premier issue

Leisure Reading:Harry Potter,Yo Yo Love,AND MORE...

Is The Draft Racist?

Rated-T

FALL

2005

Teen Moms Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover

THE FIRsT IssuE:WE DID IT!

Teen’s Point Of View!

R

ate

d-T

CONTENTS

News From the Teen Point of ViewA publication of Friendship News Network

Fall 2005Volume 1, Number 1

Departments4 Letter from the Editor5 Contributors 6 Always Alicia’s Advice Alicia Wade offers advice to adults on teen issues20 What’s Hot, What’s Not By Stephanie Booker22 TV Scene: Reality Shows and Ol’ School TV By Stephanie Booker and Jalisa Tate23 FPCS Votes on Top 5 Videos by Raul R. Buddle24 Let’s Read: Yo Yo Love & Harry Potter Book Reviews by Stephanie Booker and Tiara Marshall 26 Commentary:To Snitch or Not to Snitch: Should It Even Be a Question? By Stephanie Booker27 Political Chuck Cartoon by Matt Davis

Features

7 Where Do Our Clothes Come From? By Denise Murray8 School Violence 101 By Mystical Writer 10 Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover: The Inside Story on Teen Mothers By Alicia Wade 12 Mission Addiction: The Community Action Group Helps Women Drug Users Overcome By C’Maya Thompson14 Animals in Captivity By Tiara Marshall 16 The Real Deal on the Draft By Tamara Thomas 18 High Definition Clothes By Raul R. Buddle21 The Flaming Fist of Fury By Zjarrie Sydnor Illustration by Davon O’Shea Green

Rated-TisthemagazineofFriendshipNewsNetwork(FNN),aprogramofFriendshipPublicCharterSchool,900PennsylvaniaAve.,SE,Washington,DC,20003.Formoreinformation,ortoinquireaboutbecominganadvertiserorsponsorfortheSpring2006issue,email:info@friendshipnewsnetwork.com.FormoreinformationaboutFriendshipNewsNetwork,visitourwebsiteatwww.friendshipnewsnetwork.com.FormoreinformationonFriendshipPublicCharterSchool,visitourwebsiteatwww.friendshipschools.org.orcall202-675-6965.Rated-TMagazineexpressestheviewsofindividualstudentsanddoesnotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsofFriendshipPublicCharterSchool.Copyright©September2005.Forpermissiontoreprintarticles,pleaseemail:[email protected].

Photothispage:DavonO’SheaGreen

What’s Friendship News Network?

rated-t Fall 2005 Premiere Edition 3

If you’re a student in the District of Columbia between the ages of 11 and

18 who has ever wondered what it would be like to create your own news magazine,

website, radio or television program, here’s your chance. Join Friendship News

Network (FNN)–a student run media enterprise located at Friendship Public

Charter School in Washington, DC. Students can join the staffs of FNN Radio, FNN TV, FNN Online (our website) and Rated-T Magazine. The magazine

will be distributed throughout our community. This fall, radio staffers will have

a chance to audition for a new talk-radio program on WOL Radio.

SigN up TOday FOR FaLL! It’s FREE and open to any student in the District of Columbia!

For more information and to download an application visit our website at www.friendshipnewsnetwork.com email [email protected] or call 240-426-7685.

Friendship News Network FNN News from the Teen Point of View

AllphotosbyFNNSummer‘05Students

To Our Wonderful Readers,

This magazine is probably going to be one of the best magazines you ever picked up. There’s a lot of things here that LOTS of magazines don’t have, which is the “TEEN POINT OF VIEW.” Magazines usually have stories dealing with what older people think about. We rarely see articles with kids/teens actually speaking their minds. Well, in this magazine, all of that is changed. You are in for a ride now!

Strap up and get ready to blast off because once you start this ride you probably won’t want to get off until you’re at the end.

Some Of Our Wonderful Stories:

Always Alicia’s Advice: Not like any other advice column, this one takes it up a notch, speaking to adults through a teen’s thoughts.

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover: Teen Mothers: Answers several questions about teen mothers–and goes deeper than most people think a teen can go.

Animals Incarcerated: Deals with the animals and expresses all types of facts and opinions. It holds nothing but the TRUTH!

School Violence 101: This article is amazing. “A BOLD PIECE” about what occured as a result of a rivalry between

two schools.

To my wonderful staff: I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. If it wasn’t for you all and your

creative minds, this magazine wouldn’t have been so out of the ordinary and terrific. You all have grown

so wonderfully in my eyes. Through the good and the bad we always seem to make it. Even when we’re not on joke time, we as a TEAM always made it. I love you all so much in a certain way. Keep your heads up and never

let someone tell you that your aspirations cannot be achieved! Keep writing about the big news and the latest information. Keep drawing on how you feel and keep

capturing the moment with that camera (photographers). To all FNN members I say with words of wisdom, never settle for good, settle for the best.

Sincerely,

Alicia Wade

Editor-In-Chief

Photo:C’MayaThompson

Letter from The Editor! Contributors!Alicia Wade Editor-In-ChiefStephanie Booker Executive EditorRaul R. Buddle Managing EditorSymiat Azeez PhotographerDeyuan Caldwell Photographer, ResearcherKyrina Cheeks Reporter, DesignerAhmed Davis Photographer,Cartoonist, DesignerDavon O’Shea Green Photographer, IllustratorTiara Marshall ReporterDenise Murray ReporterZjarrie Sydnor Reporter, DesignerJalisa Tate Reporter, DesignerTamara Thomas ReporterC’Maya Thompson Reporter, Photogrpher

Advisers: Frank Dexter Brown, Marilyn Kaufman, Kenya Samuels, Brian Young

Interns: Kevin Reeverts, Benjamin Allen

Publisher: Friendship Public Charter School,Washington, DC

Chairman: Donald Hense

FNN Director: Marilyn Kaufman

Special thanks to: Arline Williams, Pat Brantley, Danny Rose, Michael Cordell, Brian Beck, Donald Hense, Barry Lofton, Michael Robinson, Brad Russell, Ernest Waford, Shakira Hemphilll, Erika Johnson, Angela Fox, Karen Adams, Rasul Hashimi, Moustaffa Sylla, Khalil Braswell, Ben Forjoe, and the entire security and maintenance staffs at Woodson Collegiate Academy. Additional thanks to: David Jones, Cheryl Thompson and Reuben Rodriguez of the Washington Post; Bruce Robey of Voice of the Hill; Melissa Ashabranner and Andrew Lightman of the Hill Rag; Courtney Schlisserman of Bloomberg News; and Jonathan Make, George Washington University. Partial fund-ing and support provided by: Capitol Hill Commu-nity Foundation, D.C. Department of Employment Services Summer Passport to Work Program, and Center for Youth and Family Investment, Inc.

And a very special thanks to Pat Brantley and Carol Seifert whose energy, support and vision were instrumental in making Rated-T Magazine and Friendship News Network a reality.

Rated-T Magazine is a program of Friendship News Network, (FNN) , a media enterprise run by the students of Friendship Public Charter Schools. The program is free and open to any student in the District of Columbia between the ages of 11 and 18. For more information, visit our website at www.friendshipnewsnetwork.com, email [email protected] or call 240-426-7685. For more information on Friendship Public Charter School, visit our website at www.friendshipedison org.

Cover Photos by Ahmed Davis and Davon Green

Cover Design by Alicia Wade, Ahmed Davis, Stephanie Booker and Jalisa Tate

Contents Page Photo by Davon Green Contents Page Design by Ahmed Davis

4 rated-t Fall 2005 Premiere Edition rated-t Fall 2005 Premiere Edition 5

All

phot

osb

yR

ated

-TS

prin

gan

dSu

mm

erst

affe

rs

Hello. My name is Alicia Wade. My objective for my new advice column is to reach out to adults and to allow them to see that even though I’m a teenager, I can still give advice that can help parents understand their kids. I want parents and adults to know that there is ALWAYS another side to the story.

When Your Children Aren’t Talking

Whenyourchildrenaren’tspeakingtoyou,sometimesit’sbecausetheydon’tknowhowtoapproachyou.Thisisaseriousmatter.Fearorsomethingelsecouldbeblockingyoufromyourchildren’slives.Thiscouldbringyourchildrenclosertosomeoneelse.

When Your Children seem Angry

Whenyourchildrenseemangry,neveryellatthem.Itonlyaddstotheconfusion.Sometimesit’sgoodtoforceaconversation.Butthat’snotalwaysgoodbecauseachildshouldbecomfortablewithyou.Angercanoccurformanyreasons.Nowdon’tgetmewrong.Iamnottalkingaboutangerfrompunishingyourchild.No,that’scalleddisciplineandshouldbeenforced.TheangerIamtalkingaboutiswhenchildrenmaytakesomethingstoadeeperlevel.Whenalltheycandoisyell,runawayorevenfight out their issue. That isn’t always agoodsign.Thismaymeanthattheyarecaughtupinsomethingtheycan’t

explain.Deepdowninsidetheymaybedyingforsomeonetofeelforthemoreventotakethetimeouttolisten.AND,THAT’SWHEREYOUCOMEIN.

When Your Children Take unnecessary Risks

Whenyourchildrentakerisksthatmaybeabusiveinsomeway,shapeorform,youneedtostanduptothem.Don’twaitforthemtocometoyou.Becauseifyouwaittheymightevenberiskingtheirlives.Sitthemdownanddemandthat they speak. Be firm with them. Sit thereuntiltheyopentheirmouths.Itdoesn’tmatterhowmuchtheycry.Yousometimeshavetodealwiththistypeofthingbecauseyourchildrenneedyou,whethertheyknowitornot.Keepupwithyourchildren.Makesureyouknowwhat’sgoingon.Theyarenotadultsuntiltheyhit18(somepeoplesay21).But,backtothesubject.Youneedtoknowwhatyourchildrenareupto.Now,NO,NO,NO,don’teverstalkthem.Don’tinvadetheirspace.Justknowabouttheirplans,soincasesomethinghappensyouknow just where to find them.

When Your Children Feel Left Out

Whenchildrenfeelleftout,theycanshutdown.Therearemanyreasonswhythiscanhappen.Forexample,ifyouaresingleordivorcedandyoubringinanewmanorwoman,yourchildrenmaythinkyou’vetotallyforgottenaboutor

seemtobeignoringthem.Youmayseemtochangetothemwhentheycontinuetobringtheirproblemstoyou.Itmayseemlikeyouhavenotimeforthemorasthoughyouareignoringthemalthoughyouclaimyouarelistening.ThiscanhappenduringaDIVORCEaswell,whentherearealotofproblems.Thesethingsforceyourkidstoseemorfeelasthoughtheyareputonmute.YourchildrenshouldneverfeelthiswaybecauseoutofallthepeopleintheworldtheyshouldALWAYSbeabletocometoyouasafriendandrelative.Youshouldhaveyourarmsopendayandnightforthem.And,theyshouldknowit.Nomatterwhoentersyourlife,yourkidsarealwaysgoingtobethereandyoushouldalwaysmakethemfeelthattheyareimportantaswell.

Overall,kidsreacttoyourreactionstowardsthem.Ifyou(adults)cantakethetimetolookathowyoutreatyourkids,halfthethingsthathappenprobablywouldn’thappen.Trydoingwhatyoutellyourkidstododaily,THINKBEFOREYOUSPEAK!Wellhere’soneforyou:THINKBEFOREYOUACT!

After reading my advice column I ask that you please take a few moments and send me any feedback or suggestions for my next column! Send to: [email protected]

Most of the time when my friends and I talk about fashion, it is when we are planning what we are going to wear the

next day or how we are getting our hair done. Sometimes we discuss what kinds of shoes we will buy.

When we talk about fashion we don’t take the time to look at the labels in our clothes to see where our clothes are made. If we do look at the labels it is to check the size. We just know that what we are wearing is the latest thing out and we think we look nice in them.

I decided to do some research to find out where clothes and shoes were manufactured. I interviewed 14 people and asked them to look at their labels to see where their clothes were made. They also looked at the tongues in their tennis shoes and boots to see where their shoes were manufactured. Before I started my research, my hypothesis was that China made the majority of the clothes sold in America. I was partially right. The next time I talk about fashion I will be thinking about these countries.

Denise Murray is 12-years-old and is in the 7th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy. Kyrina Cheeks is 13-years-old and is in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

* Special thanks to Courtney Schlisserman of Bloomberg News.

Where Do Our Clothes Come From?Written by Denise Murray

Graphic Design by Kyrina Cheeks

Shirts Pants Skirts Shorts Shoes 2 El Salvador 5 China 2 Nicaragua 1 USA 12 China 1 Indonesia 1 Macau 1 Bangladesh 1 Mexico 4 Guatemala 1 USA 2 Mexico 2 China1 Thailand 1 Malaysia 1 Russia1 Nicaragua 1 Indonesia 3 USA1 Hong Kong3 China1 Haiti1 Honduras1 Bangladesh

Did you know? Most of the clothes that

are sold in the US are actually not even made there. That’s incredible!


AlwaysAlicia’sAdvice!WhatToDoWhenYourTeenShuts Down!This is a major issue that seems to happen for most parents. Parents may wonder what their teen is up to when they aren’t speaking to them. Correct? Parents worry and assume and this leads them sometimes nowhere. Well, in my advice column I am going to break down some things that are best to do when this situation occurs. Here are a few prime examples:

Where Clothes Are Made: Results of Interviews With Fourteen Friends

Photo:C’MayaThompson

How can you solve it?• Try talking instead of fighting.• Think before you speak. Some words might

hurt people.• Try finding something in common with the

other person. Talk it out.• Try starting a program with the other

person, school, etc.• Be opened-minded. Listen to other people’s

thoughts.Who could you ask for help?

• You could try reaching out to an adult and asking for help.

• Use your resources and try finding help centers like teen lines, websites, etc.

• Go to a place that deals with things like violence, anger management, etc.

It started as a normal school day when students from Friendship Edison Junior Academy – Blow Pierce Campus were just leaving school. Then, all of a sudden,

what seemed like 120 children from a rival school – started to run down our street toward us while we were waiting for friends or just talking. I thought the kids from the other school were trying to provoke a fight. It was major chaos and nobody knew what to do! Some students were screaming and some were injured.

ViolenceSchool

101 By Mystical Writer


I really wanted to find a solution to this problem and write about it so that I could help prevent it from happening again. So, with our Friendship News Network news team, I went to Seeds of Peace to get views on our problem and others like it. Seeds of Peace is actually an organization that helps kids that are Israelis and Palestinians or kids from different backgrounds make a kind of bond with each other.

I interviewed Bobbi Gotschalk, the Seeds of Peace founder and director. She and three others from Seeds of Peace sat down with our news team and me. They told us school violence was not anything that is abnormal. It happens all the time. She told us that these fights spice up the day for students and can be replaced with a positive activity of some sort. For instance, we could start a basketball league and put students from our two schools on one team.

Then I asked Ms. Gotschalk some other questions. And she gave me some very helpful answers. I asked Ms. Gotschalk what made her want to found Seeds of Peace. She told me one of the reasons was because of events similar to what happened at my school. That was enough for me. She told me about what actually goes on at the Seeds of Peace camp between Israeli and Palestinian teens. She described how sit-downs and conversations helped them. She has an incredible passion for Seeds of Peace.

Listening to her ideas made me want to go and do something about school violence.

Mystical Writer is 13-years-old and will be in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy. This story is an eye-witness account from one student about an incident that took place after normal school hours off school grounds.

“I really wanted to find

a solution.”

Youthinkyou’vebeenthroughitallbutIbetyouhaven’t beenthrough...

Hello,mynameisAliciaWade.I’msureyouareprobablywonderinghowa13-year-oldgirlcanunderstandanythingaboutteenpregnancy.Correct?Well,eventhoughIam13,thatdoesn’tmeanIdon’tunderstandwhat’sgoingonwithteensthesedays.Almosteveryday,Iseegirlswhoarepregnantorwhoalreadyhaveachild.Iseethewaytheyliveandassumethattheirlivesmightbetrivial.Insteadofassumingallthetime,Idecidedtosetupinterviewswithafewteenmotherstohearhowtheyreallyfelt.IinterviewedtwoteenmothersatWoodsonCollegiateAcademyinWashington,DC.Iaskedthemothersseveralquestionsandwasreallyamazedbytheiranswers.Myassumptionswereprovenwrongattimes.

Whenaskediftheirliveshadchangedafterhavingachild,theirresponseswereboththesame.Theirliveshadchangedinmanyways.It’snotallaboutthemanymore.There’smoreresponsibilityintheirlivesandtheyhavenotimeforthingstheyusedtodofreely.

Mynextquestionconcernedtheirpast.Iaskediftheyhadachancetochangeonethingfromthepast,whatwoulditbeandwhy?Surprisingly,theiranswerwasNO.Theywouldn’tchangeonethingatall.

Iaskediftheywerepressuredintodoinganythingthattheydidn’twanttodo?TheanswerwasNO.

Thenextquestionwasoneofthemostimportantquestions,ifyouaskme.Whileyouweresexuallyactivedidyoueveruseprotection?Shockingly,theanswerwasNO,andtotellyouthehonesttruthIwouldhavethoughtthetotalopposite.IsaythisbecauseIwouldhavethoughtitwasamistake.Findingouttheywerenotusinganyprotectionreallyshockedme.

Whenaskediftheylostanysupportfromfamilyorfriends,theiranswerswerebothshockingandkindofordinary.Theysaidtheyreceivedhelpfromfamilyandfriendsalthoughsomefamilyandfriendshadnothingbutnegativ-itytooffer.

Thenextquestionrelatedtotheotherquestioninawaybutconcernedhowtheirfriendsandfamilyfelt.Iasked,“WhatdidthefamilyandfriendsTHINK?”Theanswertothisquestionwasalittleshocking.Whenmostpeopleassumehowothersfeltaboutbeingateenmother,theywouldprobablyassumethattheseyoungmotherswerefast,outofcontrol,havingsexandjustplainouttohavebabies.WhenIheardtheyoungladies’responsesIwasre-allyshocked.Iamsurebehindthescenestherewas“alittlethis”and“alittlethat”butIfoundoutthatnomatterwhathappened,theirfamilieswereallgoingtobetherefortheseyoungmothers.Itwassoamazinghowtheycaredandhowtheyweregoingtohelpoutthroughthickandthin.But,please,letmesaythatthereweresomefriendswhocouldn’tresistmakingitseemasthoughtheseyoungmoth-ersweregoingnowherebutdownthedrainwiththeirlives.

TomethefunniestanswerwaswhenIaskedwhattheymissedfromthepast.Theysaiditwouldbethingswetakeforgrantedeverydaylikesleep,moneyandjustsparetime.

Sometimes in life we find out that some things aren’t even worthdoing,soIwantedtoknowifhavingababywaswellworthit.Theiranswerswereamazingandsodetailed.Theybothfeltthatitwasmorethanworthit.Itwasneeded.Itmadethemmoreresponsibleandmoredependable.Theyseethingsinadifferentlightandtheyreallylearnedfromtheirexperiences.Oneoftheyoungladiesmadeacom-mitmenttoherselfthatshewouldnothavesexuntilsheismarried.Thatwasanoutstandinganswerifyouaskmebecausesometimespeopledon’tlearnfromtheirmistakesthe first time. To me it was amazing that they learned to standwiththeirheadsheldhighandstillbeabletokeepmovingforward.

Iwasinterestedtoknowhowtheyplannedtotakecareoftheirchildrenwhiletheywereinhighschool,especiallysince they didn’t intend on having this child in the first place.Theyexplainedthatrightnowtheirchildrenstaywithalovedoneoratadaycarecenter.Theysaidtheywoulddedicatewhateverittakesfortheirchildrentohavenothingbutthebestlife.

COLLEGE!!!Thisisalwaysaconcernwhenyouhaveachildatanearlyage,especiallybeforeyougraduatefromhighschool.Iaskediftheystillplannedtoattendcollege.Iwasalittleshockedtohearthattheyplannedtogonomatterwhatittakes.Theybothsaidthattheirfamiliesweren’tgoingtoallowthemtoskipcollege.Therewasnochoicethere,itwasmandatory.

Whenaskedwhethertheirlifegoalshadbeenputonpausebecauseoftheirchildren,theirresponseswerequitedifferent.Oneoftheyoungmothersrespondedbysaying,no,becauseherchildwillgotodaycarewhilesheattendscollege.Theothermotherrespondedbysayingsheknowsherlifegoalshaven’tbeennecessarilyputonpause.It’sjustgoingtobeaslowerprocess.

Iaskedthemtogiveadvicetoteen-agerswhomaybeintendingonhavingunprotectedsexorjustplainsex.Theiranswerwasextraordinary.TheysaidNO,NO,NO,don’tdoit.Waituntilyouaremarriedandreallyreadytohavekids.Makesureyourlifegoalsareallsetandinplace.THINKTWICE,nomatterwhattheissue.

Last,butnotleast,Iaskedaboutthefathersandwhetherornottheyhelpsupporttheirchildreninallways,shapesor

forms.Themothersansweredbysay-ingthefathersweredoingokay.Theycouldbedoingbetter.Onemotherexplainedthateventhoughhecan’talways support his child financially, he couldatleastbuildamentalandphysi-calpathforhischild’slife.Itdoesn’talwaystakemoneytobeawonderfulfather.Theybothfeltthefathersaretryingtheirbest.

AfterallthemothershavebeenthroughIamgladtosaythattheyarethetwoinamillionwhoactuallyaretryingtokeeptheirlivesonthepaththatleadstosuccess.Theydidnotdropout,giveuporevenallowthenegativityfromfamilyandfriendstostandintheirway.Theyarestillpursuingtheirdreamsbutunderstandthatthingsaren’tgoingtohappenasfast!

Thisinterviewwasamazing.Ilearnedalotfromtheseyoungmothers.Itwasamazinghowthesaying,“Don’tJudgea Book by Its Cover” fits this inter-viewsowell.Honestly,Ithoughtthesemothersweregoingtobeliketheones

Iseedailywhodon’tseemtocareabouttheirfutureandmayhavetwobabiesalreadyatage16.Theyshowedmethatsometimesmistakescanleadyoudowntherightpathonceyoulearnfromthem.IamsogladthatIgotachancetohavethisinterview.Itwillreallyhaveahugeimpactonmylifeandmyfuture.

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover:The Inside Story OnTeen MothersWritten & Designed By Alicia Wade. Photo by Ahmed Davis


HereareSomeFactsAboutTeenPregnancy!!!•Almostonemillionteenagegirlswillbecomepregnantthisyear.•4in10girlswillexperienceatleastonepregnancybeforereachingage20.•Eachyearthefederalgovernmentalonespends$40billiontohelpfamiliesthatbeganwithateenagebirth.•Only41%ofteenagemothersgraduatefromhighschoolandonly1.5%willearnacollegedegreebyage30.•Nearly80%ofunmarriedteenmothersenduponwelfare.•Thesonsofteenagemothersare13%morelikelytoendupinprison,thedaughtersare22%morelikely tobecometeenmothersthemselves.•Nearly80%offathersofbabiesborntoteenmothersdonotmarrytheirbaby’smothers.

Source: Candies Foundation, www.candies.com

ThisFNNreporterismodelingareenactmentofapregnantteen.

Alicia Wade and Ahmed Davis are 13-years-old and will be in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy

You would not believe that I had the heart and courage to have an interview with a drug rehab program director and two ladies who were former drug addicts who started using drugs as teens. I will tell about the situation the ladies were in. First, my interview with the two ladies was very interesting. They let me know a lot of things about their true lives. The ladies lived at a drug and alcohol rehab program called the Community Action Group (CAG). I will also tell you all what made the man who is the director of CAG want to help people. I am writing this because I feel that both teenagers and adults need to know something about teenagers and the pressures they face. So let me get started!!!!

Michelle B.One of the ladies I spoke with was Michelle B., who is in her 40s. Michelle said that she started using drugs to fit in with the crowd. She also started because of peer pressure. She wanted to hang out with certain people and started doing drugs at the age of 15. The drugs she used were marijuana and cocaine. She said that due to using drugs she eventually became homeless. Michelle B. also said that her mother was not upset with her about her drug use because her mother also was on drugs, and they soon started doing drugs

together. The drug they smoked was weed. Eventually, her mother stopped doing drugs, and she started to

worry about Michelle.

Michelle, who is the mother of a young child,

said that her drug abuse did not have any effects on her daughter. Her daughter just loved her for who she was. But like her mother, Michelle eventually decided to enter rehab. She said she was tired of the way she was living, including staying in a house only with women. This really bothered her. “I will never do drugs again because I know that I will have to live with a whole bunch of women,” she said.

Nina S.Nina started out by drinking alcohol, and began using drugs at the age of 14 or 15. She said the reason she started to use drugs was sad because her parents were divorcing, and she was

trying to fit in with the crowd. She said the consequence of her drug use was homelessness and not knowing if or when she would eat. When her parents found out that she was on drugs they were very disappointed. She said her drug abuse has had a negative effect on one of her children as her daughter smokes weed. But her son goes to college and plays football. Nina went into rehab because she was tired of begging and she wanted to start her life all over.

Hal G.Mr. Hal started the Community Action Group (CAG) rehab center because he wanted to help people. He said that he didn’t want to be a counselor and program director when he was young, but as he got older God called him. He said he has worked at the center for years. One of the counselors in the house says that everyone in rehab has to be up at 7 a.m. every weekday to start their day and talk about their problems. Mr. Hal G. said that part of his process to help people is to take them to the hospital to assist them so they won’t

do drugs again. This is important, he said, because “If someone is caught with drugs then they will be put in jail.” Keep Your HeadUp! These stories are all true life. You see what these ladies went through and we all know we don’t want to go through something like that. You see what can happen. So, teenagers watch out for your friends and help keep them in check. Parents and other adults, you do the same. Also, it’s important that none of us do anything that endangers our being here on this Earth. Take advantage of your life and keep your head up!!!!!!!

C’Maya Thompson and Kyrina Cheeks both are 13-years-old and will be in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Mission Addictio

n

The Inside Story on Teens, True Life and Drugs

Written by C’Maya Thompson

Graphic Design by Kyrina Cheeks


Written and designed by Tiara Marshall

In recent research, more and more of the total population of every animal is becoming “encaged.” According to many experts, an increasing number of animals nowadays are either in captivity or in zoos. Let’s start with the animals in captivity. There are thousands of captivity sites in America alone. They are used to treat injured animals, speed up population growth, conduct research and basically just save animals. I know, I know, you’re thinking, “Well what’s bad about saving animals?” The problem with captivity sites is that the animals become “encaged.” What I mean is that the animals become more domestic and lose their “street smarts.” But don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put down captivity sites, I’m just explaining what’s going on. Unless captivity sites can treat and train animals like they are in the wild, the animals will become domesticated.

Most captivity sites are good at saving animals but not as good as their natural habitat. If you keep an animal in captivity too long, when you finally release it, it really won’t know what to do. Just like a baby, the released animal would only be able to rely on its natural instinct. Each animal varies, so does its natural instinct, and that’s why sometimes living out in the wild, natural instinct is not enough. To have a hope of surviving in the wild, animals need more than instinct. They need to know the environment and how to survive in it. Unfortunately, natural instinct doesn’t come with “street smarts.”

Captivity sites use the animals for research and breeding and that’s becoming a problem. Some animals such as the Panda Bear, rarely breed in captivity. So studying animals is becoming more and more difficult to do because it’s like the research is coming with “side effects.” Some animals don’t really like to be researched because they think it invades their privacy. Some zoos, like the St. Louis Zoo, are establishing a captivity-breeding program. On Saturday, July 9th, an artificially inseminated* Panda was born at the National Zoo. These days most captivity sites and zoos artificially inseminate endangered animals. This process helps endangered animals and animals that can’t and won’t breed in captivity.

Some captivity sites I know use today’s technology such as the “AVID Micro Chip I.D.” This chip is the most convenient instrument to help animals and researchers. Some well-known captivity sites that use this micro chip are in North Dakota and at Texas A&M University. First they make a small incision (a little bit bigger than the chip itself) into the animal. Then they input the chip into the animal’s side and after it is well enough, they release it back into the wild. This way they can track the animal’s behavior, environment, and population. The chip varies with who uses it and the animal they use it on. The animal cannot feel the chip and the chip does not interfere with the animal’s behavior. A person can feel the animal’s whole body but couldn’t feel the chip either. Researchers have other methods for researching, such as “being the animal.” The researcher would study and act like the animal to see life and the environment from the animal’s point of view. Some times you have to stop ‘being’ a human and ‘be’ an animal.

Animals IncarceratedCaptivity sites are not the only organizations that are sometimes in the wrong. Let’s get on ZOOS. O.K., so you think that you take one trip to the zoo and you know about everything in the zoo? But do you really know what goes on? O.K., so you know that there are animals in CAGES for you to look at and study, right? You know that you could get a job there. What you don’t know is how they treat animals. Have you ever thought of how many animals die every year in the zoo? Have you every wondered how many animals get sick every year? Well, here’s the 411. For many reasons, animals die every year in zoos all over the world and many more get injured or sick. Well how do they die you ask? Number one, lots of zoos around the world don’t give the animals the nutrition they need. Many animals die every year from malnutrition. Some zoos are so lazy that they can’t buy and give animals the foods they want and need. Zookeepers should have to make sure that they don’t domesticate animals. If the zoo gets an animal from the wild, then the zoo should make sure that the animal’s diet does not change. For instance, tigers mostly eat animals like antelopes. So the zoos should be feeding tigers things that they like. If they don’t know what to get, then they should research it. But NOOOOOOOO, some zoos want to be lazy and cheap. And this is why hundreds of animals die every year from malnutrition.

Well, that brings me to reason number two why a number of animals in captivity die every year: check ups.. It has been brought to my attention that some zoos do not give the animals regular check-ups from veterinarians. And when the animals were sick they didn’t even try to treat them. They just let them die. I am pretty sure that the government will pay for the veterinarian to come to treat the animals. I am also sure that veterinarians would be happy to help animals. But ask yourself “How can organizations have so much money and not use it?” They can’t be spending the money on the animals, because the animals are dying.

The zoos aren’t all that bad because they do show the animals to everybody. I mean, how else would people know about animals? Just like I said about captivity sites, I am not trying to put zoos down but to tell you the truth about them. All am saying is watch out how zoos are treating animals. Well, as far as I am concerned you could make up your own mind about what to believe.

*Artificial insemination is the process of taking the sperm from the male of a species and inserting it into a female of the species through the vaginal area.

Photo: Getty Images

Tiara Marshall is 13-years-old and an 8th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Increasing numbers of the total population of every animal is becoming

“encaged.”


Mybrotherworriedaboutbeingdrafted.Hisargument was simple. “Let Bush fight his ownwar!”Hefeltstronglyaboutthesitua-

tionandbelievedPresidentBushinitiatedthewarinIraqwithhopesofexploitingthecountryforitsoil.Myfocuswastodiscoverifthewarandthecurrentcallforadraftwasunfairandtargetedimpoverishedminorities.Itookonthematterandfoundoutthatthedebatearoundthedraftisacomplicatedissue.

First,IinterviewedRichardFlahavanoftheSelec-tiveService.Mr.FlahavanistheAssociateDirectorforPublicandIntergovernmentalAffairs.ThemaingoaloftheSelectiveServiceistoprovidemanpowertothearmedforcesifthereisadraft.Mr.FlahavanstressedthatSelectiveServiceemployees’opinionsmustremainneutralinlightofthedraft.Hesaidit’sthegovernment’sviewthattherewillnotbeadraftbecauseit’snotneeded.Healsosaidonly10.6%ofthepeopledraftedduringtheVietnamWar(thelasttimeadraftwasused)wereAfricanAmerican.

Rated-TlaterfoundoutfromanarticlebyDavidCoffey,intheEncyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History:“…Although[AfricanAmericans]madeuplessthan10%ofthemen

inarmsandabout13%oftheU.S.populationbetween1961and1966,theyaccountedforalmost20%ofallcombat-relateddeathsinVietnamduringthatperiod.In1965alone,AfricanAmericansrepresentedalmostone-fourthoftheArmy’skilledinaction.…”

Then, I interviewed George Dalley,who works for Congressman CharlesRangel,oftheU.S.HouseofRepresen-tatives.AnAfricanAmericanfromNewYork City, Congressman Rangel intro-ducedabilltoreinstatethedraft.WhenIaskedMr.Dalleyforhisviewsonthewar,hereplied,“Idon’tthinkwe’reanysaferthanwewerebeforetheIraqWarstarted.” When I asked him about thesoldiersinthewar,Mr.Dallysaidthat,“ThesoldiersinIraqarenotdoingtheirjobs. They are acting as police officers andrebuildingIraq’sgovernment.”

WhenIaskedifhethoughtthedraftwouldun-fairlytargetminorities,Mr.Dalleysaidhethinkseverypersonshouldservehisorhercountry.Hesaidhebelievedthatthedraftdidn’ttargetminoritiesbutthosepeoplewithlessmoney.Inthepast,thosewhocouldn’taffordcollegewereautomaticallydraftedifcalledupon,whilethosepeoplewhowereenrolledincollegewereabletodelayserving.Then,hesaidthathebelievedtherewouldnotbeadraftforthesimple

factthatitwouldcausetoomuchpubliccontroversy.Lastyear,CongressmanRangel’sstrongdisap-

provaloftheIraqWarfueledwhatsomepeoplehavecalledabrilliantandwell-thoughtaction.Heproposed

the“UniversalNationalServiceAct”suggestingthereturnofthedraft.Somesaidthathewasusingreversepsychologybyproposingthedraftbecauseifthedraftwerereinstatedthepublicwouldprobablydemandanendtothewaritself.Thispropo-sitionwouldcauseanuproarfromprotestorsandlettersfromthepublic.Thebilldidnotpass.Butitdidcre-ateapublicdislikeonthesubject.

Asaresultofmyresearch,Idiscoveredthatthereoccurringstatementthatadraftwouldtargetminoritieswasprobablyfalse.Ithink

theaccusationwasbroughtuponbyarumor,awell-spreadrumor,butrumornonetheless.Mybrotherhasnoneedtoworrybecausethedraftprobablywillnotoccur.Iknowpeoplearegladadraftwillprobablynotbeputintoactionandembraceanendtothewar.

Tamara Thomas & Raul R. Buddle (who provided additional reporting) are both 13-years-old and in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Real Deal On The

The

Draft“My focus was to

discover if the war and the call for a

draft was unfair and targeted

impoverished minorities.”

Written by Tamara ThomasGraphic Design by Raul R. Buddle

FNNreporterTamaraThomasinterviewsMr.GeorgeDalley(top)andMr.RichardFlahavan(bottom).TopPhoto:SymiatAzeez;BottomPhoto:DeyuanCaldwell


Can you believe that I had an interview with THE FUTURE, and her name is Maggie Orth. Guess what? To me, she’s actually kind of fun. She is not really the future, but she can help the way the future turns out with her wonderful inventions. She is president of a company called I.F. Machines that creates new types of clothing. She’s created things that can help the future become a cool future.

One of her inventions is a tennis shoe that can tell you how fast you run. It’s a color-coded shoe that changes colors depending on how fast you are running. For example, lets say that you are running very, very slow after a fast sprint— they will change to a certain color to inform you of the difference.

Another wonderful invention that she has created is the instrumental jacket. It is a jacket that makes sounds of musical instruments. It was first a Levi’s jacket, but with her wonderful imagination, she made it into an instrumental jacket. What I am saying is that she told me the jacket is a wearable musical instrument. The jacket, like all other technology devices, needs batteries. The jacket also has a speaker box installed. The jacket cannot help the future, but it can make it cool.

Another one of her inventions is the baby cloth. It is a tablecloth that helps an infant learn things like their A, B, Cs or 1,2,3s. It practically home schools the young child at an early stage of life. The child may learn how to read and write and pronounce words such as dad and mom correctly.

If you support Maggie Orth by buying her inventions, then her mission will be successful. Her mission is to make our future the best of the best and way better than the rest. Have a nice and cool future. Thanks to her, I know I will.

Raul R. Buddle is 13-years-old and in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

High Definition ClothingBehind the clothing of the future

Written and designed by Raul Raheem Buddle

18 rated-t Fall 2005 Premiere Edition

Will his invention help you in the future?That is the true question. Is the future in his hands? Is the

future in Professor sundaresan Jayaraman’s hands?

The professor is the inventor of the Smart Shirt. The

Smart Shirt, which by the way is made of a special fabric

that contains electronic circuits woven into it, is one of his

inventions that will make the future a safe one. It will enhance the quality of life for

humans. The Smart Shirt helps people. Let’s say that a soldier in war gets injured

very badly. The Smart Shirt is designed to help the doctor on call who may be

far away make a diagnosis and other things necessary for the doctor to cure the

soldier, such as the soldier’s blood pressure. It also can make the future cool. You

may install, for example, an iPod into the jacket. Other electronic devices can be

installed into the jacket as well.

is the future

in his hands?

PhotosaboveandbelowcomplimentsofProfessorSundaresanJayaraman,GeorgiaTechUniversity.Photobelowisaclose-upofthefabricfortheSmartShirt.

rated-t Fall 2005 Premiere Edition 19

Flaming Fist Of Fury

Written and designed by Zjarrie Sydnor

Illustration by Davon O’Shea Green

Do you know what the Flaming Fist of Fury means? If you don’t, it stands for Black power and unity. It stands for Blacks trying to fight for their rights and equality.

Black power was a political and social movement that arose in the mid-1960s that strove to express a new racial consciousness among Blacks in the United States. On June 17, 1966, Stokely Carmichael, the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), spoke at a rally in Greenwood, Mississippi, and called for Black power.

The modern Black Power movement was one of the most important developments in American politics in the latter half of the 20th century. The goal of Black power was to empower and create a strong racial identity for African Americans. The Black Power movement was controversial to some people because to them it was considered anti-white.

The movement was inspired by Malcolm-X, who said: “When you go back into the past, then you will know that you...had made great contributions to society, civilization, and science. And that if you once did it, you can do it again; you automatically get the incentive, the inspiration and the energy necessary to duplicate what your forefathers did. ...”

During the 1960s, the Black Panther Party grew to become the largest Black organization advocating Black power. In October 1966, in Oakland, California, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The Panthers sought to protect minority communities against racist attacks and fought to bring Black people together to improve their lives.

The Black Panthers opened schools and initiated free breakfast programs, and they initiated free legal and medical clinics as well. The Black Panthers also went international by forming chapters in Africa, the Caribbean and Europe.

Today, the Black Power movement and the Flaming Fist of Fury is still important for African Americans and African people worldwide.

What’s Hot & What’s Not! Every season you have these critics who like to choose what they feel is appropriate for us to wear, and every season we fol-low what they say. Whether it’s wearing scarves in the summer or sandals with neon tights in the winter, if they approve we just assume it’s the right thing to wear. Here’s your chance to pick, choose, or stamp your approval of “What’s Hot & What’s Not!” Email to rated -t at: [email protected] and tell us what you think of these outfits. —Written and designed by Stephanie Booker

Classic Beauty (fabulously comfy)

Beauty Mark (sexy yet modest)

Wild & Crazy (everyday look with a little flair)

Peter Som white Peter Pan collared blouse, with black shear pleated knee length skirt.

Ralph Lauren military style jacket with fur collar, match-ing wool gray skirt and leather brown accessories.

Carolina Herrera fur vest with loud, yet humble, yellow blouse and grey trousers.

Pink leather blazer, gray trousers, electric gray collarless blouse, large red mail purse.

Egg shell white wool trench coat with brown leather belt and egg shell white clutch.

Sky-blue long-sleeve blouse and polka-dot gaucho pants.


Zjarrie Sydnor is 13-years-old and in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy. Davon O’Shea Green is 13 years-old and a student at the Seeds Academy in Washington, DC.

By Jalisa Tate

“Martin”You all know the basic story. Martin (Martin Lawrence) & Gina (Tisha Campbell) are in a relationship. They live together and they both have good jobs. Gina is a successful businesswoman

who sells advertis-ing, along with her best friend Pam (Trichina Arnold). Martin plays a show host for WZUP in Detroit. Martin has two best friends, Cole Brown (Carl Anthony) and

Tommy Strong (Thomas Mikal Ford). The show is current to-day as it still makes people laugh and want to watch again and again. Martin comes on weekdays at 10:00-10:30 on TV One.

“Family Matters”To show love in an unconditional way is how the family of “Family Matters,” lived every day. Though more than 10 years old, “Family Matters” still is exciting because it shows a healthy Black family. Harriett Winslow (Marie Payton Noble) portrays the mother of three children, along with her husband Carl Winslow (Reginald Vel-Johnson), who works as a police officer.

They reside in Chicago with their three children — rebel son Edward (Darius McCrary), daughter Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) and youngest child Judy

(Jamiee Foxworth). Like many Black families, the Winslow’s opened up their home to their extended family — there’s Harri-ett’s sister Rachelle Crawford (Thelma Hopkins) and her son Richie (Bryton McClure) along with Carl’s street-wise mother Estelle Winslow (Rosetta LeNoire). Then, of course, there is the annoying neighbor, Steve Urkle (Jaleel White), who is at the Winslow house so much he may as well be family. “Family Matters” airs weekdays at 1:00-1:30 p.m. on ABC Family.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”The show that many teens in the 1990s described as one of the funniest ever, is just as funny today. The plot: a wealthy family living in Bel-Air, California receives a dubious gift from their poorer relations in Philadelphia when Will Smith arrives as

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” His mother wants him to learn some good old-fashioned values from his successful relatives. But, Will shatters the sophisticated serenity of Bel-Air with his streetwise common sense, much to the dismay of his upper-crust uncle, Philip Banks (James Avery), Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten and Daphne Maxwell Reid) and conceited cousins Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) and Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and sweetheart cousin Ashley (Tatyana Ali) and the butler, Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell). The Banks family opens their home — and their checkbook — to their light-hearted relative, Will, who adapts easily to their indulgent lifestyle. Yet, he reminds everyone that the simplest pleasures of family life can’t be bought at any price. “Fresh Prince” can be seen on “Nick at Nite,” The N (Noggin’s night time program lineup), and weekday afternoons on TBS.

Jaslisa Tate is a May 2005 graduate of Woodson Collegiate Academy. She’ll be attending college this fall to study physical therapy.

Reality Television: What’s Hot This FallWritten and designed by Stephanie Booker

“The Biggest Loser,” “Fat Chance” and “Laguna Beach” seem to all have the same thing in common — the audience loves them.

The reality-show series “The Biggest Loser’s” first season was deemed to be a success. Not only were out-of-shape celebrities trying to get fit and look good by working with fitness trainers and health specialists, but the show also portrayed everyday over-weight people trying to loose weight. The question many people have now is: Did the cast stay fit and lean after the show? Ryan, who was proclaimed the Biggest Loser (and won $250,000 and a tighter body), has stayed fit. Find out who will win season two of The Biggest Loser! On NBC this Fall.

Mo’Nique the award-winning comedienne, Queen of Com-edy and actress has always down-talked skinny women. She even wrote a book called Skinny Women Are Evil: Note of A Big Girl in a Small-Minded World (also available as an audio book) with jokes about it all. From exercising and raising kids, to shopping and eating, she deals with the everyday things that make life rough for the ladies she calls F.A.T. (Fabulous and Thick girls). But she sure seems to be outdoing herself with her very own reality-based television show entitled “Fat Chance.” The show is Mo’Nique in search of America’s first full-figured beauty to be crowned “Miss F.A.T.” Contestants will have the chance to win prizes such as a photo shoot for the Just My Size catalog, and clothes galore. Sounds far-fetched but Oprah’s television channel, Oxygen, took a liking to it. Check it out for yourselves, starting this August.

Has the hit television series “OC” met its match? MTV’s real-ity television series “Laguna Beach” has Orange County’s real rich brats to be seen. Last season showed a lot of drama that goes on in the life of spoiled rich teenagers. Kristen and LC’s battle over Laguna’s hot boy, Stephen, was the hottest issue on the show. Now that everyone is off to college — including Kristen’s long-term boyfriend Stephen, who left her home in Orange County — Kristen now has free play. With a lot of inspiring Laguna guys spitting game and no Stephen around, see how far she’ll go. Will their relationship last the test of time or will they call it quits? Find out on the all-new season starting July 25, 2005 on MTV.

22 rated-t Summer 2005 Premiere Edition rated-t Summer 2005 Premiere Edition 23

Rated-T’s Top 5 VideosBy Raul Raheem Buddle

I created a survey about music videos and asked the students

of the Friendship Public Charter School’s summer enrichment

program to name their favorites. They voted and the results are

in. In 5th place, with 6 votes is “Switch” by Will Smith. In 4th

place, with 10 votes is “Let Me Hold You” by Bow Wow.

In 3rd place, with 11 votes is “Lose Control” by Missy Elliot.

In 2nd place, with 13 votes is “Wait” by Ying Yang Twins.

And in 1st place, with a total of 16 votes, yes, I said 16 votes,

is my dawg, Mike Jones with “Back Then.”

The Rated-T Magazine staff thanks every single last one of the students and teachers that voted during the summer for their favorite music video.

Ol’ School Shows

Let’sRead

YO YO LOVE She’s in love with two peopleBook review written and designed by Stephanie Booker

A book by Daaimah S. Poole Kensington Publishing 2002

Kayla Johnson, a beautiful and intelligent college student attending Temple University, seems to have it all together. What a pack-age — brains and beauty. But underneath her sparkling smile lies a lonely soul. What exactly is Kayla missing? She longs for the touch and love of a man— “The One” someone to call her own.

Then she meets Emar on campus one night and things spiral into something she feels will last, until lies are revealed and promises are broken. Hurting and still lonely, Kayla initially swears off all men.

Well, things don’t always go as planned. Kayla finds herself in and out of relationships with the wrong guys — mainly nuts and ’Bamas — until, she meets the handsome and enticing Wil. Kayla thinks Wil is the one, until she starts to get feelings for another guy, Samir. Now’s she’s caught-up in a love triangle. Find out what will happen. Who will she choose?

Daaimah s. Poole is the author of the novels YO YO LOVE, What’s Real & Got A MAN

He’s Back!!! After getting his body back and causing chaos in the fourth and fifth book, Voldemort is out in the open. He and his Death Eaters are alive and alert. Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister of Magic, feels it necessary to inform the muggle (non-wizard) Prime Minister of everything that is happening in the Wizarding World: Death Eaters killing every muggle in sight, Werewolves and Giants attacking people left and right, Dementors “kissing” people all over. The Dark Mark and chaos is everywhere and nobody’s safe, not even at Hogwarts anymore. And to make matters even worse, Snape has been appointed the new teacher of the Defense Against the Dark Arts and Harry knows he is up to no good. Draco has been given an assignment by the Dark Lord and if he doesn’t do it soon he and his family could say good-bye to their lives. Also, a lot more security has been established to Hogwarts, but is it enough?

This book was so good because Harry starts to take secret lessons with Dumbledore, and learns about Voldemort’s past. Ron and Hermione worry about his new, profound obsession with Draco Malfoy’s activities. But nevertheless, Harry keeps an eye on Draco and Snape, though no one else believes they have joined the Death Eaters. He falls in love with someone he believes he shouldn’t. Even Ron is involved with the

ladies, much to Hermione’s annoyance. There are make-ups and break-ups all throughout this book.

The new Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn, favors Harry. When Harry ends up with a strange copy of “Advanced Potion-Making,” he uses the notes left by the last owner, the “Half-Blood Prince,” and he quickly aces potions. Read to find out who the mysterious “Half-Blood Prince” is, because it will rock your world. And once again, the new teacher

of Defense Against the Dark Arts knows more than he’s telling.

Draco’s new assignment has Snape worried. Draco won’t let him know ANYTHING about his plan to do the assignment because he think that Snape wants the all the glory for himself. Here’s a few words from the “Unbreakable Vow” that Snape made to Narcissa Malfoy, Draco’s mother: “And, should it prove necessary ... if it seems Draco will fail ...,” whispered Narcissa (Snape’s hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw it away), “will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?”

There was a moment’s silence. Bellatrix watched, her wand upon their clasped hands, her eyes wide.

“I will,” said Snape.

A Few Words from J.K. Rowling “I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I’m sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers.”

A Few Words from Me“This book was so good. It had so many surprises, some predictable. Finding out the identity of the Half-Blood Prince was so exciting because as I first read through the book I was waiting

for that chapter to come up. And finding out Draco’s assignment was so surprising.

This book is just so good. To all of you Harry Potter fans who haven’t read the book, please read it because you will not believe the excitement.”

If you want to find out more about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Half-Blood_Prince

This is a picture of Lord Voldemort himself when he went to Godric’s Hollow to kill Harry’s parents.

Tiara Marshall is 13-years old and a student at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

This is a picture of the Dark Mark that is branded upon the Death Eater’s arms, except it’s in the sky.


Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince

Book Review written and designed by Tiara Marshall

Polit

ical

Chuck

Elementary teachings are so mundane that a lot of times people tend to stray. When we were younger, say around the age of 5 or 6, we were taught some things that could either save someone else or be deleterious. “If you see some-one breaking a rule you should tell” — that was the rule the teacher always taught us on our first day of school.

So whenever a student saw a schoolmate doing something that was “bad” they simply said, “Awww!” and told the teacher. Most of the time it was that same bad child getting into trouble. After getting into so much trouble, that student would become irritable and threaten the other students for snitching on them. If their classmate continued to tell, they would make an example out of the snitch. Usually it resulted in a fight. The class then learned a new lesson that no adult had ever taught: Taking on the fear caused by a bully. We learned a new rule to never snitch unless you’re ready for the consequences.

Today, it has gotten so bad that sometimes when people in everyday life do something, they don’t get the appropriate punishment for the offense they’ve committed. Now should we snitch and do the right thing or never snitch and see this horrible cycle continued?

A wise and very special person in my life (my mother) once told me that you shouldn’t be afraid of the consequences of doing the right thing. I remember the day so very clearly. I was about 8 years old when I saw this boy, Damien, the “bad” kid in class, go into another student’s mini-locker and take his crayon box. Later in class that day, when it was time to color on a worksheet given to us, the boy he stole from told the teacher that someone had taken his new crayons from him. Our teacher just thought that he was making up an excuse and went on with class. I was so afraid of Damien that I said nothing. The next day the mother of the little boy whose crayons were taken came up to the school to talk to the teacher. At first they were speaking calmly in the class but then they decided to take their conversation out into the hallway and away from our room. They started yelling and I even heard my teacher curse. The mother came back into the class and took her son home with her. We never saw him again.

The next day our teacher told us all about stealing and how it was wrong. She asked us, “Did any of you see what happened to the little boy’s crayons?” All of my classmates shook their heads no. But, I spoke up and said, “Yes.” When I said that, every-one just looked at me in amazement. She asked me to tell her everything that happened. When I finished, she escorted Damien downstairs to the principal’s office. Class went on as usual. He was suspended for three days. When he returned to school he was furious with me. Outside at recess it had gotten all over the playground that we were gonna fight. I wasn’t even afraid any-more. Living in a household where I was the only girl, my broth-ers had taught me how to fight at an early age. So, when I was on the monkey bars, Damien came up behind me and pushed me off. I fell to the ground and when I stood up I realized that my chin was scraped. I ran after him and punched him in the face and the fight was on. I only suffered a scraped chin while he suf-fered a busted lip and from the embarrassment of a girl beating him up. So the consequences weren’t all that bad. My question to you is: Are you willing to suffer the short consequences of snitch-ing? Or will you let this cycle of wrongdoing go unpunished?

Answer these questions and we’ll post your responses in our next issue.

Stephanie Booker, an 18-year-old May 2005 graduate of Friendship Edison Collegiate Academy, is Executive Editor of Rated-T Magazine. She will be attending college in the spring of 2006.

To Snitch or Not to

Snitch:Should It Even Be a Question?Written and designed by Stephanie Booker

Email me at [email protected] and tell me how you like Political Chuck.


-By calvin&hobbes1By Matt Davisoo.cliked it.

Matt Davis is 13-years-old and in the 8th grade at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

premier issue

Documents

news magazine

fnn tv

staffs of fnn radio

teen mothers

wol radio

radio staffers

magazines dont

ol school tv