Left without a touch, I’ll just hug my teddy bear.

She’s been gone for too long, can’t stay strong,

I know it’s wrong that she’s been gone for so long.

You didn’t call, you didn’t care,

you just walked out.

Now I walk around without a care,

I’m all spaced out.

No nurturing, no kiss, no need to live.

I’m never gonna make it cuz MOTHER YOU’RE NOT HERE!

I thought you loved me and would always be there.

But you chose a fix over your child,

not caring when and where.

Well, since you chose not to be here in the end

I had no care in the world and just blew away with the wind…

By Robyn

As he handed me the pretty box, I paused because I did not know what to do. Then, I opened the box and was happy about what was inside – a necklace. The necklace is gold on a thick chain. The pendent is oval with a picture of Jesus.

The necklace means something special to me because it is the only gift that I have received from my father. When I look at the necklace it reminds me of him. It is a symbol of my religion. At times, I would hold it when I am praying or kiss it for good luck.

By: Jalisa

By mikebaird on Flickr

It was a nice summer day in 2005. The sky was clear and the birds were out flying in the light blue sky. Children were playing as cars of every color and shape were driving by. As usual, my great gandmother and I were sitting on the front porch and talking about her life as a child and how she wanted my life to be. As the sun was beaming on my face my great grandmother handed me a box with silver lining. Inside the box was a pair of earrings and a bracelet.

The bracelet was gold and had little red hat charms hanging around it. The earrings were gold with red trim around them. I love the gift that my great grandmother gave me.

On January 19, 2006 my great grandmother passed away. I could remember her smile on the day that she gave me my precious gift. Oh yes there were some things that we couldn’t agree on, but at the same time I loved her and the ways that she talked to me when I would do wrong things. But I could at least remember all the times that we shared a happy and pleasant conversation. 

By Humu

“I enjoyed my time at the Chicago Tribune Tower. The building was really big and very fascinating. It was pretty interesting how the security guard needed to see our ID’s for us to get into the building. The fact that they had “Chicago Tribune” engraved in the elevators was nice. I was really impressed by the fact that the newsroom and conference room was just like how they have it on t.v.

I learned a lot at Chicago Tribune. One of the key things I learned was how hectic the schedule may become and how unpreditable things may be. I learned how they picked the top stories and how emotional the job can get. Working as a journalist will keep you busy and up all night. From what I’ve learned, if I could give a future journalist any advice, it would be to expect the unexpected.”

-Jasmine

“The newsroom looked like it was out of a movie scene. I have never seen anything like it in real life. It was amazing and interesting, though the office had few colors.”

-Robyn

“Everyone was organized and doing their job. Not only did the employees seem very nice, but they were very welcoming. Every personal space was different, for example, one guy’s office was filled with lots of small toys and figurines. I wonder how he keeps them all there without anyone stealing them or knocking them over.”

-Ashley

“I really liked the statue of the Amercan Flag. The flag is covered in gold and is wavy. I found this object to be very unique.”

-Jalisa

“Wonderful experience…I wish I could have stayed to ask more questions.”

-Aisha

“It was a very enjoyable place. It was clean and had a respectable environment. Mark Jacob, an editor for the Chicago Tribune, and a reporter from the Chicago Tribune were very open and intelligently spoke.”

-Brandy

-Compiled by Robyn

- Humu and Fess

Unfortunately, they are now planning to ban skinny jeans for boys. First baggy, now skinny, what’s next?? In Texas, some schools are beginning to ban skinny jeans and if a student is wearing skinny jeans at school they will be disciplined. If they refused to change pants then they are sent home.

In my opinion, I believe people should be able to wear what they want to. If they bought it then they should wear it without anybody having to say anything to them. Why stand out if you can be different???

By Aisha

Trying to stay interested in a school is hard for me because there are so many out there. I am having difficulty finding a college that has an accredited program in architecture. Since I cannot afford to visit schools, I just have to look at pictures on websites to see what the campus is like.

I decided which schools to apply to based on whether they had an architecture program, extra-curriculars, and the size of the school. So far, I have applied to the following colleges: Washington University in St. Louis, Tulane University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Tuskegee University, and Howard University.

What has the college application process been like for you?

• How is your college process been?
• Who is helping you?
• Have you found a major of interest? Why?
• What are some universities of interest?
• What are you looking for in a school?

By: Jalisa Bey

The study was meant to equalize differences among student bodies. According to Philip Vaccaro, the grades were designed to be as “demographically neutral” as possible. Schools are measured only against those with students scoring similarly on tests.

My suggestions for improving schools with higher percentages of minorities are:

• Schools should set a high standard for their students to meet. When there are students who need extra help then the teachers should motivate them to better themselves. When people work together, it makes getting better grades easier.
• Offer after-school tutoring from teachers and peers
• Tailor teaching methods to attract student from that culture. For example, the students could teach learn a lesson through music they like, by writing a poem or lyrics and pairing it with a song

By Jalisa