Occupy changed the face of activism and how groups use technology to recruit and organize its activists. Its trademark sit-ins have been emulated for a variety of purposes, and its organizing slogan, “We are the 99%!”...
Young journalists typically begin work on a radio project with enthusiasm and a basic idea for a
story.
But where can they go for help to rein in an idea, find the right interviewees, develop questions
or refocus a...
The Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy is a National Guard program geared to Indiana students who have dropped out of high school or are academically behind.
Said Dakota Sneed, 16, who plays center for Edinburgh High School: “I think dominating in one class is just good enough. I really don’t feel that a small school should be put with a bigger school.”
The Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship, which began in 2011, is worth $4,000 for public-school students who graduate from high school in three years.
“You can’t just go out there and know that you’re fast, your car is fast, and your car is reliable. There’s a lot of thinking going on," said pro driver Shea Holbrook.
Immigrant parents "are driven by the expectations of their own parents and the fact that their parents have worked so hard to give them good lives,” says Victoria Xiao, 16.
African and Asian immigrants first came to France by invitation of the government. But as their numbers grew, so did the polarization between them and the native Parisians, not only socioeconomically and ethnically, but...
"I felt like I was invincible because I didn’t sleep around. I had never done a drug in my entire life," says Lee, a 24-year-old Indianapolis man recently diagnosed with HIV
“People have a lot of barriers that they put up for themselves as kind of like a reason why they can’t do something,” says Zoe Damacela, 19, whose clothing business is helping her cover college expenses.
In Indianapolis, the Soap Box Derby, a sport where children and teens race motorless cars down a sloped track, has been active since 1936, just two years after the race began in Ohio.
“If you look at the G.I. Joes and you look at Superman from when I was little, they were not as big and buff as they are now. The action figures have actually changed to reflect a more buff, larger body frame that is, of...
Brenai Stockton, 12, says mentor Tonja Eagen helps her make good decisions. She’s somebody to talk to about things that I really don’t like to talk to my mom about.”
"We see lots of kids who are just doing the same sport all year round, and that definitely can lead to overuse injuries," said Dr. Joel Kary, a sports medicine physician at St. Vincent Sports Performance.
A man wakes up in 1873 Arizona with no memory and a mysterious metal cuff attached to his arm. If that's not weird enough, a spaceship soon swoops down and kidnaps some townfolks.
The acting among the principal players is some of the best I’ve seen in a superhero flick, especially the “bromance” between Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).
Prescription drug use has exploded recently, especially among teens. They comprise the second most abused drugs by 12- to 17-year-olds, behind marijuana.
Blood centers target young donors for several reasons: Early donation often leads to lifelong participation, and school blood drives are very productive, studies show.
I found myself impressed with the acting almost across the board. Unfortunately, all of the actors are too good for the movie, which is failed by an uneven script.
First, a confession: I am not really a “drama” fan. I tend to get bored about halfway through and end up either checking my watch compulsively or just waiting for something thrilling to happen, usually in vain.
Well, the slowest 11 years of my life are over. The long-awaited and presumably final sequel in Disney/Pixar’s flagship franchise has arrived, and, oh boy, was it worth the wait.
Another summer, another sequel. The question is, does this second outing for Marvel’s wise-cracking man in armor measure up to its predecessor? The short answer is “no.”
Teens are notorious for being careless with their money, keeping wads of cash stashed in their pockets and wasting it on fast food and other frivolous purchases.
After seeing the first predator film (the good one) and then being grossly disappointed by the inferior sequel, I was looking forward to this iteration in the franchise, and I must say I walked out of the theater...
Gender roles don’t seem to have quite the pull they used to have. In 2008, the U.S. came close to having a woman in the Oval Office. Engineering schools now actively recruit girls, and more boys than ever are choosing...
In the barrage of messages aimed at teens about smoking, most describe the dangers and its undisputable link to lung cancer, heart disease and a host of other illnesses. Still, one in five U.S. teens smokes, according to a...
For years, parents and educators have debated whether it is effective to pay students to improve their grades or behavior. Recently, Harvard economist Roland Fryer set out to test the practice.
To many of us, an allergic reaction may seem like a simple thing: some sneezing or itching, then pop in a Benadryl or a Zyrtec and it’s over. But to the growing number of allergic children in the United States and...
Most education experts agree that summer learning programs benefit students in many ways – they often prevent losses in academic skills over the summer, and they provide extracurricular enrichment. For low-income children,...
“Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys. If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy. That’s what some people thought.” -- from “Holes,” Louis Sachar’s...
How to get kids to eat more vegetables? This has been the age-old question of parents and dietitians alike. But let’s face it: Adults don’t like them either. In a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control, just 26...
The Columbine massacre of 1999 turned the world’s attention to violence in U.S. schools. While administrators rushed to install medical detectors and backpack checks, many forms of aggression continued undeterred.
The Road is about a father and son’s quest through this dangerous land in search of food and warmth, while trying to avoid certain death at the hands of other survivors. This isn’t a typical post-apocalyptic novel. It...
Most parents give their children a first name, a surname and maybe a middle name. But you won’t find “Blonde Bomber” or “Wam Bam” on any birth certificate.
In 2009, Laura Keaton was a high school senior and an ad on Facebook caught her attention. “I wasn’t excited about going to college, so I think that’s why I clicked it,” she recalled.
In 2002, a Japanese company designed a stronger elastic band, next was the ingenuity of an Ohio businessman. Robert Croak found that adding silicone allowed an elastic band to keep its shape. His Toledo-based company...
Middle school is a time filled with rites of passage. While students’ challenges with some, such as puberty, are well-known, others take place more quietly within the confines of school. Among these is the introduction to...
Y-Press recently visited Incredible Pizza Company (IPC), a family entertainment center and restaurant located in Greenwood, one of two locations in Indiana. Based in Missouri, the company has now 14 locations in the Midwest...
It’s not unusual for teens to spend their summers at camp. But Jacob Baldwin and Carah Austin have done something different — they’ve been running their own camps to address very different needs in their communities.
Aaron, Nadiya, Amal and Hadeiyah would all stand out in a crowd. All are local teenagers who wear religious symbols and clothing to represent their beliefs.
Lois Lowry has been writing fiction for more than 35 years. She’s created tales of dystopian societies that continue to trigger parental outrage, but she’s also produced fits of giggles from middle readers tickled by...
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" is a book suitable for almost any age group and gender. There’s enough action for the average boy, just enough romance for the average girl, and comedy enough for both. It’s also...
Shadowed Summer was really difficult to finish. It was only 192 pages long, but it took me around two months to get through it. I couldn’t connect with any character in any way. Even their personalities seemed flat. It...
In intentional communities, like-minded individuals come together to share resources and living quarters. Such arrangements gained popularity in the ’60s when so-called hippies retreated to the country to live in peace and...
“Peace On Earth” begins during a Christmas celebration in Metropolis. A member of the crowd collapses from malnutrition, and the incident inspires Superman to do something about hunger all over the world.
As the last traditional year of schooling comes to an end, many seniors rejoice. No more seemingly endless hours of classes, nasty cafeteria food or annoying underclassmen to deal with …unless they’re going to college,...
The student loan program was revamped at the same time health care was reformed. President Obama called the measure “one of the most significant investments in higher education since the G.I. Bill” of 1944.
Computers and mobile phones allow adults and children to communicate and send information. However, these venues can be used to commit crimes, knowingly and unknowingly.
Once you start doing something fun, it’s hard to stop, whether it’s reading a fantastic book, watching an awesome movie … or pinching clothes from retail stores.
It’s not only adults who are troubled by these statistics. Stephanie Woodcox, adolescent health coordinator at the Indiana State Department of Health, says youth also are concerned about their own behaviors.
“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is based on the book (2005) by Rick Riordan. This is the first book of the series. The movie and the book, however, have quite a few differences. Whole sections of...
The NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Championship, commonly known as the Final Four, is one of the largest college sporting events in the country. March Madness begins with 64 teams eliminating all but four for the...
It’s not unusual to see kids on stage acting, dancing, playing instruments or singing. But thanks to outfits like ComedySportz, young people can now seize the spotlight to do anything they can think of to get a laugh.
Different writers and artists have slowly tried to introduce more depth to the character of Batman, but few stories have had as much of an impact on the comic-book medium, or as much critical acclaim, as Frank Miller’s...
Do you know what an emirp is? I do because I read the book “Pick Me Up” from DK Publishing. It is a book with a whole bunch of information about a wide variety of topics.
Open up the barnyard, kick out the hay,
“We’re the girls from the U-S-A.
“Turn on the radio, who do you hear?
“Elvis Presley doing our cheer.
“We’re gonna F-I-G-H-T, we’re gonna F-I-G-H-T, we’re...
Although roller derby is considered an “underground” sport, it has gained quite a following in Indianapolis. When every bout started to sell out at their previous venue, the Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion, the Roller Girls...
In an age of standardized testing and statewide curriculum requirements, teachers are expected to cram as much information as possible into their students.
I will admit the plot is captivating—Brown keeps the reader constantly wondering what will happen next— but while the book does have a few unpredictable twists, in general it seems like just another version of the same...
In our changing world, where images from around the globe come to us from all directions, diversity is the norm rather than the exception. It is hard to imagine a world where nothing diverges or varies, but such a world...
In his children’s book “2095,” Jon Scieszka portrays the future as one saturated with three-dimensional, robotic advertisements, accosting passers-by with products and services tailored to their personalities.
Almost 20 years ago, Moby released “Go,” the single that started his career. Beginning with a brooding piano, it metamorphoses into an anthem of ominous strings and high-speed drum machines, led by an urgent, commanding...
It’s a scene often found in fiction: A desperate woman, alone and usually dressed in dingy clothes, places an infant, swathed in a blanket, on the stoop of a building.
Megan Byers started showing signs of mental illness at age 2 with violent temper tantrums. At age 3, she was kicked out of her daycare for frequent explosive outbursts
In this series, four Y-Press journalists explore how the current economy has affected youth. While many stories have been done about adults and the economy, few mentioned teens.
On Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving, we took a chilly walk from the Y-Press office to Circle Center Mall in downtown Indianapolis. We were expecting a hectic atmosphere, huge crowds, packed stores and outrageous sale...
A lot changed after April 20, 1999, when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on their murderous rampage through Columbine High School. Before then, students could carry tools such as pocketknives and nail files.
Christine Lee is a sophomore at Marina Vista High School. As the new school year starts, things aren’t going well for Christine. It’s only been a year since her mother passed away in a car accident, and Christine finds...
The cafeteria was filled with about 200 students. The Northwest High School principal sat in the rear; stretching to either side of him were faculty and staff.
Travel back 1250 b.c. to the ancient land of Egypt. What do you envision? The hundreds of gods that filled the land? Pyramids, mummies and tombs? Maybe so.
Ever wonder who invented duct tape? Do you catch yourself thinking about who the first comic strip superhero was? Then “109 Forgotten American Heroes” is for you! With its colorful and creative backgrounds, this book...
Fans of the book “The Giver” will find much to like about IRT’s production of the same name. Because the play focuses less on the lead character, Jonas, as the newly appointed receiver of memories, it manages to...
Paper Towns is the story of Quentin Jacobsen, a lower rung on the high school social ladder who hangs out mostly with the band geeks. Quentin, or Q, isn’t very sociable, and doesn’t stray far from his tight-knit group,...
Students using PlayStation Portables in the classroom usually are punished, either by getting their devices taken away or being sent to the dean’s office.
In this series, five Y-Press journalists explore the relationships between minority youth and the police in the Indianapolis area. Over the last several months, the team interviewed teens involved with 100 Black Men, the...
Scientific studies have found volunteering actually makes people happier and healthier. Last year 61 million Americans volunteered 8.1 billion hours of community service. That‘s nearly $158 billion in donated labor and...
When you listen to Patrick Watson’s music, images of homes and stores burning down are illustrated in your mind. It’s a theme that runs throughout the album—almost all of the songs on “Wooden Arms” mention fire.
Stephenie Meyer's best-selling book “Twilight” has captured the hearts of many readers. When 17-year-old Bella Swan leaves Arizona to live with her father in Forks, Wash., her expectations are low. She soon makes friends...
With the increasing diversity of the United States, anyone with religious convictions is bound to be asked at some point: “Why do you believe in that?”
In 1748, the first coal for fuel use was mined in the United States. Since then, mining and converting coal into power has revolutionized the United States. First used for domestic heating and to power trains and steamboats,...
Munching on popcorn, Karen is watching a premiere of a film with her friends in the dim light of the theater. From a cursory glance, she is like any other teen living in Indiana, one who enjoys hanging out with friends and...
News that their family was moving came as a shock to Michael White, 18, and his sister, Christianna, 16, of Indianapolis.
“We just have family meetings where we talk about things, and that came up in one of them,”...
Because of the recession, adults have become less concerned about the environment, according to nationwide polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center earlier this year. Thankfully, kids across the country are taking up the...
Have you ever wondered why blood is red or why identical twins look exactly the same? “Ask Me Anything” by D.K. Publishing has the answer to every question you’ve ever wanted to ask, from how old the universe is, to...
Teenagers’ abuse of drugs is nothing new. Since the drug epidemic in the ’60s, countless students – from cheerleaders to goths – have been known to experiment with some sort of illegal drug.
In 1975, “Tuck Everlasting,” by Natalie Babbitt, hit store shelves. Through the years, the book gained popularity, inspiring children everywhere to fantasize about immortality and dream about what might happen if they...
In 2006, the Nintendo Wii was introduced and immediately gained worldwide popularity among young people. Wii players loved the game simulations but soon learned how to cheat the system – finding that a flick of the wrist...
Many kids look forward to their 16th birthday not only for the cake, but because that means they are only one month away from getting their driver’s license. If one state senator gets his way, however, that milestone will...
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