A typical job description for a teenager usually does not include handling chain mail, sharing workspace with orcs and interacting with a quarter of a million people over a three-month span. However, such tasks were all in a day's work for youth volunteers at the "Lord of the Rings" exhibit at the Indiana State Museum. Y-Press recently spoke with ISM volunteer Ben Gurin, 15, about his behind-the-s

Contract disputes are not unusual in workplaces. Affected employees may grumble more than usual, and they might perform their jobs half-heartedly, but this dissension rarely is seen outside of the company. But when the workplace is a school, employees' unhappiness can be seen -- and sometimes felt -- by many beyond the feuding parties. Teachers in Lawrence Township and Carmel Clay Schools have rec

The Indiana State Museum's "Lord of the Rings" exhibit closed last Tuesday. During its three-month stay, more than 250,000 visitors learned about the behind-the-scenes of filmmaking through numerous interactive activities. These included a face-scanning machine that visually transformed a human face to stone, opportunities to have a photo taken with the backdrop of a scene where Frodo joins Gandal

T here was a time when most Americans needed to know only English to get by. This changed as more and more immigrants brought their native languages to this country. To better understand each other, these immigrants learned English, and many Americans learned their languages. But barriers remain between people who share the same language and culture. Communication between deaf and hearing people a

Teaching as a profession has been around from the earliest days. Such notable teachers as Socrates and Plato immediately spring to mind. Despite the challenges, teaching still attracts a variety of individuals, including many from the same family. In an effort to find such teachers statewide, Y-Press contacted the Indiana State Teachers Association. Mark Shoup, coordinator of public relations, sen

Middle school is a time of learning, a time for fun -- and a time for getting bullied. People get teased over the stupidest stuff --the way they walk, the way they talk, the way they laugh. Everyone gets teased -- even the popular people. Two years ago, a group of sixth-graders at Craig Middle School in Lawrence Township decided they were sick of the bullying and teasing and took a petition to the

Imagine you arrive home from school, exhausted. You plop down in front of the computer, and an e-mail pops up from someone you've never met, pouring her heart out about her suicidal thoughts. For most teens, this would be terrifying, but the young volunteers at Teen Advice Online receive e-mails like this almost every day. Teen Advice Online, or TAO, is a Web-based organization that uses a team of

Being a teen in America today is not easy. There is pressure to do well in school, fights with family and friends, and more serious issues such as drug use, pregnancy and eating disorders. Now add being gay to that list. Often, homosexual teens face a whole new set of challenges. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, studies have found increased risk for suicide attempts a

If someone close to you died, you probably would not know how to deal with the resulting emotions. You might not know where to turn for comfort and support. Nearly 14,000 kids have found help with their grief at the Dougy Center in Portland, Ore. The center helps young people find a way to deal with the deaths of family members and friends. "We exist so that they won't have to feel isolated and al

While walking down a city street, you pass a girl discussing an upcoming party with another girl. Or is it a boy? It's hard to tell through the long, thick hair tumbling down the teen-ager's back. A few moments later, you nearly trip over someone's extra-wide-legged jeans. You can't help but wonder whether you're in the '60s or the new millennium. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, fashi

Imagine a school where you learn only of the magic world, and so-called "essential" classes, such as math and reading, are not taught. Instead, you're instructed on divination, potions and Muggle history. Welcome to the world of Harry Potter, where anything from flying on broomsticks to turning frogs into pigs is possible. This is the world that British author J.K. Rowling created in her popular H

We probably all know about it, either from visits with family or with school or Scout groups. It is a living-history museum where every day is an adventure and visitors can step back in time and immerse themselves in the lifestyle of 1836. It is Conner Prairie, a large farm in Fishers that re-creates life in 1836. There are three re-creations: Prairietown Village, the William Conner Estate and the