aThEENS

Multimedia Project: Cedar Shoals High School Interact Club

2011-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Multimedia: Avoiding Obesity

2011-04-18T12:26:00.001-07:00

The Gladiator: Martay Mattox

2010-11-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

Young Life

2010-11-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

We've Moved!

2010-11-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by. If you're looking for the latest and greatest aThEENs content, you'll need to mosey over to our new aThEENs Wordpress site.

A ton of new stories for the Fall 2010 issue are now online over at atheens.wordpress.com. Some neat multimedia features will be added next week and we're just weeks away from publishing our very first PRINT edition of aThEENs.

This site will remain active so that our readers can still enjoy the past year's worth of content. Thanks for reading and following us. We hope you'll check out our new site.

Thank you once again for your past and continued support of the newsmagazine for and about Athens, Georgia teens.

aThEENs Summer Issue Volume 4

2010-07-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

Students in the Media and Message course through Duke TIP at the University of Georgia have taken over aThEENs during the summer. The TIPsters, as the teenage students are known, are 8th-10th graders from all over the country. They worked to write articles, take pictures, and shoot video of stories of interest to Athens, Georgia teenagers. They also designed most of the pages for the print newsmagazine that you see here. Here are the JPEG images of the most recent issue of aThEENs, brought to you by the Term 2 M&M TIPsters. We hope you enjoy!

Multimedia: Darius Goes West Carnival 2

2010-07-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Photos: Devyn Post, Emily Soroka, Alaina Boyden and Toju Mikie
Soundslides: David Garcia, Emily Soroka and Paxton Swisher

Multimedia: Darius Goes West Day Carnival 1

2010-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Photographs by Devyn Post, Emily Soroka, Toju Mikie and Alaina Boyden
Soundslides: Nicole Alanko, Suleiky Guerrero, MaLea Berry and Thomas Colantuono

Review: The Last Resort

2010-07-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Last Resort? I don’t think that’s a very appropriate name for a restaurant this good.

When we walked into the restaurant the first thing I noticed was the friendly, cozy atmosphere. The grill is very small, quaint, and dimly lit with very artistic light fixtures. It combines regular walls and brick walls, and has a very old fashioned bar with antique liquor bottles for decorations. The tables are small, and seat two or four, so to accommodate our large group we had to push several tables together. The un-uniformed waiters and local artwork on the walls gave the restaurant a cool, artistic feel. Our very kind waiter, Derrick, was very conversational and polite. When we walked in at 11 in the morning the restaurant was not very crowded, but by 12 it got to be bustling.

There was a small wait for our food, but it was definitely worth it. I ordered the salmon bruschetta for $6.75, and it was delicious. It consisted of grilled Atlantic salmon on toasted sourdough with chopped tomatoes and basil atop a black bean puree and cilantro crème fraiche. A mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette was on the side. I ate every last bit. The salmon might have been the best I’ve ever tasted, but I wish there would have been more of it. It was only a small portion. I was a bit wary of the black bean puree and cilantro crème fraiche at first, but it was surprisingly good. The portions of food were not very large, but I was still sufficiently filled up.

And now onto the dessert. The Last Resort Grill has a very large array of layer cakes and cheesecakes. Different kinds include a raspberry cake, German chocolate cake, vanilla bean cheesecake, and many more. They even have a special “Last Resort” cheesecake, and that is just what I ordered.

The Last Resort cheesecake has a mix if Bailey’s, Kahlua, and Frangelica with a chocolate graham crust and whipped cream. The cheesecake was extremely rich and perfectly whipped. It has a very deep coffee flavor accented perfectly by the chocolate in the crust and drizzled on top. I think it tasted perfect with a little bit of whipped cream in every bite to tone down the coffee flavor.

I got the chance to taste different cakes as well. Classmate Alaina Boyden chose the German chocolate cake, which was huge. It was a deep chocolately cake with coconut-pecan frosting. I found that I did not like that German chocolate cake as much as others that I’ve tasted, but it was still very good.

Next I got to taste classmate Kathy Garner's red velvet cake. I consider myself a red velvet cake expert because it’s my favorite kind, and I have tasted many. This one was not the best I’ve ever tasted, but was still very good. I just wish there could have been more cream cheese frosting. The presentation of the cake itself was beautiful, and Kathy even said, “This cake is gorgeous.” The last cake I got to try was instructor Geoffrey Graybeal's lemon spice pound cake with marshmallow frosting, which was delicious. It was very light and fruity and the marshmallow frosting was the perfect touch.

So in conclusion, The Last Resort Grill is neither lacking in food nor in atmosphere, and I highly recommend visiting it if you have the chance. I, myself, will be returning as soon possible to try some more of their wide array of dishes.

Olivia Baker, 15, is a sophomore at the University School of Jackson in Jackson, TN.

Big Daddy Weems

2010-07-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

By: Olivia Baker & Ella Sivertsen, M&M TIPsters

Darius Weems. A man on a mission: raise awareness about his condition. The 20-year-old Athens resident with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy wants the world to know about the number one genetic killer of children in America. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD, is a disease that deteriorates the muscles in the body, taking the ability to walk, do basic physical activities, and eventually, the victim’s life. Darius lost his brother Mario to DMD when Mario was nineteen. For this reason, in 2005 when he was fifteen, Darius and his friends created the film Darius Goes West about his journey from Georgia to California to get his wheelchair pimped on MTV’s "Pimp My Ride."

Mario was the most significant inspiration for Darius to make the trip to California. Darius says that Mario never let DMD stop him from being joyful and moving forward. “When life got hard and my brother was still happy, and he still kept the smile on his face, it kinda makes me want to keep on living and not think about the bad things and just be happy for what I’ve got," he said. This encouragement motivates Darius to get out there and make some good out of what he has. It’s certain that Darius aspires to be like his big brother and to carry on Mario’s legacy. Now, with DGW, Darius can carry it on in a much larger impact than he thought.

“We took this trip and thought it was a silly trip for me to get out of the house and stuff and we became, like, big movie stars,” Darius said. “None of us expected it to get this big.”

Since the movie, Darius finds that he is very busy with interviews and appearances. Whether it’s a Skype chat or a TV show, Darius is constantly spreading the word. To those who want to make a difference like he does, he said, “If you have something you’re passionate about, bring it to the people. Without the people you have nothing.”

His wit and positive outlook on life help everyone, healthy and disabled, young and old, to look to the future with hope, live in the moment, and smile.

Obviously, Darius is more famous than ever. “It just feels good that I’m famous for a reason,” hesaid. “People recognize me for all the things that I’ve done.”

Darius now has many opportunities to continue the domino effect. Last year, he traveled to forty-seven out of the fifty states. He’s appeared on several television shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and has met celebrities including Kanye West, William H. Macy, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck; he’s even received a letter from Beyonce Knowles. Fame hasn’t changed him; he uses it to further DMD awareness.

Soon, in fact, he hopes to develop a rap career, using his music to earn funds for a cure. Darius started rapping at age 15 before filming Darius Goes West. Over the past five years, he has written about five studio raps, including “On a Mission” and “Momma I Made It.” His songs are inspirational because of how they pertain to what he’s been through. He has been working with a producer and has some recording equipment at home. He hopes to release an album once he has enough songs out there.

Being a rapper, Darius himself appears to have a certain swagger. On the day of the interview, he wore black jeans, a black shirt, a black hat, and a cross necklace. On a new diet plan, he’s slimmed down over the past few years. He seemed rather quiet, but conversational, and still had that good humor about him and laughed on several occasions. Darius has definitely matured even more in wisdom since he began publicizing his message on the big scale; nevertheless he is friendly and likes to smile.

About the documentary: When Darius was young and his mother told him of his condition, he didn’t understand fully at first. What it meant to him was simply that he easily suffered from fatigue and was slowly losing his ability to walk and to do strenuous activities. It didn’t get Darius down. Being confined to a wheelchair from the age of ten years didn’t change his charismatic, social personality. He enjoyed making friends in school and at his camp for those with disabilities. At camp, he was so loved by all of them that he considered himself more of a counselor than a camper. He befriends almost everyone he meets, including his “brothers”, Andrew “Corn Rows” Carson, Ben “Darius’ Little Do-boy” Smalley, Collin “Diaper Baby” Shepley, Daniel “the Crazy Driver” Epting, Dylan “the Eye” Wilson, John “T-Barn” Hadden, John “Lawn Chair” Harmon, Jason, “that Other Big Scary Guy with Long Hair” Hees, Kevin “Weird” Weir, Logan “the Boss” Smalley, and Sam “Doesn’t Have a Cool Nickname” Johnson, who went with Darius “Big Daddy” Weems on the journey of a lifetime.

Then he and his friends set off, and Darius was excited. He had never been out of his county, and now he was embarking on a trip across the country with his closest friends, to experience things and see sites he never had before. Athens let them out with style, declaring that day, July 22, the official Darius Goes West Day. Darius was fueled by his anticipation to try new things, and even when there were problems with the bus, wheelchair accessibility, and the wheelchair, he kept an open mind at all times, always with good humor and joy. He loved every event of the trip, especially the Grand Canyon. “Coming from home all the way to the Grand Canyon… it was, like, pretty emotional,” Darius says. Although MTV refused to “pimp” his wheelchair, Darius still made and makes an impact by showing the world that DMD can’t stop him from changing it.

Darius at a Glance:
Favorite city: New York City
Favorite video games: NBA2K, Call of Duty, Modern Warfare
Favorite basketball player: LeBron James
Favorite team(s): Cavaliers, but is going to change to Miami next year.
Favorite rapper: Nas
Favorite place he’s visited: Grand Canyon
Favorite food: Meat Lover’s Pizza (definitely not wasabi!)
Favorite color: Black
Favorite film: Darius Goes West!

A Life with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

2010-07-28T10:40:00.001-07:00

By MaLea Berry, Paxton Swisher, and Kathy Garner
M&M TIPsters

Judging by the look on his face, it is apparent that Darius Weems does not let his disability get in his way. Even in the face of the number one genetic killer of kids, this 20-year-old Georgian still lives his life to the fullest. Darius has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD. To the amazement of those watching, however, Darius--who had never left Athens before--went on a cross-country quest with eleven of his best friends to get his wheelchair pimped on MTV’s "Pimp My Ride." A documentary was made about the trip and the movie was dubbed “Darius Goes West.” The main purpose of this trip, however, was to raise awareness about DMD.

According to Medline Plus, symptoms of the disease usually focus on the loss and degeneration of muscle function. Those diagnosed usually lose the ability to walk by age 12. However, immobility such as bed rest is not recommended, as it can make the disease worse. Other symptoms include an abnormal heart muscle (known formally as cardiomyopathy), enlarged calf muscles that are eventually replaced by fat and connective tissue (known formally as psuedohypertrophy), deformities of the chest or back such as scoliosis, and respiratory disorders such as pneumonia in later stages of DMD. Less common, but still present in some cases, are varying degrees of mental retardation, congestive heart failure, and irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). There is no known cure, but gene therapy may become available in the future.

There's more to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy than just the physical component. Yes, you lose your ability to pick up your favorite toys, or hold your new puppy, or even turn a doorknob by yourself, but there's also an emotional aspect of the disorder that makes the life of a person with DMD much more complicated. Imagine having your mind set on doing an action as simple as grasping something with your hand and picking it up. Now imagine the frustration that would rise up through you if you couldn't get your hand to clamp your fingers on it.

In the documentary Darius Goes West, Darius tries to hold the phone up to his ear while talking to his mom, but when it falls to the floor, he can't bend down to get it and has to ask his friend to do it for him. When he goes to take a drink, he holds the glass in his mouth and has to 'throw em back' in order to drink it. Even then Darius remains upbeat.

“It really didn’t get me down,” he said. “I felt like I couldn’t let it beat me down or I could just live. I felt like just living with it and not thinking about the bad parts of it would help me get through everyday life.”

Anna, a blogger in an anonymous DMD support group on Experience Project, explained in a blog post about having Duchenne, "The biggest way the DMD has affected my life is my relationships with others. It has made me not very confident and afraid of what people will think of me if they found out I have DMD.”

Dealing with the disorder causes people to have to grow up just as rapidly as their disorder attacks them, and life becomes more precious when you know you don't have a good chance of living for long. The average life expectancy for a person with DMD is somewhere between their late teens/early 20s to around age 30.

Some people, though, don't let their disorder dictate what they do with their life. Josh Winheld, author of Worth the Ride, was diagnosed at age 4 and by the age of 10 he was wheelchair bound. In his book, he wrote, “I believe society often underestimates the complexity of living with a disability-the joys, the challenges, the ordinary, the extraordinary..." and went on to explain how he wanted to thank his family and friends for helping him without rendering him useless.

Anna, who experienced the rarity of being diagnosed as an adolescent, said that she looks to God for guidance and strength. She may not have much in her arms and legs, but "the strength of her faith" she said, really helps her get through her bad days, when she feels afraid of "not being able to have any independence".

Kathy Garner, 15, is a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas.
Paxton Swisher, 15 years old, is a sophomore at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas.
MaLea Berry, 15, is a sophomore at Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia

Growing Up a Paideian

2010-07-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

By MaLea Berry, M&M TIPster

"You don't wear uniforms?!"
"You get to call your teachers by their first names?!"
"You don't have a cafeteria?!"

These are the questions that I constantly have to nod my head and smile to when I'm explaining to people what my school is and how we operate. Since kindergarten, I've gone to this place that now feels like home. This school where you see just as many students with shoes as those without them. This school where a group of 5th graders could cover politics and the election, the stock market, the Biggie-Tupac rivalry, and take out the recycling and compost bins all within one class period. This school where the World Civ teacher is also the bowling coach and the guy who plays Buddy Holly albums over the speakers at basketball games. This place I love; Paideia School.

Whenever I tell people about my school they either raise their eyebrows with a look of doubt in their eyes or tell me how lucky I am and that they wished they went there too. The school is located in a part of Atlanta that is bustling with all types of people, religions, ethnicities, and activities, so of course the school reflects on its area. Our dress code is: Wear clothes...that fit...and don't show too much. The majority of the school is made up of "lifers" (those of us who have been there since pre-k or kindergarten), and almost none of them have ever opened a cafeteria milk carton in their lives. We call our headmaster Paul, because that's his name.
In the school's description it says, "Paideia's philosophy is based on the belief that schools can be informal and individualized yet still educate well. The school offers a challenging curriculum that emphasizes individual achievement...," and that's exactly what we do. Paideia, as far as I can tell, focuses on students as people, instead of just focusing on having us get worksheets done. They focus on helping us to mold ourselves into our own individuals.

In jr. high, I was put in a class that did a lot of writing. I love writing fiction, so I was excited and couldn’t wait to start writing stories. The first day, however, I walked in and my teacher, Jennifer said "We don't do any creative writing in this class. It's all personal. We want you to talk about life experiences and grow from them."

Those two years of jr. high did not only consisted of regular classes like grammar and lit. We also had classes like Time Management and Organization, Race, Class, and Gender, and GOALS, a 45 minute emotional check-in where we addressed personal or general issues and made long-term and short-term goals for ourselves.

My favorite time in school—other than Zoo Day in kindergarten, where Zoo Atlanta would come to the school and bring animals—was Jr. High because I saw so many of my peers make positive changes and they taught us how to be people. We learned about each other and our society.12 and 13-year-old students made realizations that some adults still haven't made about the world we live in, and the people in it. Those two years were key years for me, because I think I needed to be able to understand my peers in order to gain stronger relationships with them.7th and 8th grade is where those relationships blossomed.

What I like the most about Paideia is just how the student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships are so strong and the people really begin to feel like family. As cliché as that sounds, it's so true for those of us there. Paideia is a small school, with around only 900 people for the whole school (pre-k through 12th grade). For sports, we’re a 1A school (the smallest possible sizing category), but after a while you realize that you pretty much know everyone, and everyone knows you. People there, students, parents and teachers alike, love the closeness and communal feel that comes with being a Paideian.

This past year I was a freshman. I feared the jump from jr. high to high school because of how high school has always been portrayed in movies and books. I expected to be ignored and buried under my school work, but now realize how crazy it was for me to feel that way. I met more people that I thought I'd never talk to, like juniors and seniors, and learned things about peers that I would have never known if I had been afraid of exploring it.
Generally, class sizes range from 20 to maybe 26 students, so for the semester, you really have time to get to know the people in your class. A lot of the time, when we do activities or assignments in class, they are group or partner activities, which lead to conversation amongst all types of students.
Our school does things a little differently than other private schools. Instead of having one block schedule that we follow for the whole year we have two long term semesters and two short term semesters. This means up until Holiday Break (the week before Christmas-New Years) we have six classes a day ranging from 40-50 minutes. Some people have orchestra/band or art/photography during a period, while others have study hall. Some students take seminars or AP classes later on in their high school career. When we get back from the break, however, we don't have our regular classes. We have "short term" which lasts for a month where we take "alternative learning" classes. All types of classes are offered.

Many people looking in have the misconception that we just sit around doing nothing for a month. However, even with all the cool alternative class offerings, we all still take our required core classes during both long and short term. For example, freshman are required to take Making Healthy Life Decisions at some point during their 2nd short term, and Algebra II students have to take geometry during either short term. My first short term I had classes like Poetry, Chess, and Word Games, and the 2nd short term I had classes like Race and Ethnicity and The Science of the Brain. In those courses I made friends with people throughout all class years, and I still actually learned something. Describing our short term and long term to strangers or to other private schools is never easy, because they assume we just cut off school for 4 weeks. They question what goes on during the month where we’re not taking regular classes like specifically Algebra II or biology and they think two months of our learning isn’t worth much. Much to their chagrin, however, that's not the case at all. Paideians believe just as much in learning about social interactions as they do in learning about math and science.

Like I stated earlier, our school is focused on helping us grow not only as students, but as people, too. When discussing our framework of values and attitude towards learning, our website says, “We should teach our students to use reason and logic and to apply these tools to engage with the world. Schools often err on the side of stressing the competitive and private nature of learning. We should impart the value that learning can often be a cooperative effort in which shared ideas enhance each student's experience and understanding.”

So far, in my 10 years here, I’ve experienced every aspect of what separates Paideia from other private schools, in Atlanta, and just in general.

“We hope that our students will be prepared not only to live in the world but to improve it.”-The Paideia School Framework of Values.

If that doesn’t accurately embody what Paideia hopes to represent, I don’t know what does.

MaLea Berry, 15, is a sophomore at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia.

Day in the Life of Darius Weems

2010-07-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

By Emily Soroka, Lan'Tiqua Burks, and Damarcio McCoy, M&M TIPsters

Taking life one day at a time and never taking a day for granted, Darius Weems, a 20-year-old living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), struggles with everyday tasks and depends on others.

"You can't stop yourself from coming to Earth; you can't stop yourself from leaving the Earth," Weems said.

An African-American male who is confined to his red and black power wheelchair, Weems’ most noticeable traits are his smile and happy attitude. Having a conversation with Darius you would never think that there’s anything wrong with him, but his disease takes a toll on him and the people around him. Darius tries to do some things in his own special way to be independent but he still depends on other people for a large part of his day.

Darius has a positive attitude toward life although he is living with DMD. He was diagnosed at age 5, and his brother Mario died of the same disease at 19 years old. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the number one genetic killer of children and one in every 3500 has the disease. Victims typically lose the ability to walk by the age of 10 and the disease is 100 percent fatal.

According to Darius, wheelchair accessibility, or lack thereof, is his “biggest challenge.”One of the many things Darius has to deal with on a daily basis is non-accessible locations. He goes to places that are not wheelchair accessible to try to raise awareness of the situation.

“I like to go to places that are not accessible, so maybe if they see me, like a person in a situation, they would change it, if they see me come there and I can’t get in there and my friends can. Maybe they would just try to change the place,” Darius said.

“Accessibility is dependent on the owner,” says Amble Johnson, who helps Darius and deals with press.

Accessibility can be a big problem for people with DMD. They need help going places if they want to leave the house, and need to get driven around. Darius’s mom is there for him to help with these things. Darius’s wheelchair constantly breaks down, which also temporarily demobilizes him.

Eric Ninden, a victim of DMD who makes YouTube videos, needed help brushing his teeth by time he was out of high school and cannot lift his hands to his ears. Darius and Eric need help from friends and family with everyday tasks that wouldn’t be thought twice about for a person without DMD.

Darius has to take six medicines daily for his heart and is currently on a low sodium diet to stay healthy. He let out a laugh when he mentioned he cheats every once in a while. Taking medicine will not cure DMD, but it will help strengthen his heart and help his body function. Eric Ninden is on a diet like Darius that consists of avoiding sugar, refined food, and dairy products; instead he eats organic food. It’s important for a person living with DMD to stay on a healthy diet so they don’t become obese and cause any more stress on the muscles.

Support from friends and family make a huge difference to the victim. It takes away worry and stress, and helps them stay happy and high in spirits.

Darius had a firsthand account with his brother’s DMD and death, allowing him to cope with his disease easily. “I just like, see my brother, all the stuff he went through made me strong and he showed me you can’t sit in one mode in life. You gotta try to make some moves,” he said.

Darius’s mom and sister are an important part of his life. They help him with daily struggles and doing everyday tasks. They can also provide support for each other. Darius says that the disease made his relationship with his mom closer. Darius works very hard to inform others of DMD and what he has been through. On a weekly basis he makes Skype calls to schools and visits students. When he was on the road traveling last year, he went to 47 states and visited two schools during the day and a venue at night.

The day in the life of Darius Weems might be difficult at times but he still has hope and keeps his spirits high. He has made a big impact and raised awareness to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

“It just feel good I’m famous for a reason,” he said.

Emily Soroka, 14, is a Freshman at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia
Lan’Tiqua Burks, 15, is a Sophomore at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Damarcio McCoy, 15, is a Sophomore at Muscle Shoals High School in Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Let's Get Driving

2010-07-28T10:30:00.001-07:00

By Olivia Baker, M&M TIPster

In the United States, on most teen’s fifteenth birthday, they are thinking
about one thing; getting their learner’s permit. They are finally
able to start driving the car and are one step closer to driving on
their own.

However, in some states teens can get their permits earlier
and some have to wait even longer. In Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas,
North Dakota, South Dakota, and South Carolina, kids ages fourteen and
up are allowed to get their learner’s permit. Those who are fourteen
and three months are allowed to get their permits in Nebraska. Those
who are fourteen and six months are allowed to get theirs in Idaho,
Montana and Wyoming. And at fourteen years and nine months old, teens
are allowed to get their permit in Michigan.

Some have a little longer to wait. At fifteen and six months teens living in Arizona,
California, Hawaii, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Wisconsin
are allowed to get their permits. Teens in Maryland have to wait nine
months, after their fifteenth birthday. And in Connecticut, New York,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Rhode Island teens have to wait until their sixteenth
birthday in order to get their permit. But they shouldn’t be too sad, because leaner’s permits don’t even exist in New Hampshire!

When a group of teens were asked about the age limit for getting a permit,
they replied, “I think fifteen is a good age, because it is not too
young and not too old. The whole reason teenagers have accidents is
because of inexperience, so age is not the most important factor.”

Though sometimes it varies slightly, the process to get your permit is
generally the same across the United States. First you have to go to
a local DMV with a parent or legal guardian. You walk in and tell
them that you’re ready to get your permit. You sit and wait until they
call you, and when they do, it's paperwork time. You have to show
proof of age and identity, your social security number, proof of U.S.
citizenship or legal presence, proof of school attendance, and birth
certificate. The fee to get the learner’s permit is anywhere from $10
to $25.

Next up, its test time. First of a vision test must be
taken. Then the permit test is usually either a written test, or a
test completed on the computer. It consists of about 20-25 questions
about road rules, traffic signs and signals, drugs and alcohol, and
driving responsibly. Once finished with the test, the attendant will
tell you if you have passed or failed. If you fail the test, its
okay. Study up, and in a week you will be able to take it again. If
you do pass, congratulations! You will go over to have your picture
taken and give your signature, which will both appear on your new
permit.

A learner’s permit is an exciting thing to have. You are
finally able to drive! When some teens were interviewed about what
the best part of having your permit is, they responded, “Being able to
drive even though you still have to have an adult in the car.”

There are some rules to having a permit. First of all you have to have a
licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age in the passenger seat.
When asked to comment on whether or not this was necessary, a Duke
TIP camper, Chris Ballinger, answered, “I probably wouldn’t be able to
drive without a parent in the car with me.” Depending on the state,
there is usually a curfew for someone with a permit. For example, in
Tennessee you cannot drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. While some
people may disagree with these restrictions, they are designed to keep
new inexperienced drivers out of trouble and out of harm’s way.
Some may think it is unnecessary and some believe it is very
important, but either way a permit is a cool thing to have. It gives
a form of identification, and helps you to learn the important skill
of driving. Many teens greatly enjoy having a permit and being able
to enjoy driving for the first time. Even if it is with a parent.

Duke TIP Summer Program vs. Public School

2010-07-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

By: Emily Soroka, M&M TIPster

Public school and the Duke TIP summer program are alike and different in many ways. Most would prefer camp over school, but some might not. These are both places for people to come together and build a future together.

“TIP is the greatest thing you will have a chance to experience,” the Duke TIP website states. Duke TIP camp is a place to learn and bond with the people around you. School is a time of learning and bonding too, but you are always stuck with those same people throughout different grade levels.

When you’re at camp you meet many new people from across the country. Sometimes you'll meet your best friend at camp, or maybe develop a “relationTIP.” At camp you get to pick what class you take and they are always interesting classes, not something like English or history. You stay in a college dorm with a roommate, unlike public school, where you don’t live at your school.
Some people would say school is more boring than camp, but this may be because you don’t have fun evening activities every night when you get home, or because your friends aren’t right down the hall from you. At school, you are required to take core academic classes, and we also spend 10 months at school learning, while we are only at camp for three weeks.

At both camp and school we are surrounded by our friends, supportive teachers and class lessons. Camp and school both provide great learning environments. We learn morals and make memories at both camp and school.

Emily Soroka, 14, is a Freshman at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia

Inception Review: Is it a Dream?

2010-07-28T10:24:00.004-07:00

By Thomas Colantuono, M&M TIPster

Inception was a captivating, but confusing movie. It had my attention the whole time, but unfortunately had me confused the whole time, too. It’s rating (PG-13) fits it perfectly, because there was minimal violence compared to other movies, and the language was rather tame.

The characters were like vivid portraits, and the movie just painted them out perfectly. Everyone had characters that made sense. Unfortunately, there were two problems with the characters. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Cobb, was very similar to Leonardo’s character in Shutter Island, Teddy Daniels. They were both torn apart from their families and feel extreme guilt. The other problem was Ken Watanabe’s character, Saito. He was very well-played but was hard to understand at points during the movie. In a film where every word counts, that can be a problem. I had to ask my friend in the next seat for translation many times, and sometimes he didn’t catch it, either.

To explain the plot fully and completely, I would have to spoil the movie, which I don’t want to do to the good people of the public. But I will give an overview. Saito blackmails Cobb into helping him take down a major corporation through dreams. Cobb is an expert at this and is the obvious choice.

The original owner is dying, but his son, Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy) will be taking over. They devise a plan to get him into the dream, which the architect, Ariadne (Ellen Page), must first create. Cobb had just recently informed her on how to be an architect, and was teaching her the ways, which also explained much of the movie to viewers.

Once in the dream they must fight to get deeper and deeper into Fischer’s mind. They basically use Fischer, to break into his own mind, and convince him that he must get to the “safe,” which will help them control him to give up the company.

To get the entire story, you must see this captivating, extraordinary, and mind-blowing movie.

Thomas Colantuono, 14, is a Freshman at John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington, North Carolina

"Collect 'em, Trade 'em, Wear 'em"

2010-07-28T10:24:00.003-07:00

By: Emily Soroka and Lan’Tiqua Burks, M&M TIPsters

These animal shaped rubber bands have impacted everyone. They are the new sensation and everyone wants them. You can “Collect ‘em, Trade ‘em, Wear ‘em.” Can you guess what these are?

Silly Bandz were invented by 47 year old Robert J. Croak, the founder of Brainchild Products. Silly Bandz started to get popular in summer of 2009, and since then they have gone from shipping out 20 boxes of Silly Bandz a day to 1500. Even though Silly Bandz are very popular, some people still don’t know what they are.

When an employee at Margo Jewelry Store was asked if she knew what Silly Bandz were, the answer was “um, no.”

Silly Bandz aren’t loved by everyone. They are mostly popular among young children, but they have started to catch hold of teenagers. Kwanzaa Dunbar, a 16 year old from Tennessee said, “I gotta get some of them things.”

Many schools in states like Texas, New York, Florida and Massachusetts have banned these silicone bracelets. They are deemed a distraction to students. Students play with Silly Bandz in class instead of paying attention and in some cases their circulation can be cut off from wearing too many.

When Lisa, 21, from Athens was asked her opinion on Silly Bandz being banned, she said, “I think it’s dumb, I mean, if it’s not Silly Bandz it’s gonna be something else.”

When Robert Croak made these stretchy bands he never thought they would become this popular. Even though they have been banned in some schools, they are still popular everywhere. New Silly Bandz will be coming out soon, such as UV activated ones. They have made such a great impact because of the cheap price during this economy crisis. At only $5 for a 24 pack, children can have their parents buy them many at a time.

Some people love Silly Bandz, and some just hate them, either way these stretchy rubber bands are extremely popular.

Emily Soroka, 14, is a Freshman at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia
Lan’Tiqua Burks, 15, is a Sophomore at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Infectious Diseases being spread by International Travel

2010-07-28T10:24:00.001-07:00

Duke TIP Pharmacology students visited the CDC in Atlanta. Mosquitos, such as this one in the exhibit, transmit malaria.

By Paxton Swisher
M&M TIPster

It is not a common thought when we board a plane. With all the stress of airports we scarcely have time to consider the risk. But what is becoming a new problem is the spread of infectious diseases through international travel.
The Centers for Disease Control recorded more than 3000 cases of infectious diseases in travelers in just the past year. According to USA Today, in the last year, there were 662 reports of tuberculosis, 78 cases of measles, and 56 reports of mumps. Diseases from other countries are carried onto the plane. Then, people who aren’t being very hygienic get the disease because they aren’t immune to it. The disease is then spread to others in the area.
Those in Athens that disregard this information because they don’t travel internationally should consider this: according to cheapflights.com, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International has been the busiest airport in the world since 1998. This means that hundreds of international flights come in to Georgia every year. If infectious diseases are being transferred from airport and planes there is a risk for many Athens residents. However, there are ways to combat the spreading of these diseases.
As in any public place, it is always a good idea to wash your hands. Hand sanitizers can be of great help on air planes. General health rules should be followed, such as not sharing any food or drink with others, and covering your face when coughing/sneezing. If you feel the need, germ-masks can also be a good way to protect your mouth and nose from germs. The main way to protect yourself, however, is to be aware of the environment you are in. Know that people from other countries can have diseases you are not immune to. Above all else, wash your hands!

Paxton Swisher, 15, is a sophomore at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas.

We Let the Dawgs Out

2010-07-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

By Alaina Boyden, M&M TIPster

The saying goes “Good things come in small packages.” This time though, the package looks like a giant bull dog.

The "We Let the Dawgs Out" project originated when members of the Athens-Oconee Junior Women's Club learned of the Cow Parade. The Cow Parade is a public art exhibition initially intended to bring publicity or attention to local artists and their work. Now the Cow Parade has visited over fifty cities worldwide, including Paris, Milan, and Tokyo, since it began in the year 1999. The money made from auctioning off the sculptures goes to nonprofit children and arts groups.

In Athens, however, the sculptures are instead bulldogs, which is the mascot for the University of Georgia. Originally, the Junior Women’s Club’s goal was to get enough sponsors and artists to complete twenty-five bulldog statues. Yet the project turned out to be so successful that they ended up with thirty-six instead! The statues’ homes are all around the city and attract attention from tourists and visitors all the time.

“I think everybody who comes here loves them. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people take pictures with them,” says Linda, an employee from Heery’s Clothing Closet, located close to the Bulldog statue called “Bugga,” which has different bugs and leaves painted all over it.
Another example of one of the statues includes “Caesar Dawgustus,” located on 100 College Avenue near Starbucks wearing a red toga, sandals, and a crown.

For many, the statues are symbols of team spirit or even a kind of special trademark. It is said that they are almost like guard dogs watching over the city of Athens.

Alaina Boyden is a 10th grader at Marathon High School in Marathon, Florida.

The Twilight Epidemic: The Fine Line Between Fantasy and Reality

2010-07-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

By Ella Sivertsen and Olivia Baker, M&M TIPsters

There seems to be only one question on the minds of countless teenage girls these days: “Team Edward, or Team Jacob?”

You can always find a Twilight t-shirt at Wal-Mart, thousands of fans rush to the movie theaters at six-o’-clock in the morning to catch the first midnight showing of the latest addition to the saga, and Taylor Lautner probably appears shirtless on the walls of giggling girls more frequently than he would ever care to find out, ever.

But while fans are debating whether Pattinson or Lautner is hotter, there is often something more going on in the minds of true Twilight fans. Thoughts swim around about the definition of love and of protection, the boundary between teenage romance and a darker side to Edward and Bella, and why the knight in shining armor/vampire in shining Volvo can’t come for every girl.

So when does fiction wander too far into the real world?

“[It’s] really annoying [all the attention it’s received]; it’s kinda ruined it for me,” a local Athens teen says. Twilight books have sold around 5.3 million copies, and that’s just in the U.S. The movies have grossed approximately $1.5 billion worldwide! There is now Twilight Saga bedding, clothing, jewelry, makeup, perfume, Barbies, lunch boxes, mugs, board games, and key chains. Someone even prints Twilight toilet paper.

Twilight has become very widely known. Hundreds of thousands of screaming “Twilighters” line up for movie premieres and book signings just to get a glimpse of their favorite stars. While “Twi-hards” take their fan base and posters very seriously, many simply find the craze to be hilarious, and others still have more opinionated, solemn responses to the “epidemic.”

“A lot of the girls who are reading it are really young, like, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, and that’s a REALLY impressionable age,” says Rose Dasher, a young, working woman in Athens. Miss Dasher has personally read the Twilight Saga and is, to put it kindly, not a big fan. It’s not because fans have ruined her experience or because she doesn’t like the casting for the movie; she opposes the messages portrayed to Twilight’s young readers. “[It] presents some rather skewed messages to younger girls… It’s like there’s a lot of messages I disagree with about love and relationships and about women’s roles in relation to men.”

For all of you who don’t know, Bella is extremely dependent on Edward, Jacob, and all the Cullens. Dasher also says that if this relationship was real, it would be “something for the feds to handle.” Regarding things from female dependency to pre-marital sex, Twilight is highly debated the world over. People don’t sparkle; taking the books too realistically can blur the line between reality and fantasy.

Don’t worry too much about those Twi-hards, though. Most find that, like the Backstreet Boys, Twilight is a passing trend.

“There’s always something teenagers will love,” says an Athens resident, “if it’s Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, or Twilight.”

As for the future, like all other fads, Twilight will be eclipsed by something new, with a breaking dawn to a new era. Pun intended.

Ella Sivertsen, 14, is a ninth grader at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville, GA.

Olivia Baker, 15, is a tenth grader at the University School of Jackson in Jackson, TN.

Darius Goes West Trip Prep

2010-07-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

By Lan’Tiqua Burks, M&M Tipster

In preparation for his trip, Darius and his friends and family all had to do a lot to get ready for this 7,000 mile cross-country trip. They all sold movie credits, had piggy banks at the stores around Athens, and door-to-door barbeques. Barbara Smalley, director Logan Smalley’s mother, helped organize the stops on the trip. (Picture: Logan Smalley, director of Darius Goes West, at the Darius Goes West Day Carnival)

Two weeks before they left they were a little short on money, but the United Cerebral Palsy contacted them and agreed to give them the rest of the money if they would pass out bracelets for their cause. Darius and all of his friends agreed, helping them meet their goal while assisting another cause.

Darius took eleven of his best friends on the trip with him to go across the country to California to convince MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” to pimp his wheelchair. This was the first time Darius ever left Athens and he was going all the way across the country.

Darius Goes West was filmed by Darius’s eleven friends, but they didn’t have any filming background. They searched on Google “how to make a documentary” and read as much as possible in preparation for the trip.

“He didn’t have any film making experience,” said Barbara Smalley. He literally taught himself how to edit, and I would watch…the dailies and I would be blown away ‘cause he told the story from his heart. That’s what made it successful.”

While the trip and making the documentary was going on, Darius’s friends were still busy with their own lives, but they devoted a large portion of their time to the trip and the movie.

“He edited while he was a senior in college so it took him a year,” Smalley said.

Barbara planned the itinerary and asked Darius where he wanted to go. She also threw in a few places in that he might not have known about. They got discounts at hotels and at different stops on the trip.

All the preparation and the money donated finally paid off after the movie was released and it raised two million dollars for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

Lan’Tiqua Burks, 15, sophomore at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Wheelchair Accesibility Through the Years

2010-07-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Alanko and Kathy Garner, M&M TIPsters

“Accessibility is a bigger challenge than anything.” Darius Weems would know. As a 20-year old with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, the Athens native has traveled the country spreading the word about his disease, and showing people about life in a wheelchair.

“It was random places that were more accessible,” Darius said. “It varies from different places I go to. I like to go to places that aren’t accessible so that if they see me, like a real person, they’ll want to change it. If they see me, they’ll be inspired to change it.”

Darius is one of the more famous people that is trying to change wheelchair accessibility. It’s a fight that picked up momentum in 1932 with the invention of the first folding wheelchair. This wheelchair was called the Everest and Jennings chair. Before this time, wheelchairs had been heavy and it was difficult for people with disabilities to leave their homes, so accessibility to public buildings was not an issue. After the invention of the Everest and Jennings chair, however, disabled people were able to put their chairs in their cars and go anywhere. This was how the Disability Rights Movement began.

With advancements in medicine, more people were living through serious injuries that normally would have caused them to die. Many of these were veterans of the World Wars, who then began to protest in America for more rights and more access to public places.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was originally passed in 1980, with revisions made in 2008. This Act was meant to enforce stronger legislation pertaining to the rights of people with disabilities. It discusses employment, access to buildings and public transportation, and communication devices.

“No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation,” according to the Act.

The full Act itself is very simple, with specific guidelines. Sections 1, 2, and 3 are all general knowledge sections. They detail the purpose as well as general information and vocabulary used in the remainder of the document. Section 4 details the minimum requirements of areas, including but not limited to curbs, stairs, toilet stalls, water fountains, and saunas, to make them handicap accessible, including exceptions. Sections 5 through 15 specify requirements for specific areas, such as restaurants, libraries, and medical care facilities.

This was an extremely important piece of legislation that laid the foundations for new changes to come. While after twenty years, not every building is wheelchair accessible, change and success will come. Darius himself does not advocate for any specific legislation.

“Accessibility is dependent on the owner,” said Amble Johnson, a writer for the Darius Goes West organization. “People will want to change. They’re just ignorant.”

Nicole Alanko, 16, is a Junior at Riverheads High School in Staunton, VA.
Kathy Garner, 15, is a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas.

Other Resources:
http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm
http://www.ada.gov/
http://www.ada.gov/adastd94.pdf

Darius Goes West Carnival Overview

2010-07-28T10:07:00.001-07:00

By: Suleiky Guerrero

M&M TIPster

Another Annual Darius Goes West Day (DGW) that was as good as expected. This Saturday, July 24, was the Darius Goes West Carnival in Athens, Ga. There was music, face painting, water bounce houses, basketball, the Goslabi Challenge—where contestants swallow a spoon of the sushi spice wasabi—mechanical bull riding, animal petting, horse rides and a dunking booth for the mayoral candidates.

Many people attended the event, including Darius' family, friends, visitors and the mayoral candidates.

“I laughed, I cried, it was great” said Kelly Freeman, a Darius Goes West Day volunteer from Sugar Hill, Ga., about the Darius Goes West movie. “They gave so much to him and he’s giving so much to us and doesn’t even realize it so the least we can do is give back.”

“It really touched me that actually the crew would take upon the cause that they did and decide ‘Hey, we’re going to do something about this,” said Freeman’s mother, Judy.

Dan Johnson who had met Darius before the movie also had a lot to say about him. “The job that he’s done raising money for the cause and that he’s stayed with it so long and really seen it through instead of just taking his trip and staying home after that, he has kept working, trying to fight the disease.” Dan brought his brother Phil Johnson, a spinal meningitis survivor from 1953 who also supports Darius’ cause, to the event on Saturday.

The candidates also had a lot to say. Spencer Frye, who is the director of Athens Area Habitat for Humanity and a mayoral candidate for the Athens elections, said he met Darius when he and his mother were looking for affordable housing. Not being able to build a house for them they sent them over to one of their partnering homing agencies, the Athens Land Trust. Here they were able to find Darius and his mom a home. The only problem was that the house was too small. The hallways were too narrow and wasn’t handicapped accessible, so they put up funds to build additions to the home such as the handicap ramp and widening the doorways.

“What he’s done and what folks have done around him is just inspiring,” Frye said.

Heidi Davison, Athens’s mayor when Darius left for his cross-country trip, was also there Saturday. “It’s a real unifying event that everyone can get on board with and feel like they’re a part of. So when you keep reading the story, folks that have been involved with it from the very beginning say ‘I’m a part of that’ and are proud of that,” she said.

Suleiky Guerrero is a Media and Message TIPster. She is also a rising 9^th grader at Westwood MOA in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Gubernatorial Election Coverage

2010-07-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Alanko, Lexi Lutsky, and MaLea Berry, M&M TIPsters

The people are speaking their mind at the polls and on the streets. The election for the next governor of Georgia is coming up in November, but a runoff for the two leading Republicans is August 10th. In the primaries on July 20th, Democrat Roy Barnes was a clear leader with 64%. Karen Handel was the leading Republican with 33% and Nathan Deal was a close second with 23%.

All of the candidates are focused on job growth in the state, education, and resources. Democrat Roy Barnes is basing his campaign on growing jobs in different areas, and education is extremely important. He wants to increase funding to schools and make sure the funds are used well. He also does not want to cut teacher salaries.

Karen Handel is basing her campaign on keeping taxes low to increase jobs and creating a better infrastructure. She is also serious about making it easier for parents to enroll their children in charter schools and is in support of a water plan for the next drought.

Nathan Deal is basing his campaign on promoting the private sector of businesses and supporting the FairTax, and also giving local school systems more power. Nathan Deal also wants to be strong about illegal immigration.

The people of Athens are also talking on the streets, answering the fundamental question: What do the people want in a candidate? Some are looking for candidates’ decisions to be faith based, and others look for them to have a good education. Most said that they just want people to do what they say, have similar views, and to be honest.

“I’m looking for someone to improve the economic state of Georgia,” said Rohaid Nanji, a young man in his twenties. “[It’s important that he will] Follow through on his plans, especially for improving the state.”

Ross Daniel said, “I want their decisions to be faith based.”

“I want them to have integrity,” one woman responded.

Ben Pearlman said that he wants his candidate to “just be able to express decent views and not pander to the electorate.”

Nicole Alanko, 16, is a junior at Riverheads High School in Staunton, Virginia.
MaLea Berry, 15, is a sophomore at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia.
Lexi Lutsky, 15, is a freshman at Carolina Forest High School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Sasquatch, Aliens, and much more.

2010-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

By Thomas Colantuono, Megan Valentine, and Paxton Swisher, M&M TIPsters

Have you ever had the hair on your neck raise up? Felt a tingling sensation down your spine? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you may or may not live in Athens Georgia, where myths run wild. “It would take me days to describe the creative way of the land,” said Evan Baker, citizen of Athens, Georgia.

One of these many legends is the tale of Susie Caruthers. Susie was a beautiful young lady who, on the day of marriage was stood up by her fiancé. Instead of living her life as a sad, heartbroken spinster, she ended her life in the attic of the building that became the Alpha G amma Delta sorority house at the University of Georgia. The building resembles a large wedding cake, ironic because a woman ended her life because of a “no show.” The saddest part? He was coming, but the bridge was out. She ended her life, and ruined his. Now, any girl who lives in the room where this tragedy happens, good fortunes occur. They will get lavaliered (receiving a necklace with a man’s fraternity letters), pinned (receiving a fraternity pin), or at the most extreme case, engaged. The heartbroken ghost is making sure no one ends up like her. Some sisters their claim to have seen young Susie dressed in all white through the window of the attic, others have seen doors open randomly, and lights turning on and off. Some believe there is no ghost, but others think that Susie has been there for years, and will stay to help sorority members for years to come. Even though this may seem like a way to help others, ghosts normally want to recreate the way they died through others. So maybe this is an act of malicious behavior, or maybe she just wants to help others out.

The most common legend around the UGA campus is the legend of the Arch, which stands on Broad Street and was once the entrance to the university. It is said that during your freshmen year, if you walk under the arch you will not graduate from UGA. The legend all started with UGA alumnus, Daniel Huntley Redfearn, from the class of 1910. He came to UGA from Florida with less than 200$ dollars, his luggage, and a fierce determination to graduate. He swore to himself that he would not walk under the arch until he had his diploma. He never failed to keep his word. Even during hazing when the freshmen boys were being forced to run in their underwear before a football game, he avoided the arch. Eventually one of his professors learned about Redfearn’s vow and turned it into a tradition for all freshmen. Some freshmen are brave and mock the tradition by walking under it while others avoid it, not willing to take a chance at failing. Whether or not the myth is true is up to you.

There are more than just local myths in Athens. Many people believe that some of the biggest mythical creatures live in the area, starting with the Sasquatch or Giganto. In 1971, an Athens police officer reported a sighting of a creature resembling Big Foot. He described it being 7 to 8 feet tall and walking like a human being. Could this be the magical Sasquatch? Could it have gone extinct? What we do know is limited but that doesn’t stop people from believing in the mythical creature. Many others believe there are tourists in Athens. Not tourists from another state, but another planet! Yes, there have been reports of aliens in the area. “Georgia was invaded by UFO’s,” says VonHelton on his Youtube channel after filming strange floating lights in the sky. He believes these aliens are evil and must be punished. Although we may never have the truth, there will always be speculation about myths and legends, especially in a place with such a colorful history like Athens.

Paxton Swisher, 15, is a sophomore at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas.
Thomas Colantuono, 14, is a freshman at John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Megan Valentine, 16, is a junior at Reagan High School in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Spreading awareness for DMD

2010-07-28T10:04:00.001-07:00

By Paxton Swisher, M&M TIPster

Most Americans haven’t heard of it. Most people can’t tell you what it is. No, it’s not some new fad. It’s the number one genetic killer of kids.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD, is becoming more and more common and there is no cure. Before, about 6 years ago there weren’t many fund-raisers for it either. This all changed when a 15 year old Darius Weems, who had never left Athens, Georgia set off on a road-trip with 11 of his friends. Darius has DMD and went on the trip mainly to get his wheelchair pimped on the popular show “Pimp My Ride.” But he also wanted to spread awareness about DMD. The documentary about this trip was entitled “Darius Goes West” or DGW. The movie went viral, fast. Using aspects of social media like Twitter and Facebook, this sparked the raging fire that is the “Darius Goes West” campaign against DMD. Since the movie, the DGW team has taken every opportunity to spread the word and gather donations to fight DMD and hopefully find a cure in our generation.
Since the release of the film, the population helping to fight DMD has greatly increased. More and more people are seeing the film and wanting to make a difference. Darius describes the way the message is mostly spread is by “word of mouth.” The newest development in the campaign against DMD is that the DGW movie is now free on their website. They call this the “Play it Forward” campaign. This was started in the hopes that people will watch the movie for free, and then forward it and send it to all their friends, spreading the message about DMD. But the movie and play it forward campaign is just one aspect of the overall one to fight DMD.

Not only is the campaign meant to spread the word about DMD, but also about having wheelchair accessible buildings. In the film, Derius was often unable to go places because they weren’t wheelchair accessible. Darius said in an interview, “I like to go to places that aren’t accessible so that if they see me, like a real person, they’ll want to change it. If they see me they’ll be inspired to change it.” This is another cause that the campaign to spread awareness can help.

In the film, Darius is bet to eat a spoonful of wasabi, or “goslabi” as he calls it. Being one of the most loved parts of the movie, the DGW team decided to start up the “goslabi challenge.” According to their website, participants are supposed to start a fund-raising page. Once the fund goal is met, they each eat a spoonful of wasabi sauce and record it on film. The proceeds then go to help DMD and the best videos are eligible to win cool prizes. This will both raise funds for finding a cure to DMD and spread awareness about the disease.

From the “goslabi challenge” to Darius being interviewed on news programs to Big Daddy Weems himself visiting schools across the country, it’s obvious that the campaign to find a cure for, and spread awareness of, DMD are going well. However, the fight is not won yet. Donations are still needed, and there are many Americans who still don’t know what Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is. Help the campaign for spreading the message about DMD by donating through the “Darius Goes West” website, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube

Paxton Swisher, 15 years old, is a sophomore at Parish Episcopal school in Dallas,Texas.

The Amazing Michael Davenport

2010-07-28T10:03:00.001-07:00

By David Garcia, M&M TIPster

"Words can't express it. He still keeps his motivation and faith."

These are the words of Leo Davenport, father of the locally famous Michael Davenport. But if he’s so famous, why doesn’t anyone recognize his name? This is probably because he has a more recognizable appearance, an even more remarkable talent, and has amazing character.

When Michael was only 13, he was in a traumatizing event changing the rest of his life. While playing in his yard with a copper wire, he got tangled in an electrical cord, leaving him injured in the hospital. When he awoke a month later, he found himself in a completely different world: a world without his hands. The accident left him handless on one side and with a prosthetic arm on the other. Michael was faced with the challenge of re-learning everything he could do with hands, but in a different way.

Through the years, Michael began to make some decisions that weren’t the best: he took up drinking and began to take for granted the life God had given him. But Michael is now living a happy life in Athens. After he saw what he was doing to himself, Michael decided to turn a new leaf and start his life over the right way. By doing this, Michael found his new passion: drawing.

Before his accident, he claimed to be a horrible artist, but once he lost his limbs, that changed. He said he began to draw with his mouth when he was about 15 or 16 and that was when he made his first sketches of the UGA mascot. When he saw that his creation had potential, Michael worked harder and harder at his mouth sketches until they met his standards.

He says his inspiration for drawing came from his artistic grandfather because he had the same go-to attitude and the same perseverance as himself. His paintings are now what keep him living, making most of his income from making drawings along the streets of Athens.

His amazingly accurate mouth drawings are sold for $40-$60 and he sells roughly five or six a day. Mikey, as many call him, gets friendly customers every day, but is most popular during the football season when all the fans want one of his drawings. Over only a decade, Michael has become a celebrity in Athens and is always welcomed by all its residents. He is even scheduled to meet with Oprah in the near future.

But his life after his change wasn’t all that easy. He continued to face many hardships, such as learning to write with his mouth and, recently, dealing with the loss of his sister. He says he continues because God gave him his life for a reason so he’s going to follow his dreams for as long as he can.

After his life changing experiences, Michael said that he became much more friendly and approachable. This is easy to see as ex-customers greet Michael as he draws for the tourists. They make sure he’s doing fine and ask about his family then continue on with their daily lives.

Michael says that if he had anything to say to the young people of today he would tell them “…just don’t ever give up and follow your dreams no matter the obstacles.”

Click here to see Michael making one of his drawings.

David Garcia, 15, is a sophomore at South Grand Prairie HS in Grand Prairie, TX.

Local Music Review

2010-07-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

By Kathy Garner, M&M TIPster

In general, I find local music scenes enjoyable. Locals are often very attached to bands hailing from the area, and Athens, Ga., is no exception.

In particular, the Athens music scene has been described as being successful despite a sleepy atmosphere. One of the reasons the scene is so successful may very well be because it is “easy to get [your band] out there,” as said by 16-year-old Alex Blankenship, a participant in Camp Amped. Camp Amped is a camp for local teenage musicians to get their band together and participate in music making. (PICTURE: Alex Blankenship, 16 (left) and Isik Benson, 15 (right), participants in Camp Amped)

With encouragement to musicians such as this, it makes sense that many Athenian bands are successful. Here are three bands that are representative of the Athens area music scene, and in particular, it’s rock heritage:

ham1, “I Wave Back,” The Underground Stream EP: Consisting of Jim Willingham, Eric Harris, Jacob Morris, Jeff Fox, and Charlie Estes, ham1 is classified in the genre of indie-pop. Their song “I Wave Back” fits this description. The lead singer’s a tad monotone, but the rest of the band’s solid instrumentals make up for this fact. It also has decent lyrical content. While it is a catchy song, it won’t be stuck in your head for ages. Definitely worth giving a listen.

Now It’s Overhead, “Walls,” Day light Daybreak: Classified as a melodic-pop band, Now It’s Overhead claims Andy LeMaster, Clay Leverett, Orenda Frink, and Maria Taylor as members. However, melodic wouldn’t be my first choice to describe the bands song “Walls.” It’s closer to a pop-rock blend, with few vocal melodies. The song sounds synthesized together, and is strangely addictive, despite being of average quality. It isn’t really my thing, but if I knew someone I thought would like it, I would recommend it to them.

The Empties, “Don’t Be a Bad Child,” The Empties: A self described rock ‘n’ roll band, Matthew Knutson, Benjamin Wills, Chris Giddens, and Ben Keller make up The Empties. The song “Don’t Be a Bad Child” gives off a feeling of a band from the 60s or 70s, such as earlier Beatles. It’s one of the ones that I’d recommend to random people I barely know, so I choose to give it my thumbs up.

Kathy Garner, 15, is a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas.

High School in Korea

2010-07-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Alanko, M&M TIPster

As the world rapidly changes, education becomes more important for our future. American eighth graders placed ninth in the world in 2007 for its math and science scores according to the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), a study done every four years comparing the average scores with countries around the world. The scores are averages from all of the students that took it in that country. The United States scored 500, which is the TIMSS average.

South Korea placed second in the TIMSS with a score of 597. The South Korean economy is growing rapidly. It’s among the world’s twenty largest economies. Despite the economic problems of the past few years, its economy is growing by 0.2%, while ours is declining by 2.4%, which means that the value of their goods and services is increasing much more than ours.

The vision of the Ministry of Education is outlined on their website, with their goal being “to build a first class advanced country,” and they see education as the way to get there.

“Education is a project that requires long lengths of time and efforts, just like planting and growing a tree,” says Byong Man Ahn, Minister of Education, on the Ministry’s official website.

“This is a sector that requires extensive dialogues, long-term visions, and thorough deliberation. It is most important to look far out to the future when planning and implementing education policies.”

The typical high school in South Korea is similar to those in the United States. Students participate in sports and art and other extracurricular programs, and take many rigorous classes. Sung He “Lauren” Jeon, a Korean teenager studying in America, talked about the school life in Korea. “We have all kinds of clubs and after school activities. However...Korea is intensively concentrated on the academic aspect,” she said in an email.

Students attend specialized high schools if they are interested in the arts or other areas, and curriculum is changed based on the focus of the school. Only 0.2% of high school aged students attend these special schools, according to the Ministry of Education.

“In those schools, they minimize the requirements of academic subjects and emphasize programs like vocal training, music, and physical training (or whatever is needed in order to major in those careers),” said Sung He, “The drawback is as soon as one enters those specialized high school or middle school, one will get really hard time to get back to normal high school (because of extremely different requirements of each high school).”

“I think the unique thing is Korean students learn much more stuff in short time period. So, they know more stuff,” says Sung He, and then adds, “In order to fulfill these requirements, they are very persistent and strong.”

For more information on South Korea:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.html
http://english.mest.go.kr/main.jsp?idx=0101010101
http://english.mest.go.kr/main.jsp?idx=0401010101
http://english.mest.go.kr/main.jsp?idx=0201010101

For more information about Athens-Clarke County schools, Georgia, and the United States: https://www.georgiastandards.org/standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/GPS_by_Grade_Level_K-8.aspx
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/
http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
http://www.ed.gov/

Nicole Alanko, 16, is a junior at Riverheads High School in Staunton, Virginia.
Many thanks to Sung He Jeon for her input for this article

Girls Rock!

2010-07-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

By Kathy Garner, M&M TIPster

Athens has an amazing music scene. With bands such as REM and the B52s hailing from this area, doesn’t it make sense that it is also home to a camp for musicians?

The Girls Rock camp is a non-profit organization, dedicated to empowering girls ages 9-15 through learning how to play guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, or sing. Currently, it is only a summer program. However, they are looking to extend it to an after-school, weekend, and winter vacation program, as well as a separate camp for older campers (the main program lists having these or a variation on their website, but the local program does not).

Originally started in Portland, Oregon, the Girls Rock camp alliance’s main goal is to empower young women regardless of race, neighborhood, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. While girls are encouraged to bring their own instruments, they keep a cost-free rental program for their instruments, as many are beginners. They also keep drum kits and amplifiers on site, though these are not for rent. The camp also has a string of core values, including respect, positive approaches to fighting sexism, and diversity.

Kathy Garner, 15, is a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas.

yogaSprouts

2010-07-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

By: Suleiky Guerrero
M&M TIPster

“Everyone can benefit from it; you just have to be willing to work,” said Rachel Greb, the owner and founder of yogaSprouts, about what kinds of people could benefit from yoga.

Rachel works with children, teens and tweens that often have emotional and behavioral disorders and autism.

She completed her undergraduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, La, in film theory. She moved to Athens a year after graduating to work on a master’s in special education. In the beginning she was told that she couldn’t do her research on kids with special needs because of the lack of “evidence” that yoga actually helps. After a while she was able to complete her Master’s Research in yoga and other relaxation techniques for kids with special needs.

Having seen that as a teacher that she was always “overloaded” with paperwork, she found that she had almost no time to spend with her students and because of this there wasn’t any time to incorporate the yoga. After being denied several times about doing yoga in classrooms she moved on to doing yoga at a family camp. Later she decided trying to do the yoga in Athens by starting her own business. After coming up with the name yogaSprouts for the program and had success on the first day.

Some positions she does with the younger children are animal positions in which they imitate a certain position that an animal makes. Some examples are frog, giraffe, mule and cat.

She stated that teens like to be challenged. They go from doing easy positions to more difficult positions and after mastering them they prefer to move on. An example she gave was of one of the harder positions called Vasisthasana, which translates to mean Side Plank with a Twist. It is also known as Side Plank Pose, Side Plank and as Side Plank Sage. They also tend to like back bends, inversions, and arm balances.

When asked what she liked most about what she does for these kids she said, “ it’s amazing to see the look in someone’s eyes when they get into a pose that they didn’t think they can do or when they change their attitude from an ‘I can’t’ to an ‘I can try’ and what happens when they do that.”

Rachel does after school programming at schools, yoga parties at houses and events, private and public classes, and classes at community centers and summer camps. The yoga session times typically range from thirty to forty-five minutes for two-year olds and for elderly mostly only thirty minutes. The amount of time yoga is done in regular practices range from one hour to an hour and a half.

Overall, yoga is a very helpful way for all kids with disabilities to be helped and rehabilitated so that they can move on in life.

Suleiky Guerrero is a 9th grader at Westwood Marine and Oceanic Academy (MOA) in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Day in the Life of a High School Running Back

2010-07-28T08:36:00.002-07:00

By Damarcio McCoy, M&M TIPster

When the 2008-20009 school year came around, 55.2% of high school students played a sport for their school. Football was the most popular with 1,112,303 students playing nationwide.

Of those football players some of them play the position of running back, which is the person who is lined up beside or behind the quarterback depending on what type of offense you run.

Being a high school running back definitely has its ups and downs. At my school I am the 2nd string running back behind my friend, but since we run the option spread we both see lots of playing time. During a regular day for us, we wake up around 6 o’clock and head to the gym to work out for about 30 minutes. We either lift weights or do conditioning drills.

Once we are done working out we head home to take a shower and get ready for school. When most of us get back to school we go into the cafeteria and eat breakfast before classes start. Once the bell rings we head to our lockers and to our classes. Our regular classes are over at 1:32 PM. The classes are made in a block schedule so we only have four blocks which are an hour and a half long. When these class are over the football players head to the field house and get ready for practice.

When we get to the field house and get settled in we all go to the film room and watch film on our last practice and on our next opponent. Once we are done watching film we get our equipment on and head to the practice field. The running backs stretch and go through our drills. One of the drills we do is the ball security drill, where one of us has the ball and our teammate gets behind us and tries to strip the ball from us another drill we do is but rolls where we roll to one direction and get back up quick while we keep the ball tucked tight. When everybody is done with their drills we go into our option period where the running backs, fullbacks, and quarterbacks practice our option plays for about thirty minutes.

After we are done with that we get into the inside period where on the offensive side its only the offensive line, running backs, and quarterbacks and on the defense it’s just the defensive line and the linebackers and we run a few plays against the defense . We have to run all of our plays to inside and as a running back this is where you take most of the hits going up the middle right into the linebackers. After we do this we go into 7on7 which is where the quarterback, running backs, and receivers run passing plays for about 30 minutes against the linebackers and the secondary. After we have a water break we do team, which is our scrimmage time until the end of practice.
On Friday nights is where it gets fun. After we get to the field house we watch film on the team we are about to play and when we are done watching film we go back to the school cafeteria and eat hoagie sandwiches. While we are eating one of the coaches reads us a bible verse and gives us an inspirational speech and after that the head coach talks to us for a little while about the upcoming game. Once we leave the cafeteria we head back to the field house to sleep till about 5:45pm. Then everyone starts to put their equipment on and get taped up by the trainers around 6:15p.m. We all go out on the field and run drills and go through some of our plays. After we get done with drills we go back into the field house to get a pregame speech from the coach, once we are done we head back on the field to run through the spirit line made of the band, cheerleaders, and some of the fans. After all this we have the coin toss and get ready for the kickoff.

And that’s a day in the life of me, Damarcio McCoy a running back for Muscle Shoals High School.

Jit Jit Jit Jittery Joes!

2010-07-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

By Megan Valentine, M&M Tipster

The students at the University of Georgia have a case of the jitters!

What is causing this? Jittery Joe’s, a local coffee shop started in Athens, has been the source of students jittering for the past 15 years. It all began when they opened their first store next to Athens’s 40 Watt Club and started to gain popularity around town. Celebrity guests, such as Michael Stipe from R.E.M and the B-52s, helped them gain attention and since then they have expanded not only in several cities around Georgia but also into Dallas and New York City.

What makes Jittery Joe’s coffee popular amongst their regulars? It could be the fact that the only use the top 1% of beans that they acquire from 18 different countries, including Indonesia and Colombia. It also could be the fact that they roast their beans using a process called micro roasting so that they can be sure that each batch receives greater care and is the best quality that it can be.

According to Caleb Nipper, manager and employee for four years of the Jittery Joe’s located at the Miller Learning Center, what makes their coffee shop special is the fact that it is a local company that is more personal than the more mainstream coffee franchises. “All the stores have their own feel,” he said.

“I’ve never dreaded going into work.” Sydney Slatkin, employee at Jittery Joe’s shared. She spoke of what a fun atmosphere Jittery Joe’s has and how it is like a haven to her.

Jittery Joe’s has become a big hit for UGA students. In a single day they serve anywhere between 1200 to 1500 customers on the campus. About 75% of those customers are regulars, some who come by three to four times a day.

As Nipper prepares to open up Jittery Joe’s people have already started to show up to get their daily fix. During mid-terms the crowd becomes bigger. Large lines form from opening at 7:30 AM until 12:30 PM right before closing time. Nipper said that the students depend on Jittery Joe’s so they can get their coffee and be ready for class and exams.

Jittery Joe’s offers a wide variety of drinks on their menu. Their top drinks are the white mocha, vanilla latte, and just a regular cup of coffee. They sell specialty drinks depending on the time of year, such as the Frosty Joe for the summer time. Some of the coffees that they sell benefit different causes. Jittery Joe’s TNT blend benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and their search to find a way to cure blood cancer. You can also personalize your coffee by naming it after your school for a fundraiser event. Jittery Joe’s offers many different ways for people to get involved in the community and help out by simply buying coffee.

“I believe that we are good enough. I think we are just as good as or better than Starbucks,” Nipper said. One source said that he would visit Jittery Joe’s and buy their coffee even though he worked at Starbucks where he could get coffee for free. His reason for it was because they were a smaller chain and not a large franchise. Jittery Joe’s has defiantly proven that their small company can make a good cup of Joe that everyone enjoys.

If you would like to know more about Jittery Joe’s, take a virtual tour of their roaster, or learn more about owning your own Jittery Joe’s go to jitteryjoes.com

Megan Valentine, 16, is a junior at Reagan High School in Winston Salem, N.C.

Athens Celebrates "Darius Goes West" Day(s)

2010-07-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

By Megan Valentine
M&M TIPster

Athens, Georgia is home to a handful of notable people, from former NFL player Andy Johnson to former REM drummer Bill Berry, but none are more loved and supported than Darius Weems. You may have seen him in Darius Goes West, a documentary about his journey west to raise awareness about the medical condition he and many others deal with everyday, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Every year, to celebrate the journey Darius (pictured right) and his friends made, Athens, Georgia celebrates "Darius Goes West Day." Though usually the celebration lasts one day, this year it will be four days long in honor of Darius’ 21st birthday and six years of raising awareness for DMD since the film made its first appearance. The festival will include a poker tournament, carnival, special screening of Darius Goes West, and a Rap concert.

The first two days of the Darius Day will be devoted to “Dealing with Darius” and “Casino for a Cure.” “Dealing with Darius” is a two day long Texas Hold Em’ poker tournament. It is for those 21 and up and you are requested to make a $30 donation for DMD research in order to participate. The winner will receive a trip to Las Vegas, a chance to play poker with the pros at the Hard Rock in honor of Darius’ birthday. “Casino for a Cure” is a Black Jack and Roulette tournament for those 18 and up. To enter you will need to make a $20 donation, which in return you will receive 20 chips to play. Winners get tickets for a raffle with several great prizes.

There will be a Family Fun Night Carnival, on the third day, that is free! There will be a mechanical bull, basketball, pony rides, a dunk tank with the Athens-Clarke Country Mayoral Candidates and the Mayor himself, face painting, a chance to pimp out a “Goslabi” tee shirt, a chance to play Darius in video games, food, DJ Kevin Cheek, and the “Goslabi Challenge.”

On the last night of Darius Goes West Day there will be a screening of the documentary, Darius Goes West, which costs only 5 dollars to get in. It is a once in a lifetime chance to see the movie on the big screen! Also, there will be a concert featuring Modern Skirts, Yelawolf, and Nappy Roots with a special performance by Darius “Big Daddy” Weems singing his original raps.

To learn more about the Darius Goes West Carnival and to learn more about prices and how much of the proceeds will benefit DMD research go to http://www.dariusgoeswest.org/ and see what you can do to help spread the word about DMD!

Megan Valentine, 16, is a junior at Reagan High School in Winston Salem, N.C.

Athens Teens React to World Cup

2010-07-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

By ROSE FOX

M&M TIPster alum

Athens, GA — The World Cup in South Africa caught the attention of Athens teens.

A sport previously ignored in American culture, soccer has grown increasingly popular in recent years. For 14-year-old rising Clark Central freshman Henry Scott, this doesn’t come as a surprise. “Soccer, in my opinion, is the best sport,” Scott said; “for me, it made sense that it would eventually catch on.”

Eric and Caleb Saavedra, also students at Clark Central High School , agree with the rising popularity of the sport in the US but still believe that soccer is more popular in other countries. “More people started talking about it,” Eric said, “but it’s more popular in Mexico . They’re always talking about it.”

Even those who don’t follow the World Cup are noticing a shift in popularity. “I think it’s really popular,” Allison Barrow, 16, said. “It’s like the countries battling it out and seeing which one is better –like bragging rights.” The Clark Central student admitted that she wasn’t one of the soccer fans following the tourney. “I’ve been hearing things about it. I don’t really watch it. I just hear what my friends say about it.”

Unlike Barrow, Scott, himself a soccer player for Athens United, is a dedicated viewer of the Cup. “I’ve watched pretty much every single game so far,” he said. “I’m actually from Uruguay , South America so I’ve been following them a lot. They didn’t make it to the last World Cup, and they’ve been doing really good in this World Cup so that’s been really exciting.”

Loyalties to teams are divided, however. The Saavedras are staunchly supporting Mexico . “They’re going to play on Sunday, and if we lose, we’re out, and if we win, we’ll keep going,” Eric said. Danielle Barrow, 16, takes a third party stance. “I was kind of rooting for the French,” she mentioned. “I don’t know; I like French people.”

Though the growing popularity of soccer is evident in the hundreds of people crowding into downtown Athens shops like Your Pie to watch the games, many wonder if this trend will last. Barrow is confident that not only will the sport remain popular but also that the attention will grow. “I think it’s definitely going to get more popular as time goes on because there are probably going to be more teams coming out there so they can show themselves and put their names out there.”

Scott agrees with this stance. “Oh, definitely,” he responded. "I mean, I just moved here three years ago, and from what I’ve heard, in 2002 the US had a really good World Cup run, but it wasn’t nearly as big as it is now. And now the television networks are making it more available to everyone. But, it has a lot of competition in the US,” he added.

Despite what the future may hold for the popularity of soccer, for Eric Saavedra, the sport remains addictive during this year’s World Cup. “We’ve been watching it every morning. Like, three to six hours. We’ve watched all the games” “We don’t even get up to go to the bathroom,” his brother Caleb said.

The FIFA World Cup is a international soccer competition between members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The cup has been held every four years since its start in 1930, except for 1942 and 1946, when the tourney was canceled because of World War II.

*Photo of Opening Ceremonies of 2010 World Cup in South Africa by http://www.shine2010.co.za/.

Flying Through the Air: Canopy Studios Trains Teens in Trapeze

2010-07-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

aThEENs Vol. 1, Issue 3 Summer 2010 by Duke TIP M&M

2010-06-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

AthFest

2010-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Where can you find music, films, food, comedy, art and activities for the whole family all in one place? The answer to this is Athfest.

“AthFest is amazing, I will pretty much be living there," said thirteen year old Katie Elliote- Gower, who is going into the eighth grade at Clarke Middle School.

“It’s awesome,” said Addie McClure, who is also a thirteen year old rising eighth grader at Clarke Middle School.

Director Jared Bailey said, “We created AthFest 14 years ago with the idea of promoting music and arts in Athens with the bigger emphasizes in music.” The 14th annual AthFest began Wednesday and ends Sunday. It started off with a bang with locally made films that started at five on Wednesday.

Over 160 bands will be performing at in various clubs and on outdoor stages. Today alone, around 50 bands will be performing. You can expect to see bands like Modern Skirts, Packway Handle Band, Perpetual Groove, Bubba Sparxxx, Cracker, and Kinchafoonee Cowboys performing to name a few. When comes to genres Bailey says, “We try to include a little bit of everything.” They sure do they have Rock, Alternative, Bluegrass, Americana, Pop, and much more. Many of the bands are performing at various bars and clubs, the one we can get into is called Nuci’s Space. Tomorrow night, when this venue opens, the following will perform: Lauren Lieu at nine, Henry Barbe at nine thirty, Connelly Crowe at ten, and Second Suns at eleven.

The performances outside are free. However, in order to participate in some other events such as LaughFest Comedy Showcase, the 2010 Flagpole Athens Music Awards Show, the Cine AthFest Films, and Nuci’s Space you must pay money. For Nuci’s Space you must have a wristband to enter. Wristbands are available for $20 at the entrance. Having a wristband also gives you discounted admission for the rest of the events you must pay for.

Music isn’t the only thing this festival holds. It has a lineup of mini film festivals such as AthFest Music and Video Show, Rock Docs, Athens Picture Show, and TeenScreen Film Fest. Today starting at five at Cine you can see the films The Doors: When You’re Strange, Of Montreal: Family Nouveau, Flagpole Athens Music Awards Show, Shorts Program, The Runaways, and AthFest Kickoff Party. An event that can’t be missed is the TeenScreen FilmFest. This lineup of films is created by local teenage artists, something we as teenagers cannot miss!

You won’t find any typical venders at AthFest. This is because AthFest is all about supporting the community. You can find great vendors from local restaurants. On the shopping side why not browse the 45 booths from artists from the southeast at AthFest. There is an assortment of paintings, glass art, photography, woodcarving, sculpture, fabric, jewelry, ceramics, and so much more.

You’ll be missing out if you don’t go to AthFest. So come to Athfest and enjoy the food, films, shopping, and music.

Georgia Football Players and Accolades

2010-06-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Clint Boling, Ben Jones, and Justin Houston have all been named to pre-season National watch lists for awards. This comes after they all had noticeable seasons last year for the Georgia Football Team.
All three of the mentioned players are upperclassmen, meaning they are juniors or seniors. Boling and Jones are on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, while Houston is on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The Outland Trophy is given to lineman, mainly the tackles. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given to outstanding defensive players.
Boling is regarded as a strong candidate for the award, being a two-time all-SEC performer. He also has a large degree of versatility, seeing as he played more than one position while acquiring these accolades. Boling was a key ingredient in Georgia’s run game last year, making key blocks when they were needed most. This showed late in the season, as the bulldogs scored eleven touchdowns in the last five games of last season.
Ben Jones has been an incredibly reliable player for the bulldogs. And that is not just opinion. It is backed up by statistics as well. Last year, Jones played in every single game, as well as every single game in the year before that. He is nothing if not the definition of dependable, and his hard work is paying dividends in the pre-season already.
Justin Houston is a proficient defensive end for the Georgia bulldogs. He led the team last year with fifteen tackles for loss, and seven and a half sacks. He is regarded as the best returning defensive player in the league, and how could he not be? He leads the South Eastern Conference’s returning players in both of those categories. The fact that he plays in what is widely regarded as the best conference in college football also helps his case for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. When you do the best against the best, you are the best.
In order to be nominated for these awards, a player must exhibit extreme prowess or capability at their position or positions. The general rule of thumb is that “If you do well, good things happen”. The stars of the college football landscape can attest to that statement. They are prime examples of it. By dominating their competition and acquiring awards, many of these student-athletes pave the way of their future towards becoming more than a student-athlete. Many strive to simply become an athlete, and make a career out of doing what they love. No matter what their aspirations may be, these student-athletes are giving themselves many options for the future. But for now, their eyes are set on those trophies.
Landon Willey is a 10th grader at Sebring High School in Sebring, Florida.

Flying Through The Air

2010-06-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

By: Madeline Goss

M&M TIPster

What do “Utility man,” “Crusher,” and, “Grandma” all have in common? They are all names of moves done on the trapeze. While some kids do ballet, and some do soccer, others do trapeze. Katie Elliote-Gower, Addie McClure and Gemma English are all rising 8^th graders and enrolled at Canopy, Flying Dance Trapeze Movement Arts & Performing Center.

For Katie and Gemma, they have been doing this for 7 and 8 years. They saw a trapeze show and were hooked. As for Addie, when she moved to Athens in the 4^th grade, she picked it up. The three best friends have been doing this once a week ever since.

The trapeze is not all that they are learning. Katie also does silks. Silks are long strands of silk hanging from the ceiling, the performer will wrap themselves in the silk in a certain way and then let go, gracefully unraveling until the silk catches them. It can be very dangerous; safety and precision are of the utmost importance. “It’s just, like, fabric wrapped around me and I’m supposed to, like, let myself fall,” Katie says “I just have to squeeze my eyes shut and go for it.” She said that when she first began it was pretty freaky because you can go up really high with silks. There are dangers that come with silks and trapeze. The girls talk about the bruises and rope burns that they get all the time. They have multiple scars from the trapeze, but it can get a lot worse than that. There have been deaths from carelessness on the trapeze. Katie has actually sustained a minor concussion from an accident in the air.

They also practice the art of clowning, which is learning things like juggling and miming. Miming is important because when on the trapeze you “tell a story with two ropes and a bar.” Without emotions, it can get pretty boring watching a performance, say the girls, but when the person is animated it makes the performance a lot more enjoyable to watch. It’s all about letting your emotions show through the performance.

Trapeze and Silks are very demanding hobby. The trapeze artists have to be very strong so that they can be able to pull themselves up and win the fight against gravity. They have to go through intense core conditioning and daily stretches to retain their strength and flexibility. If they even take a short break, when they come back it will be a lot harder for them than before they stopped. As trapeze artists get older, they become less flexible, so daily stretching is imperative.

Though it can be very dangerous, they all love the art. They all agree that the look on people’s faces when they tell them they do trapeze is awesome. In Athens it’s not even that uncommon. Though, there still aren’t too many people that do it. In the summer camp they are currently enrolled in there are only about twenty four people. Out of those twenty four there are only three boys, and they are all still pretty young.

There are performances put on twice a year, with themes like fairytales, pirates, and dreamland. The performances are always packed to maximum capacity. The audience members love the art as much as the performers. The performers all choreograph their own routines, and Katie compares meshing the moves together to dancing, you just know what goes with what.

Though it’s really an unusual hobby, and pursuing it as a career would involve joining the circus, the girls all love it and plan to keep training in the future.

Madeline Goss, rising 10^th grader, Richardson High School, Dallas Texas

Video of Canopy preformers:

Magazines vs. Blogs

2010-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

By: Kaitlyn Shanks and Marissa Karp
M&M Tipsters

Magazines and Blogs. Magazines are semi-trustworthy sources that have been around for years, but blogs are great for immediate news that needs to be spread. Is this enough to start a feud though? Many fashion bloggers have been criticized by magazine editors for being bought, inexperienced, and unreliable. This may seem understandable as on the internet many people pretend to be someone they are not, but the most popular blogs are completely credible. Magazines have been saying bloggers are “bought,” but that is like the pot calling the kettle black. The way magazines make their money is usually by selling advertisements and then recommending the products whose producers have paid them. When bloggers do the same thing magazines do, including ads, they are criticized more than magazine writers.

As the writer of Business of Fashion, Imran Amed says “Second, for editors from the mainstream media to hold bloggers to a different standard than that to which they hold themselves, is hypocritical. As one fashion insider told me, more than ever, major fashion editors are putting advertisers front and centre in their fashion editorial, giving smaller independent brands a miss”

Now, it is understandable why the magazine industry is attacking. They have been at the top of the pyramid when it comes to fashion news for many years, but now bloggers can instantly post news instead of waiting for the next issue to publish.

Don Nelson, a local blogger, emailed “…I’m not familiar with the feud you mention.” This shows that this feud may have not have had much affect on local blogs and magazines, as most local blogs are too small to get the attention of major magazines.

In reality, blogs and magazines should not fight. As TheStyleRookie blogger said, “Blogs and magazines are good for different things; it's like comparing apples with oranges. Collaboration, not competition. Always!”
Kaitlyn Shanks is a 9th grader at Memorial High School in Houston, Texas.
Marissa Karp is a 9th grader at Savannah Country Day School in Savannah, Georgia.

Cool Spots

2010-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

A list of cool places to go during the hot weather:

Name: Last Resort
Price Range:$ 4.50-$17.95
Location: 174-184 West Clayton Street
Athens, GA 30601-2710
Phone Number: 706-549-0810
Hours: Open Mon-Thu,Sun 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm
Things to do: eat, cool off

Name: Carmike 12
Price Range: Adult: $7.50 | Senior: $5.25 | Child: $5.25
Location: 1570 Lexington Rd. Downtown/Lexington exit off 10-loop
Athens, GA 30605
Phone Number: (706) 548-1028
Hours: Ranging from Noon to 10
Things to do: watch movies, hang out with friends

Name: Kingpins
Price Range: $20 per hour per lane all day and $3.50 per shoes
Location: 2451 Jefferson Rd.
Homewood Village Shopping Center
Athens, GA 30607
Hours: Monday - Friday 3 p.m. - 2 p.m.; Saturday noon - 2 a.m.; Sunday noon -midnight
Things to do: bowling, eating

Name: Skate-A-Round-USA
Price Range: (Under $9) Tuesday- $1, Other times- $3, Thursday- $5 for skate rental and unlimited pizza
Location: 3030 Cherokee Rd.
Athens, GA 30605
Hours: Sun.1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.,7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Mon.7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Tues.6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Wed.7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Thurs.6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri.3:00 p.m.-6:45 p.m.,7:00 p.m.-12:00 p.m.
Sat.10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.,7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Things to do: Skate, eat

Name: Ben & Jerrys
Price: Under $9
Hours: (?)
Location: 105 College Avenue, Athens, GA 30601
Phone Number: (706) 208-0031
Things to do: Eat frozen desserts and beverages

Name: Mellow Mushroom
Price: Under $11
Hours: Open for lunch and dinner
Location: 320 East Grayton Street, Athens, GA 30606
Phone Number: (706) 613-0892
Things to do: Eat pizza

Name: ACC Leisure Services
Price: $1
Hours: Sunday, Tuesday-Friday: 1PM-5:30PM, Saturday: Noon-5:30PM, Monday: Closed to public
Location:705 Sunset Drive Athens, GA 30606
Phone Number: (706) 613-3800
Things to do: Swim

Name: Barnes & Noble
Price: Varies
Hours: Sunday: 9AM-9PM, Monday-Thursday: 9AM-10PM, Friday-Saturday: 9AM-11PM
Location: Athens Promenade
3650 Athens Highway
Phone Number: (706) 354-1195
Things to do: Read, Buy Books, & Drink Coffee/other Beverages

By Courtney Scoufis of Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Florida and Maddie Kim of Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek, Georgia

Yoguri Forever

2010-06-24T11:46:00.002-07:00

By: Madison Howard
M&M TIPster

Are you looking for a great place to have a snack that is healthy and delicious? Yoguri may be the place for you. This frozen yogurt “mom and pop shop” has only been open for half a year. The grand opening was in December and is now popular among college students and people of all ages. “It is so good!” said a thirteen year old Canopy Studio trapeze artist.

The name is very unique. Vena Kim is the proud owner of this local shop. The name has a Korean twist because Vena is Korean. “Yo” comes from the word yogurt. “Guri” is a Korean word. Vena strives for her business to have a fresh, clean, modern, and appealing look. To accomplish this, she traveled to other yogurt shops around the country, such as PinkBerry and Yoforia. She wanted to add her own twist to her yogurt.

There are four different flavors of this frozen treat, which are mango, original, dark chocolate, and green tea. Vena chose the flavors of her yogurt by doing research. All of the yogurt is homemade, meaning Vena and her sister, Vienn, make it in the back of the shop daily with their secret recipe. They make six to seven huge tubs. The toppings bar has many different things to compliment the yogurts’ flavors. A few toppings include Granola, Strawberries, Blueberries, Fruity Pebbles, and Pop Rocks. Pop Rocks are something most yogurt shops do not have. All of the fruit toppings are local. These treats have about 115 calories for a small serving and contain pro-biotics that are good for you.

Vena was originally a Journalism major, and traveled the world. She then decided that this fad, frozen yogurt, would be fun to own. She didn’t want just a normal yogurt shop; she wanted a unique place to enjoy this treat. She bought a building on a corner spot of downtown.

She wants her workers to be personable and to make customers feel comfortable. Vena insists that her workers must greet customers by insisting their name, being welcoming, and asking if they need help on deciding what they want to eat. Workers’ ages vary from high-school students to college students. To advertise, Yoguri has a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

Yoguri is just a local frozen yogurt place for now. Vena is thinking about branching out and opening more Yoguris’ around the world. She posts her ideas for expansion on a piece of paper in the back of the shop. Her biggest competitors are Suno, Ben and Jerry’s, and Planet Smoothie. Frozen Yogurt is a fad, so people are spectacle of whether it will die out or not. Vena is determined to make her yogurt shop evolve and keep it popular. She claims that the hardest part about opening a business like this is learning the ropes.

There are now twelve employees at Yoguri. Two or three work at the same time so that if it is crowded, they can be fast. Vena’s family helps, too. Her sister, mother and uncle work there and run errands that need to be accomplished. They all work hard to have a place where people can come and relax while eating frozen yogurt.

Madison is a 9th Grader at Harrells Christian Academy in Harrells North Carolina.

Freshman All-American

2010-06-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

By Zachary Mahoney
M&M TIPster
Each year a few outstanding freshman baseball players are selected at each position to be named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans. This year, UGA shortstop Kyle Farmer became the twenty-second player in school history to achieve this status.

He was able to do this because though he was excellent at bat, he was even better in the field. When you look at the amazing numbers this young star put up in the field, you are shown exactly why he is worthy of the great title: Freshman All-American.

At the plate, he batted .340 which means that he was fairly consistent getting hits. He also hit three homeruns and had twenty-five RBI’s which means his was helping the team score points as well. On top of all that, when he stepped out into the field he was even better.

With a school shortstop record .967 fielding percentage and only six errors in 182 chances, he proved time and time again why he deserved this award. In SEC play Farmer’s stats looked even better, fielding .982 with two errors in 110 total oppurtunities. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see as much of Farmer’s game as we would’ve liked due to a wrist injury that forced him to sit out for 15 games.

The Freshman All-American team features several players at each position. Farmer earned a spot among other shortstops across the nation from many different conferences. Some of the other shortstops that made the list were Devin Merrero,(Arizona State) Nolan Fontana, (Florida) Ryan Lashley, (Stetson) Justin Roland, (UNC-Charlotte) Will Muzika,(Furman) Erik Stamets (Evansville), and Austin Elkins(DallasBaptist).

Zack Mahoney is an M&M TIPster who is going into 9th grade at Chamblee High School, in Chamblee, Georgia

Camp Amped!

2010-06-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

By Kristina Robinson and Amber Palmer
M&M TIPsters

"For a month out of the year I get to listen to people making music and having fun,"said Laura Ford, the camp coordinator of Camp Amped.
Fun is in the air four weeks in the summer at Nuci’s Space for Camp Amped. Teenagers in Athens, Georgia, with songwriting ability, creativity, and good communication skills have an amazing opportunity to expound upon their musical education. Kids between the ages of 11 and 17 can apply for Camp Amped, a two week summer day camp located in Nuci’s Space. Nuci’s Space is a non-profit health and music resource center that works with Athens School of Music. Along with teaching the kids about music, Camp Amped teaches them about being in the music scene and the pressures of being a musician.
Camp Amped was started in 2007 so that young musicians could meet, connect, and play together as bands. Most kids at this age would be unorganized and have to set up gigs, practices, and practice space on their own; but Camp Amped gives teens an easier way to do this.
There are two summer sessions, June 7-19 and July 5-17, for teens to work with local musicians. Students have the amazing opportunity to write, perform, and record their own songs. They receive a CD of their songs, a picture of their band, and a T-shirt of the camp at the end of the two weeks.
Teens wishing to participate in the camp must turn in an application, interview in person at Nuci’s Space, and have basic knowledge of their instrument. Competition is fierce since there are limited spaces available. Each camper is placed into two different bands to ensure that they get a feel of working with different types of people. There are four ensembles, which include a bassist, a drummer, at least one guitarist, and up to two other members per session. Guitarists especially have a lot of competition due to the large amount of players in Athens. According to the organization’s web site, applicants who sing or double on other instruments may have a greater chance of being accepted into the program.
However, even if you aren’t accepted to the summer program, there is a Camp Amped after school program during the rest of the year. You still have to apply, but it’s for a longer period of time. There are twenty spots per semester (13 weeks) which include four drummers, four bassists, and at least eight guitarists, with some extra spots for keyboarders and vocalists. The after school program meets as a group once a week, and then as a band on another day. Also, the camp encourages students to reapply if they don’t make the summer program.
For more information, you can go to http://www.nuci.org/ , the Camp Amped FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Flicker, or YouTube pages, or you can visit their blog at http://www.nucisspace.blogspot.com/.

Amber Palmer is a rising 9th grader at East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia.

Kristina Robinson is a rising 9th grader at the American International School of Johannesburg in Johannesburg, South Africa.

2010-06-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Cheerleading isn't a sport

By Gabriela Hernandez
Everyone knows cheerleading isn’t a sport! All it is are life size Barbies in frilly skirts jumping up and down and making our ears and heads hurt! The only things they basically do are smile and say little rhymes. Really, how hard is that!

Posing a grin or two here and there doesn’t take much effort. What does take effort though, is working your butt off for weeks maybe months of exercise and practice to play actual sports, such as volleyball, basketball, and even soccer. So what would you feel like if you worked and worked to have you effort ripped away so that some girls in skirts that are supposed to be cheering for you, knock you off your spot so that they can compete against each other? Well, that’s basically what happened to this college volleyball team.

Quinnipiac University in Connecticut decided that a cheerleading team would be better and more cost efficient than a volleyball team. So they didn’t have enough funds for both so they took away the volleyball team. Now the volleyball girls and there coach are angry and upset. They have decided to file a lawsuit in court against the university. A court judge will have learn about cheer and decide whether cheerleading is a sport or not. People have now said that making

cheerleading an actual sport would ruin the whole purpose of cheer! But wait, not only did they university replace volleyball with cheerleading, but has also removed men’s golf and indoor and outdoor track. In my opinion the university is getting rid of way to much just to add cheerleading as a sport.The university students have been asked there opinion. Some students agree with the university. While others say that how can a supporter of a sport take over or remove that sport. What’s the point of a cheerleading team without a team to cheer for?

Cheerleading has cheerleadears, pom-poms, and skirts. Sports has uniforms, jerseys, playing equitment, teams names and playing fields or courts. Cheerleading support the sport. Sports play the sport. Cheerleading is cheerleading. Cheerleading is NOT a sport!!!

Top 5 E3 announcements

2010-06-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Top 5 E3 Announcements
By Adam Moore

E3, the largest video game event of the year, has come and gone in just a few days. In the past few days we’ve seen huge announcements, and I want to recognize the best of them.

5: Portal 2 announced for the PS3 along with Xbox 360

Whether or not you agree with this one, I feel that this was a really surprising announcement at E3. Usually, Valve games over the years have usually been Xbox 360 & PC-exclusive, at least on release. This was a nice change of pace because it meant that Playstation 3 gamers will now be able to enjoy Valve’s masterpieces on their console. However they didn’t just say “Portal 2 is now also for the PS3,” they also announced that the PS3 version will include Steam Cloud support, meaning; PS3 owners will be the only gamers getting auto updates, community features, downloadable content, and more.

4: Xbox 360 Slim for $299

Okay so it wasn’t really an announcement, considering the console shipped the day E3 began, but they did talk about it at E3. It has built-in Wi-Fi, 250 GB of HDD, and…is unable to get the Red Ring of Death? Trust me people; I wouldn’t believe them right away with this one, it’s something that just sounds too good to be true. I’d still give them a chance though, but always keep looking up “Xbox 360 Slim red ring of death,” you’ll never know what you might get.

3: Project Natal named, dated, and priced

Project Natal has officially been given the name Kinect, with a release date set for November 4th, 2010. This was all nice to hear, along with a total of 15 launch titles to go with it. It was however, sad to hear the price tag. Where do you go to buy video games? Best Buy, Gamestop, Wal-Mart, or do you stay home and get them off of Amazon.com? Either way, all of these retailers have priced Kinect at $150, half the price of the Xbox 360 Slim… ladies and gentlemen, start breaking open your piggy banks.

2: Red Faction: Armageddon OR Twisted Metal

When I had almost zero announcements about games on this list, just hardware; I thought I’d announce two games from this year’s E3 that I felt were pretty awesome. Red Faction: Armageddon is the newest installment in the Red Faction franchise. It has a different area, different character…. different everything, really. Meanwhile, Twisted Metal is the reboot of the Twisted Metal franchise we’ve all been waiting for; complete with all the destruction we like, and helicopters, so I thought this is a game worth recognizing.

1: 3D, 3D, and no 3D?

It seems that Sony has been leading the way to the 3D format for all forms of visual entertainment, with several games with 3D support to go with their new 3D television. Sony isn’t the only one though, for Nintendo has introduced the 3DS; a variation of the DS that runs games with a 3D format…no glasses needed. All of this was awesome, but Microsoft was left out of the crowd without any announcements of 3D products to come…Get with the crowd, Microsoft!

Well these were the moments of E3 I thought really made me think of the word “awesome.” Now do I feel that this year’s E3 was better than last year’s? Well, with all of these wicked announcements made, I say yes.

Yogurt Fields Forever

2010-06-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

Walking down the streets of downtown Athens, a passerby sees big name restaurants like Ben and Jerry’s, Five Guys and locally owned businesses alike. But a sixth month old frozen yogurt store is what local teens and college students are craving. This… is… YOGURI. Founded just this past September by Vena Kim, the frozen yogurt shop is a breath of fresh (and sweet) air that is taking the town of Athens by storm.
About two years ago, Vena Kim decided that she wanted a piece of the Frozen Yogurt fad that was going around the country. She spent the next few years researching and looking at other frozen yogurt shops around the country to learn about the product and how to make it her own. According to YOGURI employee, Andrew Arnold, “Vena spent months working on the image of her store so that it would appeal to people your age.”Her hard work paid off. The shop has a modern feel that high school and college aged kids can relate to. To diversify her store, Vena also put in her own little twist. She used her Korean heritage to give the store a unique name with an Asian flavor to it. As an extra quirk, she slipped in mochi (little Korean rice balls with a sweet taste) as a topping option. Another extraordinary idea was to place a jar of Pop Rocks for sale at the counter. It’s become popular to use the Pop Rocks as a topping for the yogurt. All of the toppings displayed in the store look appealing and fresh, assuring the customer that they are getting a quality treat. The yogurt is made every morning by Vena and her sister and the fruit toppings are always fresh. While enjoying their frozen treat, customers can sit in the shop and read all of the nutrition facts about yogurt conveniently pasted on the wall.
People feel at peace in YOGURI due to the fact that the space is always clean, there is always a soft Beatles song playing in the background (hence the ever so creative title), and the employees are gracious people always willing to help a customer. Unlike a big chain store where employees are either rude or unresponsive, YOGURI has a specific policy that an employee should “adjust themselves to the customer.” Vena has high standards for her employees and chooses only the finest people. Employees give suggestions to newcomers and give off a warm feeling that adds to the already heartwarming atmosphere of the store. And because YOGURI is a locally owned business, people support Vena and the town by buying there, unlike a Ben and jerry’s where you are paying a big corporation.
But the best part is (drum roll please)…IT’S HEALTHY! Frozen Yogurt is a healthier alternative to sweets like ice cream but you wouldn’t be able to tell because of the great taste. Also, YOGURI is a healthier version of frozen yogurt than other big names such as TCBY. TCBY and others focus on making the yogurt like ice cream; where as YOGURI tries to make their yogurt unique and healthy by using fat free yogurt and milk. Vena wanted the youth of today to have a frozen treat that tasted delicious and was also healthier for them.
As of now, YOGURI offers 4 flavors of yogurt; original, dark chocolate, mango, and green tea. Customers have a choice of a number of toppings including strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, Oreo crumbs, chocolate chips, pecans, granola crumbs and much more. There are plans to introduce two new flavors of yogurt in the next year. Since the huge success of YOGURI in Athens, Vena has plans to expand her shop to other locations. With YOGURI in full motion, it’s safe to say there will be yogurt fields forever.

Ben Calvo is a sophomore at Carrboro High in Chapel Hill, NC. Title idea taken from the Beatles Song “Strawberry Fields Forever”.

Cheerleaders and Cheerleading Deserve respect

2010-06-24T11:38:00.004-07:00

By: Kaitlyn Shanks
M&M Tipsters
I have been born and raised in Houston, Texas. In many parts of Texas, cheerleading is a very popular sport. One of the reasons it is so popular is because many of the winning teams are from Texas! If you are in the right competitions, CHEERLEADING IS HARD! Cheerleaders have to be built with muscle and be extremely limber, if not they could easily sustain an injury. The tumbling that cheerleaders do is incredibly difficult; it requires accuracy, speed, strength, and flexibility. When gymnasts do the same sort of stunts they are said to be amazing athletes, so why do people treat cheerleaders differently?
I used to participate in cheerleading, but I stopped because it was so time consuming. All of my friends that participate in competitive cheerleading spend at least twenty hours of their week in practice; that does not include rehearsing at home. Does cheerleading still sound like it is not a sport? Have you ever been in a grueling completion where you have worked for weeks practicing dance moves, stunts, tumbling, and, of course, the cheers?
Many colleges give scholarships for cheerleading; now why would they do that if they did not think that cheerleading was an important sport? Now, with cheerleading evolving from being a little dance on the sidelines at football games to full out gymnastics routines in competitions all about their own sport, the respect given to cheerleading should also grow. They should get respect for their hard work and the effort they put into their sport. A good deal of respect would be given to any other athlete if they won a competition, but many people do not take cheerleading competitions seriously so they work hard, win, and get no respect. Is that fair?
Most cheerleaders are also given a bad reputation just because people are stereotypical. Cheerleaders are said to be stupid, ditzy, and generally not educated. This, however, is not the case. Just because you enjoy cheerleading and tumbling does not drop your IQ, in fact many school cheerleading teams require certain grades and conduct scores for you to be allowed on the team. My step-mother was the captain of the cheerleading team and was in the top 10 intellectuals in her class, she loved cheerleading but, like most cheerleaders, she knew that her grades were more important. She graduated high school in three years, got a full scholarship to college, graduated in three years, went to law school and graduated in two years. Sure, not all cheerleaders have their law degree when they are 21 years old, but most are not stupid. Cheerleaders and cheerleading deserve respect.

Kaitlyn is a 9th grader at Memorial High School in Houston, Texas.

Green Eyes

2010-06-24T11:38:00.003-07:00

By Abby Hunt
M&M TIPster

With all the talk of global warming, Earth deterioration and such, millions of people across the world have come together in an effort to "go green." The old "reduce, reuse, recycle" saying has come back in fashion, and people are striving to become more "Earth Friendly." Among these people are the faculty and students of the University of Georgia. While scavenging through Twitter for an interesting blog story, I stumbled upon the Twitter page UGA GoGreen and thought it would make a perfect Abby blog. Although the most recent post on this page was on April 26th, it's the thought that counts.
The campus has begun working on their three r's, and I actually noticed it before coming across the online testimony. In the vending machine room of TIP dorm (Myers Hall), there's a giant bottle that you can disperse your empty cans and plastic bottles. In Snelling Dining Hall, there are other receptacles for your newspapers, too. Recyclable receptacles can also be found in every other building and by all the bus stops. Since I have yet to truly explore the town of Athens, I can't really claim that the rest of the town is trying their hand at conserving, but I'd like to think that they are.
A lot of cities nowadays are instituting city-wide efforts to recycle. In my own town of Tupelo, MS, the city gave out green boxes for everyone to place their recyclables in, and they come around once or twice a week to receive them and take them off to somewhere where they can be put to another use. Many industries have moved away from their old, harmful ways and have become more Earth-friendly as well. For example, many companies that produce bottled products have begun using less plastic in their bottles. The fashion world is pressing hippie/ Earth-friendly clothing and reusable shopping bags made out of recycled material. Several cleaning product companies have begun to create their supplies using less harmful chemicals, and those help you and the earth.
There are many ways that you as an individual can help the earth. One way is to conserve your water. The world may currently be 70% water, but who’s to say it will always be that way? Let’s do little things such as turning off the faucet while we brush our teeth, taking shorter showers, and using less water to water the lawn to help our future generations and their battles against droughts and such. Another way you can help is to save energy. If you’re going somewhere a mile down the road, brave the hot southern sun and walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Watch less TV, unplug your chargers when they’re not in use, use solar-powered products, turn the lights off when you leave a room. There are so many ways to save energy that we don’t even consider until someone else points it out to us. Also, reduce the amount of trash you produce. This can be done by simply reusing and recycling your stuff. Find products that are made using less waste, energy, and water, and that combines the three previous tips into one.
Going green isn’t just a fad; it won’t fade away like Miley Cyrus or Brittney Spears’s careers. It’s here to stay, whether you like it or not. The choice is up to you – help out your greats on down the line and become Earth-friendly or continue to be too lazy to do something about it. But I say go green with all your heart.

-abby=)

Abby Hunt is an upcoming sophomore at Tupelo High School in Tupelo, MS.

Toy Story 3: Worth Seeing?

2010-06-24T11:38:00.002-07:00

“I expected Toy Story 3 to be like the first two movies. But it was unlike any movie I’ve ever seen.”- Maddie Kim
“ I thought it was hilarious.”- Kaitlyn Shanks
“I can’t wait to see it.” –Abby Hunt

If you still haven’t seen the third Toy Story, then you better see it soon. Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unrich, is a compelling, clever, funny, joyful, and thrilling new movie brought to you by Pixar. It features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, and Micheal Keaton. The first two movies have won a number of awards including the ASCAP Award, the Special Achievement Award, and one was nominated for an Oscars award.

Even following these two phenomenal movies Toy Story 3 has exceeded all expectations. It dominated the box office with its record-breaking $110.3 million debut. The movie made $41 million on its opening day alone. It was the largest opening for a June movie, the second largest for an animated movie (following “Shrek the Third”) and the third biggest weekend of the year (following Alice and Wonderland at $116.1 million and Iron Man 2 at $128.1 million.) Toy Story 3 also received a rare rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, a popular movie rating site.

In the movie, Andy is going off to college and before he leaves he has to decide if he should keep his childhood toys and store them in the attic or if he should donate them to other kids so they can love and treasure them as he did. When the toys accidentally get put in the “Donate” box without Andy’s knowledge they find themselves at a daycare center called Sunnyside. The toys expect to be in for a great day of finally getting played with after being neglected for several years but they soon find out that their assumptions were wrong. An evil bear, Lotso, tries to prevent them from getting out and back to Andy. Will they get out of Sunnyside? Will Andy miss his missing toys? Will Barbie marry Ken? These are the questions you will ask yourself in this emotionally satisfying, near-death adventure as the toys try to get back to the home they belong to. Toy Story 3 will have you on the edge of your seat in suspense as well as rolling on the floor in laughter. Pixar has once again accomplished the makings of a wonderful movie enjoyed by adults as well as kids with its captivating plot and relatable characters.

Brittney Vidal is a 9th grader at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas

2010-06-24T11:38:00.001-07:00

2010-06-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Summer Teen Editions

2010-06-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

The previous aThEENs editions were produced by introductory news writing students in the Grady College of Journalism. Most of the reporters are college juniors.

This summer, aThEENs is being produced by teenagers from around the country who have convened in Athens for Duke TIP. Most of the reporters are high school freshmen.

The new stories posted here in June and July are from rising 8th through 10th graders taking part in the "Media and Message: Communicating in the Digital Age" course, held here at the University of Georgia.

The M&M TIPsters live on the UGA campus for three weeks so in essence they are temporary Athens residents.

The summer aThEENs produced by DukeTIPDawgs is truly by, for and about Athens area teens.

We hope you enjoy!

Summer in Athens

2010-05-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

by Cody Thompson and Brooke McMillan

So what is there to do in Athens during the summer months for high school students? This is the question that has left class after class of local high school students scratching their heads. In the summer Athens is desolate, “There is no traffic on Milledge and no wait at restaurants; it is like a ghost town really. It can be hard to find things to do, especially if you are under 18,” said 19-year-old University of Georgia (UGA) freshman Ian Dunne, an Athens, Ga. native and a Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School alumnus. It turns out there are many things to do, including music festivals, summer camps, college classes, weight lifting, and rock wall climbing. Let the following information serve as a guide to the upcoming summer in Athens, and never ponder the question of what to do again.

The Athens YMCA holds a group interview every February for summer camp counselors. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older. This year, 133 people applied for the program, and 36 were hired. Besides being a camp counselor, high school students can also apply to work in child watch, as lifeguards, or in the fitness center. Sarah Akinosho, an 18-year-old senior at HarrisonHigh School in Marietta, Ga., worked as a lifeguard at her local YMCA during her summer. Akinosho said, “As a lifeguard I learned about how to relate to different types and ages of people. For some reason everyone seems to want to talk to the lifeguard. So I got to know elderly people, middle aged working parents, other teenagers, and kids. I also learned how to cope with patrons and the issues they had.” The YMCA also offers a training program for 14 and 15 year olds. “The Leaders in Training (L.I.T.) Program is a great opportunity for young teens. It is a six-week program and is a lot of hard work,” said Shae Wilson, the Athens YMCA Youth Director. Volunteering is also an option at the YMCA, with opportunities in all of the summer camp programs, as well as in the office and in special events.

Another Athens area counseling opportunity is with Camp Twin Lakes, a non-profit organization with camping facilities in Georgia for children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other challenges. In Winder, Ga. Camp Twin Lakes at Will-A-Way is located at Ft.Yargo State Park , about a 30-minute drive from Athens. The camp has job and volunteer opportunities running from mid-May through mid-August in areas such as crafts, nature, waterfront, and sports. Staff members typically get Friday nights through Sunday mornings off, and live in an area known as “the porch” with one or two roommates and a private bathroom. “I worked in the kitchen and the office of Camp Twin Lakes for 5 summers in a row. I was able to talk about my experience at Camp Twin Lakes and how it opened my eyes to want to work with children in the future. It helped me realize that I wanted to teach and I was able to talk about this in my essay for my application to get into UGA's Early Childhood Program. Working at Camp Twin Lakes was an amazing experience and it really helped me grow as a person,” said 21-year-old Katy Ellard, a UGA student and early childhood education major.

18-year-old Clarke CountyHigh School student Abby Suddreth enjoys the opportunites for entertainment during summer in Athens. “I have always had a job over the summers, but there is a lot more to do than work. AthFest is just one of the events on the music scene that are fun in the summer; it is so fun to just get a group and go hang out and listen.” Athens is a famous music hub and the home of bands such as R.E.M. and The B-52s, so it should come as no surprise that the summertime is loaded with music events. AthFest is an annual music and arts festival that takes place in downtown Athens, and this year it is June 23 through June 27. It features an open air artist market and two outdoor stages with performances by bands from all around the southeast, as well as venues all around town hosting live concerts. Ciné and The Green Room are open to people of all ages, while many others including Square One, 40 Watt Club, and Farm 255 are 18 years old and up. Some of the events are free of charge, and others require a pass or have a cover charge.

As part of AthFest, a local magazine, Flagpole, will host the Flagpole Athens Music Awards on June 24. Michelle Gilzenrat, the music editor of Flagpole, believes that the event is for anyone who reads the magazine, plays music, or is a fan of local music. “All ages are welcome to the Flagpole Athens Music Awards, so this is a great opportunity for teens--especially the ones who can't get into clubs--to see some of the best music this town has to offer live on stage. In addition to the performances, we of course hand out awards to top local musicians, so teens who hope to one day become an active part of the Athens music scene might get a better idea about what this town has to offer, and the wide range of genres that exist here. It's a great introduction to the Athens music scene, and the perfect way to kickoff AthFest,” said Gilzenrat. The awards begin at 8 p.m. and the cost is TBA.

Another music-related activity for teens and people of all ages, Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn is a concert series celebrating its tenth year this summer. The concerts are held on the property of Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast, a five acre estate in Watkinsville, Ga. Concert goers are allowed to bring a picnic dinner and are encouraged to bring a blanket or low lawn chairs to sit on. “The concert is a great place for people of all ages,” said Dave Shaeron, an owner of Ashford Manor, “It is a great opportunity to see bands that would otherwise only play in adult venues late at night downtown. You can bring your own food and beverages, put down a blanket, and listen to some great music under the stars. It’s a friendly environment, and at $12 per ticket with a student I.D., a great date night.” The music style ranges from bluegrass to jazz, and the dates are Monday nights from May 3 through Oct. 18. This summer’s lineup includes Sons of Sailors, a Jimmy Buffet cover band, and Abbey Road, a Beatles cover band.

For Athens teens looking to take classes over the summer, joint enrollment with the University of Georgia is an opportunity to gain college credit. Students who do joint enrollment are jointly enrolled in college and high school. Patrick Winter, the senior associate director of admissions marketing and recruitment for UGA said, “The courses that they take usually count for both college credit and high school graduation requirements. There is a small number of students or apply for joint enrollment every year, and it can be a great option for students in the summer, provided that it is a good fit for them and that they are prepared to do the work expected of them in a college class.” Applicants must meet or exceed the average grade point average and SAT scores of the previous year’s freshman class. They must also have letters of support from a parent or guardian and from a high school counselor. The application can be found at UGA’s undergraduate admissions Web site.

For someone who is looking to stay active over the summer, Athens has a new climbing center downtown with daily specials and monthly or yearly memberships. Active Climbing is an indoor climbing gym built in an old ice house and boasts 20-foot tall roped walls and a 40-foot long traverse. Teens can learn techniques from owner and award-winning Romanian mountain climber Adrian Prelipceanu to refine or begin their climbing skills, and there are fitness alternatives like yoga and gymnastics classes. Prelipceanu said, “We just started the Georgia Spiders Youth Climbing Team. We have close to 15 kids on the team, and that is one of the main training outlets for the teens. They range from 12-15 years old. For other teens, we have a lot of groups from high schools come to take classes on basic techniques. We are just getting started, and we are trying as much as we can to cultivate a market in Athens for sports other than football.”

Freedom Wheels: The Teen’s Search for a First Car

2010-04-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

By Christina Schrempp and Jonathan Shealy

aThEENs 3410 staff

Long lines, long waits, awkward-looking identification pictures: to most, visits to the DMV are dreaded experiences. Visit any DMV and notice the crowd. Everyone looks miserable except for a small select group: teenagers eagerly waiting to take their driving test. Watch them as they anxiously fiddle with their keys, you can almost see the wheels of the brain spinning with dreams of a weekend cruise around town with friends, windows down, music up, far from the watchful eyes of Mom and Dad. Now all they need is a car.

"Having a car and license simply means independence to me and to the average teen," said Betty Migombo, an 18-year-old senior at Clarke Central High School. "For years and years we had to get our parents, friends, or siblings to drive us where we needed to go, but being able to do that for yourself is a lot better. It sounds cheesy but it's almost like a freeing experience when you realize that you don't have to beg my mom to drive me to the mall, you can just do that for yourself."

Teens make up 7 percent of all licensed American drivers, and by the end of 2010, research estimates that 26.1 million 16-to-20-year-old drivers will be on the roads. U.S. News and World Report reports 286,269 teen drivers in the state of Georgia, accounting for 38 percent of the state's total teen population. Clarke Central High School alone has nearly 800 driving-age students. For the past five years, the school has sold between 275-325 parking permits to students.

The teen market is a sizable one, and local car dealers know it. "We have a ton of parents come in with their teenagers ready to buy a new car," said salesman Philip Hayes of the Toyota Mall of Georgia dealership. Since no one under 18 is allowed to finance a car at a dealership in the state of Georgia, car salesmen often have the job of pleasing two (sometimes) opposing parties: the parents and the teen. As Hayes explains, dealerships must be skilled in pitching their products in such a way that produces a happy compromise between the parents' focus on safety and durability and the teen's need for style and customization. "Sometimes I'm tempted to get a car just because of how fast it can go, how technologically advanced it is, or just simply by the brand, and that most of the time doesn't resonate with them," said Migombo of her car-buying differences with her parents.

For teens, size, style, and convenience are the highest selling points. "It's the little things that matter," said 17-year-old Emily Allen, a junior at Clarke Central High School, "This might sound stupid, but windows are important. Not all my friends have [automatic] windows and no one wants the kind you have to crank. Also...clickers to open the car. I don't have one...a lot of people want them. It's convenient." Size, while a big factor for teens, depends on the needs of the individual. Allen is content with the size of her 2000 silver Volkswagen Beetle, commonly called a "Bug," ("I wanted a small car, something easy to maneuver"), but explains how her friend's Nissan Xterra better fits her busy lifestyle: "She basically lives out of her car...so the size is good for her, she can carry all her books and friends and stuff and have room for all her tennis stuff that she needs for practice after school." Migombo says she also likes SUVs but claims the four-door sedan would be "ideal".

To teens, cars often represent their unique personalities. The bubbly, friendly Allen certainly feels this way about her fun, hip Volkswagen: "It's my dream car. I saw it in 1998, when it first came out. It had daisy wheels...I told my dad I wanted it. He said, 'When you’re old enough, I’ll be able to afford that car'. So when it came time for me to get a car, I definitely knew what I wanted." Her parents had been talking about getting her the car since she got her learner's permit at 15. They finally found the perfect "Bug" in Savannah, and her father, who fixes cars, restored the car's interior and gave it to his daughter for her 16th birthday. "My car's very girly," she says with a smile. "[It] fits my personality very well. My friends always say that. I can’t imagine driving any other kind of car."

Many parents and teens do share one important requirement for a car choice: low gas mileage. "When it comes to the basics like gas mileage we are pretty much on the same page," says Migombo. While parents often foot the bill for insurance, many Athens teens are responsible for paying for their own gas. "All my friends pay for their own gas," says Allen, who uses her entire summer job paycheck to pay for her gas expenses during the year. Additionally, for teens going off to college who plan to do a lot of traveling, good gas mileage is a necessity in any car choice. "Since I'm going to go to college in Alabama and my family is moving to North Carolina, I would really like a car that has very good gas mileage," says Migombo. "I wouldn't want a car that needed to be filled every other day just because the gas mileage sucked."

"A lot of my peers have cars like Toyotas, Nissans, and Hondas," says Migombo, a good choice according to experts and dealers. These entry-level cars are relatively inexpensive and combine all the qualities important to teens and parents alike: good gas mileage, style, safety, reliability, performance, low insurance rates, good size for passengers, and driving comfort. Unsurprisingly, these cars are some of the most popular among first-car buyers. While "entry-level" may bring to mind cringe-worthy images of a cramped interior, boring specs, and standard (a.k.a. if you are lucky, you might get a CD player and power locks) features, today's entry-level cars are well equipped and spacious.

Take the 2010 Toyota Corolla and Scion, two of the most popular entry-level models: satellite radio capabilities, MP3-compatible auxiliary audio jack, and power locks all come standard. Same goes for the Honda Civic and Ford Focus, all cars priced under $20,000, perfect for a tight budget.

According to Allen, however, a passerby won't see a bunch of brand new car models lining the parking rows at her high school. "Most people have used cars," she explains, noting the numerous black and navy blue Ford Explorers, the collection of 1999-2000 Honda Civics, and "lots of hand-me-down cars." Both she and Migombo drive used cars as well (a 2000 silver Volkswagen Beetle and a Toyota, respectively). While she admits that she'd instantly take her parents up on an offer for a new car, Allen is skeptical as to if the risk is worth the payout. "I think it's a little ridiculous, anything can happen," Allen says of her peers who own new cars. She tells of a friend who received a new car for her birthday, only to get in an accident a few months later. "It wasn't her fault but now she has a big dent in the back of her brand new car. That's a lot of money wasted."

Migombo's parents agree: they decided to wait till graduation to reward Migombo with a new car after she was involved in a small accident a few months after she received her license. Lucky for Migombo, her graduation is just around the corner: "I'm a senior and I'm beyond excited. Excited doesn't even describe it."

Jayne O'Donnell, an auto writer for USA Today, takes the opposite approach, focusing more on the safety aspect of newer cars, considering the fact that teens are much more likely to get in an accident: "While it's common to seek out a used car for a teen driver, keep in mind that a vehicle more than three or four years old is pretty unlikely to have the latest safety equipment. Only in the last three years have many non-luxury cars had stability control or side airbags available. But if you're lucky enough to find an affordable slightly older model with the right features, go for it." Since price is such a major factor, O'Donnell suggests that the important thing is to get the safest car you can afford. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers, as 3,500 teens were killed in 2008. On its Web site it states that: "The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash."

In a time marked by automotive uncertainty, now more than ever, aesthetics are taking a back seat to dependability and safety in the minds of parents and teens alike. The 2009 bankruptcies of several car companies and the recent Toyota recall have left customers demanding responsibility from their car companies. "People are just concerned whether the cars they're buying are safe and whether the problems have been fixed," said Hayes, the Toyota salesman. "We're just trying to reassure them that they're buying quality vehicles." Lucky for the local Toyota dealerships, Toyota seems as popular as ever among young drivers and their parents. Migombo speaks of her father's preference for foreign-made cars like Toyota, and lists the brand as a personal favorite as well: "A Toyota is just very economical and overall doesn't have a lot of problems. It's the kind of car that I could rely on to take me through my years of college." According to Hayes, the company's sales have returned to normal after a decrease the first three weeks after the recall announcement.

New high school diploma system on the horizon

2010-04-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

By Melanie Turner and Kyle Nardiello
aThEEns 3410 Staff

This fall’s high school senior class will be the last one to graduate and receive Georgia public high school diplomas with a College Preparatory seal, Technical Preparatory seal, or Duel Preparatory seal stamped across them. For students entering high school after July 2008 the decision between which diploma track to take no longer poses an issue. The state decided in 2005 to consolidate the multiple track system into one unified diploma for all public high schools to be implemented in fall 2008. The Class of 2012 will be the first graduates under the new system.

Critics of the old way assailed it as a flawed, broken system that often segregated students by race to create two classes of students.

“Let’s stop making distinctions between who is better or lesser, the bottom line is getting a high school diploma,” said Lenore Katz, a guidance counselor at Clarke Central High School.

Some students worry that the lack of clearly outlined tracks with required classes could hurt students not fully aware of the entrance requirements. Although not affected by the change, Oconee High School senior, Katarina Jenkins thinks that the new requirements could have negative side effects.

“Even though the combining of the tracks will deter negative attitudes, responsibility will be on the students and people will fall through the cracks,” Jenkins said.

Although the new diploma requirements are similar to the old College Prep requirements, there are a few differences that could affect students. First, the new diploma does not require two foreign language credits like the old seal did, but all public colleges in Georgia require applicants to have taken these credits. The new program also implements integrated math, which combines Algebra, Geometry and Statistics in increasing difficulty each year. These students will be required to take four units of science and four units of math. This is a change from the old system that required the three units of science for all diplomas and three units of math for Career/Tech Prep. The new system will still offer AP classes for those students who wish to challenge themselves academically, but the state hopes the combination of motivation levels in general classes will have a positive outcome for all students.

Katz, the Clarke Central counselor, stressed that students need to not just fulfill their requirements to graduate, but to be aware of the college entrance requirements and work to meet them.

“Getting a diploma is one thing but getting into a four year competitive university is another.” Katz said. She believes they should do this no matter what they believe their future plans are, so that if they ever decide to go to college, the option will still be open.

Another student concern is that although they might be confused, “students won’t reach out for help from counselors for guidance,” said Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School senior Laura Kathryne Hogan. Even though she is not in the public schools, she thinks that it is a toss up as to the success with a change in curriculum. This unified diploma also does not allow students to fall back on a less intense workload if they fail a class like in the old program, which required less math and science classes for Career/Tech Prep. To help students that feel overwhelmed by the new changes and its more academically intensive course load, the state included a learning curve for students with the new math and free tutoring.

The old multi-diploma system caught much criticism from educators and sociologists for flaws. Georgia’s Calhoun County School District came under fire from the U.S. Department of Education in 1995 for its segregating students into different tracks based on their race. A study, conducted by sociologist Jeannie Oakes of the University of California, Los Angeles, showed that minority students in the 25 junior and senior high schools that she researched, on average were directed at a higher proportion into the lower tracking levels. Katz said that the counselors at Clarke Central High School would still emphasize and advise for the individual, focusing still on the tailored future plans for each student.

The state’s rationale for the change was to raise standards for students and decrease the discrepancies in the tracks that might have inhibited students. In an effort to do this, Georgia joined the American Diploma Project Network in 2005. The project, which currently has 36 participating states, was created in 2001 to raise expectations and achievements in high schools. The states plan to meet these goals by aligning high school requirements with college ones, redesigning standardized tests and forming an accountability system. One goal is to increase the passing of the high school graduation test by combining the tracks to ensure that all students will receive the same preparation for the test. The hope is that this will decrease the discrepancies in test results that stem from socioeconomic status differences and language barriers, which have proven to be a problem in the past.

Regardless of what the student decides to do with his or her career choice, the counselors at Clarke Central High School stress that the students pursue some kind of professional training or higher education. “

My goal is that everyone goes to a four or two-year college- there is one for everyone,” said Katz, “getting some kind of education after high school gives students a sense of bettering their life, so they can paint their own picture for their future.”

Staying Fit in Athens

2010-04-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

By Christina Dailey & Holly Hess
aThEENs 3410 staff

The strong smell of chlorine and sound of splashing water fills the Gabrielsen Natatorium at the Ramsey Student Center of UGA. Prince Avenue Christian School Senior Alex Dempsey, 18, knows these two things far too well. Dempsey is a sixth year member of the Athens Bulldog Swim Club. Dempsey feels that high school physical education requirements and classes are not sufficient enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, he is involved with ABSC “for fun and to stay in shape.”

Talk with local teens about their extracurricular activities, and two things become apparent: the high school physical education requirements alone are not enough to keep them healthy (according to the Clarke County School District, the requirement for students is to participate in one physical education class in high school) and because of this, teens are turning to other sports and activities to keep them busy and active. With Dempsey as just one example, there seems to be a large teen population in Athens that goes beyond school requirements and participates in after-school sports, year-round teams and other activities.

Most students agree that high school PE is less than rigorous, this encourages students to participate in their high school sports. Clarke Central High School student Daniel DeSimone, 17, is active in both tennis and cross country. DeSimone is involved in after-school sports “because I really want to stay active, and I like staying active. I like the idea of being healthy and fit.” He also says it is refreshing to be able to move after a long day of sitting in class. Assistant Tennis Coach at Clarke Central Dale Autry says that, “The physical fitness aspect of sports helps them stay active and happy, mentally and physically.”

Ruskee Poterfield, 15, a North Oconee sophomore, emphasizes that her school’s PE requirements are way below what she believes are needed to stay healthy. Although she cheers on the competition cheerleading team, she has implemented a workout regiment that includes crunches, push-ups and a mile run per day to maintain her health. In addition to high school sports, students have other options at their fingertips.

“There is so much you can get involved in,” said North Oconee Senior Haley Davis, about the amount of teams and clubs offered within Athens. Some of these options include Athens Power Yoga where students can choose between a basic class and an all level inclusive class almost any day of the week. For the adventure-seeking teen, SORBA is the “voice of mountain biking in Athens” and does group rides for all levels. The up-and-coming sport of disc golf is also an option for teens to get involved with the Athens Disc Golf Association. Anyone can play in the “random doubles” league that meets on Mondays at 6 p.m. at Herman C. Michael Park or Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Sandy Creek Nature Center.

If these activities don’t sound appealing, there’s always the gym. Teens can choose between a number of locations, but the Ramsey Student Center and The Omni Club seem to dominate in teen attendance. Ramsey offers affordable rates at $22 a semester for children under the age of 18, but must be accompanied by an adult. People between the ages of 18-24 can be a member of Ramsey for $80 a semester. The Omni Club offers a complimentary 5-day pass to try out their gym. They also offer a variety of classes from yoga to spinning to Pilates.

Ramsey is also offering a new “Fit Well Teen Camp” this summer. The camp offers two 4-week sessions meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The purpose of this camp is to “teach teenagers the importance of physical activity, proper nutrition and fitness to achieve a healthy lifestyle.” Also, “the goal is to create an environment for all to begin to learn and love fitness.” This is a perfect opportunity for teens between the age of 13 and 17 to experience fun fitness with their peers. Registration for “Fit Well Teen Camp” begins on April 1 and is $60 for Ramsey members and $75 for non-members. There are numerous camps around the Athens area during the summer to keep teens healthy and fit.

Before spending $100 on new running shoes to get motivated, here are some tips to get started. The Surgeon General suggests that a physically active individual exercises for at least 30 minutes at a low to moderate intensity for at least 3-5 days per week. According to UGA Exercise and Sports Science major Michael Mansfield, 22, “Exercise can come in almost any form. From running to playing an intense game of volleyball, exercise is exercise.” It is important to consume a variety of food groups in one’s daily diet in order to replace the nutrients that are lost when exercising. Mansfield also mentions that, “If an individual does not give the body proper rest, energy, and sleep, then the effects of exercise could impact the body in a less than positive fashion.”

The various teen activities highlighted allow teens to formulate an individual physical fitness regimen that fits their lifestyle. Whether it is with a high school, a club or a group of friends, Athens teens have the opportunity and resources to get active, and many of them already are.

HOPE still on the horizon for Georgia teens

2010-04-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

By Kaylea Notarthomas & Rebecca Gentry
aThEENs 3410 Staff

There is still HOPE for Georgia teenagers who plan to attend college in state.

Despite general misconceptions about possible elimination of the HOPE scholarship due to the proposed budget cuts for the University System of Georgia (USG), the HOPE scholarship will still be available to all eligible prospective undergraduates. The scholarship will continue to cover tuition for students who attend a public university in Georgia. However, the effects of the budget cut may dissuade students from pursuing a degree in education.

The original budget proposal for the USG included a possible $300 million in cuts. According to the original budget proposal, the largest potential cut for the University of Georgia is the elimination of an estimated 543 faculty positions and a reduction in the incoming student body of 1500 students. This cut will supposedly save nearly $15 million. Job cuts at Georgia Tech could save the school a whopping $35 million dollars with 452 positions eliminated. The University of West Georgia could save $1.1 million by cutting two entire academic departments. The actual budget passed by the state House of Representatives on April 14 outlines $146 million in cuts. While effects may not be as extreme due to the reduced budget cuts, the USG is still under pressure to comply with the new budget. The HOPE scholarship, however, will remain untouched.

"The HOPE scholarship is still here, and the FAFSA process enables schools to award the students any federal aid for which they qualify," said Jay Mooney, associate director of the Office of Student Financial Aid at the University of Georgia, the flagship university of the USG.

Thus students who qualify for the HOPE scholarship will not have to worry about paying tuition for in-state public universities. "It will definitely affect my parents more than myself because they will be paying for whatever is not covered by HOPE. But for students who will be paying half or all of their tuition, I can't even imagine how hard of a hit they're going to take," said Lexi Deagen, 18, a senior at Clarke Central High School who will attend UGA in the fall.

For many families in Athens-Clarke County, the cost of attendance is the sole determinant of whether or not a student attends college. Without financial aid or scholarships, many students will be unable to pursue a higher-education degree. For example, 70 percent of students at Clarke Central High School qualify for free and reduced lunch according to data from the Clarke County School District.

“It will be a bigger strain on my family's budget,” said Rachel Grossman, 18, a senior at Clarke Central High School who was accepted to UGA, of the possibility of not receiving scholarship money.

Courtney Garmhaus, 20, a junior at UGA and alumnus of Oconee County High School, expressed that financial strain is a problem for Oconee students as well. "I would still be able to attend school, but it would be a lot harder. I wouldn't be able to be as involved in student groups as I am because I would have to work more," she said.

So what are the options available to students who are ineligible for the HOPE scholarship? Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year is highly encouraged, according to Mooney. Students can be reviewed for Federal Pell Grant eligibility, and they can request a Federal Direct Loan in order to cover the cost of attendance. Federal funds are widely available for students who need them. In 2009 the Pell Grant alone awarded an estimated $25.3 billion to eligible students.

Pell Grant amounts are awarded based on several factors. These include expected family contribution (EFC), cost of attendance at the university, whether the student is attending full-time or part-time, and the program's length of study. If a student is not awarded a Pell Grant, taking out a loan is the most popular alternative option, but these funds do eventually have to be repaid.

These options do not apply solely to students wishing to attend a public university, but also private universities in the state. Some proposed cuts may discourage students from even applying to certain universities. "I know students this year who limited themselves to what schools they applied for because of tuition increases. Some of them even had to give up their dream school," said Deagen. One of the grants that may be cut is the Tuition Equalization Grant. All students at private universities in Georgia receive $750 from this grant. Because of this possible loss of funding, it is important that all students utilize resources such as FAFSA and online scholarship searches, according to Mooney.

"We encourage students to utilize the free scholarship search engines available on the web," said Mooney.

Students aspiring to be teachers may still find themselves searching for adequate funding to complete their degrees, however. The budget cut proposal may affect the amount of funding for two lottery-funded programs in Georgia, the PROMISE Teacher Scholarship Loan and the HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loan. The PROMISE loan is awarded to students who have committed to teach by their third year in college. The purpose of the loan is to attract more students to the profession of teaching. But fewer funds may lead to fewer education students.

And there are not many students interested in teaching in the first place. "Of the nearly 80 seniors I work with each year, typically one or two will express interest in pursuing a teaching career. Seniors in high school are often undecided about their futures and may change college majors. Obviously, the less scholarship money available overall, the fewer options students have," said Heidi Nibbelink, a guidance counselor at Clarke Central High School.

"My hope would be that our state would pride itself on growing one of the finest higher education programs in the country and making it available to as many residents as are willing to take part. Education is the key to being productive and thriving in our global society," she continued.

"They could be taking that money from so many other things but they're choosing to take it from education, and then to ask for so much, it's crazy!" said Aashka Chaudhari, 17, a junior at Clarke Central High School who wishes to attend UGA. Cuts to the HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loan extend these problems into graduate school.

Nonetheless, Mooney does not anticipate a decrease in enrollment in education students, especially because funding is still available through other means such as the Federal Direct Loans. "Although both are good programs, students can still borrow Federal Direct Loans, which also have teacher forgiveness provisions. I don't feel elimination for funding for these two programs would deter students from pursuing their undergraduate or graduate teaching degrees," he said.

College recruiting: Easy for some, not for others

2010-04-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

By Mitch Blomert and Joe Willeford
aThEENs 3410 staff

Oconee County High School senior Andrew Kowalski faces a difficult dilemma as graduation approaches.

The 18-year-old standout kicker and soccer player for the Warriors must choose to continue his athletic career in college, or walk away from organized sports altogether.

It’s a decision talented high school athletes across the country must make before they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas—attend college solely for an education, or balance it with sports on the side?

While some athletes enjoy a relatively simple recruiting process, picking up numerous full-ride scholarships from athletic powerhouses across the country after a star-studded high school career, others don’t get to enjoy the glamour. Such is the case for Kowalski, who is currently listed as a preferred walk-on in football and must be academically accepted to a college to play for them.

“My options are Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern,” Kowalski said.

Jamie Stephens, 18, a fellow Oconee County senior and Kowalski’s teammate in soccer and football, faces the same hardship of getting noticed by universities for athletic purposes. Not only did Stephens send videos highlighting his senior season to colleges, he also made several campus visits, travelling as far as Notre Dame. But he, too, has yet to be offered a scholarship.

Warriors boys soccer coach Colin Connors empathizes with his two players’ struggles to get noticed by colleges. Even with Oconee County’s record standing at 14-0 and a No. 2 ranking among Class AAA teams in Georgia, Connors says soccer players can’t sit back and wait for scholarship offers, but instead must go out and attract the colleges themselves.

“Most of the players I have had recruited have been by smaller colleges,” Connors said. “Usually these small colleges have smaller budgets so they won't always find the player first but rather the player initiates the recruiting process by letting the school know they are interested in playing there.

“As their coach, I help kids know about what schools are interested in them or what schools they are good enough to play at and should contact if they are interested in playing in college.”

For some athletes in other sports, such as football or baseball, getting a scholarship offer from a major NCAA Division-I athletic program such as the University of Georgia is a simple task. With training camps and recruiting Web sites monitoring each individual player, finding high school talent has become a major part of athletic programs at colleges across the country.

Such was the case for UGA shortstop Kyle Farmer, who was offered a baseball scholarship his senior year at Marist School in Atlanta. Despite also receiving offers from Mississippi, Tennessee, Tulane, Vanderbilt and Louisville, it only took nine days for the freshman to commit to the Bulldogs.

“The baseball program is one of the top programs in the nation, and I wanted to play at a high level,” Farmer said. “[The coaches] were very welcoming and almost seemed like one of your best friends. I felt that all of these things put together made UGA the perfect place for me to play baseball and to get a great education."

Although Farmer was recruited mostly during his senior year of high school, the process starts even sooner for more talented athletes, especially in football. According to the NCAA, Division-I colleges can offer scholarships to high school football players as early as Sept. 1 of their junior year.

That’s when three Clarke Central High School football players in Athens began receiving scholarship offers. Alan Posey, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound junior offensive lineman, has six Division-I offers and has yet to begin his senior year of high school.

Two of his teammates, quarterback Martay Mattox and linebacker Jordan Pierce, have also received collegiate attention as juniors. Mattox has received offers from South Carolina, Maryland and South Florida, while Pierce has been offered by smaller schools such as Alabama State and Valparaiso.

“It’s become more of a trend to commit [to a college] junior year,” said UGA football writer Bill Murphy, who also runs a recruiting blog for the Gainesville Times, “If a kid doesn’t have offers by their junior year, he won’t be a Division-I athlete.”

So how are athletes being found so soon early in their high school career? Murphy believes it has to do completely with the Internet, where recruiting Web sites with profiles on each prospect is available, along with their favorite schools, a list of schools that have offered scholarships, highlight videos and a what training camps they have attended.

Two major recruiting Web sites, Rivals.com and Scout.com, each have thousands of high school athletes in their databases for football, baseball and basketball. Worldwide sports news leader ESPN also has its own recruiting site, where it lists its “ESPN 150,” a detailed breakdown of the top 150 football players in the country.

“College recruiting is huge and it gets bigger every year, and a lot of it goes back to the Internet and how quickly they can get information,” Murphy said. “There’s no excuse for not knowing what’s going on. If a coach can’t recruit and doesn’t have a good season, they’re out the door.”

But sometimes finding the next big college superstar means looking right on campus after attending the high school practices and games. That’s what Kowalski hopes for as he strives to become a college athlete without scholarship offers to guide him.

“The most important thing is to get into school first,” Kowalski said. “Then you try to make yourself appealing.”

Cell phones: where have all the calls gone?

2010-04-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

By Alison Grimes and Nancy Hanger
aThEENs 3410 staff

There is an old saying that one has truly grasped a foreign language when they start dreaming in that language; well text message lingo may be the newest dream lingo for many American teens.

Text messaging has become a phenomenon in recent years, and from the looks of it, there is no stopping in the future. Researchers and educators struggle with concern as this text message phenomenon has reached alarming proportions affecting the normal growth and development of our teen population.

What does this new trend mean? It means the “tween” and teenagers of society are now communicating with each other through a completely different means.

It seems as though communicating through text has become not only the primary form of communication for teens, but for many the only form of communication. Obviously, cell phones have taken over as the way for our society to communicate, as well as, stay informed, but has anyone taken a look at how far this digital trend has emerged its way into our society?

A 2009 study by Fiance Education Group concluded that the average age children get their first cellular phone is 8 years old. To many this may be mind baffling, but instead of honing in on the shock factor, think about what lessons today’s children are learning from this digital switch. Eight-year-old children cruising around on their bicycles with cell phones is probably unimaginable to some, but with the digital world taking over that image is going to soon be a popular sight.

Teens, more importantly, are embracing a whole new digital life that no other generation has experienced before. Five years ago, it would be considered rude almost uncanny, to end a relationship or attempt to prove a detailed argument through a text message, but teens today would not even second guess shooting a text before making a phone call.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and expert on texting growth, Sherry Turkle, describes this new digital life as one unique to the teenage cohort.

“This is really the first generation that grew up with simulation to the point that they see simulation as a virtue and have a very hard time identifying where reality slips away from simulation, often in subtle ways,” Turkle said.

Katherine Downs, a 17-year-old sophomore from Clarke Central High School, talks about how she text everyone from her friends to even her parents. “It can range from frivolous conversations to like, my parents discussing some necessary information. More often than not, It's a conversation with one of my friends from school. Texting is huge. I used to not do it, at all, all and now, it's unavoidable.”

Michael Lopez, a 15-year-old high school freshman from Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga. and owner of a Blackberry Pearl, says “I would for sure argue with someone in a text message. I have more time to think about what I am going to say and most of the time it is just easier to get my point across.” Lopez also goes on to say that “texting is more, ummm, convenient, I guess because it means there is no chance to deal with that whole awkward silence situation.”

Standards do exist to some in the texting world. A 16-year-old Centennial sophomore and owner of an Apple iPhone, Alyssa Strenger, says “I would never break up with some one in a text message and ya, I would be really pissed if someone did it to me.”

The majority of college students, although not too much older in age, would even say that a text message would be one of the last places that they would manage a dispute with someone else. Clearly to the younger generation, verbalizing through a text message is the ideal comfort level of communication.

Although the high school population seems to be the prime “texters,” the trend has not necessarily fully captured all middle school students. Thirteen year old Morton County Middle School student who also owns a LG Envy touch phone, Anna Lindsey, says “I don’t text that much, but most of my friends do all the time.”

Anna may soon be a rare sight, because although she admits to not being as frequent of a texter as her friends, she does say “I feel more comfortable with my cell phone on me than not.” Cell phones are taking over as teens' new security blanket.

Just as any fad that hits teen students, school systems have to keep up with regulations. Cell phones have been in school policies for a couple years now, but with teens now needing to only communicate through a text message it is hard to imagine that any school regulation would stop them.

Strenger states, “I see someone get busted with their phone literally everyday. I have been in trouble too, but it is not scary or anything. They try to act like it is, but all they do is take your phone until the end of the day.”

Anna, who is on her way to complete the seventh grade, claims, “ We’re allowed to have the phone on us, but it can’t be turned on or seen. But, my friends all do it anyways.” Lenient enforcement of school cell phone rules is just as nonchalant to teachers.

Gerry Siegel, 7th grade teacher of Ridgeview Middle School talks about his school’s cell phone policy, “The rules for phones around here are very lax. Usually we just take them from their possession and give it back to them at the end of the day. What good does that do? I don’t know, I have been wondering the same thing.”

Downs admits her texting habit shies from her friends, but says even she is baffled with some student’s need for their phone at school. “Yes, I am guilty of texting during class. I never text during a test or something, but definitely during a regular lesson, I do. I'm really not sneaky, though.” She laughs. “My friends always make fun of me for it. But I would say I don't text the most compared to other kids I know. It's crazy, I actually know some people who talk on their phone during class.”

Without having any legitimate punishments for 24-hour communication, the texting does truly become a habit. Many college students admit to texting all throughout their classes. University of Georgia freshman and nineteen year old “text fiend“, Courtney Guest, says that “I spend my whole class texting or getting on Facebook or something like that. Texting is too tempting during class because it is so easy.” Guest also has an Apple iphone and she does admit that having the plethora of “apps” has caused her to stay on her phone even more.

This newly created unbreakable habit is clearly ranging from middle school classrooms to college lecture halls. It is no surprise that some parents are doing anything they can to blockade this teen culture from deviating their homes.

Lindsey admits, “My parents are always telling me I text too much. They tell me I can’t answer anyone until after dinner. So I just don’t bring my phone to the table anymore.” In Lindsey’s case her parents are hanging on to more power then most.

Strenger smirked, “Me and my dad used to fight about texting all the time. Then he just gave up and got me unlimited. Now he can’t say anything about it, because there are no more extra charges on the bill. We are both happy, you could say!”

Strenger, similar to Guest, now somewhat considers her cell phone a lifetime necessity. Not only are the teens using their cell phones for texting, they are sleeping with them for the use of alarm clocks, they are using them as calendars and cameras.

With cell phones and texting replacing numerous parts of the daily routine, it is no surprise that some dangers have emerged from the habit. People build a relationship with their technology, it is almost treated as another person.

Turkle explains this new kind of relationship, “There are relationships with machines where your relationship is not via the machine to another person. No, I'm talking about relating to a robot, relating to a bot and being willing to take what you can get in that relationship as being sort of sufficient unto the day. And at least as I can see from interviewing children and teenagers, we're gradually moving into expanding, gradually and gradually, the realms in which we think it's appropriate to relate to a machine.”

Since people are now creating “bot” relationships, it is no surprise that there has been an increase in potential dangers related to texting. Car accidents caused by people texting while driving is on a steady incline. From eight-year-old children getting cell phones to the dangers of texting while driving, our society is beginning to witness a small glimpse of the potential that this new phenomenon posses.

It is clear that teenage communication is undergoing a generational change, let’s just hope everyone in society can keep up with these fast fingered adolescents.

Images of First aThEENs Print Edition

2009-12-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

You can access the PDF version of this first edition of aThEENs by clicking here.

Teen Article: Sexting

2009-11-17T10:47:00.001-08:00

Vanessa Hudgens. Miley Cyrus. Two teen pop culture icons that have gained both a vast teen audience as well as the skepticism of parents after sexual pictures of the two beloved stars leaked onto the internet. Hudgens and Cyrus were guilty of “sexting,” or sending sexually explicit or nude photographs through a text message.

The phenomenon of sending sexual photographs over the phone has recently increased in popularity among young teenagers.

“I think more people do it than we even know of. I probably know around five people that have sexted, but I’m sure more people do it,” said Clarke Central High School senior Will Hager.

“Sexting” has become a new form of communication among teenage students, and though buzz on the issue is being generated by adolescents, the subject has been slow to surface among the Athens-area adult community. From school faculty to law officials, action to combat this new-age interaction has not been thoroughly pursued.

According to a source at the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, there have been no criminal investigation reports on “sexting.” Corporal Kandy Marchman, the Crime Prevention Officer and Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Member at the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, said that there have been only two “sexting” cases reported, both dealing with boys and girls sending nude photographs among classmates. One of the cases occurred between middle school students, and the other case dealt with high school students.

Although the issue has not been prevalent in the Athens police and sheriff’s departments, school staff members are still aware of the issue. Lenore Katz, a school counselor at Clarke Central High School said they realize the situation, but the counselors have yet to receive referrals from teachers or students regarding these offenses.

“It hasn’t been a hot button issue. The problem isn’t being brought to our attention. We know students are doing it, but we are not hearing from the students,” said Katz.

What the participating students are failing to realize are the legal ramifications that are associated with “sexting.” According to Cpl. Marchman, ownership of nude photographs can lead to child pornography possession charges. Furthermore, if the teen in possession of the “sext” forwards it to a peer, that teenager may be accused of distributing child pornography. If the adolescent is then convicted and charged as an adult, they may be placed on the sex offenders list, where they could remain for life.

This phenomenon received national attention in September 2009 when CBSNews.com did a story on Vermont’s first “sexting” case, in which an 18-year-old was charged with committing the act. In this case, the teenage boy was suspected of guiding two teenage girls to photograph or videotape themselves in a sexual manner and send him the end result. Ultimately, the 18-year-old pleaded guilty to reduced charges, but he will serve a 90-day sentence in prison.

In an attempt to raise awareness on the serious legal repercussions of “sexting,” Cpl. Marchman has met with several school counselors wishing to be educated on the laws. However, more aggressive, preventative action such as speaking to students has not been taken thus far.

“I don’t think people are aware of the legal issues. People don’t think that they will get caught in the first place, so they don’t think about the consequences,” said Hager.

Dr. Kip Matthews, licensed psychologist and Vice-President and Co-Founder of AK Counseling & Consulting, Inc., an Athens community counseling and psychological treatment organization,believes the best way to approach the issue of “sexting” is early in the home between the parents and the children. He suggests that parents talk to their children about making good decisions as well as set boundaries so that teens will not succumb to peer pressure.

“I really want to stress that punishing someone for having possession of a picture is not appropriate. It’s like attacking the outcome without really trying to fix the source,” said Matthews.

Matthews also stated that, in addition, parents need to have an active role in their child’s online behavior through monitoring activity on social media websites. Although there is an issue of the child’s right to privacy, Matthews argues that as long as they are minors, they’re sacrificing the right of private interaction. He believes it is both the responsibility and right of the parents to have full access their child’s online activity. This monitoring, he said, should include the parents’ ability to obtain the student’s Facebook password.

Madi Linck, a 17-year-old senior at Athens Academy said she believes Dr. Matthews’s opinion on parents gaining access to their child’s Facebook is too extreme.

“I think that’s overkill. I obviously wouldn’t want my mom to have my password. It’s just a trust issue with your parent,” said Linck.

Though there are not specific statistics for the prevalence of “sexting” in the Athens community, according to Matthews, there has “anecdotally” been a rise in the issue. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing pregnancy in single, young adults, in collaboration with Cosmogirl.com, did a study nationwide on this topic. Their findings showed that 20 percent of teens (ages 13-19) admitted that they had sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos of themselves.

Despite the rise of sexual messaging among adolescents and its significant legal implications, teens are doubtful that any action taken will prevent “sexting” from occurring.

“No matter what, people are going to do this kind of stuff. Kids are going to be kids,” said Hager.

Regardless of whether the legal side of “sexting” becomes a motivating factor for teen action, there is no doubt that there is a growing interest in sexual communication. Although the trend is taking place across the nation and among celebrities, this contact between peers is also occurring at a local level, even in small towns such as Athens, Ga.

Healthy Changes Meet Student Resistance at Clarke Central

2009-11-17T09:45:00.001-08:00

Marah Lidey

Brooke Cochran

Teen Story Article

Original: October 20, 2009

Revised: November 17, 2009

Sally Jabbie strolled through the long line in Clarke Central Highschool's cafeteria’s snack shop, picked up a bag of Doritos and a coke and kicked up her feet to relax with her friends.

That was last year. This year, Jabbie drags through the cafeteria line and reluctantly grabs a single cup of unsalted green beans, a small portion of chicken and rice casserole, a side salad of greens and light ranch, and carrots. Then she sits with her friends and stares at her untouched food.

The Clarke Central junior has strong feelings about the new, healthy menu the school is serving.

“We can’t have drinks or snacks or vending machines. We can only have vending machines that have water and diet drinks. I want Gatorade sometimes and all we get is diet,” said Jabbie.

According to a 2006 report by the CDC, the percent of overweight and obese teens has increased from 10 percent in 1994 to 17.6 percent in 2006. Furthermore, in Ga., 18 percent of high schoolers are overweight and another 14 percent are considered obese. With these soaring rates of obesity among teens and young adults, high schools around the country are striving to provide healthy foods for their students.

“Obesity is certainly a national trend,” said Clarke County Nutrition Coordinator Angela Garcia. “In teens, it leads to major health problems such as high blood pressure, heat disease, and even diabetes. Schools are trying to prevent obesity from continuing in the direction it is going.”

In efforts to make a change at Clarke Central, a new “Wellness Policy”, created in May 2006 by the Clarke County Board of Education, sets high standards for the type and variation of food that the students are allowed to consume in school. School nutritionists say they are no longer able to use salt and sugar in the making of foods, and the school only provides dessert one time a week.

“Give us salt!” cried Jabbie over the loss of this seasoning due to the new Wellness menu.

Despite not being able to use salt in the foods, the high school employs other ingredients to replace the inexpensive additive:

“Butter is the main ingredient we use,” said Carolyn Adams, a food assistant at Clarke Central High. “We don’t use any salt or sugar but we use lots of butter, and tomato sauce too.”

These strict limitations on food are not restricted to Clarke Central. Many schools are implementing healthier food policies and menus that limit the amount of sugar and fats that students have access to. A 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report stated that the average number of schools that sold candy or salty snacks high in fat dropped from 54 percent in 2006 to 36 percent in 2008. Also, the percentage of schools that took soda and sports drinks out of school vending machines increased from 37.8 percent to 62.9 percent.

Though Clarke Central changes are part of a national movement for healthier food, the high school has gone far beyond many others in their attempts to limit unhealthy foods.

“Even manufacturers have stepped up and changed their products so we have better access to healthier products. They began producing more products with whole grain and higher fiber wheat,” said Garcia.

The high shool even has a nutritionist to create each menu plan.

Katja Stookey, the School Nutrition Manager says, “Our nutritionist analyzes every meal, every week,” said. “We make sure the kids have the right dietary mix of protein, carbs, fat, and things like that each week.” Stookey is in charge of monitoring the kitchen and all the food the students eat.

When asked how she thought Clarke Central teens might be feeling about these new changes, Stookey replied, “we do not give them candy and the biggest complaint we hear is that the portions are too small.”

Many teens, like Jabbie, however are frustrated that they are being told what to eat and are not able to make their own decisions.

“It’s just always the same thing. The least they could do is let us leave for lunch sometimes,” professed Kelly Lissimore, a junior at Clarke Central.

Lissimore and her friends sat around the lunch table pondering the issue of what needed to be changed in the school’s nutrition plan. As if it were the first time someone had asked them that question, they looked around at one another and in consensus replied, “everything.”

One teacher, however, saw a creative way to meet the students’ needs for additional food options while providing them with a useful marketing experience. Vickie Shell, a marketing teacher at Clarke Central, designed and founded the Glad Shack- a small convenience store sitting inside the school cafeteria. The Glad Shack once provided everything from Fuse energy drinks to Doritos to football memorabilia.

The Glad Shack was a way in which students strived to bring a different flavor to Clarke Central. The shack provided all of the food the students wanted, and the food that they were not able to get from the cafeteria because of the Wellness Policy.

Students say that extra food options created a more upbeat atmosphere in the school cafeteria, and by deciding themselves what foods were in high demand each week, and needed to be purchased they were also learning useful real world marketing skills.

Jabbie explained, “the Glad Shack was the best! They had the best stuff and everyone was happy. The line would wrap around the school to get the food and stuff,” said Jabbie. “Now they shut it down ‘cause it doesn’t match with the Wellness program. Now the Glad Shack just sells T-shirts and hats. No one goes in there any more”.

Students say school officials made the decision to close the Glad Shack this past April “They said it was too much competition for the cafeteria. Nobody was eating school lunch because they were coming here,” exclaimed student and Glad Shack worker Renelle Kinson, referring to the small shop.

Now all that is to be found in the once buzzing school shop are a few lonely T-shirts, a shiny silver refrigerator and microwave that sit empty and unused.

Despite the strong discontent of the students met by the new “Wellness Program”, school officials say that the goal is ultimately to help the students and to promote better eating habits.

The struggle against adolescent obesity continues as schools across Ga. and the nation develop programs similar to that of Clarke Central. However, even though they are often unpopular and met with complaints from students, the schools’ efforts are made in hopes to help students live better, healthier lives.
“Its a step in a positive direction,” said Garcia. ‘”There is always room for improvement but we are teaching the kids to be healthy and exercise and make life-long healthy decisions.”

Underage Drinking

2009-11-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

By Brittany Guthrie and Lacey Outten

At 16 years old, teenagers can drive. At 18 years old, teenagers are able to purchase lottery tickets and cigarettes at their own discretion. At 21 years old, the teenage years are officially left behind, and alcohol can be legally purchased and consumed. In reality though, these age restrictions fail to stop some teens from engaging in underage drinking. Nickolas Adams, a senior at Athens Academy, explains “Even though it is not very common at my school, underage drinking is definitely prevalent in certain social groups.” In contrast, Sydney Rosenberg, a junior at Riverwood High School in Atlanta, explains, “Underage drinking is extremely common at my school. Pretty much everyone I know at my school does [drink].” It seems as if the number of teens who drink vary across schools of Georgia. How and why does this generation of teenagers partake in underage drinking and what effects is underage drinking causing for this group of soon-to-be adults?

If the 21-years-old age restriction doesn’t prevent teenagers from getting their hands on alcohol, then how and where do they get it? According to Athens teens, there are many ways for minors to obtain alcohol. Some use a fake ID at gas stations to buy beer, while others steal liquor from their parents or have older siblings buy the alcohol. Sometimes older friends will also buy alcohol for the underage drinkers. Due to the legal consequences associated with providing alcohol to a minor, most parents follow the age restriction and rarely provide alcohol to their children and to their teen friends. However, many parents today grew up in a time when the legal age to consume alcohol was 18 years old, and some of these adults still believe that this should be the legal age to drink.

A trend taking effect earlier in age is securing a fake ID. These are becoming easier to find because of the teenage demand and the price teenagers are willing to pay. Most teenagers know of someone at their high school who can create a fake ID or older siblings or friends who will pass down a copy of their license. Some teens go so far as to ask strangers if they will purchase alcohol for them, taking the risk of approaching an undercover cop. Clearly alcohol is readily available for teenagers despite their age.

Underage alcohol consumption is most common at house parties. These parties are usually held at teenagers’ houses when parents go out of town or when older siblings are there to supervise. However, these siblings sometimes assist in providing alcohol to their guests and engage in drinking with minors as well. Teenagers rarely go to bars or pubs to drink.

Even though there is wide prevalence of underage drinking, there will always be some teens that choose not to drink in high school and some that do. According to Brooks Gallagher, a family counselor from Greenville, S.C., “In almost all cases, the two main factors that cause teens to consume alcohol are peer pressure and parental influence.” Some teens agree and say peer pressure is the sole reason they drink. Two teens at the same high school have different opinions as to why their peers drink. Riverwood student Sydney Rosenberg explains, “There usually is peer pressure, but the kids being pressured into it aren't upset about it. Usually everyone wants to get drunk unless they're driving. If a teen doesn't want a drink, they're usually not afraid to say no thanks.” In contrast, Carly Aronin, a freshman at Riverwood High School, gives her take on underage drinking, “People think they look cool if they drink a lot and get drunk. To avoid peer pressure, you just need to say no and go to a new group of friends wherever you are in order to avoid peer pressure.”

Even though certain social groups of teens choose to engage in the consumption of alcohol, peer pressure is not considered a problem among some of the teens at Athens Academy. “I believe there is some pressure for underage teens to drink, but it isn't like the drinking teens go up to people and tell them to,” explains Athens Academy senior Dylan Schulte. “Teens usually avoid the pressure by hanging with other teens who don't drink or just do something else, distract the fact that the teens are drinking.”

Once teens are in group situations where everyone is drinking, negative consequences are more likely to happen. The obvious consequence teenagers face is drinking and driving. Most teens understand the seriousness of drinking and driving, so they try to plan a safe way to get home after a night of drinking. Carly Aronin, a freshman at Riverwood High School, clarifies, “More teens are getting killed these days in car crashes because of drinking and driving. After parties, the teens usually go home with a friend who has not been drinking that night or call their parents to pick them up.” Other negative consequences include sexual situations with unfamiliar partners or dabbling in various drugs. Unfortunately teens will oftentimes find themselves in an unfavorable situation due to heavy consumption of alcohol.

Measures have to be taken to try to prevent the rampant occurrence of underage drinking. Schools plan informational or motivational speakers on the topic of underage drinking. Riverwood High School has Red Ribbon Week and brought in J. Tom Morgan who wrote “Ignorance is No Defense, A Teenager’s Guide to Georgia Law.” Junior Sydney Rosenberg describes his speech, “[He] actually gave great advice about how to stay out of trouble while being in a situation with underage drinking.” These speakers seem to be having a positive effect on students. Carly Aronin says of Riverwood High School’s drug-free week speaker, “I’m pretty sure he influenced the whole entire school by the stories he told and the laws and the stupidest things teens can do that get them arrested and go to jail.”

According to Athens Academy senior Nickolas Adams, the issue of alcohol consumption is discussed in health classes. Also, student body leaders and other well-respected figures within the school are encouraged to speak to the fellow students about the risk and dangers of underage drinking. These students are positive role models for the rest of the school. Apparently the trend of underage drinking differs between schools. The factors that cause teenagers to drink also vary. However, schools across the region are addressing the issue of underage drinking and are attempting to provide guidance for teenagers.

The New Face of Drugs

2009-11-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

by Angel Jackson and Mamie Cargile

Xanax. Lortab. Vicodin. Adderall. You have heard them all before. You may not know, however, how many of these prescription drugs are changing hands in Athens area high schools. On an average school day, there are students selling and taking these drugs on school grounds.
“I've never been offered any, but I could probably get it,” said Trey Spires, a senior at Oconee County High School. Spires, from Bishop, Ga., refers to a number of prescription drugs that he is aware of being sold at his school. He does not know where students get their hands on these drugs. What he does know is that it is not uncommon for students to make money by selling pills. “A lot of them get it prescribed to themselves. Then they take them to school to sell,” said Sydney Jessup, also a senior at Oconee County High School from Watkinsville, Ga.
According to the Georgia Student Health Survey from 2008-2009, which obtains information from a random sample of public middle and high school students about various health risk behaviors, 44 percent of students agreed that it is easy to obtain prescription drugs not prescribed to them. Prescription drugs are reportedly easier to obtain than “street drugs” such as marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamines. Barbara Emmanuel, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private practice in Decatur, GA, explained that ease of access is one of the main factors for teens taking prescription drugs by saying, “unfortunately, with teenagers and prescription medication, the access can be far too easy, with parents, siblings, and grandparents who may have meds in the medicine cabinet that they do not think of as ‘abusable.’”
Those not selling the drugs are simply taking them. “They'll do it anywhere,” said Spires. Students often do not know the drawbacks to taking such drugs when there is no medicinal need for them. There are numerous health effects that can be linked to taking unnecessary prescription drugs.
According to WebMD, Adderall is used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD affects 8-12 percent of children and four percent of adults worldwide. The drug helps those affected to stay focused and pay attention. For those who are not in need of Adderall, taking it can increase heart and energy rates, as well as suppress appetite. It can be addictive and cause withdrawal symptoms upon ceasing to take the medication. Xanax produces the opposite effect. It is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Those who take Xanax usually feel calmer. It is very addictive as well, and will also cause withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation of use. Vicodin and Lortab are prescribed to reduce pain. They are addictive when not used properly, and even sometimes when they are prescribed.
Emmanuel said, “a factor that is discussed when looking at the time it takes for recreational or social use to develop into addiction is age of first use, and age regular use began. Unfortunately for teens, this can lead to early and serious problems with addiction.” Heidi Nibbelink, a counselor at Clarke Central High School, said, “age of onset of prescription drug use often occurs around age 11, when prescription drugs are easier to access for younger children than other types of drugs.” The early onset of use coupled with easy access provides a prime breeding ground for addiction among teens.
Recreational use of these drugs can be extremely detrimental and have severe or even fatal side effects if mixed. This, however, is not the only downfall. Anyone caught in possession of prescription drugs (controlled substances) not prescribed to the person is subject to jail time and/or steep fines.
So who exactly is distributing and taking these drugs? “A lot more guys than girls,” said Hailey McCommons, a senior at Oconee County High School from Watkinsville, Ga., “Mostly the older guys, but I'm sure the younger ones do it, too.” Spires concurs, “I would lean more towards the upperclassmen guys, but people are starting in ninth grade.”
Even though high school students in the Clarke County School District take a health class that includes curriculum about illegal prescription drug use, the trend of prescription drug use still seems to be highly popular among Athens area teens.

Choral students fight stereotypes from the "Glee" effect

2009-11-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

Writers: Sara Caldwell & Marlyncia Pierce

Down the halls of William McKinley high school in Lima, Ohio, the fictional students from the hit TV show Glee spark major chords with the stereotypical drama of students - all the while, bringing a new wave of singing and entertainment to its choral group and audience. Every Wednesday night at 9 p.m - eastern time - on the FOX Broadcasting network, many viewers tune in to watch the teen sagas as they put their musical spins on popular and classic hits like Kanye West's "Golddigger" and Tina Turner's "Proud Mary." Choral students in the Athens area relate to the show's dramatic portrayal of high school daze and are excited about the future of Fine Arts programs.

"The Glee show will open up more opportunities for Choral groups to expand, and [it] will cause more students to try their local chorus groups out," said LeTroy Billups, Clarke Central high school student of Athens, Ga.
While some students are optimistic about Glee's influence in their choral programs, a few miles across town at Cedar Shoals High School, the optimism is viewed on a different scale.
"I think the show will set standards high," said Senior Emily Cochran, 19, of Athens, Ga.
Cochran, who has been singing for as long as she can remember, enjoys Glee but recognizes that it is only a television show.
Fellow classmate Senior John Swilley, 17, feels that the show gives unrealistic expectations of high school chorus.
With the intense drama surrounding characters Rachel Berry, one of the most talented musical hopes of teacher Will Schuester's glee club, along with the clueless, but charming, voice of football player Finn Hudson, the choral atmosphere ignites in stereotypical chaos. On the show, the jock hides his voice talents from his perfect cheerleader girlfriend, and the controversy between these high school groups carries on from episode to episode--keeping its audience from week to week. The overall message behind the show is focused in entertainment.
“I think people see the show and expect that that’s what chorus is like – but it’s not," said Swilley. "On the show, they pick up the music and just know everything."
Fine Art instructors at CSHS disagree with the excess glamour that the show registers to the viewers.

"That show is taking it to the extreme," said Linda Moon, the choral instructor at Cedar Shoals High. "You’re always going to find the attitudes [in chorus] that you see in Glee, but I think they have glamorized it a little too much – it almost makes a joke out of it."
Glee does not only showcase the lives of its choral characters. It also includes comedic and dramatic plots within the teaching staff of McKinley High School. Stories unfurl between the show choir's teacher, Will Schuester, and abrasive cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester. With the ongoing rivalry between the McKinley show choir and award winning cheerleading squad, the show centralizes on typical personality of the high school characters.
"It makes me angry, because we are trying to fight those types of stereotypes and attitudes- and not just with students," said Moon. "There are teachers who have those attitudes, [but] I haven’t found any one as extreme as the coach or cheerleading coach [from the show]."

Moon, a teacher of 36 years - four years of the 36 dedicated to Cedar Shoals, strives to teach the students a different range of genres in her classes. From classical to pop musicals, Moon's philosophy is to give students a "well- rounded perspective of the choral music," according to Moon.
After hardwork, dedication, and outreach to the Athens community to generate more awareness about the Cedar Shoals choral program, Moon and her concert choir were invited to sing on Easter Sunday - April 15. at Carnegie Hall.
Across Route 10 on Hog Mountain Road, The "Glee effect" has taken its toll on the Oconee County students in Katie Williams' class. Adjacent to the band room in OCHS, a lively space opens up to the choral sanctuary. Williams, the choral instructor teaches a range of music, and recently taught "Let Me Fly, a spiritual with messages of freedom interlaced between the sharps, flats, and arpeggios. Even though chorus somewhat bridges the gap between the art of writing with lyrical arts, this particular program offers strength in another way. By providing an expressive outlet, students find a sense of belonging, according to Williams.

“[Chorus] is their bright moment of the day,” said Williams. “Some don’t have a ‘home’ in High School or feel like they belong. I will take them all.”

Along with the welcoming atmosphere of her class, Williams incorporates current themes in her classroom.

"Katie Williams has a kickin' show choir, like Glee, over at OCHS," said University of Georgia Senior, Paige Tillotson. Tilloston is a Music Education major and is a student teacher with Williams.

"But [Glee] as an example of what high school voices can realistically do, it's completely far-fetched," said Tilloston. "Even though it is completely musically unrealistic, I do think it will get a lot more kids interested and involved in choir in High Schools, which is super important! Even if these kids aren't on the same musical level as the performers on Glee, music isn't about being the best, it's about the experience!"

Despite the dramatic appeal and sensational story lines of Glee, students across Athens, particularly choral students, follow the angst and drama of the show waiting for the next melodic vocal moment. No longer the losers from the club prior to Mr. Schuester's appearance on the Fox show, McKinley students and local high school Athenians alike can celebrate the glee found in their music.