Hey Hey Readers of Girl World 2.0

We're excited to share the voices of Girl world with you. The ladies spent time writing "I am..." poems in addition to recording their voices and collecting footage from their neighborhoods. Special thanks to Saarah Malik for helping to edit this and all of our videos this past year. Please give her some props for her work below. Thanks, and enjoy! (Pssst, click the link below). :)

Girl World: Voices of Who We Are

My Major Blog Post:Teen Drug Abuse

It has been said that American teenagers abuse drugs more than teens in any other country in the world; I think we all pretty much understand why. There aren’t too many things being done in the US to reverse this. Many people believe because so many teens are so secretive it is hard to tell whether a teen has a drug problem. I chose to blog about this because I feel like it hasn’t been addressed enough. I used to think it doesn’t matter if young people do drugs. They aren’t hurting anyone but themselves. It actually affects us all, whether they know it or not because this one person started to do drugs they could peer pressure someone else into it or convince someone it’s what everyone is doing.

I recently read an article from the Fox News website about Teen Drug Abuse. In this article they only discussed how much drugs affected the people taking them. They didn’t really get in to depth of how it affects everyone around them. It also doesn’t tell why teens are starting to do drugs as heavy as they are. Those are things the media look pass, the causes and prevention.

I recently talk to a few people about this topic.  All but one said pretty much said the same thing. Teen drug abuse is more common amongst teens that live in or around poverty. An adult from the west side of Chicago around her late twenties said “I don’t understand why this issue isn’t talked about more it’s not as big as violence but its killing just as many young people. Drugs more harmful than prescriptions are available to youth in around low income neighborhoods”. One person had an argument to this statement. A middle aged man in the uptown community told me how it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you’re around on the day to day basis everyone is more than capable to say no.  It’s not just the youth in poverty this can happen to anyone rich or poor addiction doesn’t discriminate.

After researching this topic it has definitely more interesting. Many people feel strongly about this some really don’t ever care enough to share their opinion. Not only is the amount of teenagers using drugs important it is also important the causes and preventions. I hope the media looks more into this topic in the future and really get more in depth of the causes and ways of prevention.

End The Violence

The Violence in my Community Has REALLY Gotten Out Of Hand ! Everyone Should Read This Especially  Residence In The Uptown Community, Rogers Park Community, Lakeview Community, Edgewater Community. Children, Parents, And People Trying To take A Stand. Even If Its A Stand For Your Own Community That May Not be Uptown.
Everyone Is Effected Because It Can Be Yourself Or A Loved One That Gets Hurt. Some People Show No Mercy, So It May Be You Walking To The Store When Bullets Fly out A Car. This Topic Is Special To Mee Because ii Live In A Beautiful Community And ii Feel Like It Should Stay That Way. ii Love My Neighborhood And ii Am Sick And Tired Of People being hurt. "Innocent" Or not. No One Deserves To Die Or Even Get Injured. ii Feel Like If ii Reach Out To More People It May Be More People Trying To Change The Outbreaks Of Violence That Is Killing A Couple && Injuring Me.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/08/29/1-man-dead-1-wounded-in-uptown-shooting/
That Is A Link To A Article That Clearly Shows How The Gun Violence has gotten outta Hand. Two young Men Were Walking Down The Street When Things Got Critical && A Car Rolled Up And Opened Fired. This Shooting Left One dead And One Wounded. ii just So Happened To Be Just Leaving The Area Only Because ii was Instructed To By The Young gentlemen That Was Unfortunately Shot Dead. The People Trying To Protect The Community Are The Ones Who Just So Suddenly Are Taken From Us. ii Had Alot Of Friends That Were Just Right Around the Corner. It Couldve been Any One Of Them taken from Us So Suddenly.

Conerns from Residence Is that One day it May be Them Who Gets Hurt Or A Family Member. & That it is dangerous To Be Around There Own Housee.
Interview From Someone Who Lost Someone To This Violence Feels As Though " Its Crazy Because Once people Are Killed they Are Gone Forever & It hurts. It Makes Us Wanna Seek Revenge" They Hope They can help Stop The Violence So No One else has To Experience A terrible loss. When People speaks Of revenge It Gets Really Ugly && It Never Seems To Cease.
Interview From An Anonymous Person feels Like Its Just A part Of Life And Thats What They Are Used To. They Feel Like The opposite Side/Opponent Starts Alot Of Mess.

ii Can Help It By Talking To people in My Community And Making Sure That Myself And my Loved Ones Are Somewhere safe. ii can Also help people realize Just How big This Problem has Becomee.
Community Members Can Help By talking To Neighbors About How to Stay Safe && Attend The CAPS Meetings Along With "Positive loitering" Sessions.
My Goals Are To reduce Shootings And make Sure Everyone Knows How To Stay safe. To Make Sure That No One Else Has To Deal With A Tragedy Of Gun Violence. No Matter The Age Size Or Race. Also ii would Like For There To Be More Money That Goes Towards Funding Operation Cease Fire.

Pay it Forward

My birthday always falls on a school day and me being a freshmen in high school not knowing anybody really had me thinking that my birthday falling on a school day really didn’t matter but it fooled me. My amazing friend who is Ashley decorated my locker and at first she told me that she wasn’t going to bring me anything due to money issues and what not. But the next day her and some other friends of mine brought me some cupcakes and got a group to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. They didn’t except nothing in return and what not, but it’s just the fact that it was my 1^st year of high school and wasn’t accepting anybody to do anything for me like that at least. But it just showed who I can count on throughout my school days.

Teachers Being ALLOWED TO CARRY GUNS ??

       I am a student currently attending school and I am really concerned about the board of education possibly passing the law that allows teachers to carry fire arms. I chose this topic because I feel like  this is something that should be considered or talked about. This issue really affects me because if the law is passed then I would be put in a position where my life could be put in danger. My opinion on the situation is that I am totally against the Idea. I completely disagree with the possibility of teachers being able to carry guns. Just thinking of the idea makes me feel unsafe
       One article I found was on the CBS News website. The article addressed the fact that the law was being passed in Texas But not in other states. This article did not change my opinion on the situation because even though I'm not put in the position I still feel for the other students who are put in this situation.
       I talked to several People about their intake or opinion on the topic. I talked to Ms. Sheila Wright a teacher at Uplift Community High School and she completely disagreed with the idea of teachers being able to carry weapons. She felt that a lot of students would be put in danger and it will increase the number of murders in schools. I also Talked to Ms Cassandra Buchholz to get her intake on the Idea. She too disagreed with the topic. She thought not only it would put students in danger it would put other teachers in danger as well. She also thought not only that it could put people like herself who are not teachers but are in and out of schools who are helping out this law puts them in danger too because they are not teachers and they aren't allowed to carry guns and can't really defend themselves.
      Looking back on all the research I've done on this particular topic I realize there are a couple of more things I would like to know. I wonder what did the parents who have children in school have to say about this idea. I wonder if the board is still trying to put this law in affect. I still feel the same about the issue and i think I would always feel the same about the issue because I hate to tolerate violence and put in the position where violence is something that I have to be worried about. I would really love to be more involved with the the board of education and how everything operates at the Board. I really enjoyed researching this topic even though I'm against the idea i still enjoyed being involved with it learning new things about the world.

Reflection



My time I have spent in the Girl World Program have been a great experience around alot of girls. I never thought I could handle myself around alot of girls,but I guess you never know what you could do until you try it. This girl world program have really helped me out personally with my attitude and getting things finished, getting along with alot more girls. I really loved meeting new people and getting to know other thoughts about how they feel around alot of girls and how do they feel about the program. I wish it could last a little bit longer because i really did have alot of fun in this program & with the girls and i loved the ladies who were ahead of us which is Sarrah & Cassandra

Uptown Community..

Being in Uptown community for the past weeks has not changed the way I think about it. When I heard about the Uptown community I thought it was just so much violence and dirty, which I still do. But I know the community is worse throughout the evening and night because that’s when everybody out of work and out school just doing stupid stuff, especially since it’s the summer time! People can be more cautious of their surroundings and just watch who they hang out with because anywhere you go; they are not always going to have your back, especially in this society now in days.

Major Blog Post: Animal Companionship

The reason I chose to take up the topic about animals and the companionship they give people is because I remembered one day my mother and I was watching a special on channel eleven, and it talked about all of these people that had disabilities, and there was a program that a group of people made where they trained dogs to be good companions to people with disabilities.   I would not say that this affects me but I do think that this is a fascinating topic to talk about. The reason I say this is because as I was watching the special I saw the process that they had taken the animals through and they had to pair them with people they thought they would most get along with. My original  opinion  about animals being good companions for people with disabilities I thought it was a good idea because animals actually make people feel better regardless of a disability or not.

I was reading this article about a women named Mejia-Schnaufer who was battling with depression and an eating disorder  led up to her attempting suicide. Miss Mejia-Schnaufer met Sophia a rescue  goat  Sophia likes having stories read to her at the moment  Miss Mejia-Schnaufer  is reading the Hunger Games series to her and she said and i quote " I know she likes it because she has not tried to eat the pages." She also goes on to say  “Before I came to the Gentle Barn, nothing gave me hope that life was worth living,” she says but when I met Sophie, I thought she had the most incredible calm and open energy. There was this flow of love back and forth between us that I was feeling so in need of.”  this section came from ( http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/giving/at-the-gentle-barn-animals-and-people-find-healing-together.html?_r=1)“ .

Media is to Blame for the rise of Teen eating disorders

      There are many reasons that I chose this topic. One of these reasons is that the majority of my friends are anorexic or bulimic, and a couple have binge eating disorder.  And I myself have dabbled in some unhealthy eating habits.  So I have known first hand, and deal with trying to help others on a daily bases, with these tricky self hating and destructive habits.  Originally, I thought that when people developed things like eating disorders, it had to do with them and only them.  Well they want to be super skinny like a model, or well they want to be tiny like a ballerina, or well they want to be slim like an actress. But as I've grown and gotten more mature, I talk to my mother about these types of things, and she helped open my eyes to the real reasons behind eating disorders.  Yes, teens, especially girls, want to be like models, and ballerinas, and actors, but that isn't the problem.  The problem is how the media portrays models, ballerinas, actors, etc.  It's only natural for people to want to be and look like the people they look up to.  However, the way that these people look is no longer natural, magazines and television channels, photo shop and edit these role models till they no longer look like themselves.  They cover these role models face's in make-up, put them on dangerous diets and work out routines, and then go and use computers to change and alter them even more.  So once impressionable youths see their role models, they want to look like them, not realizing that how they see these role models, isn't what they really look like.  Since these impressionable youths can't photo shop their bodies, they start putting themselves down, they build up a cycle of self hate and desperation.  If the media portrayed people in a more realistic way, then these cycles of self hate wouldn't be as frequent of a trend, because the youth of today would be trying to become and look like something real and realistic and reachable.  So now, cause of my mom's wisdom, I know that when people develop eating disorders, it is NOT their own fault, but the fault of the MEDIA.
      On teenhelp.com, they have lots of information on all eating disorders.  They have statistics,and explanations of what each eating disorder is. This article didn't change any of my opinions or views on this topic, but it did support them.  This is because the article says some things, like that the majority of teens with anorexia, are white, and the people that you see in the media who are extremely thin, are four times out of five, white individuals. So this just supports my statement that the media is to blame for the rise/popularity of eating disorders amongst today's youth.
      For this blog post, I interviewed three people on their opinions of this topic.  One is a therapist, one is a ballerina friend whose currently struggling with extreme anorexia, and the other is an older friend of mine whose an incoming freshman at Kenyan college who overcame eating disorders.  The therapist that I talked to had opinions very similar to mine, except she doesn't think that the media is the only fault.  She said that it was one of the two main components, but that family issues and weak relationships with parents is also at fault.  "When a teenager is lacking a strong healthy relationship with their parents, or siblings, or their overall family, it automatically triples the likelihood of them developing an eating disorder, or any other self harming habits.  You are right however, the media still does have a huge impact on teenagers with eating disorders, because subconsciously, teenagers want to be just as cool and stylish and attractive as the photo shopped people they see on TV and in magazines.  They crave to be like these people when they don't feel love and acceptance from their parents, family, siblings, etc.  So it's a combination of the media and of family turmoil" is what the therapist said.  My friend who's fifteen and an incoming sophomore at Whitney Young, blamed it all on herself.  "No, Ali Cat, [a nickname that some of my incredibly close friends call me] it's not the media's fault.  It's my own fault, if I wasn't so revolting, I would eat.  Plain and simple, I don't understand why you would think that it's the medias fault. If you were trying to be a professional ballerina competing against size zero blonds, you'd understand why I don't eat".  Her words can actually support the therapist's statement of it being a subconscious want, to be like the photo shopped people, ballerinas in my friend's case, that we look up to.  My friend whose going into college and has overcame eating disorders  said that agrees that it's medias fault. "Well, all I wanted was to be an actress, to be on the silver screen, to be beautiful, you know.  The whole deal, that's what I wanted. But at a size eleven jeans, that wouldn't happen.  I auditioned for many school plays for my department [she graduated from Lincoln Park High School's theater program],and there was so many times when the part went to a less talented girl, but of course she was way skinnier.  And then once I started going to acting camps and auditioning for roles outside of our crappy little school [LPHS is one of the best high schools in the state, she just doesn't like the people who go there] it got even worse.  I knew that I needed to loose weight, so I did whatever it took" She later went on to mention her role models and how she wanted to be as thin as them and all that, everything she said completely supported my statement.
      Now I feel even more strongly on media being to blame for the popularity of eating disorders amongst teens.  I feel like there isn't much that I can do as an individual on this topic. This has deeply affected me, my friends, and millions of people all around the world.  This isn't like chicken pocks, where you get a vaccination, and then if you get it anyways, it's okay cause you'll be uncomfortable for a couple weeks, but perfectly fine in a year.  With eating disorders, the effects are horrible, and theyre forever.  You can't get a vaccination, you can't undo the damage, and it's nearly impossible to get out of that mindset.  I've educated myself on what all the eating disorders are, who they mostly effect, and how they effect people latter in life.  I've educated others on this as well, I even educated you by writing this blog post.  There's not much more that I as an individual can do. However, WE, as a society, can change this.  And this is definately a fad that we need to work on changing.

                  Major Blog Post; Women vs. Society...

               Women are labeled as many things such as sexual, pretty, skinny, or just unique. Yet, the main question is what shapes a “woman”? Her appearance, her actions, what about her character? My original thought’s on this subject was that women should do as they please. But, reading articles and watching documentaries made me realize that it’s something deeper as to why females try to shape-shift themselves.

                One article in particular really caught my attention. It was stating how young girls at the age of 5-6yrs old are also giving off a “sexual look” that may be mistaken as “cute” or “adorable”. And as I read it I really got defensive because young girls 5-6yrs old aren’t aware of this. And for society to view and judge them this way really proved that society is the cause as to why women judge themselves. The media is a huge issue as to why women question their features. Just by viewing images of women with a nice tone of skin or a slender physique, women will then already question themselves and try to hide the areas that they feel are “flaws” or “unattractive”. They’ll try to look into other things like make-up, diets, or even surgery if they feel it’s THAT serious.

                 Really digging into the subject I interviewed my mother, stepdad, and my grandmother. My mother said that “… the ways women view themselves are overrated…” her opinion was the attitude that I carried from the beginning. After introducing the article that influenced me to start this topic, she got defensive as well. Interviewing my grandmother was most interesting. I felt that she tried to pull hope out of the topic as she stated that “each generation maybe worse than the one before it, but as women we should carry ourselves with class and show that we are strong. Not weak by breaking who we are for the male fantasy.” I agreed with her statement instantly! Feeling that women should view themselves as beautiful regardless of what other may think about them. Lastly interviewing my stepdad, I realized that he really understood as to why society really takes a toll on women as he stated that “the ideal image of a woman is her true character within herself. Yeah, looks are a plus, but not as much as her character does.” They all understood as to what I was trying to get out of the subject.

                As women I feel that we should carry ourselves with class and sophistication. Seeing ourselves as sex objects isn’t something that should take majority of our time and energy. I would love to continue looking into the issue. But, I feel that us as females we should accept and love ourselves before trying to please the next person. We should handle the flaws of our own, and view ourselves in our own way instead of society’s way. Building more confidence in yourself will make you feel better about yourself. Yet, loving yourself will conquer all insecurities that you have with yourself and, you’ll walk this world, known for the beauty that’s within you…

Click Here to View Link !

REFUGEES COMING TO AMERICA

           My parents are from Myanmar, which is known as Burma.  My dad participated in a strike in 1988. That is the reason that my dad moved to Thailand. I was born in Thailand and attended Thai school. After that, we moved to a refugee camp called "Nupo" in 2006. Our lives were difficult there. They gave us  some benefits-like food and straw- while living there. How can you live in a place where you have to wait for monthly rations? How can your life  improve?  We finally moved to the United States in 2012. Like me, there are a lot of refugees that come to America each year to start new and better lives.


          "A refugee is a person who is in search of a better lifestyle. Most refugees come to The United States because religious, political, and family reasons". (blurtit.com) "No one chooose to be a refugee" according to Thang Delemma's story (unhcr.org).  "Thang is a refugee in Thailand he and his mother fled his village because he feared being forced to join an army that was kill his own people." (unhcr.org)


             I think a lot of refugees feel sad because they left their countries.  I felt sad because I left Thailand, but I also felt happy  because I got to go to a new  popular country and start a new life. I miss my friends, culture, and food. I really want to go back to Thailand. I think that refugees miss their countries like I do.


             Communication is hard when you move to a new country. I have learned some English, but my pronunciation is different than lots of Americans so people don't understand what I say sometimes. I think not knowing a lot of vocabulary makes communicating difficult.


               Refugees come to America and other countries to start a new life. It can be difficult for them to leave their homes and go to other countries that they have never been to.



Stories from a Thai Refugee Camp from Digital Democracy on Vimeo.

Major Blog Post. ^_____^

“The Effect Make-Up Has on a Female’s Self-Esteem, Personal Life, and Others Around Her”.

          I decided to choose this topic because I wear makeup, and I always hear negativity about girls who wear makeup. It really affects me, because I get really irritated around people who people who talk bad about makeup. My original opinion is that it doesn’t matter who wears makeup or their reasons; it’s their face, not yours.

          On one of the articles that I read, it says that 65% of females, who wear makeup, wear it because of an insecurity problem.  Another article that I read, said that about 5 pounds of makeup absorbs in your body per year, when you wear foundation, concealer, and other long lasting makeup products. It surprised me, because I never knew that makeup could potentially be bad for you to use.

          I conducted four interviews, of which two people wore makeup regularly, and two didn’t wear it at all. From the interview with the people who didn’t wear makeup, they felt as though they didn’t wear it because they were comfortable and confident with themselves without it. Meanwhile, the ones who did wear makeup, said they simply enjoyed wearing makeup, and just feel comfortable wearing it all the time. After finishing all of the interviews, most of my own opinions, and my personal perspective of makeup leans more to the side of the two interviewees who wear makeup already.

          I still think that it shouldn’t matter if you wear makeup or not, it’s completely your choice, and there are lots of different reasons that people wear makeup. You should not be judged on whether or not you wear makeup. It doesn’t define a person. Although I’ve read plenty of makeup articles, I will still continue to wear makeup, but now with precaution.

TEEN PREGNACY STEROTYPES

I chose this topic because I choose to speak for the young teen mothers. This situation doesn’t affect me but it affects the people that are very close to me. Pregnant teen mothers face a high degree of unwarranted negativity.  Much teen faces through the negativity that causes them to go into stress and end up dropping out of school because they feel like they alone. Also the majority of teen moms don't graduate high school. Only 38% of teen moms graduate. So, things that other people say to these teen moms brings them to the point to just giving up because the already know how hard it’s going to be, so don’t make it even harder for them now.

 This article speaks out how pregnant teens went through raise their child by their selves.http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2011/01/02/news/doc4d202480b0235029246629.txt?viewmode=3 If you click on this link it shows how this one teen over came her obstacles.

I'm BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey my beloved internet surfers,

   Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have finally returned from my trip to Alaska. I had a great time on my very first cruise ship and I have to say staying on the Holland America is somewhere close to being a pampered rich eprson because no matter what I wore, what I ate, what I did, or what I looked like to them: the workers on the ship called me "madam" or "miss" and made sure I was happy, safe, and that I had fun! It was truly a major highlight of my summer. I met some really cool people from people all over the country and even some from outside the country! So here are some of the highlights from my trip starting in Seattle where I boarded the ship called "Oosterdam".

Seattle
In Seattle the streets of the city are a complete 180 degree turn from Chicago. It's quiet and cleaner compared to our Chi-town downtown.
Juneau
After 3 DAYS at sea we arrived at our first port in Juneau and there I took a tram up a mountain, saw a bunch of our nation's 'noble birds', took a tour to Mendenhal Glacier, I visitied a salmon hatchery, and fell in love with sunglasses at Del Sol (a store on the dock).

Sitka
The very next day we arrived in Sitka and we docked in the middle of the ocean and took small life boats to shore where we were greeted by the natural waether in Sitka... rain. So we didn't really stay ashore very long but we still did our job as tourists and spent some money in local shops. :P

Ketchikan
Here we took a tour of a nearby Native American tribe that has a very unique carving talent. We visited a totem pole artist and took kind of a gallery walk type thing and looked through some of his work.

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
I actually didn't get off at this port becuse when we finally arrived in Victoria it was late at night and this little traveler was dead on her feet to even think about getting off the boat to go through the customs line to get into the little Canadian city. But I have to say, from the port Victoria was definately beautiful and I will most definately make a return visiti there someday.

And aside from just the ports the boat itself was like being in a Hilton or Peabody type hotel in the water! Onboard there was a:
Spa 
Hair salon
Library
Computer lab
Movie Screening Room
Night Club
Theatre (live entertainment every night)
All you can eat buffet
2 Formal dining rooms
Kid and Teen Activity and Lounge areas
Sports Deck
Gift Shop
Art and Photo Gallery
Piano Bar
Casino
and more....but this is all I discovered onboard in a week.

I'm so sorry I couldn't post some of my pics so you guys could get the entire experience but blogger is being incooperative to my wants, but I hope this short little review of my trip was enough to encourage you to go to Alaska or just cruise with Holland America.

Love your bookishly nerdy blogger,
                                              Nia

Teen suicide (rough draft)

 I chose this topic because I represent the teens and their downfalls and the way that they feel.

When teens want to hurt their selves, I feel the way they feel and it’s hard to believe.  Teens have thoughts of how they want to go about their life because of how their parents treat them, how their peers treat them, and it just hurt them and makes them want to hurt their selves. My original opinion is that when kids become teenagers, parents should ease up because that’s when they are in middle school and is becoming of age. They see a lot. It is important to train them when they are early teenagers so they can see the wrong and learn from them.

An article stated that teens feel that way because of peer pressure. This is why my opinion falls in the right category because that’s really how the teenagers think. They feel that they need f4reedom and I agree. Maybe because I’m a teenager too and I feel we need freedom to see how the world is so there won’t be any problems. It didn’t change the way I felt about teen suicidal because this is the truth.

I talked to a special friend of mine who thought about this before. He felt the same way. He felt as if he was going through things that he couldn’t take anymore. To get rid of this feeling he went to a therapist. The therapist told him to stay calm and always think highly of himself. He was depressed about the way others thought about him as a person. He felt as if he wasn’t a good person. But then he thought about his future life and how big he were going to be able to become and turned his life around. Now he is 17 years old and a junior in high school and he is an honor roll student.  His opinions surprised me because, you will never have thought that by him being the person that he is, he would think about this suicidal event. So it did shock me a little.

This shows that no matter what age you are, you are still able to become accomplished and strong within your decisions and choices in life. This is a big issue and I want to stay involved in it to try to change others minds of people who think this way. I say this because you will not always have to be around that person.

               

Is Bribing A Good Thing With Your Children

    I chose my topic because nowadays parents are bribing their children for incentives. The issue doesn’t really affect me it’s just that I don’t think that is ok to do that. I think that the only reason a parent should bribe their child is if they really deserve it and it’s for a good reason. My original opinion on it was maybe parents did that because they didn’t know what else to do so they bribed their child to get them to do what they was supposed to. It’s not ok for parents to do that because they will end up suffering from it in the long run because the child will be used to the parent doing those things.

    The article that I found,”Parents buying off kids for good behavior” shows how parents do bribe their children to do what they supposed to. One of the ladies Kirsten Whipple that were in the article said that she bribes her son to do things because it was a thing that used to be done back in the day and it worked. So she decided that if she tried it might it work for her son when it came to him sleeping in his bed by himself or being good at school. My opinion didn’t change because I knew that parents do it and it’s said that they only do it to keep stress of them.

   The people that I talked to were my sister, two teachers and the question that I asked them was “Do you think that kids get attached to people for a loving reason or because of what they are giving them? Is it ok for you to bribe your child? My final response on the topic is that everyone has their own opinion and their entitled to it.

My sister response was: That she thinks that some kids get attached for what someone does for them and some don’t know any better. It could also be because there not use to gifts so they just get attached by that. And she also doesn’t think that you shouldn’t bribe your child to do what they supposed to do.

Teacher 1 response was: They don’t feel that its kids fault that they get attached to someone because of what someone does for them. And that’s its ok to bribe you child because it will make them do what they supposed to.

Teacher 2 response was: They don’t really care weather a child gets attached to them or not, they do everything out the kindness of their heart . They feel that they don’t have to bribe their child to do anything as long as there disciplined and know what’s right from wrong there shouldn’t be a problem.

    I don’t think that the issue will ever be solved because there are still people that still have different mind sets on the situation. I would like to know more about why parents don’t think it’s nothing wrong with bribing there child. Is it something about not knowing how to control their child or is it just so they can have a child out their hair.

Here’s an article that might interest you

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18140247/ns/health-childrens_health/t/parents-buying-kids-good-behavior/

GW 2.0 ... Winding Down . Bittersweet

Well, it's almost that time. Almost time to say our goodbyes to Girl World. Some people may continue to say in touch, but for others this is the end. I can honestly say this experience was bittersweet. I came in this program expecting something completely different from the people and the community. When I thought of Uptown I thought somewhat of the suburbs. I thought Uptown was a very wealthy area. However, I see homeless people just like if you went to the very poor parts of Chicago. I also first thought Uptown was downtown. As for the program, I didn't know 6 weeks would go by so quickly. I expected to get my check sooner than I am also. I can honestly say i've stepped out of my comfort zone. I don't usually talk to people as much as I did in this program. I'm surprised. Many people said that I talk to everybody, even too much. I'm usually so shy, but i'm glad that my shell kind of came off for the sake of this program. I met some very interesting people. I do have intentions on staying in touch with a few my co workers after this program. 30 different girls, 30 different personalities. Of course I expected some type of drama. Some days I was just fed up with everybody and everything, but the days where I was welcomed by people with smiles on their face made it worth it. Some of the friendships I built made it worth it. I still remember at the beginning of the program when we all sat at our computers taking webcam pictures and following each other on twitter. That was so fun to me! I remember constantly meeting Shena, Jay, Sirena, Annie, and Tia at Mcdonalds EVERY MORNING! We always had to wait for Sirena to get her coffee, and stop at the store for junk food. Now it's coming to an end. One thing i'm glad about is not having to wake up in the morning. That was really starting to kill me. Also, the little bit of drama we did have I will not miss. However, I will not forget my first job... Girl World 2.0. This was more than a job to me, but also an experience to remember. <3

My Summer At Girl World...

My Summer At Girl World Have Been Such A Sucess I Have Connected With Some Girls And Meet Some Really Nice Girl In This Program I Thought That All The Girls Was Very Nice. But Know I Can't Believe That Our Time Is Almost Over.To Be Honest I Am Not Ready For It To End So Soon I Will Miss All The Girls And There Silly And Fun Personalities . Hope To See All The Girls Around And Stay Connected With Most Of Them.

Main blog! Topic: Peer Pressure

Topic: Peer Pressure

I chose this topic because I felt it is a lot of peer pressure going on in the teen generation. To many people think they have to do what others do to fit in but it’s really not the right thing to do, because certain things could get you in trouble you can’t get out of. A lot of teens have low self-esteem and really don’t get enough attention. No this issue doesn't directly affect me i just see it affecting others. My original opinion about peer pressure is to many teens get there self-involved in unnesscaray things.

Secretary of State Jim Edgar “on Sunday unveiled a statewide program in which high school students will canvass elementary schools to try to teach 5th and 6th graders how to resist peer pressure to drink alcohol. The program, called Promoting Effective Education in Resistance Skills, or PEERS, is aimed at youngsters who are easily persuaded to drink alcohol by their peers, Edgar told 90 teens attending the training conference at McDonald's Hamburger University, Oak Brook”. PEERS "is a direct assault against the peer pressure that traps many young people into drinking alcohol against their better judgment," he said.

Peer pressure can definitely encourage your daughter to do things she wouldn’t do otherwise—both negative and positive. It does matter who her friends are and what their values, activities, and ambitions are. Most people tend to act like the people they spend a lot of time with. If you’re concerned about what her friends are interested in, it’s important to talk with your daughter about that in a calm, open, nonaccusatory way.

“I’m worried that Liz is hanging out with a group that’s kind of ‘fast’ about drinking and sex. I don’t think she really wants to do these things, but these kids are in the neighborhood and have been her friends since fifth grade. I’m not sure she can resist the peer pressure to do some things she wouldn’t do otherwise. Should I just tell her she can’t go out with them anymore?”-Bernie  No it really didn’t change my mind on my thoughts about peer pressure because it seem to be the same thing that I thought about.

The people I talked to about my topic were teens that I hang around every day. Their opinions really didn’t surprise me because they kind of said some of the main things I talked about in my 1^st paragraph. Yes their thoughts matched the article opinions because they not only talked about the wrong s of peer pressure but the rights, like the goods peer pressure could bring.

I think of the issue is not really a big deal anymore because it’s not something you have to do it’s what you choose to do; you have your own mind and is old enough to know right from wrong when you’re a Teen. Yes I would love to know more about peer pressure because I really don’t understand why people still do it????  

 

Major Blog Post! MUST READ! Animal Abuse.

One topic that I found very important and hold close to my heart is animal abuse. The reason I chose this topic is because personally I love animals. I’ve had one dog in my life when I was younger.  My family just took in my cousin’s dog and I have a cat. I’ve ridden horses before, and many of my relatives have some type of pet. I grew up with animals, and to me they are very good loyal companions. Many people see the commercials of at risk animals and feel the sadness, but only for so long. The commercial can only tell you so much in 3 minutes. That’s why I feel as though I should make this blog post, because I want to be the voice for the animals. I want to bring awareness to this. I feel as though nobody should be abused, but especially those who are defenseless.

First, what is abuse? The definition of abuse means to threaten in a harmful, injurious, or dangerous way. This can mean physical or mental.  Many people sometimes don’t even realize when they’re abusing someone. You can mentally abuse somebody just by what you say to them. Negative name calling, purposeful embarrassment, emotional rejections are all examples of emotional abuse. Also, neglecting your pet is a type of abuse. Not feeding them, showing any affection towards them… That’s abuse.  Pets do have feelings too. They can tell the difference between “Bad Boy/Girl”! & “Good Boy/Girl”!

If people truly saw the statistics of animal abuse they would be shocked, I know I was. In 2007 statistics showed that out of 1,880 reported cases of animal abuse: 64.5% involved dogs (25% were pit bulls); 18% involved cats; and 25% involved other animals. The fascinating thing about animal abuse is that many of the animals that were abused; their owners were also victims of domestic abuse. Roughly 2,168,000 women and men are physically assaulted by their partner. In 1997, 71% of domestic violence victims reported their abuser targeting their animals. This is truly sad to me. I couldn’t imagine somebody beating a helpless animal, for what? Does that make you feel strong? Does it make you feel like you have power? If you genuinely care for your pet 9/10, they will be loyal to you forever. When I’m at home crying, my cat comes to snuggle up next to me to comfort me. When I’m yelling, my cat comes to calm me down because she hates me yelling. When I was sick to the bone, my cat comforted me. Pets are beautiful, and they can be your best friend if you’d let them.

One thing I would also like to point out is the cat vs. dog debate. No type of animal is better than the other. This is the same thing with people.  One thing that definitely gets under my skin is when people say they hate cats. Hate is a strong word. Why do you HATE all of them? Is it because they’re “sneaky” they’re “boring” or maybe is it because of a previous incident you’ve had with a cat? Well, not all cats are alike. This goes for the same as dogs. Let’s take pit bulls for example. Not all pit bulls are mean. Not all pit bulls “FIGHT, FIGHT FIGHT”! Some are loveable. These are common stereotypes. Even though cats do not get abused as much as dogs, they are neglected too. First, cats should NOT go outside. That puts them at risk of being attacked by stray animals, getting hit by a car, being abused by a person, getting lost, etc. The average life for an indoor cat is 15 years, whereas outdoor cats are only expected to live 3-5 years. This is the same for small dogs. Secondly, cats do get attached. If you pet a stray cat, and continuously show them affection they will start to follow you because they like the compassion. Thirdly, feeding a stray cat isn’t bad! However, they will stick around. It’s not like “ok thanks for the food, bye.” They will stick around. I’m just saying, you shouldn’t automatically dismiss anybody or anything because of how previous incidents. Not everybody and everything are alike. Some may surprise you more than you know.

                         

I know some people may question why should they even care about an animal? Why should I care about this cause? What's the purpose of this post? Why would I put an animal before a person? Not all pets are good! Well, I like dogs but I hate cats! The list goes on and on. I’ve heard so many things like this. Well, to begin with, animals are happy to see you even when nobody else is. Animals will listen to your problems, and even if you can’t sing you’re their idol. Also, people who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks. Overall, animals are living creatures too. Regardless, if you like them are not… Please don’t contribute to the cycle. You CAN get jail time! Animal Abuse is a offense! You can make a difference! You can BE a difference. Even if it’s just making a phone call.

List of animal shelters and numbers to report abuse

            Animal Welfare League: Chicago Ridge: Phone: (708).636.8586

            Red Door Animal Shelter: Chicago: (773) 764-2242

Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society: Chicago: (312).644.8338 

PAWS Chicago Adoption Center:  Chicago: (773)-521-1408

To Report Animal Abuse/ Neglect:  (312) 644-8338

HELP PUT AN END!

Good Bye girl world 2.0

Wow, What A journey. This Summer With Girld World 2.0 Has Been Awesome. New Friends, Blogging, Sister Circles, Fun And Games. I Really Had Fun. I Hope To See you all Again and Im Going to miss You.!! 

{ SEXUAL PRESSURES! } Final

Sexual pressures, a different meaning to many people. Does anybody really know what teens go through in their relationships? Why is that 80% of teens today are pressured into oral sex? Now a days teens believe that in order to please their partner they have to provide them with oral sex. This blog post is a reminder and an announcement to all the pre-teens and teens that you do NOT need to do that if you’re not comfortable with it.

            Sometimes it’s good to have a point of view from teens, adults, and etc. Mariama Bangura age 16, located on the north side of Chicago, talks about how she sometimes feel pressured into being sexually involved. She states “Sometimes when I`m with him and were making out he always wants to go further. He says if I`m not giving him sex then I at least have to give him something. He says that in order for us to remain in a relationship we have to do this” as stated in what mariama said she feels that she HAS to do this in order to stay in a relationship. This is not TRUE you don’t need to give oral sex to your partner because he/she wants to its only if you want to. Another interviewee also speaks on this topic.  Ateh Akrong, age 27, located on the North side of Chicago. In his interview he states “A lot of teens are having sex without pleasure," says Ateh. "Having it is more important than feeling the pleasure that comes with it. Being able to tell their friends is sometimes more important than any pleasure that they would share with their intimate or sexual partner. There are teens who express their tender feelings with their intimate partner in a loving way. Not everybody is having sex to tell their friends or to prove that they're mature." What Ateh says is very essential to all teens out there you don’t need to have sex or engage in oral sex because the partner wants to.

            Below, I`ve made a question and response to the most asked questions in the situation. This gives you an idea of  how to respond to these questions when asked:

Pressure comment: Come on, everybody's doing it!
Response: I'm not everybody, and everybody is not doing it.
Pressure comment: If you really love me, you'll have sex with me.
Response: If you loved me, you'd respect my feelings and beliefs and not push me into something I don't want to do.
Pressure comment: If you don't have sex with me then I'll break up with you.
Response: I don't think that we are in this relationship for the same reasons, and if that is how you really feel, maybe we should reconsider our relationship.
Pressure comment: It's just a part of growing up.
Response: Sex is a part of growing up, but only when I'm ready for it to happen and I'm not ready right now.
Pressure comment: You say you want to wait until you are married, but I want to marry you.
Response: Being married to me and wanting to marry me are two different things and that is a long time from now.
Pressure comment: We had sex once before, what's the problem now?
Response: I have the right to change my mind, and I'm just not comfortable with the idea of having a sexual relationship.
Pressure comment: Having sex will make you a real woman.
Response: Having sex doesn't prove anything and I don't need to have sex to feel like a woman.
Pressure comment: Don't you want to see what it's like?
Response: Sure, and I can't wait to find out on my wedding night.
Pressure comment: Don't you find me attractive?
Response: Yes, I find you attractive, but having sex with you is not going to prove that.
Pressure comment: You've got me all excited. If you love me, prove it.
Response: We're both a little excited right now, I think we should slow down. And having sex with you is not going to prove that I love you.
Pressure comment: If you don't do it, someone else will.
Response: If that's how you feel then I think we need to talk about why we are in this relationship.
Pressure comment: But I need it.
Response: If I can wait, you can wait. It won't kill you.

If you truly don’t want to engage in oral sex with your partner this is a healthy way to answer these questions don’t be afraid to stand up and say NO.

 What are healthy relationships based off of? A healthy relationship is when you:

 Use communication to establish a common ground to understand different points of view and to create a mutual, collaborative agreement or plan. You can either choose to be right, or you can have a successful relationship.

Approach your relationship as a learning experience. Each one has important information for you to learn. For example, do you often feel 'bossed' around in your relationship, or do you feel powerless? When a relationship is not working, there is usually a familiar way that we feel while in it. We are attracted to the partner with whom we can learn the most, and sometimes the lesson is to let go of a relationship that no longer serves us

Tell the unarguable truth. Be truthful to yourself and your partner if you want true love. Many people are taught to lie to protect someone's feelings, either their own or those of their partner. Lies create disconnection between you and your relationship, even if your partner never finds out about it.

Be Responsible. Here's a new definition: Responsible means that you have the ability to respond. Respond to the real problem, to your true needs. It does not mean you are to blame. There is tremendous power in claiming your creation.

These are things that are very important in a relationship; it doesn’t have to be all about sex. Remember, sex is not a test of love. You can show someone special that you care deeply about them without having sex. You can hold hands, kiss and hug, listen to the other person. This is something you should talk to your partner about. If it is something you can not talk to them about, then that says a lot about your relationship. Leave the situation if you feel uncomfortable. Remember, you are in control of your life and the decisions you make for yourself.

I hope I`ve helped someone!!!

Women Rights/Abortions

Some arguments are that women should be able to get an abortion if they are raped. (It is argued that in these tragic cases the great value of the mental health of a woman who becomes pregnant as a result of rape or incest can best be safe-guarded by abortion.) This means that if this event occurs women should get an abortion just so that they their mental health is not damaged. Incest means sexual intercourse between closely related persons.

 This is reported abortions in the United States.

This is important to me because this shows how many women may have possibly been raped or did not have the funds to take care of the child.

Overall I feel abortion should be the woman choice whether who wants them to go through it or not. I want women to know that they have voice in everything. If someone wants to go through with an abortion they can go to a clinic or see their doctor.

 I chose this topic because every time I watched MSNBC they were always talking about abortions and what states was allowing them. This issue doesn't affect me directly but it does in some way because I am a woman and if I chose to get one any time in my life I would like to get one. My original opinion is that women should be able to do what they want with their body.

In the article I found it was basically saying all the views on the topic such as why women should get it and why they shouldn’t get a abortions. It did not change my view on the topic it just gave me an outlook on what other people thought.

On this topic I read article on a woman who decided to get an abortion because she was seventeen and could not take care of her child. Her opinion did not surprise me because I agreed with her in saying she needed the abortion because she was in her second year of college, didn’t have any money, and didn’t have a serious partner. Her opinion did not match with the article.  

I still feel women should have the choice to do what they feel with their body, because women should be in control of every aspect of their life. I would like to know more about it because it involves women. 

My Summer At Girl World...

My summer with Girl World 2.0 turned out to be a good experience. I've met alot of new people and got to see how everyone interacted with one another. Throughout all the mediocre drama and issues we had, everyone formed some kind of sisterhood. (:

police brutality

On a cold freezing night in Milwaukee, December 10, 2003, Curtis Harris was arrested in his home on a routine “disorderly conduct” charge, handcuffed and then punched in the face and shoved in the mud by former Milwaukee Police Officer Kevin Clark. Dragged to the Milwaukee Police Jail, Curtis walked into the Milwaukee booking room, where his life changed forever when Clark deliberately and maliciously used excessive force, throwing Curtis headfirst into a concrete wall for no reason whatsoever, rendering him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. The Insider Exclusive will show how the actual Milwaukee Police surveillance camera video, in the booking room, completely contradicted the lies of Clark and his fellow officers; how Clark and his fellow officers taunted, ridiculed and laughed at Curtis as he lay paralyzed on the cold cement jailhouse floor and drifted in and out of consciousness; how the wheels of justice turn in police brutality cases like Curtis’s; how Jason Abraham and Todd Korb of the law firm of Hupy & Abraham, S.C. got some justice for Curtis; and how all Americans are protected against police brutality by the nation’s civil rights laws. My article I have chosen is talking about a men name Curtis Harris and it saying how the police have beating Mr. Harris badly and call him out his name and didn’t believe that they have hurting him police officer like them really always get away with things like this because the police throw away the evidences so they can get away with it but this time the people had justice this men was beating bad and Milwaukee is with police brutality they think they are doing their job when they are when people are being beat for no reason and they get away with it not far and they should be stop.I really think that something should be done about because the people that are say the serve and protect when they are hurting people and they make up a story so they don’t get in trouble for what they did I remember when the police killed my  uncle and beat my daddy for no reason or when they beat one of my friends they only do it because they know they have a gun and know that if you fight back you can go to jail and if you are here to the serve and protect why are you hurting people I really feel that this need to be stop because they are hurting and need to be stop.

 

 

Main Blog..! Longer School Day.

Topic: Against Longer School Days

 

            Education is the key to success, but as well what’s the point of having longer school days? The purpose of all this being said is because this all is going to take place this upcoming school year. People need to understand it’s going to hurt are students majorly in there academics. I choose this topic because I’m hoping somebody out there is willing to take this into consideration and stand up for us young people. This affects not just me but everyone in school who is at least trying to succeed with their education. The biggest increases were among minorities, with 5.9 percent of African-American students and 5.2 percent of Hispanic students dropping out. And nearly 40 percent of Chicago Public School students drop out.

            “Although the graduation rate in the Chicago Public Schools and many suburban schools has improved somewhat over the past decade, the staggering number of students dropping out affects us all, socially, economically, and competitively.” Said Daniel J. Schmidt. Williams, 18, was distracted by family problems and frustrated with teachers and curriculum. He began to question school and his future. Then, his friend told him about Voices of Youth in Chicago Education, a student-led organization aimed at increasing the 55 percent graduation rate by keeping students engaged in school. “What made me change that?” Williams said. “VOYCE was part. “He joined VOYCE to help other Chicago students who are struggling with school and the same problems he did. “I decided to keep trying because I’m not a quitter,” Williams, a senior at Uplift Community High School, said. “You can’t quit on certain things, you got to keep going, and VOYCE opened my eyes to see that.”

Williams teamed up with more than 50 students from 12 high schools and seven community-based groups in Chicago to research the issue and make recommendations to school officials. Students feel because they are closest to the problem, they are the ones that can help find a solution. A lot of grown-ups think they have the whole picture … for once you are actually getting ideas from a kid that’s dealing with the problem,” said Williams, who attends Uplift Community High School in Uptown. “I think VOYCE is going to make a major change in Chicago Public Schools because we know how the kids feel,” Williams said. “We know what they’re thinking.” This has not change the way I think about having longer school days. Yes it’s beneficial but it’s just going to hurt kids in the worse way ever.

I talked to high school kids, and teachers and not many of them are pleased of what’s going on. High school kids are the many ones that are not satisfied because if you think about school is letting out at 4pm then for those who are in sports still have practice which that will be until 6 or latest 6:30 then by the time they get home shower,eat,and do homework their goes there whole day. The question is what happens to those who have a job or want a job, but that opportunity could not apply to them. Their opinion does not surprise me because it’s true and we as kids are speaking the truth and would like some change to be done.

I care because this is the generation that will create the future. And with that being said many people are going to drop out and just do nothing with their life. The dropout rate will increase now with the longer days because the majority of high school students are not willing to sit in class for longer time periods and have extra classes added on to their day as well. Along with that, many kids are involved in different activities to keep them out the street or just doing something productive with their time, but with school letting out longer kids are not going to want to put their time in all that. For those kids who do, well that’s a positive thing and hopefully they will have some impact on others. People in the community will have to be more alert then what they are now, for what these kids are out there doing and just maybe the parents are out at work and there is just no supervision now in days.