4/02/10 Local teen news

Life in foster care - Riverside High School profile of a young man who lived in various foster homes during his teenage years.  “I went to six different places.  I started to keep my stuff in trash bags because I was tired of moving so much.  The systemʼs messed up; once you get in its hard to get out. You have no control. If you want a group of people to decide whats best for you, then foster care is for you.” (Pirate’s Hook)

Student review of Ipad Touch – ECHHS student offers lukewarm review of Ipad, saying that many of the features are already available on other Apple products and that other issues that still need to be worked-out.  However, the iPad was designed to target a specific audience: people who are not skilled with computers. In this regard, the iPad is a wonderful present for say, Grandma. Yet the device may actually encourage computer illiteracy, as people may settle for this tablet instead of gaining the basic skills necessary to use a laptop or desktop. (The ECHO)

Profile of KHS drum major – Student profile of multi-instrumentalist Tram Quach and her many responsibilities as the drum major of an award-winning high school band.  “They’ve become a close knit family,” says Quach. If one is in trouble the rest will come to their rescue. Quach discovered that it is the drum major’s job to take care of everyone in the band and watch over them all even if there is no beforehand knowledge of how to do the job. She explained, “Even if you come from no where and are totally lost, you’ve got to act like you know what you’re doing.” (Knight’s Scroll)

CHHS student raising funds for refugee youth – Profile of Maddy Kameny, who is trying to raise money to send local Thai and Burmese youth to summer camps. Kameny knew refugee children struggling to learn English in school could benefit from more interaction with English-speaking children their own age and thought summer camp would be a good opportunity. She then worked with Carolina Friends School to arrange for eight refugees, aged 7 to 13, to attend the school’s day camps. (Carrboro Citizen)

3/3/10 Local Teen News

Wake Co. school board changes policy – Following a tense meeting, the school board voted 5-4 to end the long-standing diversity policy in favor of assigning students to neighborhood schools.  Dawn Bartlett, a parent, said neighborhood schools will be better for families.”I’m completely in favor of neighborhood and community schools,” Bartlett said. “It will allow me to volunteer in a school that’s not 20 miles away.” VS. “In the words of George Wallace, do you want your legacy to be segregation now, segregation forever?” said Samuel Greene, a retired Wake principal. Barber said, “Your plan is wrong. It’s wayward. It will make things worse and you know it. Data doesn’t support it. Morality doesn’t support it.” (N&O)

Hillside grad tells story of Emmett Till – Kevin Wilson wrote the play as a 15-year-old sophomore at Durham Hillside, then decided to revive the production when some of his fellow college students didn’t know of Emmett Till. “It’s bigger than us,” Wilson said. “We have a message to tell. I really want people to hear the story, not just in Greensboro and not just in Durham. It’s an important, forgotten story.” (Herald-Sun)

How teens earn money - Students at Riverside High School discuss how they make money through allowance, jobs, or entrepreneurship. Garrett Dahms and his brother have operated a dog boarding facility of 200 clinets for over eight years: “My brother and I started doing it during the summers so that people could leave their dogs in a more family friendly environment.  We started out doing it just for friends as a favor since we had the space.”  (Pirate’s Hook)

Profile of scientist Chelsea Sumner - Working with Project SEED, Knightdale H.S. student Chelsea Summer won a science competition for her project on hydrogen and alcohol addiction and will now travel to China to present her project.  “I really hope to learn something so that I can bring my experiences back and share them with other people, especially to encourage other students so that they know they can achieve what I achieve-that it’s not impossible.” (Knightdale News)

N&O preview of high school soccer - ESPN has ranked Leesville Road High School the #1 soccer team in the nation and last year’s player of the year Mollie Pathman returns for her senior year at Durham Academy.  (N&O)

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2/17/10 Teen News: local(∆) and national

(∆)DSA grad wins car design contest - Sean Coleman’s design for an eco-friendly car beat 1 million other designs to win the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas (SEMA) Urban Concept Car Competition.  He learned to sculpture as a student at Durham School of Arts and his prototype will be built this fall.  “Designed for, not highway use, but getting to work in the city, making a small run to the grocery store. I guess it’s the moped of the car world,” he said. (WTVD)

Student can sue over Facebook suspension – A federal judge decided that a Florida student can proceed with her case against a school district that suspended for creating a Facebook page that was critical of her English teacher.  “This is an important victory both for Ms. Evans and Internet free speech,” her lawyer said, “because it upholds the principle that the right to freedom of speech and expression in America does not depend on the technology used to convey opinions and ideas.” (NYT)

(∆)Knightdale student lobbies for AP class – When Knightdale High School decided not to offer an AP chemistry class, award-winning scientist Chelsea Sumner has rallied and organized her peer students to revamp the science program.  She texted friends. She visited classrooms. She talked it up. And now, one month later, she has names of 30 people who want to take the AP course. (East Wake News)

Profile of 14-year-old political pundit - Author of best-selling book Defining Conservatism: The Principles that will Bring Our Country Back, 14-year-old Jonathan Krohn is conservatism’s youngest star.  “Here’s the deal,” he says, “I’m not like a lot of my colleagues who think President Obama’s goal is trying to harm the country. That’s insanity. That’s out there. That’s loony tunes.” (Daily Beast)

(∆)Wake County school chief Del Burns resigns (N&O)