J elly bracelets first became popular in the 1980s, as they were worn by pop stars such as Madonna. They are a casual and trendy style of jewelry, usually rings of rubbery plastic. Colors vary, and some are translucent. Although many teenagers wear them to be fashionable, some use them to play a game called "snap," in which the bracelet becomes a "sex coupon," and the color symbolizes the sex act

When Cassie Spelbring, 14, went to a banquet at a Chinese restaurant, she was pleasantly surprised to see several students from her school there. That's because Cassie is a komencanto, a person who studies and speaks Esperanto, and this banquet was a gathering of Esperanto speakers. Cassie, who lives in Aurora, Ill., was delighted to see so many people shared her interest in the international lang

Bipolar disorder has been described as a roller coaster, with manic highs and depressive lows. "In a manic period, there's really no sleep involved -- like you stay up for a long time. It can be very productive. You can get things done for a while, then you start to lose your focus and you can't pay attention, and you just start to kind of come apart at the seams," says Zack Lamm, 22, an ITT Tech

"I just want to try and do something good for the world. That's why I take part in projects, 'cause it makes me feel like I have a purpose in life," said Philip Mpagi, 18, of Kampala, Uganda. For four years, Philip has been a part of iEARN, the International Education and Resource Network. The program connects students and teachers around the world. Philip found out about iEARN through his older b

In the late 1980s, Peter Copen saw a world in need of improvement. "Environmentally, the world was a mess. In terms of hunger and conflict and racism, all the issues that were facing humanity were getting worse and worse," said Ed Gragert, director of iEARN, the International Education and Resource Network. Copen believed modern technology could help students communicate with their peers around th

He is the voice of Darth Vader in "Star Wars" and King Mufasa in "The Lion King." But as a child, James Earl Jones had a severe stuttering problem and virtually refused to speak for eight years. He credits a high school teacher with helping him deal with it by making him read a poem to the class every day. About 3 million people in the United States stutter, according to the Stuttering Foundation

For most people, ordering a pizza is simple: You pick up the telephone and place the order. For people who stutter, it is much more difficult. Afraid of stammering on the phone, they find it easier to drive to the restaurant and order in person. Many people who stutter find they stutter more on the phone, said Bill Murphy, a clinical supervisor in speech language pathology at Purdue University. He

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you were the son or daughter of a figure in the local media? Would your life be any different than it is now? Y-Press spoke with five young people who live this situation: * Tory Herrmann, 10, daughter of Mark Herrmann, former Colts quarterback. * Reese Dick, 10, son of Gerry Dick, host of "Inside Indiana Business" on WFYI (Channel 20). * Cary Patt