2/8/10 Teen news: local(∆) and national

(∆)H.S. senior raises awareness of NC driving law – Spurred by the driving death of her classmate, West Johnston High School senior Victoria Creese has initiated a scholarship program that calls attention to the NC law that prohibits young drivers from having more than one passenger under the age of 21.  “Students don’t need to be dying on the roads,” Creese said. (N&O)

(∆)Shortage of men on college campuses – The New York Times focused on UNC to illustrate the dating problems on college campuses where females are 57% of the student body. “My parents think there is something wrong with me because I don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t hang out with a lot of guys,” said Ms. Andrew. “There are no guys.”(NYT)

(∆)A Day in the Life - A Duke newspaper columnist describes her typical Monday, beginning at 8:45 a.m. and ending at 2:50 a.m. 10:06 p.m.: Snap to! To-do list: 50 pages for English due tomorrow and 17 questions spread out over 30 pages for Spanish due tomorrow. Not going to be collected, so make maximum minimal effort. (Duke Chronicle)

R.S. interviews Wayne before prison – Lil’ Wayne gives his last interview before beginning 12 months in prison on a 2007 gun charge.  Link to 2008 story in Rolling Stone:Wayne’s rhymes are as varied as his moods, ranging from quick-tongued braggadocio about girls, cash and guns to gut-wrenching expressions of personal pain. He’s a compulsively listenable dude who will sometimes sing (badly) and rhyme in French; a five-foot-six-inch bundle of energy spitting left-field references — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bill Laimbeer, tooth fairies — and consistently great punch lines: “My spot remain, like a bleach stain, or cranberry/It’s murder she wrote, like Angela Lansbury. Also, XXL story on the search for the next Lil Wayne. (Rolling Stone, XXL)

Johnston County High School’s Veterans Day ceremony (photos)

(click images for info – photos by wjzo.com)

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

(∆) Virtual h.s. courses gaining hold – 15,000 NC students are taking classes on computers, which greatly expands learning opportunities for students in rural areas.“I personally learn better online,” said a student studying German at West Johnston H.S. “It’s a more relaxed atmosphere. I can go over something I can’t get or go ahead quicker if some text is particularly easy.” (N&O)

Is apology enough for ‘black fag’ remark? – During a consumer education class, an Illinois teacher said about the National Endowment for the Arts,”How would you feel about your tax dollars going to pay some black fag in New York to take pictures of other black fags?’” Student Jordan Hunter wants him fired, saying, “”He’s free to feel any way he wants, but (with him) being in a position of influence like that over children, I don’t think he should be using that position to make statements like that.” (Sun Times)

Cali. football team has Montana, Gretsky – Sons of Will Smith, Joe Montana and Wayne Gretsky all play for the nation’s fifth ranked high school football team. “Nobody has as much pressure as he does, being the son of a Hall of Famer,” Clarkson said. “But he’s not fazed by his last name. He’s not rattled by anything. If he has a bad play, it’s followed up by seven, eight or nine great plays. His personality is very eerily Joe-like.” (NY Times)

D.C. hosts tween summit - Tweens’ depiction in the modern culture is “amazingly insulting,” says Weiner. “They’re not bad Disney stereotypes. They care about health care. They care about the environment.” However, “tabloid coverage of tweens has become very in fashion.” They’re often portrayed as “entitled, vapid and self-absorbed.” (Washington Post)

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

NJ teens sue over ‘God Bless America’ ejection – Three teenagers say their constitutional rights were violated after they were ejected from a minor league baseball stadium for not standing during performance of ‘God Bless America.’”Nobody sits during the singing of ‘God Bless America’ in my stadium,” the lawsuit quotes the owner as saying. “Now the get the (expletive) out of here.” The owner denies this but won’t specify why the teens were ejected. (AP)

(∆) Teen continues charity despite recession – 16-year-old Nicholas Marriam, a cancer survivor, raised over $91,000 last year for his non-profit that provides gift bags for cancer patients.  This year, he has only raised $1,000. “They’re busy worrying about their finances, and that’s understandable,” Marriam said of potential donors. “When the economy does pick up, I wouldn’t expect, but I would hope that they are more generous. So we’ll see.” (Garner Clayton Record)

Parents in Sioux Tribe sue over dress code - Parents said they were neither consulted nor informed of new policy and that they cannot afford the school uniforms.  The school says uniforms are necessary because of the growing gang problem.”They’re not teaching our kids. They’re worried about what they’re wearing to school. That’s what makes me angry,” a parent said. (Sioux City Journal)

MIT students photograph outer space for $150 – Used a weather balloon, cell phone, camera and a beer cooler to successfully transmit photos from outer space, for $150. To learn more, see here. (Gizmodo)

(∆) Former band member joins football team - 6’4″ and 250 pounds, Brandon Thorpe played for the Garner High band instead of the football team because of a hurt back.  But after surgery, he joined the team this year where he is a back-up center. “I had no idea how hard they work and how hard they work at building a team,” Thorpe said. “I’ve never pushed myself this much physically. I knew they worked hard, but I didn’t know they worked this hard. This has been so good for me.” (News & Observer)