4/14/10 Teen News: Local(∆) and National

(∆)Sanderson H.S. hosts Alive at 25 event – A staged auto wreck, the grim reaper and speeches by parents of children caused in car crashes are all part of an assembly to encourage safer driving among teens.  Erin Smothers and two friends, all seniors, said they remember attending the first Alive at 25 as freshmen. They were impressed.”It was so realistic, it was kind of scary,” Smothers said.”This is one assembly people will talk about after,” said Rachel Clark, a senior. (N&O)

(∆)Profile of Phoenix Alternative H.S. - Daily Tar Heel editorial argues for the necessity of alternative high schools such as Pheonix Alternative in Chapel Hill, which has 43 students. Some students get sidetracked. Others have obligations that take them away from their studies. But regardless, all students deserve an opportunity to reach their potential. What makes Phoenix Academy — and others like it — work so well is its small size. Teachers are able to tailor to the specific needs of their students. (Daily Tar Heel)

(∆)Brother, sister help Shaw win – Lolia Kienka followed her older brother from Nigeria to Shaw, where both are the top-ranked tennis players on undefeated teams.  It’s a seriousness instilled by their father, Godwin Kienka, a self-taught tennis player who placed tennis balls in his children’s cribs. From the time they learned to walk, they swung rackets in the air. ”Their dad is like a tennis fanatic,” said Shaw coach Sunday Enitan, who is also from Nigeria. He brought the siblings to the university following their junior careers in Africa. (N&O)

Wednesday’s teen news – local(∆) and national

(∆)Profile of a suspended student – NC has fourth highest suspension rate in nation, disproportionately minority and special education students.  Ricky has been suspended for 150 days in three years at Hillside High School, most recently for threatening a teacher.  His mother disagrees with the school’s actions: “This is not a bad kid. He beats to his own drummer. He’s outspoken, and he’s got a few bad habits, but if you’re in tune to that, he can excel in your class.” (N&O) photo by Ted Richardson

(∆)Why Chapel Hill needs a teen center - According to a Chapel Hill High School student, a teen center would”give the teens a place to unwind, it’d give parents some time to have us outta their hair, and it’d keep us out of trouble! Snacks! That’s another big thing! We like to eat.” (Durham News)

(∆) Cheerleader learned discipline through wrestling - Profile of Briana Maynard, a cheerleader at WSSU who was the only female wrestler at Reidsville High School.“What I know about wrestling and here, it’s a whole lot of discipline. It’s a whole lot of discipline,” said Maynard. “Something that you learn is you have to push through. But once you get to the end, both of them are very beneficial.” (News-14)

1 in 3 older teens get sexting messages -Thirty percent of 17-year-olds who have cell phones say they have received “sexting” photos or video messages, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.Thirty percent of 17-year-olds who have cell phones say they have received “sexting” photos or video messages, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. (MSNBC)

Friday’s teen news – local(∆) and national

Student’s patriotic photo refused – New Hampshire high school student had his yearbook photo rejected because he broke the rules by posing in a hat (military) and with a prop (the flag). The mother wants to know why a Muslim student can pose in her ‘religious scarf’ but her son can’t show pride for his country.  (Concord Monitor)

Why do students drop-out? – This editorial by a student cites uncaring parents, conflicts with teachers, and lack of motivation as the three main reasons. (LJ World)

Lack of exercise not to blame for teen obesity? – New study finds that today’s teen are just as active as they were two decades ago but are now much more obese.  The most likely culprit? Teenagers’ unhealthy diet. (MSNBC)

Student suspended for Bengals haircut – Ohio school suspended student for ‘distracting haircut,’ a B surrounded by tiger stripes. His father says his son just wants to show pride in the 6-2 Bengals. (NBC Sports)

Wednesday teen news – local(∆) and national

California parents attempt to ban Caged Bird – Parents read aloud the rape scene from Angelou’s autobiography at a school board meeting, as was done in another California town, where the book is no longer allowed to be checked out of the school library.  According to the American Library Association, Caged Bird is the third most challenged book in American schools. (OC Weekly)

(∆) Why fight? - Durham high school student Damion Graves explains why he used to fight in school but no longer does. One day I realized I was wasting my life, giving myself no chance to succeed. I still had family members looking to me to succeed, I had a job to do, and it was up to me to get right. (Durham News)

(∆) Anoop enjoying normal life - Finished with the Idol tour, Anoop enjoys the non-celebrity life in hometown Chapel Hill as he prepares for a final concert at the State Fair and then a move to Los Angeles.”This concert is almost like a farewell to the Triangle,” he said. “It’s fun for me. I sort of need this for a final hurrah and for my friends.” (Herald Sun)

Mass. seeks to raise dropout age to 18 – Teens that drop-out are less likely to have a job and are far more likely to go to jail or depend on public assistance than residents who have graduated from high school.  Should the drop-out age be 18 instead of 16 in every state? (Boston.com)

Tuesday’s teen news – local(∆) and national

Costumes for teen girls too trashy? – Reporter/mother worries teen costumes are all the hooker version, hooker witch, hooker batgirl, etc.  She wants to know when this change happened and also quotes the movie Mean GIrls,”Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Teens in Detroit face dead ends – Profile of teenagers in Detroit who suffer the worst schools, highest unemployment rates and highest crime rates in the country.  The teens want to leave but say they do not have the money or the work skills to do so. “The first thing that anybody who’s young in this city has to face without a steady job is the threat of illegal, dangerous and life-threatening activities,” said the Rev. Horace Sheffield III, a longtime community activist. “If there’s no viable options available, no legitimate sources of revenue, that often causes people to resort to crime.” (MSNBC)

Mall rules to prohibit teens under 18 – A mall in Virginia enforced a new rule on Monday that prohibits teens under the age of 18 from being on the premises without an adult. “I wanted to get my iPod fixed, and that’s more important than their policy,” Nick said. “It’s a dumb rule, because kids around here do have jobs, and we do spend money.”

Hawaii reduces school week – At a time when Obama is pushing for more school days, his home state has eliminated most Fridays from the school week because of the recession. “The 16-year-old in me is pretty excited that I’ll be able to chill on those days,” said Mark Aoki, a junior at Roosevelt High in Honolulu. “But overall within me, what I truly believe is that we’ll regret this.” (USA Today)