YOUTH OUTLOOK ECONOMiC FORUM

Today i went to a forum held by the Youth Outlook Program. During this program we got to meet new people, tlak about issues in the social lives and in the economy. We heard other people's thoughts about the economy being in a recession, but we also got our voices and our thoughts heard by other people as well. We discussed all the affects of the recession towards each person's life and how every person is hit hard in different ways. This program really inspired me today because it made me want to be a part of trying to help out, and it made me want my voice to get heard. During this session, we got split up into different groups with new people we had never met before. During these group discussions, it felt really good to be able to express myself and my thoughts and my particular situation because of this recession. Before I never really cared much about knowing what's going on and the affects in the world. But this program really changed my whole point of view about things. It made me want to get involved.

Interview Skills Workshop

Today we had a guest speaker come to our class and teach us interviewing skills, giving u tips, etc. He is a professional journalist. Out of all the information and help that he gave us I really learned alot about interviewing people. I learned that the key to a good interview is always start off asking easy or simple questions and move along towards the harder questions after because it keeps the interviewee interested. You also have to keep trying when the interviewee is being difficult, you never give up. You have to say things that will make them want to talk. You always have to be prepared ahead of time because if you are not prepared then you will look very unproffesional, and stupid. You also have to take control and don't let the interviewee try to take control of the conversation. There is plenty more that I learned today, but it's a little too much to write =p

The Dream Finally Came True

The day that nobody ever thought would come true, finally came true this morning at 9 am. Barack Obama is now officially our president of the United States! This day is one of the most special days in the years of history that will never be forgotten. It has inspired so many people in this world to know that anything is really possible. You can do anything you put your mind to. And this will be passed on through generations. Nobody ever thought that we would ever have an african american as the president of the United States. Well we just proved those people wrong today. Change really has come to America and I believe that change will keep coming throughout the years of Obama's presidency and hopefully even after. I am proud to say that Obama is my president because I believe in him and I know he will make a great president and he will bring hope and channge to our country.

Can We Trust Them?

On the night of New Year's Day, a 22 year old african american male was shot and killed by a 27 year old white male bart officer. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, was called in about a fight on one of the bart trains. Mehserle and a couple other bart officers removed all the suspects to the train platform, including the 22 year old, Oscar Grant. All the young suspects were on the ground, face down, and restrained. Grant was on the floor being completely cooperative, even though he did nothing wrong at all. Mehserle pulled out his gun, and shot Grant right in the back. Soon after this incident, he turned in his badge and quit his job as a bart officer. Days later, there were numerous protests rising in Oakland for Mehserle's arrest. That Tuesday night, Mehserle was arrested and issued a homicide warrant. Thursday, in the courthouse, Mehserle pleaded as not guilty. But he is still locked up in Santa Rita jail, with extra security, and check up. This whole incident really bugs people for the fact that this 22 year old man did nothing wrong, and was shot and killed by an officer. The incident brings back the Rodney King incident in L.A a few years ago. This makes people think about whether we are really safe or not behind the system. Can they really be trusted?

Why is writing important?

The reason why we are publishing our newspaper online is so we can save paper, and save money instead of paying for all of the paper needed for a printed newspaper. We want to find out if more people would view our website more than a printed website. When you practice your writing skills, it helps you out a lot in the future. When you go to college, you are going to have to write a lot of papers and this class willl really help you out because it will prepare you. Good writing skills make you look, and sound professional as well, and that is good when trying to get into a good college or when trying to get a good job. Another thing that writing can do is change the way people think of something, or change their views of something. Believe it or not but people really do listen to what other people have to say if it's something important. Something that I would like to talk about or get through to people is advice on teen life and the sress and struggles that we go through. Parents and other adults always seem to think that just because we are young we have nothing to worry about or nothing to stress about. We have a lot more on our shoulders than they can even imagine, and that is something I'd like to get through to people.

How Parents Affect Teens Emotionally

Parents are one of the most stressful things in life for a teen. Most teens just want space and trust from their parents. But their are teens who want MORE than just that from their parents. For example, my mom has always been there for me advice wise, and shes always understood, and trusted me and gave me money when I needed it. All that stuff is important for a good relationship between parents and thier kids. But there is ONLY one thing that i wish my mom would do for me and understand why i want that. All i ever ask my mom for is to stop drinking. That is the ONLY thing i ever wish for in my life. She can never do that for me though. It hurts me more than she can ever imagine, and she just cant see or understand that. As for my dad, he has no trust in me AT ALL. He's my father and he doesnt know one thing about me, he never tries to talk to me about anything like a real father is supposed to do. He's always been there for me as a father, hes kept a roof over my head, fed me, bought me my cothes and anything i need, and I thank him so much for that. But i just wish that he would be there for me when I'm hurting, struggling, or just need somebody to talk to. As for a friend of mine as another example, she has one of the worst relationships with her mother. Its not because she wnats that, its just that her mother has never really been there for her to understand her and her feelings. Her father was never there for her preiod. So she expected her mom to be the one to love her and understand her NO MATTER WHAT. Her mother never trusts her, she never understands her, and she never listens or cares about what she has to say. All of these things mean more to us than our parents even realize. They hurt us so bad that they don't even try to hear us out, or even change for the sake of their children. To have parents like that, is one of the most painful things anyone could ever have. It builds anger and pain inside of you that will never go away. But we put up with them, help them, and we're always there for them when they need us because we love them regardless.

TRUE LOVE

LOVE is probably one of the biggest struggles you will ever go through in life. Just to find that special someone is the most hardest thing possible. But once you find that person, the struggles get even harder. You will go through so many phases, arguments, differences, expectations, and worst of all PAIN. There will be times where you feel you want to just give up and that its not worth the pain, but you cant let it bring you down. If its true love you will do whatever it takes and be strong to keep the relationship solid. Love is one of the most painful things to experience because as you grow older you get heartbroken, and you break hearts yourself, but it only makes you stronger because you learn what love should really be like. And if all you can do is give up, than you will never find TRUE LOVE.