From the Editor Engage Youth To Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases
Attendees at a media workshop on Non-Communicable Diseases in Barbados, recently.
Y
oung persons should play a greater role in the prevention and control of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), say public health experts, civil society members, journalists and youth, at a two-day workshop in Barbados recently. Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), it aimed to promote dialogue among different interest groups and equip journalists to effectively report on NCDs.
Diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and cardiovascular disease are the leading NCDs in the region, and kill more than 34 million people across the world each year. More than 66 per cent of those deaths occur in developing countries, with associated risk factors such as lack of exercise, poor diet, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. According to PAHO, NCDs account for 74 per cent of all deaths in the Caribbean. Speaking at the workshop, attendees stressed the importance of packaging NCD-related information in youth-friendly ways, especially since young persons are among the most vulnerable for future increase of NCDs. Many of these diseases can, however, be prevented if healthy lifestyle choices are practiced from an early age. Dr. Tomo Kanda, advisor on NCD at the PAHO office for Eastern Caribbean countries, said young persons should understand their role in the fight against NCDs. “Young people hardly imagine that they will get chronic diseases because of their age…Controlling NCDs is all about prevention and this prevention has to be started as early as possible,” she said.
www.ezineslimited.com
Risk factors, Dr. Kanda said, can start developing even before birth, continuing throughout the life of an individual. Between zero to college years and beyond, risk factors include food choices such as sugars; and as individuals enter and leave college, they become less physically active, increase the use of alcohol, adopt an unhealthy diet and experience increased stress, among other factors. This makes it important for young persons to be educated about the risk factors and how to prevent and control them, in order to reduce the incidences of NCDs in the region. For this to happen, youth must be engaged in a meaningful way. “We really wanted to include young people in every step of that process and we’ve decided to now work with the media and young journalists who will also be reporting on these issues…you are kind of the experts and know what people want and what the issues are in your generation, and [know] the best way to communicate health messages,” said Vanessa Baugh, advisor at the Commonwealth Secretariat. This is the first Caribbean workshop on NCDs directed at the media, and it comes at a time when heads of government will be meeting in New York this September at a UN High Level Meeting on NCDs. This is the second such meeting on a health-related issue, with the first being about HIV & AIDS. Caribbean interests are hoping that their leaders will be able to bring attention to the epidemic and receive, among other things, a political declaration of commitment for coordinated, multi-sectoral action. teen spirit eZine
Reviews
Movie Review
Must See!
by Alana Gardner
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS R
F
riends with Benefits is a romantic comedy from director Will Gluck and Screen Gems Studios, starring Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson and Woody Harrelson. Dylan (Timberlake) and Jamie (Kunis) think it’s going to be easy to add the simple act of sex to their friendship, despite what Hollywood romantic comedies would have them believe. They soon discover, however, that getting physical really does always lead to complications.
I had to say I was greatly pleased. This movie surpassed No Strings Attached and my expectations. Compared to the clichéd Hollywood love story that we all love, but sometimes find annoying, this movie had the usual scenes that most romantic adult comedies contain, but it did tend to poke fun at them and have some sort of realism.
Friends with Benefits deserves full five stars. I have to say going into this movie, I had high expectations, especially with the release of No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher only a few months prior. It had the same basic plot, of two friends adding sex to the equation.
Both Timberlake and Kunis had great chemistry and were very likable and really funny. Also, Harrelson and Clarkson were great additions to the younger cast and they all succeeded in making this movie a definite must see.
New Music Review 1+1- Beyoncé During the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, Beyoncé announced that she and husband Jay-Z, are expecting their first child. Great news, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. She recently released the video for her newest single 1+1, and we took to our Facebook page to get your views. Here are your thoughts.
Cassandra Spence-The song is a breath of fresh air, so soft....The video does the song justice...it’s magical. Kristine Palmer- Haven’t seen it yet, but anything
Jazmine April Watson- It’s touching..........it can
she does is golden so I am sure it’s great. :-)
pass.
Shan-Shan Bling- I love it!!! Beyoncé expresses her
Arianna Fisher- It’s a wonderful video; I love how she showed her emotions. The artwork is amazing; those little details like the air movement made it interesting. It’s a good video. Thumbs up to da director.
feelings so different from [other] artistes....and I guess that’s what makes her stand out da most....da vid...da song...almost got me crying! :)
www.ezineslimited.com
teen spirit eZine
Relationships College, Sex and the Teenage Mind
by Micheal Farquahrson
F
or many of us reading this article, by this time in September, college would have already started and we would be getting used to scenarios, sights and sounds of the new environment. This includes making new friends, making a name for yourself and possibly even forming new relationships. With many, if not most, teen or young adult relationships, the basis is more on the carnal rather than the spiritual. The thoughts of sex occupy our time and thoughts, motivating us to do things often times out of our comfort zone. Now don’t get me wrong, this is not meant to be a lecture about why you shouldn’t be having sex and all that jazz. To be honest, we’ve all been hearing that from we started puberty and when the words penis and vagina still made us giggle (if you just did…sigh). Here are some tips.
For the ladies So you’ve met this amazing dude and you are madly in love. Right. Experience dictates the average teen goes through about five to eight relationships in their pre adult years and “loves” about half of them. The word love is used rather loosely by teens and as such, the true implications and meanings for our actions are lost upon us. For example, you may love your boyfriend because he bought you something nice, but hate his very existence because he only texted you 3498 times out of the 3500 you expected. You love your blackberry, you love your dog, and you love that half naked guy from Twilight who apparently doesn’t own a shirt. You then begin to see my point. A teenage definition of love changes as quickly as a status update. So you may think you are in love and then go do something to prove it, only to have a ‘huh?’ moment when it’s too late. More times than not, it’s not even someone you see yourself having a viable future with. So why bother?
For the Guys Gents, our attention span and notorious inability to properly multitask is well proven and documented. Even this article took longer than it should because of a whole bevy of distractions. Now I know it is ingrained in our society that polygamy equals manhood, but females nowadays are not putting up with that. Especially since they often times make more money and are better qualified than us. Women put a lot of meaning to sex (unless they are porn stars or prostitutes…to each his own, I guess), and unlike their male counterparts, who seem to come to our sense right after (yes I said it), the effects are more re-
www.ezineslimited.com
sidual. Stop sleeping with a girl, her cousin and their two best friends at the same time, especially if they are all on the same campus. Bad things tend to happen. Like I said, sex is your decision but I’m just trying to help you remove the rose tinted lenses. Sex complicates things. You are forced to grow up faster than you might want, and in some cases, it ruins friendships…that much I know. I’m just saying, sometimes it goes a lot deeper than those moments of passion you may share. The rest is on you. teen spirit eZine
Fabulous Life Fabulous Life Of...Damon McCalla
by Dervin Osbourne Photos by: Dacx Photography
E
arlier this year we introduced a column called My Fabulous life which gave us a look into the luxurious lifestyles of some very wealthy Jamaican teenagers. It was our written equivalent to the MTV series Teen Cribs, minus the houses. We first featured Christina Azan, who is the granddaughter of the CEO of Sagicor. People loved reading about her trips to the Bahamas via her family’s private jet and demanded that we continue the column. So we set out to find some of the elite teens of Jamaica and our team found one! Damon McCalla known to his friends as Enzo is an 18 year old who some might say could live the life of a King if he wanted to. But in truth, this rich kid proves that not all wealthy persons have an extravagant lifestyle; some choose to live a normal life, or what they call normal. Enzo travels a lot to places like Florida, England and the land of glits, glam and money Las Vegas. Thanks to his parents’ business schedule, he’s able to go the these amazing locations. And like “normal” people, he always travels first class except for the time he went to the Bahamas, when he chose to travel by cruise. Talk about swag. Independence should be Damon’s middle name as he’s always doing things on his own, like treating himself to expensive gifts. He saw the Ipad, sorry, the Ipad2 on television and liked its features, so why not buy it? His weekends were boring so he bought himself a playstation. See that’s nothing over the top. His weekends are all about staying home, chilling and play fifa. For his birthday he says he usually gets cologne, shoes and clothes from brands like Ti$a…Oh and a BMW from his parents, just like normal teenagers his age. He looks up to Soulja Boy because of the amount of success he achieved all before he reached 18. Enzo loves taking photographs and says he sees himself modeling in the future. He’s humble though and not self-centered and is very independent. He’s 18 years old and already is starting his own business following the family tradition, which he implores young teens like himself to do. He’s also a mama’s boy lamenting that he hugs her a million times a day. With money comes crazy rumors. Damon told Teen Spirit that he wants people to know that he does not worship the devil, and he made his money the right way, working for it and of course, through his parents. He might be rich but he’s just like me and you!
www.ezineslimited.com
teen spirit eZine
Cover Story Jamaican Singing Sensation Stephanie Wallace
by Dervin Osbourne Photos by: Warren Buckle
S
tephanie Wallace is the perfect example of what we call a leading lady. At age 25, she has done what most women only dream of achieving. She’s started a music career, travelled the world, is married to a loving and supportive husband and has two beautiful children. She adores the arts and music in particular. She’s been singing from ever since she can remember, always having an interest in singing and was never afraid to let people know. Wallace is now being managed by Wayne Walker at New Yorkbased Shaks Records. “That’s new for me,” she says, lamenting that she’s always managed herself but now has to get used to having a team. She’s now focused on completing her Fast track EP soon to be released, and her newest single ‘Got it Right Here’ has been making the rounds on local charts.
Teen Spirit (TS): Were you encouraged by your parents to pursue music? Stephanie: Well yes, they’re always supportive, but you know, like most parents they’re always pushing towards ac-
www.ezineslimited.com
ademics. But it is only after I started touring, [that] my parents were like, ‘oh maybe this could be a full-fledged career’.
TS: What do you think about the music industry in Jamaica now and how women are treated? Stephanie: Being a young person in music, I’ve been very observant, and I believe that we’ve come a long way business wise. A lot of people are very concerned about their publishing and furthering their craft, and also the diversity of talent. Jamaica isn’t only producing dancehall entertainers anymore, now we’re seeing some different stuff; for example, music like I do fusing Reggae with a lil RnB or Jazz. I’m really impressed. And for women I think there’s still some level of inequality but it’s definitely better than how it was. Personally, I’ve been getting a lot of support from some of the top acts in the business now and I’m thankful for the women who came before me and paved the way. Women like the Alaines and the Cherine Andersons; they’re getting their props and because of that I’m getting my props. teen spirit eZine
Cover Story T.S: What’s your inspiration? Stephanie: My inspiration for music comes from everything around me, life in general. What really inspires me are my experiences and what I’ve been through. At 25, I’ve experienced a lot, seen a lot, I’ve traveled the world so I pull inspiration from all of that. T.S: Who do you emulate? Stephanie: This might be a bit cliché but Michael Jackson, as an entertainer he epitomizes the wholeness of being in studio and on stage and dominating both. I also admire Diana King, she is a very strong female. She has stepped out of being signed to a label and went on to creating her own, and I admire that because I aspire to do things like that as well. I want to be able to have my own label, make my own money and not having to go through third parties. T.S: There are many critics saying that we are no longer true to dancehall/reggae because the sound of the music doesn’t sound the same. What do you think about that? Stephanie: I think we’ve come into the habit of limiting ourselves, because you’re Jamaican you’re suppose to do Dancehall or reggae. I don’t necessarily agree with that. Music is music for me, there are many genres and you should select the one that you feel expresses you best. We do have artistes like Proteje who take us back with his dub poetry style of music and also Tonic who continues to produce reggae and we respect that, but there’s a big audience and we have to cater for different people. T.S: Who would you want to work with and why? Stephanie: Locally, Konshens and female it’s between Alaine and Cherine Anderson because I love their creativity. I would love to collaborate with them at some point in time because I feel those three represent our generation in a positive way musically, and I feel like 15 years from now they would still be the ones still hanging on strong. T.S: So what do you think about Rising Star Stephanie: I think the production has been falling in recent years. It isn’t as interesting as it used to be. The talent is good, however. I watch the auditions and I think sometimes the wrong persons are selected to be in the studio finals. The contestants this year are good though. I love Tash. T.S: What is your advice to girls who don’t think that they match up to society’s perception of beauty?
www.ezineslimited.com
Stephanie:
There’s nothing more attractive than being yourself. The most attractive person is someone who’s being themselves and not caring about what society says they should look like. If a man is looking for what society wants, then he’s not looking for much.
T.S: What advice do you have for men when they’re trying to get a girl? Stephanie: Surefire ways of getting even pass hello are, smelling good, looking good and good breath. Someone who when they speak you know that they’re intelligent. Women are becoming more liberated and independent, so they’re not looking for any ordinary man. So women want someone who can treat a woman well; you must be strong and hardworking.
teen spirit eZine
High Achievers Spotlight on CXC Top Performers by Dervin Osbourne
Jeorginho Lodge: 10 Quality Distinctions
D
o you remember Titchfield High, the school that went head to head with Kingston College this year in Schools Challenge Quiz? Well, did you know that Titchfield is home to some of Jamaica’s best scholars? Among them is Jeorghino Lodge who got 10 distinctions in the recent CSEC examinations. Teen Spirit sought to find out exactly how one achieves straight A profiles for 10 subjects. Lodge explains that his technique is studying an hour everyday after school and creating suitable exam. During this period, he studies up to five subjects per study session. Education is his main priority, so you will understand when he says that 75 per cent of his time is devoted to studying with the remaining 25 per cent going to his social life. He’s not coming from an academic family so that was his en-
Janelle Walker: Camperdown’s Star Student
F
or 17 year old Janelle Walker, earning top grades in this year’s CSEC examinations is an achievement that has earned her a place in the history books at Camperdown High School. Janelle received nine ones. It’s an accomplishment she speaks about with great enthusiasm; one that made her cry when she saw the results. Her studying technique is not very different from most students. Studying at home was never her thing so she made sure to grasp everything while at school and did extra reading while on the bus going home. She made it clear that her social life was never impacted. She broke a few rules but did that only in good faith as she skipped a lot of classes to complete her Internal Assessments but she never missed school. She was one of the popular girls.
www.ezineslimited.com
couragement. To do well and to make his family proud, which of course he did. He got overwhelming support from his teachers whom he was really close to and adds that having such a relationship with them aided in him doing so well. His circle of friends also came in handy as they helped each other during their study sessions. Medicine is his passion. He plans to continue the sciences in sixth form in hopes of later becoming a doctor. He made up his mind to do well in his CSEC examinations and he did beyond that. It is clear that whatever he sets him mind to, he will achieve it, so we’re sure we’ll be calling Jeorghino, Dr. Lodge in the near future.
She was encouraged by her teachers, especially her French teacher Ms. Graham who, even though is no longer living in Jamaica, still remains in contact with her. Her form teacher Mr. Sutherland was so elated that he called her at two in the morning. Her friends were also encouraging and Janelle highlighted that they also did well. She received tremendous support from her family as well. So what’s next for Janelle? Well she plans to do the sciences at 6th form at Camperdown. She’s still uncertain about what she wants to become in the future, she says maybe a doctor, or lawyer or mathematician. She dabbles a little in modeling so fashion is also on the list. Whatever career she chooses Janelle Walker definitely on the right path. teen spirit eZine
High Achievers Spotlight on CXC Top Performers by Ava Gardner
Kimmara Coombs: Hard Work Brings Success
K
immara Coombs, a student of Morant Bay High School, has done very well in her CXC examinations. She was able to receive nine ones and is very proud of her achievement. “I was overwhelmed,” Kimmara tells Teen Spirit on her academic success. “I was so elated to know that all of my hard work and self-sacrifice had eventually paid off.” Kimmara is definitely a beauty with a purpose, and excelling academically is her number one priority. Achieving such goals, Kimmara feels that she’s on her way to improving her quality of life. Education continues to open a lot of doors, and she knows that there’s a lot more she can accomplish. Kimmara feels it is not wise to try and grasp a lot of information the night before exams. She always starts her preparation about
Justine Powell: A Tradition of Excellence
I
mmaculate Conception High sixth form student, Justine Powell, has been blazing a trail of excellence in the CXC, ever since she was in fifth form. Back then she earned eight ones, and now has secured four ones in CAPE Pure Math, Accounting, Economics and Communication Studies. Justine tells Teen Spirit that it came as no surprise when she got excellent results in her CSEC examinations. “I was pretty confident after my exams. [It] was something I was preparing for for more than two years,” she said. However, again receiving such excellent results in her CAPE examinations, Justine jokes that she was “boom flicking” everywhere! CAPE, she feels, is a totally different ball game and so didn’t know what to expect, especially because she was of the belief that students sitting the CAPE examinations had to get four ones.
www.ezineslimited.com
a month before, and on the night before, she revises and prays for God’s help. Her studying is mostly based on a study timetable, while sometimes she will participate in group study sessions with her friends. Her study timetable helps her to be more organized and stay focused. “Nthing good comes easy,” said Kimmara. Her advice to students who have not performed well academically is to work harder and take failure as their motivation to do better. “Success is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration,” she said.
Currently, education is important to Justine to meet her need of self-satisfaction. Thinking of the future, she frankly states that earning the big bucks is important to her. She dreams big and wants to live as such, so in order to do so she must better herself through her education. In preparation for examinations, Justine says that she studied on a schedule an average of eight hours every day; that is, continuous studying and eating. Her relatively free schedule at school also allowed her to study there as well. Justine advised students who don’t get good grades, to make a commitment to persevere for the new school year. “Giving up will do nothing for them. Don’t be distracted by others and never lose sight of your goals, and never compare yourself to others,” she said. teen spirit eZine
My Style Winners Thank you to everyone who participated in our My style competition recently. After days of posting pictures and getting your friends to ‘like’ them, we were able to select two overwhelming favourites. Congratulations to our female winner Jennifer Barrett and the male winner Matthew Jones. For our photoshoot, our winners came ready to impress with their style and this made it fun and exciting. Thanks to Young Moguls and Tardy Totes for providing the prizes for our winners. Here we feature our winners and their photos. Photos by: Warren Buckle Makeup by: Kimberly Patterson
Matthew Jones: Quirky & Cool From Ardenne, Matthew Jones, the male winner of our My Style Competition stood out and won with his very quirky look. He likes the security clothing gives him. He doesn’t really dress according to his mood, but says he gets his inspiration from girls, especially from friend, Michela Beadle. His style is a little similar to other young males – Skinnys, Vans and a T-shirt. His favourite articles of clothing are skinny jeans and he loves to shop at Hot Topic.
a T-Shirt his prize- e. h it w s e s lin po Matthew ng Moguls clothing u o Y m o fr
www.ezineslimited.com
es: Quirky &
Matthew Jon
Cool
teen spirit eZine
My Style Winners Jennifer Barrett: Dark & Lovely In an attempt to come out of her shell, female winner, Jennifer Barett of Ardenne High School took advantage of her classic black attire in our recent My Style Competition. Even though she prefers T-Shirts, Jennifer prefers to wear black clothing. She loves to shop at Aeropostale, 2Cute and Hollister. Her dark clothing, she said defines who she is. Fashion may not be a huge aspect in her life but her style differs a lot from others. She mentioned that her style is inspired by her family, because they always tried to dress her in bright coloured clothing but she insisted on wearing dark colours.
Teen Spirit writer Ava Gardner, presents Jennifer with her prize of a stylish bag from Tardy Totes.
www.ezineslimited.com
teen spirit eZine
On Da Party Scene Marco Polo: The Wild Wild Wet
Name: Marco Polo: The Wild Wild Wet Date: Sunday, August 28 Location: Lime Golf Academy, New Kingston Estimated Crowd Size: 9000+ Verdict: Definitely a win!
Photographs taken by Anorak Productions Blackberry Pin: 26B2592B Email : anorak.productions@gmail.com Twitter: @_Anorak_Ja Facebook: www.facebook.com/anorakphotography
www.ezineslimited.com
teen spirit eZine
Š 2011 eZines Limited. All Rights Reserved