When asked what color he would use to describe his life, Ricardo Mendes, 17, of Salvador, Brazil, said he would choose black. "I think black means history, and my color is history," he said. Jefferson Sosazo, 18, also would choose black "because the black color says it all. It means suffering. It means that we want a better life." Centuries of slavery have left their legacy in Brazil. Although the

From violent video games and R-rated movies to Jerry Springer TV shows and inappropriate rap lyrics, adults often point to the negative influences of the media on kids. But what do kids think about the influence of media on their lives? Y-Press spoke with 10 Girl Scouts, some of whom recently completed badges dealing with the media, about this subject. They are Brandy Bledsoe, 15; Myra Bledsoe, 16

"My name is Darrell Ford. I'm 16 years old. Up until last April, I was a student at Lawrence Central High School. I was expelled late April, and after an arduous battle to get my credits so I could in fact become a junior, I went to the Indiana Academy, where I am now." In the aftermath of the shootings at Columbine High School, school administrators worked to prevent a similar incident. In the pr