what can we do about it?“I’m too fat”… “My butt is too big”… “My topis too small”… “I need to stop eating a lot.” Theseare everyday phrases we hear from young girls.Countless young women are insecure about theirbodies and how they appear. Where does the ideaof a flawless body come from? Perhaps other peoplereinforce it, or maybe it comes from mediaimages of feminine beauty that are unattainablefor the vast majority of females.The media doesn’t come out and bluntly saywomen should look like models. However, we getthe message in other ways. For example, the iPodads show shadows of shapely women dancingaround trying to sell a product that has little to dowith music and nothing to do with beauty. Whenyou turn to a music video, be it a rap, rock, R&B,or country, the women look perfect and thin. Inrap videos you witness half-naked women withlarge breasts, flat stomachs, and long hair. Theseimages are not only degrading toward women,making them little more than objects, but also10 / T.i.P. / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTsend unhealthy messages to youngwomen about how they should look.Women aren’t the only ones affectedby these media messages. Youngmen are brainwashed about howwomen should look as well.Whether they know it or not, theyare being influenced by what theysee. Men expect women to look likeBeyoncé Knowles or JessicaSimpson. How can normal-lookingwomen meet these expectations?Beauty trends and ideals comefrom the media, and people, influencedby images to which they areexposed, have come to accept thestandards set by advertisers.Consider how teens reacted to therecent Dove campaign that portraysreal women in their ads for a skinfirminglotion. Genta Spaho, 16responded this way to the Dove models:“To me, they are fat.” She added,“They are supposed to be tall andskinny, like Victoria Secret models.”Diana Rosario, 19, complained,“These Dove women are nasty looking—notall, but most of them.”When asked if she’d want these to bethe kind of models advertisers useevery day, she answered, “Oh, no.The media does a good job puttingfake girls on TV. Why mess up?”Comparing herself to the women inthe ad, she says, “I look similar toone of them. I’m curvy but not muscular.”In response to the question,“Don’t you see women like this everyday,” Cassim Morris, 17, says“Although women normally look likethis [the Dove women], it does notdefine beauty and women shouldn’tbe comfortable this way.”Media messages set the standardsfor how women should appear. Thesugarcoated messages and imagesdisplayed before us make a strongimpression, especially on youngeraudiences. The media impair ourjudgment as alcohol or drugs might.It possesses the power to easily convinceus of what’s beautiful andwhat’s not.It’s up to us to be aware of mediamanipulation and rid ourselves of theidea that women should be flawless.Photo by: Andre LambertMIXED MESSAGESTired of mainstream media’s messed up messages?Check out the resources below, whereyou can learn about alternatives that usemedia to send messages of empowerment.TEEN VOICES MAGAZINE. Teen Voices is “theonly magazine by, for, and about teenageand young adult women.” Its purpose is topromote social justice and empower women.Teen Voices was founded more than 15 yearsago to provide teen women with an alternativeto fashion magazines and their messagethat being beautiful is a teen woman’s primaryinterest. Located in downtown Boston,Women Express Inc./ Teen Voices sponsorsan innovative mentoring program for Bostonteens. For information, call 617-426-5505 orvisit www.teenvoices.com.PROJECT: THINK DIFFERENT is “entertainingchange in music, film, video, media” whileproviding young people with conferencesand resources to tackle negative mediamessages. Located in Boston, Project: ThinkDifferent encourages youth to take charge ofmedia messages by making their own. They’verecently launched a new music CD—“Empowerment: The Power to Break YouFree”- promotes positive messages and thepower of different thinking. (See T.i.P.’s reviewin our Jukebox section). PTD wants yourinvolvement, Boston teens. Use media toshape empowering messages!Call 617-557-9200 or visitwww.projectthinkdifferent.org.THIS JUST IN…Berklee College of Music’ship-hop curriculum has added a coursethat examines hip-hop music and its socialimpact. Berklee is also partnering withEssence magazine’s Take Back the Musiccampaign, launched last year. The BostonGlobe article “Aiming for an alternative hiphop”from January 30, 2006, atwww.boston.com tells the full story. Or checkouthttp://www.essence.com/essence/ takebackthemusic/to find out how Essence magazineis trying to clean up hip-hop’s image.T.i.P. / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 11

Empoweredteens...Ever wish you had the power to solve the city’sproblems? The Center for Teen Empowerment Inc.(TE) brings Boston teens together to inspire them tothink about how to fix problems in their schools andcommunities. These students offered solutions toviolence, youth/police relations, and underperformingurban schools. Here’s what the teen activists said.Get InvolvedFor more information about TE, contact:Teen Empowerment Inc., 48 Rutland St.,Boston, MA 02118; 617-536-4266.By Jonette Glass, Boston Community Leadership AcademyPhoto by Teen EmpowermentLocal teens gather at the Center for Teen Empowerment in Boston..As a teen, I have an inside look at urban youth and the situationsand circumstances we face. This is a view that many adults do nothave. And because times have changed so much since they wereyoung people, it is difficult for some adults to relate to and penetratethe surface of problems. It is only by gaining an understanding of thereal issues that effective plans of action can be taken.One of the reasons violence is on the rise can be linked to theschool system. And though every school is not bad from my experience,many of us encounter dysfunction and low productivity in ourschools. It almost feels as if urban schools are designed for studentsto fail. This is due to inadequate resources, excessive testing withhigh stakes attached, and a lack of positive student and facultyrelationships.It is no secret that suburban public schools more effectively preparestudents than urban public schools. There are many problemsin urban schools from a lack of textbooks, to outdated facilities, tolimited extracurricular activities. These schools have support fromthe community. This inequality is unfair. These are the studentsinner-city youth must compete with in the real world. I realized thisas I was applying to colleges this year. Many universities require orprefer subjects and activities that our urban schools don’t offer. Thisis not an excuse for failure. However it needs to be known and alsounderstood that this is a factor.Many people think teens never look at the big picture but we do.The problem is the picture doesn’t include us. This leads to hopelessness,desperation, and the desire of artificial success. Studentsstruggling with standardized tests, employment, and self-expressionare driven to other means to fill these voids. If you want to targetviolence, start with giving youth a fair chance to have their voicesheard and taken seriously. Let us tell you what we need. We are theinsiders. Give us a fair chance to compete with the suburban publicschools. Work harder on obtaining educational and recreationalresources for us. This will decrease hopelessness, which willdecrease the street mentality that many young people have. If thishappens violence will begin to dwindle and more youth will get achance to be successful.12 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

SPEAK OUTBy Jessica Rojas, Brighton High SchoolToo many adults criticize young people and talk aboutus like we are up to no good. They don’t pay attention tothe fact that many of us have no way to make money andlittle opportunity to show the good things we can dowhen given the chance. If there were more adults whowould start noticing that many young people are doinggood deeds in the community, we could help preventmany problems and the violence level would go down.Two years ago, the state cut hundreds of youth leadershipjobs from the budget. This was a mistake becausehaving more youth leadership jobs adds up to moreyouth working, less youth on the corner, and more positivechange in our community. Now that the state is gettingmore money again it’s time they put that money backtowards the youth leadership jobs that they cut.It’s time to stop seeing youth as the problem and startseeing youth as part of the solution. It’s time the city,state, and federal government fund youth leadership jobsagain so we young people can get back to work makingour communities safer, healthier, and more productivefor everyone.By Angelo Pina, youth organizer, DorchesterThe police need to be more aware of youth and understandthat by harassing youth they jeopardize our futureand our communities. Right now, all the pressure is onthe police to solve all the problems by themselves. Thenthey go out and put all this pressure on us by stoppingand searching us just because we are in a certain place.The other day, I was in the park looking for the basketballI had left there the day before. That is when thepolice drove onto the courts and told me to get on theground and take off my coat. They searched me and afterthat, one of the officers started swearing and told meevery drug dealer he busted from now on was going tosay I was the snitch. Then they took me home and toldmy mom I was in the park looking for drugs.I know police have a job to do, but some police arerude, swearing at youth and threatening us. I am not acriminal. I am a good person who wants to do goodthings for my community, but this kind of behavior willnot help and will make things worse. Police need moretraining in how to relate to youth and more chances toget to know youth in a positive way.By Derek Patterson, East Boston High SchoolOne issue Dorchester faces is violence. To deal withthe problem, the city has asked the police to conductsweeps in high crime areas. When the police do a sweep,they go into the area and arrest as many people as theycan on whatever charge(s) they can find. I don’t knowwhy they think this will solve the problem and why peoplecan’t see this only makes things worse. For one thing,the people who are involved in these crimes are likely tomove their crimes to another area. Meanwhile, the policeare stopping, searching, and harassing many youth whoare innocent and arresting many others on minor violationsor even old warrants left on the books by mistake.The Positive Action Agenda·Significantly increase the number of year-roundleadership jobs for youth funded through city, state,and federal governments, and private foundations.·Significantly increase the number of year-roundemployment opportunities for youth funded throughcity, state, and federal governments, private foundations,corporations, and businesses.·Provide more intensive training to police in relatingto youth, conflict resolution, and prevention skills.·Increase the quality of city schools so they offerurban students the same educational opportunitiesthat suburban students get.·Increase drug and alcohol treatment services.·Encourage electronic and print media to increasepositive stories about urban teens.·Increase the number of music, art, and theaterafter-school programs available to teens.·Increase the number of street workers, increasetheir pay and benefits, and improve training programsthat can help them to do their jobs.·Increase the availability of low cost housing toensure that families can have a stable home life fortheir children.By doing this, some good kids are going to turn badand those who are really doing bad things will probablystay on the loose doing their business somewhere else.Wouldn’t it be better if police spent time gettingto know youth and community members and establishinggood communication with the people in theneighborhoods?By Rhydell Wright, Madison Park TechnicalVocational SchoolThe reason I feel so strongly about this is becausewhen I was young my mom was an alcoholic and a druguser. My father was a drug user and a drug dealer. As aresult of this my home was raided and me, my twin sister,and my other siblings were placed in DSS custody. Ispent much of my childhood years away from my familyand that is something I will never be able to get back.Some would say that I and many other youth like meare at risk of becoming drug abusers or commiting othercrimes. We all know that one thing can lead to another.Poverty can lead to criminal activities which can lead toviolence and that can lead to jail and the cycle goes onand on.To break that cycle we need more drug and alcoholprograms. We need to give more youth jobs as leaders.We need to make sure the foster care system protectsfamilies and helps children.By Jose Vizcarrondo, youth organizer, DorchesterThe other day I was walking my dog with my brotherdown by the park and I passed four detectives sitting ina car. They were parked on a corner waiting, and whenwe passed by they stopped us. I don’t know why theystopped us, but I guess it was because we fit thestereotype of the kind of youth who might cause trouble.Then they started asking questions. When they askedmy brother for his name, he gave my name because hewas on probation and was scared. When they asked memy name, I had to give them the wrong name. Then theysearched me and found my identification. That is whenone of the officers came up to me and said he was goingto smack me if I didn’t tell him the truth.Then they arrested my brother for a minorprobation violation.I’ve never been in trouble in my whole life. That policeofficer had no right to talk to me that way. If I had reactedto him in the way that he behaved I would be anotheryouth in trouble. Police have jobs to do, but they shouldbe trained to do it in a way that is lawful and respectfulof the rights of all people, including people like me.By Martin Simpson, Dorchester High SchoolI am focused on the stereotypes of inner-city youth.Just because we wear baggy clothes and talk a certainway we are labeled as criminals and that isn’t the case.It is hard on us not only because of stereotypes fromstrangers but also those from Boston police. I’m notsaying all police have stereotypical views but mostthat I have come in contact with do. One day after schoolI was outside waiting for a friend to come out of a storewhen two squad cars pulled up. They came so fast andloud you would think I just shot five kids. Before Ilooked up, I was pressed against the side of the storebeing interrogated. After I was searched and my friendcame out of the store they told us to keep it moving anddidn’t even apologize. I am saying an organization suchas the Boston police should go on something other thanlooks, maybe facts.By Sonia Alves, Charlestown High SchoolAs young people growing up in Dorchester we haveseen what is going on in our community. We think it isimportant when public officials try to figure out what todo about violence that they keep an awareness of theneeds that youth have for better foster care services,housing, and drug and alcohol treatment. We also thinkit is important for the media to realize how much urbanyouth need to have more positive stories on TV and inthe newspapers. Also, there needs to be more opportunitiesfor police to relate to youth in positive ways. Finally,the number of youth leadership jobs, after-school programs,and street workers who are willing and able toreach out to youth must increase.T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 13

MOVIE REVIEW★★‘She’s The Man’remakes old tale into funny flickBynes carries flimwith talented costarsBy Phil Donahue // T.i.P. Senior Editor★★ ★Amanda Bynes made an appearance at theCambridgeSide Galleria mall earlier this month inadvance of the release of her new movie “She’s TheMan.” A retake on the Shakespeare play “TwelfthNight,” the film is set to be released in theaters aroundthe country on March 17. Later in the day, T.i.P.reporters met with her in Boston for an exclusive interviewabout her acting career. Below, we review the filmand let you listen in on our Q and A conversation withBynes.★★★Take one tablespoon of a talented ensemble cast, mixin a little Shakespeare, sprinkle some gender confusionto taste, and you get the recipe for the funnyflick “She’s the Man,” opening in theaters on March 17.Amanda Bynes (“What a Girl Wants,” and TV’s “What ILike About You”) stars as the hilarious Viola in this adaptationof Shakespeare’s comedic play “Twel7fth Night.”Viola wants to prove she’s as good as the boys after herex-boyfriend Justin, played by the annoyingly arrogantRobert Hoffman (“You Got Served”) claims girls aren’tgood enough for soccer. Viola decides to prove Justinwrong by trading places with her twin brother, Sebastian(James Kirk), when he covertly travels to England withhis band instead of attending his new boarding school.With the help of a wig and faux facial hair, Amanda transformsinto her brother and joins the school’s soccer team.She plans to beat and shame her ex-boyfriend in a soccergame, proving that girls can play as hard as boys. But shestill needs to get out of second string. So she turns toroommate Duke, played by the handsome ChanningTatum (“Coach Carter”), to train her to compete againsther ex. In return, he wants Sebastian, who is really Viola,to help him get Olivia (Laura Ramsey) to like him. ButOlivia wants Sebastian even though she’s really Viola.On top of it all, Viola doesn’t want to help Duke go outwith Olivia because she/he likes Duke. Confused?The movie has a complex storyline but it plays wellon screen, especially because it is carried smoothly bya great cast with chemistry. Costar Laura Ramseyexplained where the chemistry comes from, saying: “Inorder to have great chemistry on screen you have to havegood friendships off screen. We all got along really, reallywell.” Robert Hoffman adds: “The cool thing was thatDreamWorks, the movie studio, wanted us to have goodchemistry. They paid for us to go to theme parks and riderides together. Fortunately, it worked. We bonded and Ithink that chemistry really came off on screen.”This movie is a riot, mainly due to Amanda Bynes,who helps carry the cast with a slapstick performancereminiscent of Lucille Ball. Also, there are many funnyscenes that focus on the gender bending theme of themovie. Most notable is the scene when Viola first entersher dorm as her brother and accidentally drops a box oftampons. Her excuse that she gets chronic nosebleedsand the tampons are more functional than tissue addsto her nerdy persona.Viola wants to prove that she can play soccer as wellas the boys and the film shows some great soccer scenesthat make viewers wonder how boys even manage to playthe difficult sport. This is most notable in a sidesplitting,yet scary dream sequence of the most violent game ofsoccer. “We had three weeks or so of camp,” explainsChanning Tatum. “They killed us, but in the same waythey inspired us.”“She’s the Man” has a lot to offer as a comedy and is agreat reinvention of an old idea. This movie is definitelyworth checking out.14 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

★★★Q and A: Amanda BynesBy Mike Smith//T.i.P. Staff Writer andPhil Donahue//T.i.P. Senior EditorT.i.P.: How did you feel when you looked in the mirrorafter dressing up as Sebastian for the first time?Amanda: I get this sick enjoyment out of it, like lookingdifferent. It’s sort of funny to be goofy. I really enjoy it.★T.i.P.: You made us laugh a lot when we watched “She’sthe Man.” What do you like about performing comedy?Amanda: It's part of who I am, you know, it takes youout of life. Plus it’s fun to make people laugh.T.i.P.: Would you ever try an action movie?Amanda: I might, in the future but not now.T.i.P.: In the movie, Laura Ramsey’s character, Olivia,had a crush on your character’s male counterpart.What was that like?Amanda: She was one of the few who kind of dug my look.T.i.P.: How do you want to be remembered by fans?Amanda: I’d like to be somebody that has, hopefully,made you laugh and lightened up your day.★★★★★MOVIE REVIEW★T.i.P. senior editorPhil Donahue (left)asks Bynes (right)about her acting career..★Amanda Bynes (third from left) is flanked by her costars and T.i.P. reporters.Photos by: Artist for HumanityT.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 15

Scholastic Art AwardsCongratulations to the Boston teens honored in this year’s Scholastic Art AwarLee BeardBoston Arts AcademyGrade 12ScholasticScholasticNham LeBoston Latin AcademyGrade 12Winston Chmielinskithe Roxbury Latin SchoolGrade 12Adrian GuerraBoston Arts AcademyGrade 11Winston Chmielinskithe Roxbury Latin SchoolGrade 12Norris DuncanBoston Latin HigGrade 1116 / T.i.P. / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

dsWinston Chmielinskithe Roxbury Latin SchoolGrade 12Art AwardsArt AwardsPhilippa StoddardWinsor SchoolGrade 7Rob LewisCommonwealth SchoolGrade 12Thuy-van TranBoston Latin AcademyGrade 8gh SchoolT.i.P. / BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 17

{Your}WRITE BRAIN STUFFpoetryInfluencedto HateBy Jacquelina Fontes // T.i.P. Staff WriterStanding up tall with eyes glaring out hiswindow,His thoughts are deep,And his head stooped low.PicturePerfectBy Tara Jackson // T.i.P. WriterAs I look at my gallery,Before I go to bed,There’s an image of you,Lasting in my head.Since I can’t read you,I don’t know how to feel.Are you just feeling compassion?Or are your feelings more real?Times spent together,Still existing in my mind,You haunt my dreams,Time after time.Missing you terribly,It irks me so,But the truth about it is,I cannot let you go.So when I wake in the morning,I look at my gallery and see,A picture perfect photo stating“Kinda cute, aren’t we???”I Lay MyHead DownBy Chanaya Simmons // T.i.P. WriterI see city lights, I see the PrudentialI see big dreamers, I see their potential.Bars and clubs, criminals flee the sceneTen-year-olds talkin’ more slang than me.The traffic lights are broken, drivers yellingup and down.Newborn begins cryin’ because of the suddensound.Look over, not surprised to see someone’sheadlightsShattered all over the concrete.Look forward, drive off, and hope the victimsmake ends meet.They’ll do anything to make a dollar,make a stack of green.So many options but they choose to do itillegally.Their faces frown up when the cuffs openA bag of self-destruction is not worth givingup your life.Single mom workin’ at minimum wage,three jobs,Overtime, just for her and her kids to makea wage.To the outsiders, they see it as a struggle,as a fight.To her, it’s just one’s ordinary, everyday life.Sittin’ on the stoop of her apartment,braidin’ her homie’s hairReady to jump at a chick who walked by’cause of her innocent glare.Hearin’ cops all night as I try to sleepthroughStay up anyway to watch what’s happenin’Next day, it’s the top story on the news.Shopping center by day, explicit actions bynightLuxurious spenders break their pockets,prostitutes and pimps putting up a fight.How many thoughts,how much he really cared.Why is this boy acting sad and scared?A tear dropping slowlyas his head is down in shame.Looking outside knowingit was himself to blame.Days from school have been hard tounderstand.People from one color,join to one hand.Don’t interact, don’t seem to care.The parents just choose to act unfair.His knees getting weak,his eyes pouring more.These thoughts, he fears,and runs out the door.Try to forget.Try to stand stronger.Thinking…Lord I can’t tolerate this hatred muchlonger.Finding himself running towards what heleft behind.Running from his hate.Running from his life.Now he knows it’s gone too far…In his hand is a knife.Why did he do it?Why doesn’t he feel free?Thinking to himself, why me?A white body on the ground, with redspots on his shirt.His hands, his clothes, covered with dirt.Running towards the body, and sadlyregrettingHe took away a life because of fearBut when I reach my residence at ease andForget all the catastropheI lay my head down to sleep and pray forA better society…18 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

WRITE BRAIN STUFF{Your}essaysArtwork by: Michael GuadarramaHE WANTS TO BE AN ENGINEERBy Hicham Mziguir // T.i.P. WriterIt was still dark outside on a recent Saturday morningwhen my alarm went off reminding me of the SAT Iwas planning on taking that day. When I opened myeyes, something magnetic caught my vision and mythought. It was the picture my mom had framed andhung on my bedroom wall, a picture of my two brothersand me when we first arrived in the United States.Before I could leave my bed, memories started takingover and dominating my thinking. It was the memoriesof my first day of school in this country.The moment I walked to my first class, which wasEnglish as a Second Language (ESL), I was surprisedto find out I was not the only person struggling withEnglish skills. I realized the few words of English Itaught myself at home had helped a lot. Days passedand I quickly adapted to my new environment. Realizingother students were struggling to adapt and pick up onour lessons, I started to help some of my classmatesduring class.Experiencing problems understanding lessons whenI first came to the US still motivates me to help otherswho are experiencing similar problems. One of themany things I enjoy doing in school is helping my classmateswho have problems keeping up with the rest ofthe class because English is not their firstlanguage. I help my peers in classes suchas math by explaining anything they arehaving problems with, as long as I knowhow. I also enjoy helping others by givingsimple suggestions regarding their artwork. This interest in helping others continuesoutside of my academics classes.Each evening after school, I come homeand talk with my younger brother aboutwhat he had difficulty understanding inclass, and explain things to him as clearlyas I can. After that, I start doing homeworkwith him and start mine after,because I am usually the only one availableat home who can provide such help.Helping my classmates and my youngerbrother reinforces what I’ve learned inschool and helps me fulfill my goal ofhelping others.A couple years ago, while living inMorocco, I believed I should do anythingto get a better education because thatwould lead me to a better life. When Icame here, my view started to change.Now my goal is coupled with the beliefthat I should also use my education tohelp other people so that they can experience a betterlifestyle. Because of my interest in math and physics,and my curiosity about computers, electrical engineeringis the career in which I am most interested. Withan electrical engineering degree, I can design computersthat will help others achieve a better education andlifestyle.ONE MORE DAY WITH MY DADBy Lisa Juliano //T.i.P. WriterIf I could have one last day with my dad, I would tellhim how much I love him. I would tell him that I willbe OK and that I will continue making him proud ofme. If I could have one more day with him, I would ask,“How does it feel knowing these are your last days onearth?” If I could have one more day with my dad, Iwould ask him to dance with me because I know thathe would not be there on my sweet 16. If I could haveone more day with my dad, I would tell him what agreat dad he is and that I am thankful for everything hehas done and that no one can replace him.If I could have one more day with my dad, I wouldtell him to hold me one last time and tell me everythingwill be OK. If I could have one more day with my dad, Iwould sit there and talk to him for hours about everythingthat has happened in my life. If I could have one“more day with him, I would tell him I could not havegone this far in my life if it weren’t for him not givingup on me. If I could have one more day with my dad,I would tell him I am happy I am his little girl and thatI would not change that for the world. If I could haveone more day with my dad, I would tell him it’s OK togo and that I love him and will take care of everyonein the family. I would say to him, “Don’t be afraid. Youwill now be with your loved ones and you no longerneed to suffer in this world.”WHY I WANT TO GO TO COLLEGEBy Teta Fofana //T.i.P. WriterEverybody for yourselves,” were the first wordsI learned in English. My uncle said this to mewhile we were running to cross the borderbetween Liberia and Guinea. It was 1990 and war wasravaging my country. Our village was invaded that dayand we ran from the gunshots. Once I crossed the border,I found myself alone and surrounded by people. Ihad no money and to reach the refugee camp I neededto pay for a bus. I felt terrified and desperate. I spottedan officer and told him my name. A woman standingnext to him recognized the name and said she wouldpay my way since she had known my great-grandmother.We arrived at the camp and I spent the next threemonths searching for my family.I spent these months without any comforts thatmost would consider vital. I survived in a tent withone bowl of food a day and two shirts for warmth.Every day I searched for water. At the end of thethree months, I finally found my grandmother.My new life with my grandmother and my sisters atthe camp consisted of fighting to get food every day forall of us. On days when we had enough food, I couldgo to school. Those days were few and far between.I dreamed of going to school in the United States. Mymother had left Liberia some years earlier and was arefugee in the US We had lost contact with her, butone day that changed. A woman who knew my mothercame to the camp looking for her own family. She recognizedus during her search and connected us to mymother. I had no idea what to expect when my momoffered to bring me over. Up to that point in my life,I had prayed constantly for this chance.In this country, my mother gave me the chance togo to school, have a warm, safe place to live, and mealsthree times a day. I could finally focus on my education.However, my dreams almost came crashing downwhen, three years later, I found out I was expecting ababy. I was disowned by my parents and an embarrassmentto my family. I had to have this baby without help[ COLLEGE, PAGE 20 ]T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 19

WRITE BRAIN STUFFCollege [ FROM PAGE 19 ]from my family, my only support in this country.Fortunately, the uncle I was living with allowedme to stay with him. I got in touch with thebaby’s grandmother who agreed to keep herafter she was born. Over this past year I haveworked very hard to rebuild my relationshipwith my family.These experiences help me to focus on whatis important and how far I have come. My determinationto be the first in my family to go to collegeand to be a good role model to my daughterand community remain stronger than ever.My heart is filled with the desire both to studyhard and to be a great mother. School has beenmy longtime love and now I have an additionallove in my life. Famatta, my daughter, and thememory of what it took to get to this countryhave been the biggest reasons for me to remainstrong and determined to reach my dreams.LOOKING FOR REAL FRIENDSBy Jessica Lopez // T.i.P. WriterItwas a day near the end of winter. I was inmy house when I looked up and I saw HIM.He was walking down the street with mybest friend.I went outside and, as usual, they were sittingon the stairs, waiting for me to come out.Suddenly, I heard my name in their conversation.I stayed next to the door, sothey wouldn’t notice I was listening. Iheard him say, “She is annoying. She’salways fishing for compliments from meand she thinks that I like her a lot. Shemust be cra…”My best friend replied, “What is yourproblem?! You guys have been friendsfor five years. You should be a goodenough friend to tell her this to her face!”Just as he was about to say something,I walked out and said, “Now I know whomy REAL friends are. Just go!”I turned to get comforted by my bestfriend and asked her, “Why? Why didhe lie to me?” She held my face, wipedaway my tears, and smiled trying to putthe pieces back together.” Before shewas “just a friend” but now she is my“best friend.”Even though I ended a friendship, Imade another friendship stronger. I nowthank him because he taught me that Imust choose friends wisely, and cherishall REAL friends. Like they say, “Trulygreat friends are hard to find, difficultto leave, and impossible to forget.”Artwork by: Adrian AquinoUNWANTED AND LOOKING FOR LOVEBy Janelly Chavez // T.i.P. WriterArtwork by: Mike GuadarramaLast night his deep blue eyes couldn’tsee anymore. They turnedblind. I revealed my hidden secretsto him. Thinking he would say thesame, I told him I loved him and hewas the one for me. He was blind. Itwasn’t that he couldn’t see; it was thathe didn’t know what I was saying. Hiseyes turned flushed and he remainedspeechless. I guess he never felt thesame way.Gazing into his eyes, I rememberedall the times he stayed by my side.How he would lift me when I fell, andwipe my tears when I cried. His presencesoothed me and made me feel athome even if we were miles away. Hemade my days feel brighter even withthe absence of my father.My father left my mother and I whenI was only two years old. I haven’theard from him since. I have nevereven seen a picture of him. But everyonesays I look just like him. Maybethat’s why my mother resents me. It’slike every time she sees me she wantsto break down and cry. What hurtsmore is that there are days that shedoesn’t want to see my face.He, on the other hand, did havetime for me and that’s what I lovedmost about him. I just couldn’t standthe fact that after I told him how Ifelt about him he had no reaction. SoI left, trying to hold the flood of tearsuntil I stepped out. I couldn’t sleepthat night thinking, “how could someoneso close to you leave you soempty?” At that moment I realized Iloved him for all the wrong reasons.I always looked for the love of afather in other people. That’s whatI did with him. He was the only onewho could figure out my life’s jigsawpuzzle. Everyone else thought theyhad the right pieces, but they couldn’tseem to fit them in. I was alwaysmissing that unconditional love andI realized there was no one on thisearth that could ever give it to meas much as I looked for it.I stepped into the bathroom,opened the cabinet, and took outa bottle of Tylenol. I know whatyou’re thinking. Yes, I did it. At 1:37a.m. I died, not because I wanted tobut because I was unwanted.20 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

STOPNot enough airplayThese are songs from popular albums that haven’t had muchairplay but deserve a listen, so download these:ARTIST/SONG/ALBUM1. Sean Paul/Give It Up To Me/The Trinity2. Gwen Stefani/Danger Zone/Love.Angel.Music.Baby.3. Fall Out Boy/Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner/FromUnder The Cork Tree4. Black Eyed Peas (Ft. Justin Timberlake)My Style/Monkey Business5. Chris Brown/Gimme That/Chris Brown–By Phil Donahue and Carla GualdronQ and A: Local Artist: Rena Lambrinidis, 16By Carla Gualdron // T.i.P. Staff WriterTHeJuKEBOXArtwork by: Savanna McKayCarla Gualdron: How long have you been interested in music?Rena Lambrinidis: I’ve been interested in music since I wasabout 10 years old.CG. What is it about music you love?RL: There’s no right or wrong when it comes to music. I am ableto express myself in a way that I would not be able to tell anyonein a conversation. It’s an emotional release for me. The reactionthat you get from other people makes it worth it...CG: What inspires you to write a song?RL: Personal experience, what I’m feeling, things I see.People...inspire me. All the positive and negative things peoplego through.CG. What’s your favorite song you’ve written?RL: My favorite song that I’ve written so far would be “Lost in Time.”It’s my favorite because I based it on people I’ve lost. This song is onethat I can really connect to. It helped me release a lot of pain and questionsthat needed to be dealt with.CG: Do you enjoy performing in front of an audience?RL: Yes. It’s different when you just hear a song from a CD and actuallysee them performing. It’s the only thing that makes me 110 percenthappy to be able to influence people.CG: Ever get stage fright?RL: I only get stage fright when there’s only a couple of people. If it’s a bigaudience I’m OK. Don’t get me wrong, I still get butterflies either way.CG: So what are you working on now?RL: Right now I’m just brainstorming. I’m thinking of different ideas I canwrite about that have to do with personal and emotional conflicts.CG: What are your plans for the future?RL: I plan on taking my career as far as I can. In the future I’m always goingto be singing, rapping, and recording no matter how much publicity I get.Are greatest hits CDs a rip-off?By Phil Donahue // T.i.P. Senior EditorEminem, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff,‘NSync, Ja Rule, and Ashanti have allreleased greatest hits albums since 2004.You may ask why these young and fairlynew artists have shot out greatest hitsalbums so early in their careers. One answer maybe that the record industry is trying to make up forlost profits due to a growing illegal download era,by rereleasing formerly original products in a differentpackage.50 Cent, Mariah Carey, and Usher rereleasedalbums shortly after the original release date oftheir albums last year. This trend is coming at atime when dual-discs are an incentive to buymusic from iconic artists like Madonna. But consumerswould rather get the same songs for freevia the World Wide Web.Most Wanted, Number ones, The Best of…,Curtain Call, and Collectables are some of thetitles used to name the greatest hits albums. All ofthese names are sugarcoated labels for the samething: a new CD with a collection of old songs.But greatest hits recordings aren’t a total rip-off.Some contain new tracks or remixed songs. This isone of the reasons discs like Destiny’s Child’s #1’sand Eminem’s “Curtain Call: The Hits” peaked atnumber one on the Billboard Top 200.[ RIP-OFF, 22 ]T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 21

THeJuKEBOXCD rip-off [ FROM PAGE 21 ]Artwork by: Jose GuadarramaNot only are record companies compiling greatest hitsalbums, the industry is making compilation CDs such as the“Now That’s What I Call Music” and the “Totally Hits” series.The 20th installment of the “Now” series sold 2 million copiesand peaked at number one on the Billboard Top 200.It’s obvious from sales that people are buying repackagedmusic. But these sales barely balance the scales for the evergrowingdownloading music industry. Last year, the GwenStefani single “Hollaback Girl” became the first track to sell1 million units electronically. So these greatest hits albumsare barely making a dent in the marketplace because consumersaren’t easily fooled. Oops! Maybe the greatest hitsrage isn’t a rage at all.Hip-hop gets a bad rapBy Jennifer Sanchez // T.i.P. Staff WriterHip-hop is a cultural movement that involves music, dance,and art. Coming up in the parks of South Bronx in New YorkCity in 1973, hip-hop grew to be more than graffiti art, deejaying,and break dancing. It became the continuation of ourancestor’s visions and dreams of justice and equality amongall people by not discriminating against color but weavingmusic in with messages to promote freedom.But because of commercialization in recent years, somepeople have become blind to what hip-hop is. When hip-hopfirst came out it consisted of four elements: emceein; deejayin,graffiti art, and breakdancing. This is what our generationknows as being from “back in theday.” Now, hip-hop in America hasbeen redefined through TV and exposure,and people only see what themedia shows them. These imagesconfuse hip-hop and rap, and peoplelose sight that hip-hop began as apositive movement. Rap has becomeprofanity-based music telling “streetstories” whereas hip-hop was alwaysa bigger art form. Media refers to thetwo things interchangeably, so mygeneration thinks of hip-hop as rap,and vice versa. The media calls it hiphopwhen they report on the negativityand violence in the music world.They don’t clarify that despite commonorigins and rap’s evolution fromhip-hop, they are two separate things. As KRS-One notes,“Rap is something we do, hip-hop is something we live!”What is rap and does it give teens a positive perspective?Not being a big fan of rap, I cannot answer that. But as a littlesister of an admirer of hip-hop who listens to the words, Iknow hip-hop has given me knowledge of self and a positiveattitude. Hip-hop is something good. It showed me that youdon’t need bling and fancy cars to be famous or, even moreimportant, to be happy.Hip-hop has not died out but has been overruled by rap.This is not a problem because industries play what sells. Butwhat about those who still bring in old flavor? Don’t theydeserve the chance to be heard and to get their messages out?I suggest we get reacquainted with hip-hop’s true roots byallowing those who still keep the flavor around a chance to beheard. It’s also time to realize the difference between hip-hopand rap. My opinion: hip-hop has lost its touch but not its soul,so it is up to us to make sure hip-hop does not get a bad rap.CD Review:Empowerment:The Powerto Break You FreeBy Mike Smith // T.i.P. Staff WriterAsked to review a new CD from nonprofit organizationProject: Think Different, I hesitated because usually CDs likethis where people try to go out and do “something different”turn out to be horrible. The term “do something different” islike a cover up for when somebody is just bad at what theydo and they’re trying to make a legitimate case. I reviewedthis CD track by track on a scale of 0-5 with five being thebest possible score. Here are my picks for the top 10 tracks.02-Thinking Cap: AfroDZak. Sounds like somebody rappingover a soft jazz melody. If you can get past the weird way itsounds this is an OK song because AfroDZak is actually spittin’something serious. 3.5/505-Healing the Streets. Shuman. This track was fire. I actuallyturned this track back on more than once. Get passed thejazzy rap feel and you’ve got a banga. 4/506-Neva Go Platinum. Mingo. This is probably the illesttrack on this CD so far. Listen to this. Mingo raps about howthe industry sets up the artist from the start to the end. Howthe artist is actually pretty good and all his friends tell himso, then he meets the big record executive who tells him tochange his whole style and rap more about cars, girls, and therest of the commercial stuff. The reason he calls it Never GoPlatinum is because if you have to change your whole rapstyle and flow, even though people told you you were good,then what’s the point of going platinum? The message is there,and the song is hot regardless. 5/507-This is Life. Iyeoka Okoawo featuring The Foundationand Bambu. This was a beautiful melody. They basically tooka drum pattern and sung behind it to make a beat. This trackis hot because it’s got a singing/poetic feel. This track soundsreal smooth. I can bump this. 4/508-Get Free. Lauren Coen. This track is like a guiltypleasure. It’s just a piano and some lady singing but itwas serious! 3.5/509-Freedom Song. Sofia Snow. Sofia speaks a long poem oversome dark noise. If you’ve heard Sofia before then you shouldknow she’s going to be good. Hot but could be better. 4/512-Here’s to You. Melissa Li. Sounds like some straight R&B.I was feeling this. 4/513-Across the Sea. Lauren Flaherty featuring Bio. This isa straight rock song and it confused me to death. 3/516-My God Can Beat Up Your God. Roger Miller & The22 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

THeJuKEBOXFoundation. This is a rock slash rap song. They venturedout on this one and for me it was a hit. I don’tknow who’s rapping but who ever is, is definitelykillin’ it. As soon as I turned this on, I was bumping tothe lyrics and flow. I was able to go right past theweird rock beat and listen to the lyrics because I wascaptivated. This track is for anyone who can listen tohotness no matter what. 5/517-Radio Down. Media Friend. Slow Melody toclose out the CD. This song sounds like somethingI’ve never heard. I can’t explain it. The whole ideaof this CD was to reach out and think differently, soI can’t knock this track. It was hot to me for everythingit was. 4/5Project: Think Different’s “Empowerment” CD triednew things with the music to tell everyone to do justthat—“think differently, stop feeding yourself thegarbage that’s on TV” But, when you do venture outlike that, it’s a risk. There’s nothing wrong with beingdifferent but you might miscalculate with your audienceand what they’ll listen to. With some songs itseems like they tried to use being different as anexcuse and it’s not a good one. But, overall there area lot of solid tracks on this CD so I wouldn’t pass itup. That surprises me since earlier I said I would bescared to review it because of my past experienceswith people who try to “do something different.” 7/10.“Empowerment: The Power to Break You Free”is available to purchase at www.projectthinkdifferent.orgor by calling 617-557-9200.Rhapsody in BostonBy Stuart Spina // T.i.P. Staff WriterThere’s nothing teens like more than listening tomusic. 50 Cent, Beyoncé, The Eagles, Metallica. Weall have our favorite artists. There are some teens,however, who make their own music instead of buyingit in stores or listening to it on the radio.Take Sam Davis, a 16-year-old Boston teen whohas been playing the clarinet for eight years and thesaxophone for one. “It’s a lot of fun,” Davis says.Artwork by: Wesley Reyes“The effort you put into a piece is rewarding.” Davishas performed at many events, including his school’swinter concert. What’s his key to success? “The mostimportant thing is to put a lot of time into an instrument.It may not be fun at first but practice makesyou sound good,” he says.Shelby Ridley, 17, a wicked good pianist with threeyears experience, plays a lot of R&B including thepopular hits of Alicia Keys and Johnny Legend. Hertips for other musicians: “Practice makes perfect”and “stay focused.”Michael Behr, 15, has had experience playing theviolin for nine years and the piano for seven. He isalso a baritone singer. He said it was mostly his parents’decision that he become musical, and it appearsthey chose well. Behr loves to perform. He gives arecital at least once a year and is active in his schoolchorus. Behr advises you should probably “practicemore than I do.”At T.i.P., staff writer Neelabh Bharti has his ownmetal band, Circle the Sky, for which he plays guitarand is lead singer. Bharti says he and his band arealways looking for gigs and recently played at thePaladium in Worcester. Bharti says: “I have playedthe piano since I was seven. The piano gives mesomething to do when I’m bored. It entertains meand my friends. Plus it’s good for my hands (improvesdexterity and nimbleness, which means I probablywon’t get arthritis when I’m older). I never picturemyself being a grand concert pianist, but I have performeda few times for school events. I do hope,however, that one day I can play Rimsky-Korsakov’s‘Flight of the Bumblebee.’ It’s extremely difficult toplay. The piece takes three minutes to play all theway through, but there are seven pages of music!”Music is a vital part of many teens’ lives. It allowsus to express ourselves, show our creativity and havefun. Whether it’s a hobby or an outlet, many couldn’tlive without it. Maybe there is something teens likemore than listening to music. Playing it.Next big thing: Ne-YoBy Phil Donahue // T.i.P. Senior EditorNe-Yo was born into a family of musicians inArkansas as Shaffer C. Smith. Twenty-two years later,he is taking the music industry by storm with his antilovesong “So Sick.” He began as a songwriter, composinghits for Mary J. Blige, B2K, Faith Evans, andMario. Now he’s in front of the microphone droppingthe hits.Ne-Yo is a rare artist, distinguished by his youthfulenergy and deep lyrics. His debut album, “In My OwnWords” came out in late February with Def JamRecordings. This dynamic artist delivers. Mixing popmelodies with soulful productions, his album is sureto be a classic.Q and A: Local artistGary Calceron of AlofoqueBy Carla Gualdron // T.i.P. Staff WriterCarla Gualdron: Who are the membersof Alofoque?Gary Calceron: Geliz, Rey-D,and Jazel (that’s my stage name).CG: How did the group get started?GC: The group got together in 2001. Westarted by just singing and rapping in thestreets of Boston. Since we all went to differentschools, we would meet up at trainstations and just rap.CG: What is it about music that you love?GC: I love the feeling of performing, howit makes people dance, and the fact thatI’m able to express myself through mysongs. Plus, it’s a good stress reliever.CG: How long have you guys beenperforming?GC: Four years now. We’ve been to placeslike Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey,Pennsylvania, Chicago, Ohio, Tennessee,and Florida. We’ve performed in concerts,nightclubs, festivals, and parades.CG: What kind of music do you play?GC: Mainly reggaeton, but we mix itup with merengue, bachata, andJamaican reggae.CG: What inspires you to write a song?GC: We get most of our ideas from ourown experiences like being in a relationship,life situations, and partying.CG: So what are you guys workingon now?GC: Right now we are working on ourthird video, working with new managementand production.T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 23

THeJuKEBOXArtwork by: Artists for HumanityDream on with MTV’sbirthday bashesBy Leona Alston // T.i.P. Staff Writer“Sweet Sixteen!!” Yes, I’m talking about the MTV showfeaturing those expensive parties. Listen up. Accordingto MTV, producers look for the most over-the-top, outrageous,and exclusive parties to film. “My Super Sweet 16”documents all the planning, primping and preparing thatgoes into pulling off the ultimate teen birthday bash.Maybe you remember Sophie, the teen who had one ofthose extravagant sweet 16’s on MTV, spending thousandsof dollars just to show off, what? How much moneyshe has? In reality, most 16-year-olds don’t have bigparties, and few can afford them. My question: doproducers think about how less fortunate teenagerswould feel or react when they watch this show? Tohelp answer the question, T.i.P. asked a few Bostonteenagers what they thought of “My Super Sweet16,” what their dream birthday would be like, andwhether or not they wanted to be the subject ofthe show.Crystal Tarpeh-Doe, a 15-year-old at Boston ArtsAcademy (BAA), says MTV’s show makes her feel“not wealthy enough to receive all that I want.” Herdream birthday would be “with all my friends, and maybeI’d have a celebrity there.” The MTV show is unrealistic,she says, and makes most less fortunate teens feel as ifthey aren’t good enough. Kayla Williams, a 16-year-oldfrom Boston Community Leadership Academy (BCLA),says she thinks TV focuses on upper-class characters andthemes because “it’s more interesting and exciting.”In Boston, teens say a typical sweet 16 party wouldprobably consist of renting a hall for a few hours andmaybe hiring a deejay, decorating the place yourself, andgiving out homemade favors. Maybe you could squeeze alimo ride in there too, but that’s a far cry from thesespoiled teens in California having parties at the Hilton,complete with A-list deejays, party planners giving Gucciwatches as favors, and brand new Mercedes Benzes asgifts! The producers of reality TV—if that’s what it is—should have the audience in mind whether we’re rich orpoor, white or black. The wealthy may be interesting andexciting but these outrageous parties are offensive tomany viewers.TiPical ConversationBy Phil Donahue // T.i.P. Senior EditorT.i.P. invaded Madison Park Technical Vocational Highschool and Boston Adult Technical Academy and askedstudents one question: “Which celebrity do people sayyou resemble most?” Here’s what they had to say.Name: Davidson Hosty, sophomoreLook-a-like: “A Bulls’ player, Luol Deng”Name: Christopher Armstrong, seniorLook-a-like: “Snoop Dogg because I have long hairand I have a long face.”Name: Tania Nora, juniorLook-a-like: “JLo because of my back-end feature.”Name: Antonio Brando, juniorLook-a-like: “Manny Ramirez!”Name: Catia Cardoso, juniorLook-a-like: “Alicia Keys...my boyfriend says so.”Paid SummerJournalismInternshipHonoring Caroline Knapp,journalist and authorJUNIORS (Class of 2006)• Do you enjoy writing?• Have you ever wondered what it would be liketo be a journalist?Earn $10 per hour while working as a high school intern at:The Boston Globe • The Boston Herald • The Jamaica Plain GazetteFill out an application (due March 31st) for this opportunityStudents from the following six schools are invited to apply:★ Boston Community Leadership Academy★ Parkway Academy of Technology and Health★ Media, Communications and Technology High SchoolGo to www.writeboston.org and click on“Summer Opportunities” to download theCaroline Knapp Summer JournalismInternship application.★ Odyssey High School★ Monument High School★ English High School24 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006WriteBoston • 2201 Washington Street • Roxbury, MA 02119 • Phone: 617-541-2604 • www.writeboston.org

10needs ironing. No time!Things to Think About Whendressing for schoolIn the fog of morning or in the haze of too little sleep, in the landfill that is your bedroom,you must pull out something to wear. Every day! We know what questions go through yourhead as you struggle to decide. To make the job easier, T.i.P. suggests asking these questions.. Is it clean? Does9it pass the snifftest? Did my littlesister use it to wipe hergrimy hands when Iwasn’t looking?. Is it too wrinkled? Forget it if it1 08. When did I last wear it? Will anyonenotice if I wear it again?. Am I in the right mood to wear this? Is it7too daring, too bright, too bold? Too dressy?Too sloppy?. .What’s the forecast?5Warm now with snowshowers by the timeschool lets out? Gotta beprepared in this town.. Is it in style? I want to look good, but don’t want6to look like I’m trying too hard. Name brands aregood but they can’t be too flashy. Don’t want toscream, “Slave to fashion right here!”. Does this go with this? Where’s mom when you need her?4Photo by: Jessica Pan. Does this still3fit me? Oh no!These pantsshrunk in the wash!. But I want to2wear these shoes.Now I have tochange the whole outfit.. Forget school. I’m going1shopping today!Photo by: Ping ZangT.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 25

HEALTH BEATBad habits arehard to quitBy Wesley JeanBaptisteT.i.P Staff WriterWe all have bad habits, whether we noticethem or not. For teens, the list of bad habits islong: neglecting health, stressing out, procrastinating,losing tempers, smoking, watchingtoo much TV, compulsive shopping, nail biting,compulsive lying, hair pulling, thumb sucking,pathological gaming, shoplifting, and computergaming. If any of these sound familiar, don’tworry. You’re not alone.Lucky for T.i.P. readers, several local teenswere willing to share some of their bad habitsand how they’re dealing with them. RonaldZelaya, 17, from South Boston High has a badhabit of laughing at inappropriate times. Hehas had this habit for a year and he sees thepositive side of it: He doesn’t get mad easily.He also sees the negative side: Angry peoplearound him get even more mad when helaughs. Zelaya thinks the way to solve his badhabit is to think of something serious whentalking to upset people.Kayan Makenzie, 17, from South BostonHigh has the thumb sucking habit. She saysshe has been sucking away at her finger eversince she was a toddler teething in diapers.What keeps her doing it are three triggers:boredom, nervousness, and crying.“I don’t know how to stop but I will try mybest to stop,” Makenzie says. But she worries,“It’s going to be so hard because it’s more thana habit, it’s an addiction.”Jasmani Marinez 16, from South BostonHigh, bites his fingernails. “I’ve been doing itsince I was 10 years old.” He links his habit toanother habit: playing video games. He sayswhile waiting for the games to load, “I seemyself eating away at my fingers.” Marinezsays it is hard to open bags of candy and chipsbecause he has no fingernails. “I could go to asalon and get my nails fixed but I still mightend up biting them.”Manny Hernandez, 17, from South BostonHigh is a smoker. He started smoking in theseventh grade. He says smoking makes himhappy and “it brings people together.” TheBoston teenager says he is at a loss for howto quit. “I really don’t know how to stop,maybe going to the DR [Dominican Republic]would help?”In fact, studies show that going someplace you know you can’t and won’t smoke,might help.Francine Labissiere, 16, from CodmanAcademy can’t control shaking her leg. Shehas been shaking for three years. “I really onlydo it when I’m nervous, afraid, impatient, andwhen I cry.” She thinks maybe counting to her-Photo by: Artists for HumanityPhoto by: Cyndle Strawhecker Photo by: Artists for Humanityself might help but she fears it’s not goingto work.For a medical look into all these badhabits, Beverly Leonard, R.N., who worksat the Boston Globe as an OccupationalHealth Nurse, gave her thoughts on theabove habits. “For smoking you shouldlook into programs at a health center. Mostpeople can’t quit alone and if you have supportof others who are in the same positionas you are, that helps.” This is important,she says, because teens respond to someonewho can see where we’re coming from.“Some other things that may work for smokingare chewing gum, maybe the patch, evenmedication,” she says. “Most habits arecaused by low seratonin in your brain andwhat helps that is antidepressants.”Leonard also thinks that for nail biting,thumb sucking, leg shaking, and spitting,you should keep a log. “First, think aboutwhat triggers your habits to make sure thatyou’re aware when and why you do it. Allthat you can record in a log. Now that youknow what triggers your habits, you canbegin to find substitutes.”So, next time you catch yourself indulgingin a bad habit, stop and think, “Hey, maybethere is hope.” We can overcome theseflaws; We just might just need a nudge in theright direction.BReAK THaT HAbITBreaking bad habits is like studying for theSAT. You’d rather not put in the effort, butyou know it will improve your life in the end.So, here are T.i.P.’s suggestions for how toget rid of an old habit that you don’t wantto do anymore.★ Identify the bad habits you want tobreak. Are you a nail biter? Do you suck yourthumb? Do you wait until the garbage trucksshow up to clean your room? It will help youchange if you know up front what behaviorsyou want to stop.★ Keep a diary. Every time you do your badhabit, write it down. Where were you? Whattriggered your bad habit? Were you bored?Stressed? Lonely? Annoyed? It’s easier tochange a habit once you are aware of whattriggers the behavior.★ Ask friends and family for help. Tell themthe bad habit you are trying to break andask them for support. Find a buddy who istrying to break the same habit and you canhelp each other.★ Replace a bad habit with a new, betterhabit. Do you smoke? Put down those cancersticks and exercise instead. Do you pulland twist your hair? Get a new shorter hairstyle as you ease into your new behavior.Grieve the loss of your old habits. You willfeel lonely and upset for a while but it willget easier. Experts say you can develop newpositive habits within 14 days of stoppingthe old behavior.26 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

Dorchester youthcouncil makes the“Dot” a better placeBy Julie Balasalle // T.i.P. WriterEvery week, 15 teenagers meet in a room overlookingFields Corner in Dorchester. These teenagersattend public and private schools in Boston. Theycome from many different backgrounds and cultures,and range from ninth to 12th graders. Despite theirdifferences, the teens come together with one goal in mind:to make Dorchester a better place.These teenagers are part of Dorchester Youth Council(DYC). The mission of the DYC is to make a difference inthe community, by distributing mini-grants to youth projectsand by implementing civic initiatives. The youth receiveleadership training and ongoing support from adult advisorsto coordinate this mini-grant process and address communityissues of concern. As community leaders, these teens alsoencourage their peers to become active citizens. In returnfor their service, DYC members develop practical skills,learn the importance of leadership and teamwork, and gaina better knowledge of community issues.As the mission states, the DYC takes their job of betteringDorchester seriously. There are many ways in which themembers fulfill the mission but one of the most interestingis the mini-grant. Every year, the DYC distributes $10,000 toDorchester youth or Dorchester youth programs that applyfor a mini-grant. The mini-grant request must be a servicelearningproject that is led by Dorchester youth. Afterreviewing all the mini-grant applications, the DYC deliberateswhat the community needs the most, and which projectsfill those needs. This year with the generous supportof Sovereign Bank, the DYC gave out $15,000 to theDorchester community.Another way the DYC addresses the community’s needs isthrough an annual event in February. One of the main issuesthe DYC has identified as a major problem is the lack ofinformation for youth on making healthy choices in theirlives. It is more than just understanding things like sexuallytransmitted diseases, but incorporating healthy choices inother areas of life, such as understanding asthma or how tomanage stress. The DYC came together and decided that thebest way to address this issue was to host a party whereDorchester youth could learn about all the resources availableto them in a safe and fun setting. Dubbed “Safe Love”by the DYC, this event has become an annual Valentine’sDay party that reaches hundreds of Dorchester teenagers.Through their work, the Dorchester Youth Council hasalso identified the need to connect youth in Dorchester withopportunities to serve their communities and to learn aboutservice from other youth. Therefore, we are excited to behosting events for National Youth Service Day on April 21 inDorchester. These events will bring together youth programsfrom the Dorchester community to share their experiencesand promote youth service.Through all of these events, the DYC hopes to connectyouth in Dorchester to inspire other youth to impact theircommunities. And through all the events and the planning,15 teenagers still gather to figure out more ways they canhelp their community. Despite different schools, ages, backgrounds,and cultures, they are a unified group that has oneclear mission: to make their community of Dorchester a betterplace. For more information about the SCI DorchesterYouth Council, please contact Julie Balasalle at 617-474-1422or jbalasalle@scidorchester.org .Artwork by: Jesse Racusen Artwork by: Andre LambertArtwork by: Cassandra LattimoreDotA poem forBoston’s mayorBy Monique Symes and Shalaya WestThe following poem, written by two Boston teens,was read at Mayor Menino’s Inaugurationceremony in January.A new yearA new promiseA new lease on lifeThe youth stand up to take on aborrowed legacyA legacy of determination, love, happinessand wisdomThe youth stand up and take on a dutyA duty to uphold and preserve our nation’simpact on the worldTo teach those after us the values of lifeTo steer those who are lost and confusedin the right wayTo hold together families with our newfound strengthTo bring new insight and ideas to the roundtable of lifeTo improve upon solutions now ineffectivewith the changing timesThe youth stand up to take on responsibilityArtwork by: Billy NunezT.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 27

Military [ FROM PAGE 1 ]Recruitment posters oftendepict female cadets.Photo by: Haidan Hodgsonare more surprised a female has chosen the military.“I just want to go over there and use my skills,”she says.Barrows is taking a route that fewer teens—male or female---dare to travel after highschool. Military recruitment has been decliningsince the war in Iraq began, according toreports in the Boston Globe. Last year, theArmy had one of the worst recruiting years indecades, falling more than 6,600 recruits shortof its goal, according to the Globe.In Boston Public Schools, less than 2 percentof the class of 2003 opted for the military, comparedwith 38 percent who pursued some form ofhigher education, according to a report by the Centerfor Labor Market Services at Northeastern University.But the US government is taking every action toincrease recruitment. Under the 2001 ‘No Child LeftBehind’ Act, government funded schools must nowturn in a list of students’ names and contactinformation at the military’s request.According to the Globe, the governmentadded more than 1,500 new recruiterslast year. Generally, recruiters concentrateon lower middle class communitieswhere they believe studentsare more likely to joinbecause of the financial benefitsof serving in the armed forces.A recruiter’s job is to get asmany eligible people to sign upfor the armed forces as possible.The government has alsoimproved incentives by raisingcollege scholarships for studentswho enter after highschool. Under the MontgomeryG.I. Bill, the Navy will pay upto $37,000 in education benefitsfor a sailor once they completeactive duty, or 100 percenttuition reimbursement foraccredited courses that asailor takes on his own timewhile serving. Last year, theArmy began a high schoolequivalency program makingit easier for high school dropoutsto join and still be ableto continue their educations.Many wonder if the presenceof a Junior ROTC(Reserve Officers’ TrainingCorps) program at a highschool means recruitersare trying to lure youngerstudents to join the military.Several Boston highschools have JROTC programs,such as the one atSouth Boston EducationalComplex. Charles J.Korzeniowski Jr. seniorinstructor for the South Boston JROTC is quick to respondthat ROTC programs inBoston are not designed to be a military recruiting tool.“We are not, I want to say again—not military recruiters!”There is a common misconception that the JROTC is adirect push into the military after high school.”Korzeniowski explains, “We are not here to try to get anybodyto join the military. We are here to teach a particularcurriculum. That curriculum has one goal and one goal only:To motivate young people to be better citizens.”Even when students decide military is the path they wantto take, Korzeniowski says he makes sure it’s the right decisionfor that particular student. “We want to make sure thatthey know what they’re getting into,” he says.Barrows doesn’t have JROTC in her school and she didn’tjoin the Air Force because of a recruiter’s tactics. She saysher influence was closer to home. “My oldest brother is inthe Army,” she says. “I admire him.”Other teens who join the military do so for the financialIn Boston Public Schools, less than 2percent of the class of 2003 opted forthe military, compared with 38percent who pursued some form ofhigher education, according to a reportby the Center for Labor MarketServices at Northeastern University.support, or the career training it provides. AmalSheikhahmed, 17, who attends Odyssey High School,is thinking of joining the military after graduation. “Itinterests me. It will help in the future because I want tobe a cop. It would give training and discipline,” she says.But one Boston based group, the Boston Direct ActionProject (BDAP), wants teenagers to know that signing upfor the armed forces isn’t the only route to a successfulfuture. The booklet “Alternatives to the Military,” was createdfor teens considering the armed forces and displays otherroutes young people can take after high school. These pathsinclude alternative options for getting funding, going to college,and joining volunteer groups, such as City Year, beforefurthering their education. “We hope it will help empowerpeople to gain access to education, jobs, resources andopportunities,” according to BDAP. There is a downloadableversion of the booklet atwww.bostondirectactionproject.blogspot.com.Still, some BPS teens who wouldn’t even consider themilitary have unknowingly signed up to receive informationfrom military recruiters. At the beginning of each schoolyear students are given “The Guide to the Boston PublicSchools” booklet. On the cover of the booklet is a yellowbox with small blue print reading “This publication containsimportant information.” The important information includesforms that if remain unsigned, allow BPS to release studentinformation to the military. Many students and parents overlookthe small yellow box or even fail to receive the bookletfrom their child or school at all. Students then unknowinglyget put on a military recruitment list. This is also part of thePhoto by: Arryanna Wilson28 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

‘No Child Left Behind’ initiative.Project Hip-Hop, a youth-led organization in Boston that teachesteenagers to be activists, is addressing this problem by handing out“Don’t Give Out My Name” postcards around Boston. “We mostlywent around the Roxbury and South Boston areas, and downDudley,” says 17-year-old Shavaysha Massaquoi, a member of ProjectHip-Hop involved in the grass-roots movement to educate teens. Thegroup also went to Madison Park Technical Vocational High Schooland Boston Day and Evening Academy to pass out the postcards,she says. In Boston, 3,700 students, or 19 percent of the city’s highschool enrollment, have already removed their names from militaryrecruiting lists, according to reports in the Globe.–Globe coop student Kyle Siconolfi contributed research to this report.BSAC BUZZBy Alafia Spencer and Chris-Ann Dawkins // T.i.P. WritersSo what’s the deal with BSAC? We havereturned after a great break and we’re back inbusiness. Here are some exciting happenings:BSAC has successfully completed our ninthgrade recruitment. At Freshmen Orientationin January, we welcomed more than 20 newapplicants, representing 16 schools.The top item currently on our agenda isthe lock-out portion of the tardy policy. SinceOctober, we have been working on the issueof students getting locked out of school ifthey are late. We finally presented our proposalto the superintendent in late January.While students should be held accountablefor tardiness, it is the opinion of BSAC thatlock-outs should not be a component of tardypolicies. BSAC is proposing that the BostonPublic Schools develop other measures toencourage higher attendance, and thatschools should enact alternate consequencesfor tardy students.Lock-out policy isn’t the only matter we areworried about. A couple of concerns we havebeen discussing and considering pursuing furtherare the issues of school metal detectors,the drop-out rate, and school start time. Wethank those of you who completed our dropoutrate survey as we gather and compiledata to find out why students leave schooland what can be done to deal with this problem.We also met with Ethan d’AblemontBurnes and Sok Tea from the Boston Plan forExcellence to talk about school start time.BSAC has also been involved in gettingyoung people to speak up at communityforums for the search for the new superintendent.Three BSAC members spoke at the firstforum in December. We hope for a newsuperintendent who will continue to supportstudent voice and leadership at a districtlevel. BSAC plans to work very hard in 2006to ensure that the voices of the students areheard throughout the BPS school system.If you are interested in joining BSAC contactMaria I. Ortiz at 617-594-5721 or by e-mail at mortiz@boston.k12.ma.us.Artwork by: Jesse RacusenSave the date!Saturday, May 13, 2006T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 29

Agenda [ FROM PAGE 1 ]busy schedule understands where I’m comingfrom. We all come home tired and ready to go tobed but can’t because we still have homework, orchores, or both to do. A friend of mine allowed meto use her schedule as a typical example. Her weekgoes something like this: Monday, Gospel Choirpractice; Tuesday, Band Practice; Wednesday, BibleClub; Friday, the Harvard newspaper; Sunday, mathhelp at Harvard. The only days she has free areThursdays and Saturdays and occasional Fridays.All you underscheduled American teens, pleasedon’t take offense, but you have never been asexhausted and worn out as those who actuallywork on top of a busy schedule. For the employedteen force of America, keep up the good work. Itwill pay off in the end.In conclusion, teens have schedules like this andmore. What I think is: don’t sign yourself up forthings you can’t handle. If it gets too much to handle,don’t worry about being called a quitter. Also,if you’re going to do things, do them for you, notfor anyone else.You’ve gotproblems?Yo,Yo,Mo!Mo!Photo by: Damon ButlerPhotos by: Haidan HodgsonBy Martine Romulus // T.i.P. Staff WriterI am a very active high school student. I am on my school’sdance and track teams. I also volunteer at a local hospital twice aweek. I read the December 2005 T.i.P. issue about overprotectiveparents and I related to it. My parents are also over protective.Sometimes when I have practice or dance class or volunteer work,they get mad when I get home late. They don’t understand that Ineed both good grades in school and extracurricular activities toget a scholarship to college. Please help me; I am sick of getting introuble for nothing. ----Overprotected ChildDear Overprotected Child,As an active student myself, I totally understand how you feel.Sometimes it may seem like your parents don’t trust you, butbelieve me, it’s all out of love for you. Parents are overprotectiveto keep you from danger. With all the shootings that have beengoing on, parents get concerned about their active children cominghome late. In their eyes, you never know where danger is lurking.Sometimes, it’s best to call them and let them know where youare. Communication is key in any type of relationship, especiallywith parents. Don’t leave them guessing, or they will crack down.As for your parents thinking you only need good grades to getinto a good college, have a teacher talk to them about the collegeacceptance process. Another strategy is to have your parents tagalong with you to a college fair and have the admissions officerstell them the 411 about getting into a good college.Yo,MoSend your “Yo, Mo” letters to:P.O. Box 55819Boston, MA 02205Or call in your queries to:617-929-837430 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006

By Jacquelina Fontes // T.i.P. Staff WriterARIES(March 21-April 19)Symbol: The ramStrengths: Active, daring, spiritedWeaknesses: Hasty, impulsiveSpring forward: Focus on yourselffor a change. Lately everyone has beengaining attention from you, while youhave been oblivious to your needs. Dosomething for yourself for a change.TAURUS(April 20-May 19)Symbol: The bullStrengths:Patient, imaginative, authenticWeaknesses: Stubborn, defiantSpring forward:Hey, Taurus, save up. You have beenreceiving a lot of money and spending iton everything that catches your eye.Where’s that patience you’re famousfor? Put some cash in the bank.GEMINI(May 20-June 20)Symbol: The twinsStrengths: Curious, open minded,multitalentedWeaknesses: Capricious, impatientSpring forward: Refocus! Somethinghappened this year and ever since youhave been procrastinating and not concentratingon what you once loved.Look back and see how much happinessyou had and how much you have lost bylosing sight of your goals.CANCER(June 21-July 22)Symbol: The crabStrengths: Generous, perceptive, caringWeaknesses: Cranky, tempered, grumpySpring forward: Maintain who you are.Your recent negative attitude will makeyou vulnerable to someone who willmake use of your talent. In times whenothers falter, your clean, self-driven personalitywill push you to the top.LEO(July 23-August 22)Symbol: The lionStrengths: Responsible, reliable, devotedWeaknesses: Arrogant, crabby, self-indulgedSpring forward: Try more activities toenhance your life. Your newfound endeavorswill force you to rest more, which will lead tobetter ideas and results. Beware of the cancerthat will try to sink your ship.VIRGO (August 23-September 21)Symbol: The maidenStrengths: Supportive, compassionate,conscientiousWeaknesses: Unorganized, critical, pickySpring forward: Work on communication. Youhaven’t been paying much attention to certainpeople who miss your company. Avoiding thepeople you love has brought sadness into theirlives. Reconnect with your people and listento what they have in mind.LIBRA (September 22-October 22)Symbol: The scalesStrengths: Appealing, smart, sensitiveWeaknesses: Scheming, hopeless, coySpring forward: Look into new ways tosucceed. Your road to a gainful position inyour personal and work life will be solidifiedby working through favorable and unfavorableconditions. Opening up to someone too earlyand not protecting your feelings are the onlythings that will hold you back.SCORPIO(October 23-November 21)Symbol: The scorpionStrengths: Intense, playful, lovelyWeaknesses: Jealous, possessiveSpring forward: Compromise! Don’t seeeverything from your eyes, but consider whatothers have in mind. You have been takingcontrol, but once you stop, you will see whatother great minds have to say.SAGITTARIUS(November 22-December 21)Symbol: The archerStrengths: Fervent,stimulating, charmingWeaknesses: Quarrelsome, irresponsibleSpring forward: Relax! You are the typeof person who works to the max andrefuses to stop. You have been pushingyourself because you feel as though youhave to. Try chilling, and use your timedoing something that satisfies you andkeeps you calm.CAPRICORN(December 22-January 21)Symbol: The goatStrengths: Meticulous, diligent, achieverWeaknesses: Fatalistic,egotistical, inflexibleSpring forward: Finding someone is inthe cards for you. Look for an individualwho makes you smile. Go out with themand you’ll be happy.AQUARIUS(January 22-February 18)Symbol: The water bearerStrengths: Rational, coherent, consistentWeaknesses: Offensive, self-centered,immodestSpring forward: Let yourself go. Tellsomeone close to you something youhave been hiding but wanting to express.You’ve been holding things back.PISCES (February 19-March 20)Symbol: The fishStrengths: Vigorous, daring, boldWeaknesses: Impractical, dreamySpring forward: Set a goal and chaseafter it; it’s in your nature, Pisces. Dosomething productive and worthwhilebecause life is too short to spoil.Artwork by: Artists for HumanityT.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006 / 31

SPORTSThere’s no “i” in teamworkBy Kareem James // T.i.P. Staff WriterWhen it comes to the NBA you haveall kinds of teams. You have greatteams like Miami Heat, SanAntonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, andPhoenix Suns. Then you have your OKteams such as the Boston Celtics,Philadelphia 76er’s, Los Angeles Lakers,and Los Angeles Clippers. But when youlook closely at the success of any team,it is really determined by how the playerscome together as a working unit.If you look closely at teams like theSpurs and the Pistons you see they playas a team. They pass the ball well andhave good players who can put points onthe board day in and day out. If you wereto compare the Pistons to the Lakers, youwould see both teams have good players,but the Lakers lack team chemistry. Youhave a lot of good players who have beenin the league for a few years but have theeagle attitude, like it’s their team and theytry to do everything without involvingtheir teammates. True, Kobe Bryant is arecord breaking scorer, but it seems likethe responsibility for scoring falls on oneman’s shoulders--Bryant’s.Then there are teams who have a playerwho has to do everything because thereare no players able to help with the scoring.A few good examples are playerssuch as Allen Iverson, Paul Pierce, andTracy McGrady. These and other goodplayers on mediocre teams have not beenable to get an ample amount of talent ontheir teams, so they are left to do all thescoring. Iverson, for example, has beencarrying the 76er’s for years while goingthrough injuries and losing streaks.Players like this have a hard time seeinga championship in their careers becausethey can’t win one alone.For the most part, teams with fewgood players who work together as oneare often more successful than teamsthat have one good player who scores allthe points. Championships are not aboutscoring points, but balancing offense anddefense, and one player cannot do that.In the early days of the NBA, basketballwas more of a team sport than it istoday. Passing and defense were emphasized.Today, the mega-million dollar contractplayer is common and so are thehuge egos of many players. Even with allthe talk about teamwork in the NBA, miraclescan happen. You never know whowill be the best team or who will be inthe play-offs. All you can do is watchyour favorite team and hope they havea good season, and play like a team nota bunch of disjointed individuals.Artwork by: Kahmal LondonSummer JournalismBuilding a Community of WritersJuly 5th - July 28th, 2006A four-week summer program that offers students a fun way to improvewriting skills while exploring some of the most exciting parts of Boston.T.i.P.Hot off the pressis proud to report our recent award from the“Newspaper Association of America Foundation”for: First Place, Program Excellence Award -Student Newspaper Partnerships.Who is eli-QuestioStudents who are entering ninth or 10th grade in the fallof 2005 and attend any district Boston public high school.Contact:Betty Southwick, Director617.541.2604Betty.Southwick.jcs@ci.boston.ma.us617-541-2604 or visitwww.writeboston.org32 / T.i.P./ BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT / MARCH 2006