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Kisses & Smooches: Too Much On the Teen Girl's Mind?

        A week ago, a friend of mine texted me complaining about how the guy she likes (let's call him Ben) wasn't responding to her messages on Facebook even though he's already opened them. I obviously tried to console her without outright saying that he might not be interested, but she still could't understand why Ben didn't at least try to keep the conversation going. She then said something along the lines of, "What's the point of going to a co-ed school if I can't get any kissing done?"         Sadly, this is what a fair share of the girls at my school are concerned about--not the lectures, club activities, or volunteering commitments, but the boys. As much as my friend probably likes Ben, who I have to point out is someone she's never talked to face-to-face but twice, it seems that she's more concerned about getting a relationship than she is with the guy himself. She keeps complaining about how "inexperienced" she is in the boy department as if no one else in school is in the same position. The point is, I'm embarrassed by what she said because I believe that girls and women in general need to take a firmer stance in their independence and self-reliance. Too many of my friends and my sister's friends have entered a relationship because they think that they needed a guy to make them happy. The truth is, they don't. Companionship and feeling loved is one thing, but relying on someone else for sole contentment is another. It's degrading, especially when a girl skips from "falling in like" with one guy to the next simply because he looks good--what about his personality? his passions? his goals and dreams? Where do these things come into play? The same goes for guys.         But what I said above is the obvious, and I'm sure several other people have said something similar. Yet, people (males and females) need to realize that high school doesn't have to be about "smoochin'", finding the right one, or making plans to get married to a high school sweetheart. High school holds the opportunities for so much more whether it be branching out to others on campus, going all out for school spirit activities, and pursuing your passions. Torturing yourself over a crush isn't going to get you anywhere. 

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112/366: Evening light.

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Tackling the Unexpected

         Last week I mentioned on my other blog that I was writing an article about the new Spanish textbooks that my school district has implemented this year. When I first got started on it, I wasn't honestly not that excited and didn't expect much information to write the article on. But things took a whole other turn. When I interviewed and talked to the Spanish teachers, they all hinted that they definitely liked the modern, updated textbooks, but that the process to getting there was a mess and still slightly is one. There aren't enough textbooks for students to take home, the e-book doesn't match the class set, and the instructional materials were given and taken back at no warning. The controversial side to it sparked my interest, and I knew that I wanted to get to the bottom of it. So to do this, I e-mailed the principal of another high school in the district who directed the process, and politely asked her if she could answer a few of my questions. Rather than replying to me, she e-mailed the principal of my school and although I probably will never know exactly what was written, she said the questions were ones I should've asked her in person.         First of all, I personally have no problem with this and I didn't get into trouble, but I don't think there was any need for her to e-mail my principal who then e-mailed my teacher about the issue. She simply could have responded to my e-mail saying that these questions were ones she didn't want to answer through e-mail, and maybe leave me her phone number for me to call her. I think it's a bit rude for her to not respond to my e-mail at all.         But what I find more worrying is that after she e-mailed my principal, my teacher told me that she (my teacher) and my principal aren't quite happy that I became the "spawn" of the Spanish teachers' game and biased convictions. They think it's no big deal because the teachers should be happy about the textbooks. I'll be straightforward: I was not a spawn for the Spanish teachers. None of them pushed me to e-mail the principal. None of them came to me directly and asked that I cover the story for the school paper. They basically said: "I don't exactly have the answers, but _____ from ____ high school directed this, so you might want to try contacting her." If anything, they don't deserve to get into trouble for my actions.         It's exactly this type of brushing-off, it's-no-big-deal behavior that obscures the truth and keeps the issues from being fixed. How could my teacher and principal be so sure that there was never a problem to begin with in deciding what textbook to buy? They probably didn't. Since it was a district decision, they (or just the principal) were most likely only informed of the changes going on in the Spanish department, but not of the mechanics of it all. The fact that there's not even enough textbooks for students to take home and that the e-book doesn't match, violates the Williams Education Act. The district wasn't prepared to make sure each teacher had all instructional materials required before the start of the school year. If the school wants to ignore the situation, then obviously, it can't be solved for the better of the students in the future.      If you're wondering, there actually was a plus side to this. I learned that even as student journalist, you have to understand that sources for an article may not always be the most willing or truthful. There's always ethics or boundaries to respect, and I now know that I should have at first talked to my teacher before e-mailing the principal. I'll be sure to do that in the future. But it's just part of the learning experience.

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For the Literary Lovers: Part 2

Day 2: July 20, 2013

The first day of speaker sessions ran all day Saturday from 8:00 am-5:55 pm. Like on Friday, the conference attendees were provided a complimentary breakfast (buffet-style)...and I have to say that the blueberry scones were delicious! (I should've went for the chocolate ones too.) Although I didn't stay to listen to all of the speakers, the ones I did stay for moved me in some way or another. Helen Benedict was by far my favorite speaker of the morning. She was charismatic and very sincere, and I'm so glad I woke up early in the morning to attend just because I got to hear what she had to say.

Read more.

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For the Literary Lovers

If anything, I didn't expect to win the Mayborn National History Writing Contest of 2013. I had only four days to complete my historical narrative, and was—as usual—indecisive when it came to picking a topic. But looking back at it now, I'm glad that I entered and I'm so thankful for the opportunity that UNT and the Mayborn School of Journalism gave me. The winning writers, called "Young Spurs", and their mentors were given an all-expense paid trip to the Mayborn Literary Conference in Grapevine, Texas which included meals, lodgings, and transportation. Coming from a family that cannot afford many expenses or a vacation, this was more than just a "win" for me...it really was a lifetime opportunity. Read my full post about Day 1 at the Mayborn Conference: http://rookie-journalist.blogspot.com/2013/07/mayborn-conference-day-1.html

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Protesting Crisis Escalates in Turkey

After an environmental demonstration at Gezi Park, Istanbul on the 31st of May turned violent, a protesting crisis has sparked a wave of rioting across Turkey. Since the 31st, anti-government protests against Prime Minister Recep Tayyti Erdogan and his AKP Party (Justice and Development Party) have now turned into a movement that has stretched on for 10 days. Many accuse Erdogan of leading a dictatorship rather than a democracy, and are demanding that he resign. In his decade in office as PM, however...........Read More. 

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Mike Brodie: a.k.a "Polaroid Kidd"

In 2003, at the age of 18, Mike Brodie left home in Florida unannounced carrying only a Jansport backpack and an old Polaroid camera. He had no destination, no fixed plans in mind. And so, when he hopped aboard a freight train illegally for the first time in his life that day, little did he know that he would be embarking on a journey that even Huck Finn would marvel at.

Read More...

  Photos taken by Mike Brodie.

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Lauder Donates a Billion Dollars' Worth of Cubist Artworks

   80-year-old Leonard Lauder, cosmetic tycoon and heir to the Estée Lauder fortune, donated his entire collection of Cubist artworks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The artworks include Picasso’s The Scallop Shell (1912) and Woman in an Armchair (Eva, 1913), Braque’s Trees At L’Estaque (1908) and The Violin (1912), as well as several other pieces done by artists Juan Gris and Fernand Léger. The collection in total amasses to ...Read more

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Elephants Put Under Threat as Ivory Trade Continues to Mount

A recent study on Central African elephants that was worked on extensively by a group of more than 60 scientists found, that in just the last decade, elephant poaching has doubled in number. In that same period, the illegal trade of ivory has tripled. Both statistics glaringly confirm that Africa is facing its largest elephant crisis yet. In fact, the study substantiates that from 2002-2011, the entire forest elephant population in Central Africa faced a staggering 62% decline. With ivory in high demand across Asia and the Middle East, where the material is often used in the making of ornaments and traditional medicines, elephants are being threatened by not only trade exploitation, but even more concerningly, extinction. Last month, in just one week, armed poachers in Chad reportedly killed 86 elephants, 33 of which were pregnant females.

Although the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has banned all global selling & trading of ivory, it is clear that such a measure has not been effective. Jason Bell of the International Fund for Animal Welfare emphasized that “the poaching of elephants for their ivory is an issue of global significance, and needs a global response.”

Kenya has recently announced that it plans to take decisive action against elephant poaching in the country. As of right now, Kenyan courts have little jurisdiction in jailing or fining those found guilty of wildlife crimes. However, government spokesman Muthui Kariuki stated, “We intend to fight poachers at all levels to save our elephants.” He shared that a force of more than 1,000 rangers would be trained and equipped in improving wildlife security for the animals. He also revealed that the government is in the process of reviewing wildlife law and policy to strengthen the currently lenient penalties.

(Sources: NPR, Capital News, Plos One)

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First They Killed My Father: Book Review

The first time I picked up First  They Killed My Father a few years ago, the details of Phnom Penh in the first chapter nearly lulled me to sleep. I couldn’t help but feel rather annoyed by such excessive descriptions, and afraid that the rest of the book would be written the same way, I decided to stop reading altogether. But this year, after giving the memoir the fair try it needed, I was wholly captured by Loung Ung’s heartfelt remembrance of a painful and terrifying past living under the Khmer Rouge Regime. The same details I felt irritated by, were the ones I came to fully appreciate.

 Born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 1970, Ung, along with six other siblings, was raised under a wealthy middle class family. Her father, a well-paid military police captain for the Lon Nol Government, was the head and sole provider of the family. Her mother, a woman of Chinese descent, worked as a homemaker, watching over Ung and her siblings as well as up-keeping the apartment they lived in. However, in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge arrived in Phnom Penh after overthrowing the government, the Ungs’ life of privilege and ease was shattered. Forced to evacuate the city, the family left behind the only place they knew as home.  Throughout the novel, Ung takes readers on a harsh and violent journey, documenting her life living under Pol Pot’s communist leadership as she moved from one village and labor camp to the next. Because the regime viewed the intelligent and wealthy as corrupt, she and her family were forced to lie about their identities in order to protect themselves from being discovered. Hundreds of Cambodians and other Asian ethnic groups succumbed under intensive labor, infinitesimal food rations, and poor health care. Ung carefully details the hunger she felt, the sorrow of seeing her siblings famished and her father sent to death, and of the blinding hatred she had towards Pol Pot and the regime. The novel, written in present tense, is in this way deeply poignant, digging into Ung’s emotions and thoughts as a child at their rawest. Had it been in past-tense or from an adult viewpoint, it would have been as effectively captivating. I realized that the heavy details were essential in attempting to capture all of Ung’s mix of pain, grief, and anger. What I liked best was how it instilled within me a curiosity and need to question history and its connections to my own life today. Because of this, I pushed myself to ask my parents questions of what they remembered of Cambodia in 1975 and of the four years that followed it. I found out, that at the time, they had both lived in Bangkok, Thailand and were about the age of 18. Though my mom faintly recalled the details of the Cambodian genocide, my father knew of the history and background behind it in full detail. He explained to me how Pol Pot and his men came into power, who they were supported by, and the collective agriculture-based society they demanded of the people. Ung’s detailed memoir reminds me of just how thankful I should be of the lifestyle I lead and the love and support I am given. It also recalls the importance of being knowledgeable of past histories and continuing to be aware of them today. I would without a doubt recommend this short, but meaningful read, to all readers.

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Strive For College

When I first heard that Strive For College--a nonprofit organization aimed at leveling college access inequalities--was coming to my high school, I was definitely excited and eager to learn more. It seemed to me that my plans to apply for university and scholarships programs would early on have the chance to be etched into a more stable agenda. When I then heard that the founder of the program, Michael Carter, was an alum from the local Prospect High School, I decided that I definitely needed to attend the informational meeting. For who else could understand the college process better than a local high school graduate himself? 

In all of my excitement, the meeting admittedly turned out to be disappointing. Whereas I expected eagerness, audience interaction, and pinpoint details, I was met with the opposite. The two representatives read statistics word-for-word off the slides. Not one example was given of a group of students who actually joined the program, nor did any come to speak. And even worse, there was far too little insight into what the program actually does besides assigning a student to a mentor. Basically, the whole presentation was vague. When I later researched the program’s website after the meeting, it came off just the same way.

However, the biggest disappointment I had was that although Strive For College is aimed to help low-income students, more than half of the students individually selected to attend the meeting were from high-income families--families with parents who have almost all attended 4-year colleges/universities. I don’t think that these students should not be offered the chance to join the program, but I definitely do think that the low-income students at my school should as well be given this chance. The dramatic drop in percentage of Latino and Hispanic high-school graduates is largely due to the fact that these students’ parents neither speak English, nor have attended college.For this reason, it is necessary that a program as beneficial as this be provided to them. I hope that in the future, my school will decide to give these students an opportunity, that though I found to be vague presentation-wise, is widely supported and will likely be the most beneficial step they will take in their academic career.

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"Her name was Jyoti" - India Rape Victim Becomes The Face of A Movement

23-year-old Jyoti Singh Pandey was looking to find a ride home from a local mall after a night out with her friend. Instead, she was viciously gang-raped, and dumped naked, bloody, and bruised under an New Delhi overpass. For the first time since the event of the crime, Pandey’s male companion has spoken out in a TV interview which aired Friday in India, of the horrific experience that he and perhaps the rest of India, will never forget. On that night, Pandey and her friend* had just finished watching “Life of Pi” at a New Delhi mall and were looking to make their way home. Refused a ride by the driver of an auto rickshaw, they had no choice but to board a private bus. It was then that the six assailants on board the vehicle began to physically attack the two unsuspecting friends. “'I gave a tough fight to three of them. I punched them hard. But then two others hit me with an iron rod," he recounted. Pandey’s attempt to call the police through her mobile phone failed when the men took it away from her and dragged her to the back of the bus. One by one they then brutally raped her and beat her with the iron rod. "The attack was so brutal I can't even tell you ... even animals don't behave like that," her companion described. After more than two hours, they were then dumped under an overpass where they pleaded to no avail for help from passer-bys and motorists. When the police finally arrived after being notified, the friend claims that they argued for some time over jurisdiction before at last taking the girl to the hospital. Though the police refutes this statement, many believe that the delay may have caused some complications that contributed to her death. The man himself was given no medical care, but instead assisted the police in their investigation of the crime. The 23-year-old passed away last weekend at a hospital in Singapore due to massive internal injuries. Five men have since then been brought to trial and charged of murder, abduction, and rape while the sixth, a 17-year-old, was expected to be brought in to a juvenile court. DNA evidence has recently proven that the blood found on the body of the victim matches that of all the accused assailants. Massive protests have raged across India as well as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where women have been the overwhelming target of brutal domestic violence. Angry protesters are calling out for the safety of both women and girls, and the necessity of a fair justice system. Two men in India have even gone on hunger-strikes, demanding the death of the six men and for any other who have committed a similar crime to meet the same fate. The police were prohibited to disclose Pandey’s name due to Indian law, but hoping to give a face to the movements kindling throughout the country, it was finally released to the public by the victim’s father. "We want the world to know her real name. My daughter didn't do anything wrong, she died while protecting herself. I am proud of her. Revealing her name will give courage to other women who have survived these attacks. They will find strength from my daughter," Mr. Singh Pandey told The Sunday People. And indeed, Jyoti Singh Pandey has fueled a movement that is being carried with the hopes of changing the course of women rights for the better of the world. *The name of the victim’s male companion has not been disclosed. (Sources: Mercury News, The Guardian, BBC, Zee News)

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The True Christmas Spirit

Thanksgiving was a little less than a month ago, but it’s hard to forget the Black Friday craze that quickly took over as wild crowds stormed shopping malls and boutiques to get their hands on the biggest deals of the year. The very same people may have practically flaunted their gratitude for the things in life hours before, yet the truth still stands clear: they could not wait to spend, spend, spend (on themselves, of course). It’d be a lie if businesses said that they didn't know it. In fact, Target opened its doors at 9:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day itself,with the hope of not only attracting the attention of more buyers, but also of raking in all the money they could get. It doesn't stop there as businesses once again exploit consumers in the most commercialized holiday celebrated across the nation: Christmas. While we’re out to buy presents, retailers are out to make profit. It’s sad to see that Christmas has evolved into such a one-track holiday. Though it’s a great time of celebration for all religious and non-religious families, it’s obvious that for the most part people are in it for the gifts. Waking up to a lavishly-decorated tree brimmed with presents and ribbons underneath has even become expectation for most children. Why is it that we can’t simply expect a warm family dinner full of laughter, jokes, and conversation? Frankly, I don’t want to hear another spoiled teenager at school talk of how they cried because they didn't get a pair of Beats Earphones or the iPhone 5. It’s by time that we throw away the superficiality and commercialization of the holiday season to find the true meaning of Christmas, or even Thanksgiving for that matter. If we dig a little deeper, we might just find it.

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Government Protest Storms Bangkok

On Saturday, thousands of protesters gathered in Bangkok to rally against PM Yingluck Shinawatra in what was expected to be the largest demonstration since her election into office last year. Fearing the rally would lead to violence, the government invoked the Internal Security Act, allowing police forces to block routes, ban gatherings, and carry out searches throughout three districts of the capital. The group of protesters under the name of “Pitak Siam” (“Protect Thailand”) were led by retired general Boonlert Kaewprasit. “In the name of Pitak Siam and its allies I promise that we will topple this government,” he declared during the rally. Ms. Yingluck, they believe, has been leading a corrupt government as the puppet of her older brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. As former PM (2001-2006), Thaksin was deposed in a military coup after facing several allegations of treason, tax evasion, and authoritarianism. He is reported to be actively running the nation through his sister from his current residence in Dubai. Ms. Yingluck assures that she is running the government and its daily cabinet meetings on her own terms. Expectations for the gathering of over 20,000 protesters fell short as rain began to fall in the evening. Though there was little violence in the earlier stage of the demonstration, the police fired tear gas to ward off 50-100 rebels who attempted to break through the police barriers. The eight-hour protest was eventually called off. “I can’t afford to lose even one life so I declare the rally over,” Boonlert announced. 61 were left injured and 167 were arrested.

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Anti-Islam Video Continues To Fuel Rage

                                                                                                                         Released onto Youtube less than two months ago, the video trailer of what was supposed to be a two-hour anti-Islam film—“Innocence of Muslims”—has become a medium of potent physical violence and rage across the Arab world. It not only blatantly ridicules the religion of Islam but even more offensively, it defames the Prophet Mohammed by portraying him as a senseless character, and by depicting the frame of his body in direct view. This in itself disrespects the Muslim belief that a Prophet’s sacred figure shall never be visually exposed (particularly for idolization purposes). Though the manager of the film, who is presumed to be a man by the name of Nakoula Bassely Nakoula, claims he did not intend for a calamitous reaction, such a reaction is precisely what he produced. Angered by the slanderous 14-minute clip, nations throughout the Middle East have expressed highly anti-American sentiments towards the United States. Setting fire to U.S flags and initiating violent protests are just the beginning of it. On the 11th of September, an attack on the U.S Consulate in Benghazi, Libya killed four American diplomats within the building, including J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S Ambassador to the country. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have vowed to bring justice to those who are responsible for this act of “terrorism.” "What happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack and we will not rest until we have tracked down and brought to justice the terrorists who murdered the four Americans," Clinton told reporters before her meeting with  Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday. The violence continued yesterday in Pakistan where, after fervid protests unsettled the country, a Pakistani Minister, Ahmed Ghulam Bilour, personally offered a bounty of $100,000 to anyone willing to bring to death the creator of the trailer.  He announced in his home city, Peshawar, that he even encourages Al Qaeda or Taliban militants to take part in the assassination : “I also invite Taliban and Al Qaeda brothers to be partners in this noble deed.” Nakoula has left his Californian home and is currently in hiding with the rest of his family.

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Japan Floods: Death Toll Climbs To 26

Over the course of the past few days, as destructive flash floods and mudslides devastated southern Japan, an estimated 250,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. Though some evacuation orders were lifted after the rains abated and many were allowed to return home, thousands remain cut off by the fallen trees and mudslides blocking the roads. Approximately 3,600 are still advised to leave their households. 

The nation’s record rainfall, which exceeded 80 cm. in certain areas and triggered the start of the natural disasters, has left 26 dead as well as several missing. Rescue teams have already began their search for these people while Japanese troops continue to airlift supplies to hundreds who remain stranded--including in the city of Yame, Fukuoka.    "We will continue sending emergency ration to people there as it is still unknown when we can secure access to the area," said Kayo Shinohara, a spokeswoman for Yame City government. Though the heavy rains have currently subsided to many’s relief, the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasts more rain to come along with floods and landslides on the southern island of Kyushu. "A peak of heavy rain in northern Kyushu has passed, but there is fear that driving rain with thunder may hit northern Kyushu as warm and humid air is flowing to the rain front," the agency warned. "Please be vigilant of damage from landslides and floods as part of the ground has already softened and water is still overflowing from rivers because of record rainfalls.” *For more photos, please visit: http://world.time.com/category/asia/japan/

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Breakthrough in Anti-Malarial Drug

                 Having studied malaria—a mosquito-borne, parasitic disease—for more than 25 years, Professor Jonathan Vennerstrom's research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has clearly paid off. From 2000 to 2010, Vennerstrom led a team of international scientists in creating a drug compound that paved way to the latest breakthrough in anti-malarial medication yet. Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), a non-profit organization in Geneva, Switzerland, made the research possible by funding the team with more than $12 million in grants. "We were very fortunate to receive the support for our project from MMV," Dr. Vennerstrom stated in gratitude. "It is always unpredictable whether or not a drug candidate will be successful." Called SynriamTM, the drug has recently been approved for treatment in adults in India where the disease kills more than 200,000 people each year. In comparison to traditional drugs used in treating malaria, Synriam is believed to produce fewer side effects and is not required to be taken with food. Most importantly, it is proved to be more effective against malaria due to the disease's procured resistance to past medications over the years. “With more than 200 million cases of malaria each year, the potential impact this drug could have on saving and improving lives worldwide is significant,” claimed Dr. Vennerstrom. “That’s been our goal and now we are at the finish line." Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Limited, the same company that developed Synriam, is working to conceive a formula compatible with children as well as expanding the drug's availability to Africa, Asia, and South America. Also developed by Vennerstrom and his team, a second and even more efficient drug candidate is currently being tested in Bangkok, Thailand. With this drug placed into examination and another already put to use throughout India, the future is certainly looking bright in the battle against malaria.