About Ariel Aisen

Age: 17

Stories by Ariel

Young writers visiting Benin

By Ariel Aisen, 15, Meera Patel, 14

Benin is one of the poorest countries in the world, but it also has been hailed as the poster child for democracy. Between Nigeria and Togo, this western African country is about the size of Pennsylvania but has about the same number of people as Indiana -- 7.46 million. Benin has 60 ethnic groups and is the birthplace of voodoo.

New generation's gettin' into the swing

By Rachel Troy, 16, Alesha Peterson, 16, Ariel Aisen, 15

If you stop by the Fountain Square Theatre every other Friday night, you'll find hordes of teens from Lebanon High and other area schools swinging, tapping and whirling to a bouncy beat more typical of Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington than YoungBloodZ. Today, swing dancing is popular in Indianapolis and nationwide -- for all age groups.