YDC Checks out the Occupy DC Scene Kathy Zhang in Both Movements, People Protesting Were Young D.C

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In this issue Entertainment 8–9 After Penn State scandal, Lifestyle 4–7 YDC checks out laws that News 1–3 say who must report cases Breaking Dawn– On the Street 12 Is it really PG-13? Soapbox 11 of child abuse p. 8 Viewpoints 10 p. 3

Volume 21 issue 3 November 2011 YDC checks out the Occupy DC scene Kathy Zhang In both movements, people protesting were Young D.C. mistreated and called names. Protesters in each said Employees, frustrated consumers and even they were not earning fair wages. Although occupi- students have taken to the streets to rally against ers have sustainable laws protecting their right to greed. This movement has captured the spotlight free speech compared to the South during the Civil in the news, the eye of the American public, even Rights movement, protests sometimes have gotten though that was not always the case. out of hand and the police came in overreacting and The ideas of Occupy Wall Street made its way making numerous arrests. to Washington, D.C. Oct. 1, two weeks after the There are two established “occupy” locations protesters rallied and stayed in Zuccotti Park in in D.C: one on Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Ave- New York. The protests first started with an activist nue N.W. between 13th and 14th Streets) and the group, Adbusters, which opposes consumerism, one in McPherson Square (15th and K Streets, corporate greed and the unequal distribution of NW), both urban downtown areas. Freedom Plaza wealth. Adbusters is also the name of the group’s occupants call themselves Stop the Machine and magazine, which is published in Canada. Targeting McPherson Square occupants call themselves Oc- Sept. 17 as a start date, the group and the magazine cupy D.C. However, neither group tweets as Oc- called on the 99 percent of Americans who are not cupyDC. Information from occupiers comes from super-rich to occupy the financial district and dem- Occupy_DC or OccupyKSt. The National Park onstrate against the corrupting effect money has on Service has extended the permit to protest in Free- democracy. Since then, people with similar view- dom Plaza for another four months. points have worked to enlarge the protest and Nov. 17, D.C. and Arlington, Va. (OccupyNo- spread the message. Va), occupiers marched to take over Key Bridge in The movement quickly spread through the D.C.’s Georgetown. Blogger Martin Austermuhle media. The website, http://occupywallst.org/, covered the march for DCist (dcist.com) and con- streams video of protests and police responses. trasted the professional methods of D.C. Metropol- Twitter accounts for groups across the country con- itan Police with the riot-geared Virginia police. stantly update status of the movement’s local activ- With police in other cities surrounding the ity. Newspaper, television and radio coverage scenes and arresting those who have become too makes the news. rowdy for their liking, YouTube is filling up A topic similar to Occupy Wall Street is not a with videos posted from New York to Seattle. typical conversation starter among teens, but OWS The viral video on YouTube of hundreds of is now so widespread, that it seems everyone has New York protestors being forcefully arrested by heard of the movement. It ignited class discussions police has led to the misconception that police all when students saw parallels between OWS and the around the United States have been mistreating and Civil Rights movement. Elkie Schwartz, 16, a ju- overreacting to protestors. The movement in D.C. nior at Paint Branch HS in Burtonsville, Md., par- has had more luck with the police than other areas ticipated in a class discussions and says that, “usu- that are protesting the same issues. For example, in ally I don’t even pay attention to these protests, but New York, tents are now banned in Zuccotti Park, this protest has been big for a while. And actually a so OWS protestors are not able to camp out. close family friend is protesting in this event. He says he’s doing it for justice, much like the purpose Kathy Zhang, 16, is a junior at Paint Branch of the Civil Rights movement.” High School in Burtonsville, Md. Chidiki Jones Whitley, 16, is a junior at the photos by Chidiki Jones Whitley Signs of our times–McPherson Square is occupied with Lab School of Washington in the District of many handmade signs Nov. 17, 2011. Columbia. News t Young D.C. t November 2011 High school free speech wins case in Iowa Cassidy Riley Young D.C. . April Fools Day is a tradition that most people honor with putting shrink-wrap on the toilet seat or a ‘kick me’ sign on someone’s back. The staffers at the Waukon Senior High School Tribe-une have always honored the holiday with an April Fools issue full of false and humorous articles. In 2008, no one would have guessed that Lange v. Diercks Lange v. this traditional prank would have resulted in Tribe-une advisor, Ben Lange, suing the school’s principal, Dan Diercks, and the Allamakee Community School District in Waukon, Iowa. Articles ranged from encouraging cell phone use at school to claiming that cheerleaders were on steroids. Throughout the paper it was clearly printed, “this issue is a parody created in celebration of All Fools’ Day. It contains no factual information.” Despite the disclaimers and tradition, some people in the community felt that the material printed in this issue was inappropriate. The local newspaper that publishes the Tribe-une as an insert every month said that it would not publish the April Fools issue anymore. Lange told YDC, “They are a private company and have that right.” Another problem started when Diercks issued two reprimands on Lange’s per- sonnel record for material printed in the April Fools issue and in an issue printed Sept. 30, 2009. The school was infringing on the rights of student journalist protected by Io- wa’s Student Exercise of Free Expression Code 280.22, which states that material printed by student journalists cannot be censored unless the articles are obscene, slanderous, libelous, encourage students towards unlawful acts, violate school rules or cause a “substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school.” In 2010, Lange sued Diercks and the school district for violating his students’ rights and for unfairly issuing the reprimands on his record. Lange said deciding to sue the school district was “wrenchingly difficult” but “student press rights are more important than an inconvenience; the United States was founded on press freedoms.” The Allamakee School District made the case in the lower court that articles in both issues such as “Meth Lab Found in Biology Lab, Matt Breitbach Faces Crimi- nal Charges” from the April Fools issue (with a photo of biology teacher Breitbach) and “Students Chew, Use Tobacco” from the Sept. 30 issue met the exceptions given in the free expression code. Appeals Court of Iowa record is part of the SHS Tribe-une April Fools issue of the Waukon The The lower court sided with the school district, but Lange did not give up. As described in the higher courts ruling, Lange argued that the articles were not libelous The school district claimed violations of Code 280.22 in the April Fools because the student journalists obtained each person’s consent prior to the publica- issue, but the Iowa Appeals Court disagreed: tion. He provided the court with an affidavit that said the class obtained consent from • Changing the paper’s name to Bribe-une each person featured in the April Fools edition, as well as written release forms. • Referring to Keysux Senior High School in the masthead Lange said the school district was unable to point out exactly where the articles en- • Designating the edition as Issue 66 Volume 6 66 Sixth Avenue N.W. couraged students toward unlawful acts because the articles did not encourage stu- • Articles headlined “Tierney to the Rescue”; “Sophomores Not Allowed to Grand dents towards unlawful acts at all. March”; “Cheerleaders on ‘Roids”; “New Jim Floor Settles”; and “Cell Phones After hearing both sides of the case, on Nov. 9, the appeals court declared that Allowed” the published articles did not violate Code 280.22 and that the reprimands on Lange’s • An article headlined “Meth Lab Found in Biology Lab, Matt Breitbach Faces file be removed. Criminal Charges” with an accompanying photo of biology teacher Breitbach Fortunately, throughout these court hearings, the working and learning com- • Photographs of a student wearing a headband; a student wearing a hooded sweat- munity at Waukon Senior High School has not been negatively impacted. shirt and displaying “gang signs”; a student with a dead cat; and a student foot- “Every employee in the Allamakee Community School District has always— ball player always—been professional,” said Lange. “Hopefully this case will help clarify the • Quotes in the Speaking Our Minds section responding to the question, “Where do law and guide future student press decisions.” you see yourself after high school?” One student said he would “like to go to a Lange still works at Waukon Senior High School and is not ruling out the pos- Chippendale’s tryout.” Another said she wanted to be “an all-American gang- sibility that he may return to his former position as the Tribe-une staff advisor. ster, dog.” A third said he “totally, like, want[s] to be a super model for Victoria’s Secret!” Cassidy Riley, 17, is a senior at Des Moines North HS in Des Moines, Ia. The school district claimed violations Code 280.22 in the Sept. 30, 2009 Note: In 1969, the Supreme Court decided Tinker v. Des Moines Inde- issue, but the Iowa Appeals Court disagreed: pendent Community School District saying students do not give up their • A news article about student tobacco use headlined “Students Chew, Use Tobac- First Amendment right to free speech at the school house door. In 1988, co” with a picture of a baby smoking a cigarette the court decided Hazelwood School District et al. v. Kuhlmeier, which • A photograph of a student wearing clothing prohibited by the dress code said high school newspapers aren’t quite the same free speech forums • An article headlined “Fashion Guidelines Shift the Focus” as indie papers. Since Hazelwood, some states (like Iowa) have passed laws to ensure the Tinker standard for students. See www.splc.org/ • A quote from a student that if he could be “any famous person,” he would choose knowyourrights/statelegislation.asp to see where your state fits in. to be “Jay Z because he is a gangster.” November 2011 t Young D.C. t News Penn State scandal

Young D.C. is an independent newspaper written by and about metropolitan area teens. draws eyes to our laws Address correspondence to: Christina Lee a daily basis report suspected cases to child Young D.C. Young D.C. protective services. Virginia school districts 1904 18th Street, NW Unit B The recent child sexual abuse indictment and hospitals follow a chain of command. Washington, D.C. 20009-1707 of Pennsylvania State University’s former Witnesses of sexual abuse are expected to re- tel: 202.232.5300 football defense coordinator Jerry Sandusky port to a supervisor, who then decides the fax: 202.232.5306 caught many off guard, reminding us once weight of the incident. Penn State was follow- www.youngdc.org again that nothing on the outside is what it ing a chain of command. Virginia State Sen. Copyright. All rights reserved. seems on the inside. Nov. 5, Sandusky was ar- Ryan T. McDougle (R, District 4), who helped rested on 40 counts of sexually abusing eight strengthen Virginia’s mandatory reporting law Managing Editor: Christina Lee Oakton HS (Va.) boys from 1994 to 2009. This prompted his two years ago, reflects on the loopholes of the News Editor: Dana Harrison, Wootton HS (Md.) denial of being a pedophile. Penn State’s Tim Penn State incident and plans to strengthen Lifestyle Editor: Lisa Hu, Wootton HS (Md.) Curley and Gary Schultz are accused of cov- the law once more. “When…the system breaks ering up for Sandusky, and consequently lost down in other states, we need to go back and Reporters: Cuyler Deegan, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.); their positions as athletic director and senior look at it to make sure we’re doing things the Mohammad Diallo, Syracuse University (NY); Alex Greenhill, vice president for finance and business, re- best way possible,” he said. Brehm School (Ill.); Eyen Zame Johnson, homeschooled, (D.C.); spectively. Four days later, head coach Joe The then-graduate student who testified Abigail Melick, Woodrow Wilson HS (D.C.); Matt Nguyen, Paterno and Penn State president Graham that he witnessed Sandusky sexually assault- Lafayette College (Pa.); Olivia Patch, The Lab School of Wash- Spanier were also fired due to their failure to ing a young boy was shocked. Though he alert- ington (D.C.); Nick Pope, Ellington School for the Arts (D.C); report their knowledge of past complaints ed Paterno, the witness did not directly notify Cassidy Riley, Des Moines North H.S. (Iowa); Abby Seitz, Fau- about Sandusky. police. Just because the offender is in a posi- quier HS (Va.); Emily Yang, Churchill HS (Md.), Kathy Zhang, Nov. 14, Sandusky answered NBC re- tion of authority does not mean that he or she is Paint Branch HS (Md.) porter Bob Costas’ questions saying he is not a not able to engage in sexual abuse, nor exempt Photographers: Kelly Fisher, The Lab School of Washington pedophile and denouncing any history of sexu- from repercussions. (D.C.); Chidiki Jones Whitley, The Lab School of Washington ally abusing children. Regardless of his asser- What experts say (D.C.) tions and the outcome of his trial, this scandal YDC talks to Security on Campus’ Lead was a wake-up call to the public, challenging Victim Advocate and Outreach Coordinator Board of Directors: Nate Beeler, George Curry, Tom Donlan, the security and morality of society and raising Melissa Lucchesi on how to help: Rich Foster, Mary Hanley, Judy Hines, Cynthia Farrell Johnson, concern in local communities. What does your organization advise the Kathleen Reilly Mannix (ex officio), Sarah Menke-Fish, Bob Neu- Laws in the DMV best thing for any witnesses of assault to do, man, Reginald Ragland, David R. Rapp, Phillip Reid, Samara States in the metro area have taken steps especially if it has to do with a person of au- Sit to raise awareness and apprehend perpetrators thority? Advisory Board (Emeritus Directors): Hector Ericksen-Mendo- of sexual abuse. A person witnessing a crime, under any za, Sean Jensen, Rosamond King, Carol Lange In D.C., child abuse laws are strict. Peo- circumstance, should alert police immediately. Young D.C. is supported by BNA, The Children’s Charities Founda- ple with “mandated reporting” jobs who fail to “Investigating” a crime is not your job. Call tion, The Herb Block Foundation and sponsors of Cartoons & Cock- report child abuse face fines and jail time. Nei- 911 in a circumstance where you witness tails 2011, an auction of editorial art held Oct. 20 at the Newseum’s ther the husband-wife nor the physician-patient someone being hurt by another person. I would Knight Conference Center which also benefited the Cartoonists privilege–not to testify against the spouse or also suggest that there be some follow up with Rights Network International. Sponsors included BNA, C-SPAN, patient–is permitted. university officials to assure that all of your Lynn Edwards of US News & World Report, Foxhall Gallery, The By current Maryland law, workers who bases are covered. So— 1. Call police. 2. Talk Freedom Forum and The Newseum, Andrew J. Hagan and Linda T. fail to report any child abuse to authorities may to university officials to assure they are also Smith, Stephen C. and Cynthia Farrell Johnson, Jim and Kerry Jo- lose their jobs, but suffer no criminal penalty. aware of the crime that happened. seph, Lipman Hearne, Mike McCurry, Joe and Anne Murphy, The Maryland State Sen. Nancy Jacobs (R, District In the Sandusky trial, some of the wit- Obscure Organization, Politico, Rosalind G. Stark, The Washington 34) plans to have a bill drafted by Jan. 11 mak- nesses and victims suspected odd behavior Examiner and members of the YDC Board. ing it a crime to fail to report sexual child from Sandusky. Does your organization be- Letters to the Editor are welcome and sometimes published. Let- abuse. Jacobs writes in an open letter on her lieve that students should take action and tell ters are subject to editing. Readers writing to the editors should website, “I believe there should be a criminal police if they are suspecting that something penalty for not reporting child abuse as re- wrong is going on? quired under law…I am working with a State’s Absolutely. I often talk to students about Attorney, Sexual Assault Centers and others to trusting their gut. If they feel something is decide just what that penalty should be.” wrong, it very well may be. Talking to police In a radio interview Nov. 13 with WBAL’s will give them the opportunity to investigate See the state of your state Anne Kramer, Jacobs says her bill plans in- what is going on and stop any potential crimi- clude looking at other state laws and their nal behavior. Who is a mandatory reporter? criminal penalties. “We act immediately,” she www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.pdf continues, “whether we are in a coach capaci- Christina Lee, 17, is a senior at Oakton What happens if a mandatory reporter fails ty, teacher capacity, or a next-door neighbor, HS in Vienna, Va. to notify authorities? and use this act to…report it.” YDC news editor Dana Harrison, 17, a se- www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/reportall. In Virginia, the mandatory reporting law nior at Wootton HS in Rockville, Md., also pdf states that anyone who works with children on contributed to this story. Li f e St y l e t Young D.C. t November 2011 Cyberian Tyger New Kindle Fire impresses YDC

Emily Yang Young D.C. With so many hi-tech electronics available, there is a new one to introduce: the Kindle Fire. Having its function resemble closely to Apple’s iPod Touch and iPad, some might be wondering “What’s so special about the Kindle Fire then?” The Kindle Fire’s convenience has improved a lot compared to the old Kin- dle: it’s easier to maneuver around the pages of an e-book, icons are all grouped into their broad categories (ie. as newsstand, books, apps, movies, etc.), the homep- age lists the applications the user has used starting with the most recent, and much more. The size of the Kindle Fire is a trait some people might prefer. Its size, having about the same height and width of an average book, has not differed much from its older version. It’s not big where it’s too heavy or burdensome to carry around, and it’s not too small where the text could strain the eyes of the user. With the option of reading the book, the user has a range of options to choose from to read the text. Options range from the size and font of the text to a limited number of color contrasts between the background and the text. The user may also decide the spacing between the lines of a passage. With all of those options com- bined, it can make the reader enjoy the electronic book a little bit more. A very special improvement of the Kindle Fire is its ability to download apps, movies, etc; a teen’s favorite pastime. Famous apps like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, and Doodle Jump are all available to buy in the Appstore. There is very little lagging, which means hours of playing these games can commence. Web browsing is also a new addition. As long as there is Wifi available, the user and go on the web just like Apple’s devices. If you happen to be one of those people who is wondering at this point “Is this even worth buying?” then you should go to an electronic store near you and play around with the demo version. You will be able to see how much improvement has been made, and how it can satisfy the needs of many people. To me, I think that this new Kindle is definitely worth buying for the holidays.

Emily Yang, 15, is a sophomore at Churchill HS in Potomac, Md. courtesy of Amazon.com corporate

YDC is looking for more Cyberian Tygers. YDC welcomes both teens with strong interests in technology and teen techno-skeptics. Write–with CyTy in the subject line–to the lifestyle editor: [email protected] November 2011 t Young D.C. t Lifestyle So Others Might Eat opens community center for families in housing programs Dana Harrison Marguerite’s Place will have group activities for the 33 parents and 17 Young D.C. children living at SOME’s Chesapeake House and Barnaby House. There are Throughout the District of Columbia, homelessness is not a rare site. Many enrichment opportunities for parents, including monthly community meetings, organizations tackle the issue. This month a long-standing one, SOME (So Oth- financial literacy programs and parenting classes. ers Might Eat), celebrates the opening of Marguerite’s Place, a community cen- SOME was established in 1970 to help the poor and homeless in the Dis- ter geared for the formerly homeless. trict of Colombia, which includes services like affordable housing, job training Opened Nov. 18, Marguerite’s Place serves 33 formerly homeless families and counseling. living in two SOME housing programs to provide a safe environment for recre- Marguerite’s Place is located at 736 Chesapeake Street, SE ation and education programs. Activities include enrichment for children and To learn more about SOME’s service to the homeless visit www.some.org adults that will, according to the mission statement, “help build self-esteem, motivation and normalize their lives…building the children’s self-esteem and Dana Harrison, 17, is a senior at Wootton High School in Rockville, Md. normalizing their lives will increase their chances of opportunities of becoming successful, thus becoming less likely to become homeless adults.”

What’s missing?

Could be you are the teen YDC needs at the drawing board

Join YDC’s happy band of cartoonists. There is room for both humor and editorial cartoonists. Download an application from the YDC website: www.youngdc.org Lifestyle t Young D.C. t November 2011

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The Herb Block Foundation

The staff of Young D.C. Volume 21 thanks BNA Children’s Charities Foundation The Herb Block Foundation and the sponsors of Cartoons & Cocktails 2011 for giving us a voice in print and online November 2011 t Young D.C. t Lifestyle Young D.C. t November 2011 Entertainment Multiplex variety Very different films launch November movie parade

Andrew Cooper / Summit Entertainment Sundance Selects/IFC Films Above, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart return as Edward Cullen and Bella Swan Top, Werner Herzog interviews Michael Perry days before his execution in Into the in the latest installment of the Twilight saga. Abyss photo by Tracy Bennett. Â©2011 CTMG; Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bottom, Adam Sandler tackles both title roles in Jack and Jill from Columbia Pictures

Nick Pope and Jason Burkett were convicted of murdering three people in Conroe, Texas. Young D.C. Perry and Burkett, both 19 in 2001, murdered a mother, her son and his friend just Twilight: Breaking Dawn–Part 1 to steal the family’s red Camaro and drive it out of a gated community. Twilight: Breaking Dawn–Part 1 is more mature and detailed than the first Michael Perry was executed on July 1, 2010, eight days after Herszog inter- three movies in the saga, Twilight (2008), New Moon (2009) and Eclipse (2010). viewed him for this movie. Jason Burkett is still in prison serving a life sentence. There is alot of blood and violence, almost like a “real” horror movie. It breaks all This documentary is very touching and very sad because not only does Her- the stereotypes that it received from the previous films in the saga. However, zog interview the murderers, he also interview the families of the victims and shape-shifting Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) does take his shirt off in the first 10 police officers. This documentary is intriguing but somewhat long. It goes into a seconds of the movie. So that’s one stereotype that still stands. state and personal points of view. Viewers will have a lot of questions and thoughts Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson return to the roles of Bella Swan and by its end. Young or old; you will be intrigued by this movie. Edward Cullen. Their acting in this saga doesn’t begin to be as good as the work Jack and Jill of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, andRupert Grint whose big series concluded Jack and Jill is a comedy about twins who were the best of friends as chil- with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 this year. dren. Then they grew up and the brother hated his sister. She comes to visit his This movie is actually not bad at all, but it’s MPAA PG-13 rating is a mys- family and stays with them for some time. This movie is hilarious in the beginning tery. I’d give it an R. but towards the end gets a little boring. It stars Adam Sandler (who plays both If you didn’t like the first three Twilight movies, you may like this one. The Jack and Jill) and Al Pacino. Al Pacino plays himself in the movie, and which beginning of Breaking Dawn is a little sappy, but towards the end it does really made the movie bad. He is not a good comedian, and he started getting annoying intrigue viewers. It is funny, gory, shocking, scary and intriguing til the credits towards the end. Other than that this movie is really good. roll. YDC ranks Twilight: Breaking Dawn-Part 1 a must-see. Into the Abyss Nick Pope, 17, is a senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the District Into the Abyss is a documentary by Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten of Columbia. Dreams, Grizzly Man) about a crime that happened 10 years ago. Michael Perry November 2011 t Young D.C.

Omnivorous Reader Romance novel words are better suited to the page than the screen Cuyler Deegan “Even more, I had Reading each book is worth it, but seeing each Young D.C. never meant to love movie is not. Those who do want to see the movies Fans of Twilight know the series of books and him. One thing I tru- should read the books first. Each book in movies is about Bella Swan who is human. She falls ly knew - knew it in the series has a higher number of pages—Breaking in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire, at first sight. the pit of my stom- Dawn tops off the saga with 756. The Cullens have very high standards and do not ach, in the center of None of the movies have enough special ef- want to bring attention to themselves as vampires. my bones, knew it fects, so they are not going to keep you at the edge of Edward also has bad history with Jacob Black, a from the crown of my your seat. Breaking Dawn does have the world’s werewolf. Across the saga, which takes place mostly head to the soles of worst cesarean section scene—not the special effects in Washington State, Jacob and Edward are rivals my feet, knew it deep this fan had in mind. in my empty chest - and allies depending on circumstances. was how love gave The movies lack vital information and descrip- someone the power tion. The first book (498 pages) has more informa- to break you” Cuyler Deegan, 17, is a junior at The Lab school tion on Bella and her first encounter with Edward. In –Bella Swan of Washington in the District of Columbia the movie Twilight, their encounter is too short. Then in Twilight it skips ahead to them having a stronger relationship by Stephenie Meyer while the book gives a description of them getting to know each other.

Atmosphere dominates cover art and

tracks of ChristinaDrake’s Lee second studio album Young D.C. Ever since Drake released the name of his new album in November of last year, hip-hop fans have been tweeting, blogging and breathing two words—”Take Care.” Nov. 15, Drake’s widely anticipated sophomore album finally arrived on shelves despite its premature Internet leak. As one of the most promising records of the year, “Take Care” fuses hip-hop, R&B and pop techniques to create laid-back and memorable tunes that touch upon elements of melancholy. Drake’s voice and timbre probably made it easy for top artists like Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross to create the mega-popular hits “Make me Proud” featuring Minaj and “Crew Love” featuring The Weeknd. Most importantly, the featured artists don’t steal his spotlight. Unlike some rappers who only seem to think about sex, drugs, and the whole shebang, the “Degrassi” alum speaks his mind about honesty, respect, family, friends and growing pains. Near the end of his second track “Shot For Me,” Drake sneaks in the Irish toast “May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you.” Looks like he’s in for another year of Grammy nominations. Recommended tracks: 1. “Make Me Proud” featuring Nicki Minaj 2. “Take Care” featuring Rihanna 3. “Shot For Me” 4. “Headlines” 5. “Marvin’s Room”

Christina Lee, 17, is a senior at Oakton HS in Vienna, Va. Vi e w p o i n t s Young D.C. t November 2011 Occupy Wall Street prompts thoughts on fair play What’s your topic for YDC to tackle in Viewpoints? The editors would love to hear about things that inform, concern, inspire, disappoint or drive you crazy. Kathy Zhang not wanting another crash to occur, supported Send your Viewpoints idea to [email protected] Young D.C. the banking industry. Sounds good, right? This Wall Street issue and subsequent Wrong. These companies borrowed money About Viewpoints backlash actually started when the economy from banks to, in theory, pay employees. Unsigned Viewpoints articles, or editorials, convey the opin- was still going well. The issue intensified Without the money, companies complained, ions of the Young D.C. editorial board. Any Viewpoint or column when banks, buoyed by a robust economy, be- they would be forced to lay off employees. that has a byline or is signed by the author reflects the opinion of gan issuing housing loans to unqualified peo- However, CNN reported that while banks the individual author. It is not necessarily the opinion of Young ple. More people started buying houses, which made these claims of struggle, investors were D.C., its editorial board or staff. drove the price of housing up. Essentially, still making a significant amount of money, Young D.C. welcomes letters to the editor, comments and bank investors were being greedy by preying and top-level executives were cashing in bo- submissions from teens (in school or not) for all sections of the on unprepared consumers. The problem? All nuses averaging $120,000. newspaper. Please enclose name, address and telephone number housing bubbles burst and this one did as well The bottom line to all of this is that this on all correspondence. that resulted in the economy being jammed. is just not fair. The banks and their investors As the economy waned, housing prices caused this problem and do not seem to care Address correspondence to dropped, people lost jobs, and mortgages went about anything except making money and Young D.C. Managing Editor unpaid. Banks then began to foreclose houses cashing in bonuses. The essence of this pro- 1904 18th Street, NW while peoples’ credit and lifestyles took a seri- test is to force Wall Street to be responsible Washington, DC 20009 ous tumble. Another associated problem came for their actions, which is just what needs to Young D.C., Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, exists to light: banks were struggling as well. be done. to create opportunities for young people from diverse racial, eth- At this point, the government stepped in nic, geographic and economic backgrounds to work together to and gave banks money to keep them from develop a responsible, independent media voice. Its program encourages teens to examine new territory in bankruptcy. Banks had to add stricter qualifi- Kathy Zhang, 16, is a junior at Paint cations to their loan rules to prevent the same Branch High School in Burtonsville, Md. the region’s fragmented society to produce this newspaper. In the issue from happening again. The government, process, its editors, reporters, photographers, cartoonists, illus- trators and interns develop skills for college and career.

CJWtoon

Chidiki Jones Whitley, 16, is a junior at The Lab School of Washington in the District of Columbia. November 2011 t Young D.C. t Viewpoints Soapbox asks, “What are your views on the presidential and/or local elections?” Compiled by Christina Lee, Nick Pope and Cassidy Riley Christina Lee, 17, is a senior at Oakton HS in Vienna, Va. Young D.C.- Nick Pope, 17, is a senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the District of Columbia. Cassidy Riley, 17, is a senior at Des Moines North HS in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I think the campaign right “[Candidates] should focus I believe Obama should be “For the local elections, I now is totally skewed. Many, if not more on there ideas and how to re-elected. Everything is not going was disappointed that Steve all of the candidates have had at realistically solve problems, to get fixed in one term. I believe he Stuban lost. I volunteered to least one major blunder. And we rather than promoting their image. is making a good effort to mend the help with his campaign and I learned from the 2008 election that a I don’t care where you are from or economy. enjoyed helping out! But I’m long and drawn-out campaign trail is what your family is like. I don’t glad that Moon won. As for a poor determinant of the final care what you’ve done in the past. presidential... I haven’t given it outcome in November.” I want to know what you are much thought but I don’t want going to do in the future.” Obama to be re-elected.”

Bridget Pedersen, 17, is a Kylie Price, 17, is a senior at Chelsea Jacob, 16, is senior at Amy Choi, 17, is a senior senior at North HS in Des Moines, North HS in Des Moines, Ia. Elizabeth Seton HS in Bladensburg, at Woodson HS in Fairfax, Va. Ia. Md.

“This presidential election will definite- I think that the 2012 election is going “For the [2011] local election, I ly be an interesting one. Although the slow to be interessting since no one is running heard there wasn’t much of a turnout economic growth and the persistent rate of against Obama in the Demoractic party yet. which isn’t good because we young unemployment might prove a disadvantage to In terms of the Republican party, it’s cool to people need to step it up and be the his re-election campaign, Obama has a good see an African American running as a ones to take initiative. I’m excited for chance of getting re-elected in 2012 thanks to Republican since I’ve never seen one run in the presidential election! It’s the first his successes in foreign policy like Bin my lifetime. I am elated that I will be able one I’ll be able to participate in so I’m Laden, Kaddafi and the end of the Iraq War. to be a part of the election of 2012. actually paying attention to the At any rate, it will be interesting to see how Republican primaries and the whole the Tea Party fares in its first presidential process.” election to date.”

Nicolas Trad, 16, is a junior at The Michelle Thorton , 17, is a senior at Eunice Kim, 17, is a senior at French International School in the District of Duke Ellington HS in the District of Oakton HS in Vienna, Va. Columbia Columbia On t h e St r e e t Young D.C. t November 2011 Chidiki Jones Whitley, 16, is a junior at The Lab School of Washington in the District of Columbia. 16, is a junior at The Lab School of Washington Chidiki Jones Whitley, photos by Chidiki Jones-Whitley Scenes at Occupy DC, Nov. 17, before march to Key Bridge Scenes at Occupy DC, Nov.