Ronan
Child Labor Safe and sound College bound Teen Morals Running&Hidding: MY LIFE
What’s in What’s out Today, Right Now
s t n e t n o C f o e l b a T 8 5 15 6 16 10 18 14 21 22 25
Ms. First Lady: Michelle Ritchie
Safe and Sound to College Bound
Child Labor
Fashionista of Today
Top 5 Spring Fashions for 2011
Running & Hiding: My Life
Musical Fashion
Everyone Is Watching What Should I Do?
Teen Morals and Celebrity Status
My Trip to Polyvore.com
Survival Guide for LASA Freshmen
f f a t S e h T
Morgan is a freshman at LASA high school. In her free time, she likes to spend it with friends, drinking Dr. Pepper, going to concerts, and shopping for some fine Jordans. Her catchphrase is, “That’s what’s up.” Her favorite band is Marilyn Manson. She’s 5’0 and can’t spell. Gotta love her!
Barbara F. Barbara has very cool, studded sandals. She came from Bedichek. Her favorite hobbies are texting, singing, reading, and playing sports. Volleyball is her favorite sport. She likes to say “Umm” a lot. She has curly hair and always ties it up. She’s 4’11 and has awesome designing skills. Barbara’s a cool kid.
Morgan R. Ronan, an egocentric theater child, he is very odd and silly. His favorite word is “fierce.” He wears a size 11 in shoes. He loves his bacon. His pet peeve is Morgan’s spelling. He loves messing with Ivy’s hair without her permission and can’t braid hair. He’s a sensitive soul. Ronan’s so fly like a g6.
Ivy likes to hit Morgan with a shirt, and refuses to make her bacon after she said she would. She’s very loud, and has super duper straight hair. She’s a super asian who likes chocolate. She listens to cool music and likes to draw piggies. She’s a pretty gnarly chica.
Ivy T.
Ronan M.
Letter from the Editors
Dear, Readers Ronan is very glad that you are taking the time to read our awesome magazine. It’s full of intresting stories on surviving life, school, and fun things you can read. We would like to thank Ms.Richey and all the wonderfull people we interviewed for our stories. We love you guys all, we hope you guys enjoy our magazine.
-Ronan
Johns Hopkins University’s Gilman Hall photo by shownbyphotos.com © 2010 R2 Productions, LLC. Photo by Seth Mazow
Safe and Sound to College Bound
S
ome teenagers can’t wait for the day that they go off to college and leave their nerdy embarrassing parents behind, but is leaving the nest really all it’s cracked up to be? No it’s not, once you get out there on your own you are responsible for yourself, which is something that most kids have never had to be before. You also have to provide for yourself, feed yourself, pay the bills, still go to school and work. Now admittedly if your still in the same town as your parents they’ll probably have you over for Sunday dinner, but they won’t be handing out freebies for your entire life. So just sit down, stop complaining and enjoy the easy life while you can. Some teens might say they want to leave because they don’t like being told what to do, but the truth is that’s going to happen to you for the rest of your life. Whether it’s parents, teachers, bosses, or the law, there will always be someone with some sort of plan for you. College is expensive, and if your parents don’t pay for it then it’s up to you. The average college tuition for a four-year undergraduate degree is $9000 according to the college board website. That is more than a lifetime of allowances or paper route earnings, and if you take out a student loan you’ve still got to pay it back. The average student income is between $500 and $900 a month. Austinapt.com shows that the lowest cost housing in the university district in Austin is a studio apartment for 495 dollars a month, add that to your food costs, clothing, utilities, bills, and car insurance (if you have a car), then you won’t have much spare change if you have any at all. If you think all those costs aren’t bad enough then factor that in with the fact that we are in the worst economic slump since the great depression. The unemployment rate in Austin is 7.2% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Now 7.2% may not seem like a lot, but it is, it means that 7 out every 100 people in Austin, Round-Rock and San Marcos are unemployed.
By Ronan M.
A
nother problem with many college students is depression. Depression comes from the inability to cope with all of the new things people experience when they begin college, like new social experiences, roommates, new cultures and alternate ways of thinking. If a student is unable to cope with all of these things along with everything else I’ve mentioned then they can get the feeling of inadequacy which according to Harrison Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Counseling and Coordinator of the Community Counseling master’s program at North Georgia College & State University is the main factor of college age depression and suicides. Moving to college can also mess with your identity. Familiar people such as family and friends are no longer there to reinforce how you see yourself and this can cause a student to lose their grip on their personal identity which can contribute to depression. It is a tough world out there and your going to have to dive in head first someday. In the mean time don’t complain about boring school and embarrassing parents because the truth is, your living the good life, and once you grow up, you can never go back.
R -5-December
2.
3. 1.
By Ivy T.
Fashionista 1. Shirt & Belt (together) from Forever 21: $13 2. Undershirt from “Mehraz’s Closet” (A friend) 3. Necklace from Urban Oufitters: $20 4. Boots from Ross: $15 5. Shorts from Pacsun: $25
Where’d You Get It?
of Today
5.
4.
A freshman at LASA High School, shows off one her new outfit after a weekend of shopping. She says, “When I go ‘shopping’ with my friends, I don’t buy very much, but when I go with my mom or by myself, I seem to get more shopping done without my friends distracting me.” She doesn’t spend that much money on clothing, unless it is necessary. This was her outfit for a regular school day and is quite affordable compared to how high the prices for fashionable clothes. Here are some stores that have good clothes for a good price: Forever 21, Pacsun, Rue 21, Urban Outfitters, Papaya, and JCPenny.
Michelle Ritchie Ms. First Lady:
By Ivy T.
D
ance, school, friends, and life? How does anyone manage to keep in check with all of them? It’s not impossible. A young lady, only 16 years of age, at LASA high school has learned to endure this lifestyle. Michelle Ritchie is a First Lady here at LASA, and yet she can still manage her time in a way that keeps everything balanced. Being a part of the First Ladies is a great deal to her, but so is her education. The First Ladies are the dance team for LASA as well as LBJ. This dance team integrates both of the schools, giving more opportunities to socialize with more students. Michelle wants to continue with dance but needs to stay on top of her work. It’s overwhelming to think about how she balances her life and keeps herself, and others, happy. If you don’t know her, you may think that she is just another ordinary high school student, but honestly, she has achieved a lot more than some people would even think. Although wanting to always put socializing before school and dance, Michelle decides that it is all equally important to her. She’s beginning to get the hang of how to split her time evenly so that she doesn’t play favorites. “Its very difficult and I’m not good at it yet,” she says. She admits to her no good habits of keeping time, though her grades are up and satisfying, the First Ladies appreciate her efforts, and her social life has yet to be left untouched. With all that’s on her plate, another extracurricular is among her to-do list. As a member of LBJ Cares, Michelle spends many of her Saturdays workMichelle Ritchie and Carly ing; from removing invasive species to Banner; First Ladies Practice. working at soup kitchens. With sweat on their brows, the members of LBJ Cares work for 4 hours to remove invasive species “It wasn’t just from forests and so forth. When dance, it was finished, everyone is exhausted and wants nothing more but rest, being a part of a and yet Michelle continues with team.” her work for the day. LBJ Cares only began as a way to earn volunteering hours for Michelle. As she started participating in all the work that they do to help other people, she saw that helping people made her feel good. She saw it as an opportunity to meet
Michelle’s rainbow Halloween make-up.
R -8-December
“My friends sometimes get annoyed with my photography but I don’t care. I love it.”
Michelle Ritchie, Lady of the Week.
M
ichelle is no ordinary high school student. She can handle much more than an ordinary high school student. Her efforts to keep everything balanced and satisfied shows her talents. Talents, not only of time management, but also in dance, charity, and academics. High school is a rough patch and to float through it with as many activities as Michelle, is truly a great gift. With no doubt, she will end her high school career with a finale that will be unforgettable.
Michelle visits alpacas at a farm.
All photos by Michelle Ritchie
new people and share something they love; charity work. An innocent glow shine off the faces of our young students as they help communities around them and volunteer to aid those that need it. “I feel happy when I’m helping people. It’s like my smiley face,” Michelle smiles. Noticing a change in her management, her younger sister says, “I think that she’s definitely improved, and that all of her current activities are helping her time management skills.” Admiration and appreciation from the younger classes and possibly the upper classes fuel her passion towards dance. As a freshman, she believed that being a First Lady would be the coolest thing about being at LASA. To an extent, she was right. Though, her future doesn’t include a major in dance, for now, but she wants to continue to get better and more confident in her dancing. If you don’t know the First Ladies personally, then you might get the idea that they are promiscuous. Once you get to know them, you realize that they are just trying to have fun and make what’s best out of their high school career. The First Ladies are like a “sisterhood,” as she calls it. They go through the suffering, the work, and the good times together. Knowing that you have an obligation at every football game during half time, it can sometimes be a huge weight. “Half time was a weird feeling. The first time I got out there I was like ‘Crap.’and I was so scared that I was gonna mess up. Afterwards, I’m just sitting there smiling and feeling accomplished. Even if I mess up, I know that there will be people who support me because its our school and people are cheering and it’s a really good feeling.” Her enthusiasm towards her school pride and her dance family is inspiring to many. Inspired by nature, she is drawn towards photography. She ran for the LBJ Cares historian. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it. This small bump in the road didn’t keep her from doing what she loves. When out with friends, whether it be eat-
R -9-December
picture by: cybermonetrs.com
Why can’t we all be friends?
Running&Hiding: MY LIFE By Barbara F.
R -10-December
I
magine for many years of your life being taunted, humiliated, and the feeling alone. Some people feel like this for everyday, possibly a life time. Toughs of suicide, drinking, and a longing for a life without feeling unequal to those around you, and the ones that hurt you. All these things someone who has been bullied feels, and lives everyday of their lives. No way out, and no where to go, to relieve the pain they feel, when they get teased, made fun of, and degraded by other people. It could be a student, a sibling, a parent, a family member, or a stranger. In any case the damage done by the bully, and the bullying itself has been done, and leaves mental, and some cases physical too. “I felt school work was a gateway...I buried myself in school never had friends, because I was afraid they hurt me.” Hiding from the kids that hate her, not attending school, and not having any friends are things a victim like ninth grader Baida feel when they are harshly judged by others. Thinking of ways to get their work done, and live their life, but at the same time not letting the pain get to them. “I was absent didn’t want to go to school. Did my makeup work, it was always done…” “…all the school hated me, only five percent of the school liked me but didn’t talk to me” Like her many teens across the nation are being bullied for little things like what they wear, and how they act. The bullying being done is leading teens into adult set depression, suicide, and completely destroying their lives. So many horrible things happen because of bullying, but people take it’s as a joke, when its not. Bullying is such an important issue because it affects so many lives, in different ways, and leading to many problems.
“I felt school work was a gateway...i buried myself in school never had friends, because i was afraid they hurt me.”
In the United States bullying is an epidemic that is sweeping the nation. Nearly thirty percent of teens in the US have confessed to being a bully, being the bullied, or standing by while someone was getting bullied in sixth through tenth grade. But what is bullying and why is it such a big problem? Well some students described bullying as:
R -11-December
What is bullying? “picking on someone just because they feel insecure, or take their problems from home to school, or or gnarly they like it” -Baida Jasso 9th LASA
“ah...whenever you put somebody down and they don’t like it”-Ariel Kerr 9th LASA
“that's a hard one...when you show that your better person and you pick on lower importance” -David W. 9th LASA
R -12-December
Bullying basically means when someone who is trying to harm someone weaker or more vulnerable physically, emotionally, or mentally. Whether it be teasing someone because they fall down, what they wear, or who they are. There are three types of bullying: physical, emotional, and verbal. Guys are most likely to be the bully then girls. A guy bullies both genders unlike girls. Guys punch, mock, hit, and are more physical type of bully. While girl bullies try to exclude girls, spread gossip (sexually about the victims, and other stuff.) All these things Baida and many people like her have and are going through these types of situations. Baida was bullied 9 years of her life in Dallas TX, she was called names because she was African American and very intelligent, in a Hispanic school. The students around her did not like this fact so decided to make her life impossible. “ I was depressed...and shocked why they didn’t like me” because of these types of feelings many people who are affected by bullies have long term effects like depression and low self-esteem. Some feel worthless; others don’t have a clue why the pain is being inflicted upon them. Confused and afraid many turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, and suicide. All this because you wanted to have some fun. It’s really funny when you’re in class and the biggest kid is teasing the “nerd” because he is wearing glasses. In your mind your just laughing it off and saying things like “wow that is so funny that kid is such a loser, he really does deserve that” then you would pause and think “what if that hurt his feelings?....he’ll laugh it off one day, no need to sweat it” You would just forget about it, and move on with whatever it was you were doing. No one would blame you because most people think just like you. Well in reality you were laughing at someone being bullied even though it did not seem like so. The person in some cases will just forget about it, but the majority will remember the bullying and live with long term affects; some for which will never be able to be fixed.
I
n the end bullying is not a laughing matter. It’s a very serious problem going on around the US. Even though it may not seem obvious to you, it hurts people, in many ways that can’t be fixed. Bullies will eventually grow up either as a criminal or a person who is very sorry for what they did. While the bullied has to live with the memories, trauma, and possibly depression and other things caused by it. In life people have many choices, and stopping bullying is one of them. Now its time for you to decide: will you stop bullying, or stand on the side line losing way more then you’ll ever know.
“All the school hated me, only five percent of the school liked me, but didn’t talk to me”
Photo by: Pro-vidence.divanart.com
R -11-November R -13-December
By Ronan M.
Musical Fashion
S
R -14-December
itting in the theatre on a cold afternoon in October, the costume designer for Grease fools around with her friends and waits for rehearsal to begin. Rosalind Faires is a tall playful senior at LASA highschool. Rosalind and her friends sit in the audience messing around and all together not being very productive. Not being a very serious person, Rosalind, in a very ‘50s cop drama style begins pretending to smoke a cigarette. Rosalind is the head cotume designer for Grease and makes all the major decisions about the fashion we would be seeing in the January release of the musical. The fashion is a very critical part of the musical and its process. Without the fashion it would be hard to immerse the audience in the pseudo-’50s world of leather jackets and poodle skirts. When asked about her plans for early rehearsals Rosalind said she would be focusing on the chorus costumes first since the theatre department would be making them. The department purchases a lot of cloth and pull together all of the people with the ability to sow to make the around 30 or 40 outfits for all of the chorus. Rosalind is excited to be making the costumes for the “Pink Ladies”, the female gang in the musical. They are typically styled in pink jackets Letterman-type jackets and tight pants. They are the rough and tough side in a school full of ditsy girls. She thinks there costumes will be the most fun to make due to all the “open possibilities.” She plans to use the fashion each girl wears as a sort of contrast between the personalities of the characters, such as the more fashion forward or cool girls will be dressed more in ‘60s fashions were as the others who are not so popular or stylistically inclined would still be wearing very ‘50s era fashions. One example of this would be Sandy’s good girl character transition to a socially complex ‘60s style character with much more “Risque elements.” But it is not just sandy that she has a lot of work to do on there are at least 7 major female roles in Grease. On the subject of what she wanted do with all the characters Rosalind said,“I definitely want to establish unique silhouettes and looks for all of the girls.”
Rosalind; Costume Designer for Grease. Rosalind’s own personal style is going to be reflected a lot in the costumes for the show. Her interest in ‘50s and ‘60s fashion was first sparked by her discovery of Mad Men. Mad Men is the story of a man named Don Draper who is a creative director at an advertising firm in the 1960’s. The show depicts his home life and work life and deals with many major issues that were going on then such as smoking and sexism.The main thing she likes about Mad Men is the “awesome clothes.” Since she was a huge fan of the show she loved the idea of being the costume designer for Grease. The only thing holding her back was the fact that she can’t sew. Although she had that set back, she new where the best vintage stores in Austin were located, and since no one had requested to be the costume designer so she just “walked up and asked.” This is Rosalind’s first time working as a costume director for a show, and she is eager to prove her self as both a designer and, hopefully, a soon to be seamstress. Although she is going to have some major challenges along the way she remains always the optimist and says with a smile on her face and confidence in her voice, “It’s gonna be awesome.”
Child Labor T
By Ivy T.
here are roughly 218 million child labourers around the world between the ages of 5 and 17. About one third of the working population consists of children. Many of these children are forced to work because of their poor families and the need to survive. Sweatshops are the most common site of child labor because they think that they get cheap labor and still have the same amount of production. But what the sweatshops don’t know is that to have children working in factories is costing a lot of money for the economy. If the sweatshops were to not employ children and give them an education instead, then instead of costing $5.1 trillion, the cost will drop to $760 million. Employment of children in the fashion industry essentially costs the economy more money as opposed to providing an education for these children. GoodWeave says one out of six “youngsters” are inclined to laboring underaged. With this, 246 million children are affected, the expenses are up to $5.1 trillion for labor rather than $760 million for an education, from now until 2020. This is causing the economies of various countries to lose more money rather than gain, so child labor isn’t the best solution to finding cheap labor. Sweatshops, of which most child labor occurs, are frowned upon by many Americans because of their lack of morals and abuse of human rights. Americans were horrified to learn that 72 Thai labourers were imprisoned near Los Angeles, forced to work 22 hours a day, seven days a week, and paid only $1.60 an hour. This shows that not only foreign countries use child labor as a last resort but America’s government also sometimes comes down to drastic measures and labels themselves as hypocrites.Opinionated Americans view child labor as dehumanizing and view it as a threat to personal morals. Many humanitarians are fighting to stop child labor completely as it violates the morals of American citizens. It goes against the morals of the children being forced to work because of poverty and famine by selling their soul/body to work to survive. The morals of these children should not be sacrificed just because of the lack of nutrition and the accessibility to middle class items that eases living. Many people, including myself, oppose child labor, though some people support it and argue that it gives benefits to both us and the children. According to some governments (India, China, Thailand, etc.), child employment is remarkably cheap compared to the usual adult wages. To them, as long as its cheap, it works, and it solves another problem, it stays. Though, these governments fail to see that with the child labor, the children fail to get an education that will be a vital part in success in any industry. Also, just because it’s cheap does not mean it’s a solution for whatever issue they are facing. Problems don’t go away in the blink of an eye, and child labor may be a stepping stone to the solution, through some people’s eyes, but if it causes pain and torture then it’s not the right solution. Some people, mostly factory owners, argue that labor is good for the youngsters because it builds character and builds up a good work ethic that the children will need later on in their life experiences. When these factory owners see what happens to children who lack their childhood experiences, what will they think? Children’s childhood are a major part of their life and without it, the children lack a happy experience to look back to. Psychologists have studied this, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, and children who lack that experience tend to develop anxiety anxious, insecure, or disorganized/disoriented attachments with their guardians.
R -15-December
r o f s n o i h s a F g n i r p S 5 2.) Latest Swimwear: p o 1 T 1 0 2 . rbara F
By Ba
Hello spring and you guessed right swimsuits!! Every year a must have are the latest swimsuit to look cute, have fun, and get wet in the pool or beach. Yeah, no one wants to waste money. Two ways to save is maybe shopping at awesome stores like Walmart, JCPenny, and Target where you can get what you want at a low price :)
1.)Tunic’s: Tunic’s are long wave
shirts with a round neck and usually a v-shaped neck line going down. This spring break they are must have because you’ll feel comfy while looking stylish!
4.) Trendy, Casual, Comfortable Sandals:
This spring break I bet you have a million plans to do, and you’ll want to get started as soon as the school bell rings to go home right? Well what you’ll need are Flip Flops! A person’s best friend. They come in different styles, and colors and always are comfy so go out and buy some (you’ll need them). Perfect to go to the beach, catch a movie, or go on a date.
R -16-December
3.) Stylin’ Sunglasses: Big&Bold, Sporty, Shield,
Retro, AND last but not least, Diva sunglasses are all great options to wear this spring. They are cute, fun, and protect your eyes agents the sun. Choose to wear them for a day at the pool, a walk at the park, and even the mall, they go great wherever you are and they are a must have this spring.
5.) Comfy Tops/DRESSES: Awesome dresses,
and tops are totally in this spring. Whether it flows, or its tight; as long as the top fits you like it’s totally in style. Don’t forget about dresses, short are probably better because its warm, and it’s spring. They are great for any time. So don’t forget to shop for some!
R -17-December
Everyone is watching what should I do? By Barbara F.
P
ublic speaking for most people is a very nerve wrecking challenge. Some handle it better then others, while some will panic and try to avoid it. Unavoidable everyone must at some point speak in front of others, no matter if you don’t want to. Now what if you have some sort of disorder that prevents, or in some way makes it nearly impossible to do, what would be such a disorder? It’s hard to believe that there is one, and it’s called by scientist, and researchers “Social Phobia”. While some might say it’s just someone who is shy and doesn’t want too speak in front of a large crowd, or doesn’t easily make friends social phobia is real. Social phobia takes all this to the next level by not being able to get along to well with others, and maintain relationships. Many years of research and books have been over social phobia. One in particular “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder” by American Psychiatric Association, talks about how social phobias are in an endless cycle that does not allow them to socialize with the people around them. Of course this sounds obvious, with social phobias, not being able to maintain relationships, but there is more to it then it seems. The reason being is they are afraid to death to speak their mind, and talk with there hearts. They will be too afraid of making a fool of themselves than actually contributing to the relationship. In their mind life is just a big play in which they are the actors, and everyone else is the audience. All this has been researched, and still is, but not too many people know about it, for this reason I believe more social phobia awareness programs should be created. Being shy, hiding, and not being themselves are what social phobias do, and it’s not fun.
R -18-December
“The closer he gets to the
meeting with them the more anxious he becomes. The thoughts are flying through his emotional brain: “I hope they all like me”; “But what will I talk to them about – after all I have nothing interesting to say and they will probably think I am boring”
photo by: healthexco.com
H
aving a birthday party, singing at the schools talent show, and even hanging out with friends, are some things social phobias may never get the chance to experience. This is due to the lack of being able to be themselves. However social phobias may be the most energetic and popular person you’ll ever know. The thing you may not know is their disorder, and how it affects them, and everyone else. Since we are all born, we all have risks to developing this disorder; some people are more likely to have it then others. But don’t be fooled social phobia is a disorder that has no boundary’s, and will affect anyone. In an article named “It affects everyone” it referenced many types of clues that may cause you to develop the disorder. At age 0-2years old you would be afraid of not seeing things you grew familiar with. Ages 3-5 fear of monster, the boggy man, and coming to realize there is danger all around. 5-8years old grew scared of the immediate environment threats around you. 9-11years old you start to fear you will get hurt. 11-13years old you are at the right age to develop social phobia, you being to question your place in this world, fear of not being liked and made fun of because you many not look or act like other people. But wait a second all the things I just mentioned seem very typical for a kid right? Of course they are, even I remember being, or feeling these things. Even scientist are puzzled by these disturbing facts and they can’t find an answer to their question. Others though don’t really care they just think its dumb and just get on with your life. No that’s no the thing to do, there should be more social phobia awareness programs that educate these people, and everyone else who wants to know. Maybe along the way in a miracle scientist will find the answer they are looking for.
I
magine the first day of school how terrifying it is to make new friends, start conversations, and be yourselves. Then by the end of the day, or week your making friends by the dozen, or at least a few. Now put yourself in the shoes of a social phobic, can you imagine how complicated that would be? Not being able to be your true self, being deprived of the ability to be like everyone else. Scared to socialize and be judged by how you act. A research named Dr. Berry Harry in 2001 researched social phobia and wrote an article named “Fearful of everyday life” in his article he did some test in which he would have patients go out, describe what they felt, and acted. When they come back he would analyze the way their emotions changed from being scared and cautious, to calm and victories in the end. In his paper he quoted “the closer he gets to the meeting with them the more anxious he becomes. The thoughts are flying through his emotional brain: “I hope they all like me”; “But what will I talk to them about – after all I have nothing interesting to say and they will probably think I am boring”; “I know I am going to say or do something really stupid – and they will all notice and judge me accordingly” all these thoughts have been found in a social phobic as concluded in this research. But what does this mean? What it means is that social phobias are some-what shy to meet new people, and start out conversations, but they wont show it. They maybe the most energetic person in the room, while in their minds, losing Opportunities to live, they will never have again...
R -19-December
S
ome may be thinking how does this affect me personally? well for many it does in different ways. by social phobics suffering all these things not only are they the ones being deprived of many things but so are you. not getting the chance to get to know someone great, someone that could turn out to be your best friend, and even more. losing a great employ, or a boss that could run a business to success, while someone else just destroyers or does OK with it. whatever the case maybe not knowing about social phobia and how it affects you and the phobic you are losing out on a bunch of things, some little others small, but all worth not losing.
I
n the end social phobia affects everyone, deprives a person from living, and effects both the phobic and the people around them. Social phobia should be available in schools, clinics and other places to get information about it. Action should be taken, and if you know someone with social phobia or are a social phobic, don’t be ashamed seek help from friends, parents, your school nurse, and counselors. You are not alone.
R -20-December
“I hope they all like me “But what will I talk to them about – after all I have nothing interesting to say and they will probably think I am boring””
Teen
s l a r Mo and
Celebrity Status By:Morgan R
T
Photos by whenmyeyesroam@live and Sunny Entre Estrellas
he idea that celebrity status is easy to attain is one of the main things that ruins teen dreams and goals. Magazines can cause people to re-think their morals. When kid’s were young a majority of them would say that they wanted to be the president, an astronaut, or even the owner of a big company, but once you start paying attention to what the celebrities are doing, all that changes. Jake Halperns book Fame Junkies asked middle school and high school students whether they’d rather be the CEO of a fortune 500 company, a president of a college, a Navy Seal, or an assistant to a celebrity. The result was that 42% percent of the students said they would rather be an assistant to a celebrity. When you were a small kid what were some of the things you listed as a dream job? An astronaut, a soldier, the president, a fire fighter, a doctor, or maybe even a ballerina? These are real jobs, that involve real dedication and they also make a living. Once you hit the age (as early as) 10 or 11 all that goes down the drain and you start to list your dream jobs as: an athlete, a movie star, a singer, a guitar player and things of that sort. They throw away all those other dreams and replace them with unrealistic dreams that seem to be easy to achieve but they really aren’t. Teens dreams are starting to get smaller and they have much less meaning. They just don’t want to achieve as much. People used to want to be seen as so much more, but as seen in the study a majority of this generation just wants to be someones personal assistant. As long as it has something to do with a celebrity they think it will make them look better and feel better, when really all it does is make them look desperate to be seen with a celeb even though a majority of the time they wont ever been seen and when they are seen with their celeb all they’re doing is getting coffee. Which in their opinion makes them look good. So what is it that makes kids change their minds? Could it be the constant attention, the money, the fame? Well really, the answer to that question is all of the above. They want to be acknowledged, they want to be rich, they want to be famous, and the last thing is they want the portrayed “Perfect Life”.
R -21-December
My Trip to Polyvore.com By:Ronan M.
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1. BKE Herringbone Fedora Hat $18 - buckle.com
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2.AE Men’s Peacoat (Grey) $100 - ae.com Gray coats » 3. CCS Heather V-Neck Pocket T-Shirt - Men’s - Skate - Clothing - Ash $9.99 - ccs.com 4. A little design I added onto the shirt. 5. Old Navy Mens Plaid Flannel Scarves $10 - oldnavy.gap.com 6. AE Men’s Slim Cords (Asphalt Grey) $40 ae.com American Eagle Outfitters pants »
R -22-December
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Poly-what? 3 4
7.Mens flats UK $15 - bluebanana. com 5
8. Mens Casual Belt $8 - peacocks.co.uk 9. Woven & leather gloves $79 - webstore. scotch-soda.com Total cost: $279.99
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Polyvore.com is a website where people can create and share their fashion and other types of design with thousands of people all over the world. One of my friends showed it to me and I was hooked instantly. After figuring out how the fairly simple program worked, I spent about twenty minutes making the design yoiu see on the previous page. About three minutes after I published the design I already had 1 comment! I know that doesn’t seem like much but to me it was the thing I needed to get through another day at school. All I can say is that Polyvore is a very cool site that all you would be designers should totally check out.
R -24-December
Survival Guide For LASA Freshmen By Morgan R.
It’s not easy being fresh meat at LASA especially if you didn’t come from a magnet middle school. A majority of students at LASA come from either Kealing or Fulmore. The transition from middle school to here can be easy if you come from a magnet middle school, but if you’re one of the few kids that didn’t come from a magnet school then this transition is a killer. I wish I could’ve had someone to tell me what to look forward to and how to deal with all the pressure that comes along with being fresh meat. So, I’m going to help you guys out with the help of a LASA senior, Alec H., and a LASA teacher, Mr. Loewenstern. Alec’s high school transition wasn’t that hard. “I went to Kealing Middle School.” Alex added that some of the classes he took in Kealing were just as difficult as the ones here at LASA so that helped him greatly. “I was more concerned with hanging out with my friends than keeping up with some of my work, but I think in the long run I made it work because I ended up doing pretty well academically that year.” When asked about extracurricular activities Alec replied, “As college began to approach more quickly, I realized that I needed more extracurricular activities in my schedule.” “And what did you do to fix that?” I asked. “I joined band and Model United Nations and a few smaller clubs. I remember realizing that I had plenty of time to do these things--you’d be surprised how far you can stretch your time if you’re organized.” “Is there any advice you can give to us freshmen?” “I would advise every freshman to know their strengths and to capitalize upon them. You should only sign up for advanced classes that you know you can do well in. Allow yourself to shine and prevent yourself from being too stressed out--that’s not healthy.”
That’s coming from a senior, now let’s see what a teacher has to say. Mr. Loewenstern, a freshman geography teacher, was quick to help me out when I asked where students could go to get extra help to bring up their grades. He said that teachers offer tutoring and that The Young Scientists Program along with The Breakthrough program are places that all students can go to get extra help. When I asked about students social lives and their grades, he said, “Most LASA students make good grades and have an active social life. Most students do not have too much trouble balancing them.” He added that the main thing that causes students to fail his class are the ones that don’t turn in their work on time or at all, don’t study for tests or quizzes, and they also don’t come in for tutoring. He said to help us focus we need to have a quiet place where we can do homework without distraction from family, social life, and electronic communication. The last piece of advice he gave is similar to Alec’s advice. “Make sure you turn in all of your assignments on time. Learn to plan out when you are going to get each assignment done. I was failing all my classes, I was used to being the number one student at my middle school and it was hard for me to accept that I wasn’t anymore. This made me cry, curse, and scream. I hated the fact that I wasn’t number one anymore. I had to realize that this wasn’t middle school anymore, you won’t just be able to slide pass on your grades, your going to have to use your resources. Go to tutoring, use your planner, and use good study habits. Facebook and Twitter aren’t going to be the main thing in your life any more. Your going to have to use those valuable key strokes on your homework instead of updating your status.
R -25-December
Lady Gaga
s w o h S g n i m o c Up
ATX
in the
By Morgan R.
Performer
Blue Man 2/22/2011
Group-
Lady Gaga4/6/2011 Story-
Bass Hall Concert Riverbend Centre
Chris Botti3/10/2011 Perlman-
Long Center For Performing Arts Long Center For Performing Arts
Capitol Steps2/5/2011 Jimmy Eat 2/21/2011
Long Center For Performing Arts Frank Erwin Center
West Side 3/29/2011
Itzhak 4/28/2011
Venue
World-
La Zona Rosa
Jimmy Eat World
Photo by Denis Crowley
What’s in What’s out Today Right Now
Thanks for reading!
Ronan