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Suffolk University, located in vibrant downtown Boston, offers over 80 areas of study, providing students with the skills and experience they need to achieve lasting success. www.suffolk.edu Undergruate Admission 800-6SUFFOLK 8 ASHBURTON PLACE, BOSTON, MA 02108 A medium-sized university, the University of Rhode Island offers both the resources of a larger research institution and the friendly, comfortable atmosphere of a traditional New England college. Newman Hall Kingston, RI 02881 401-874-7100 • www.uri.edu For info, text 6484uri to 64842 SWARTHMORE A liberal arts college of 1,500 students near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is recognized internationally for its climate of academic excitement and commitment to bettering the world. A college unlike any other. 500 College Ave. Swarthmore, PA 19081 800-667-3110 www.swarthmore.edu Private, Catholic, liberal arts college founded in 1871 by the Ursuline Sisters. Offers over 30 undergraduate majors and 9 graduate programs. The only womenfocused college in Ohio and one of few in the United States. Ursuline teaches the empowerment of self. 2550 Lander Rd. Pepper Pike, OH 44124 1-888-URSULINE • www.ursuline.edu THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS Located on the vibrant Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia, The University of the Arts is devoted exclusively to the study of the visual, performing, and media arts. ® The University of the Arts ® 320 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 800-616-ARTS (2787) www.uarts.edu Teen Ink Introduces Text Messaging! We hope you take advantage of the new texting options to get information from colleges. While most texting promotions use your phone number to send additional advertisements, we don’t. We won’t sell your number or send you any unrequested information, so you are in complete control. So many options for college... …the choice is clear. Hawai‘i Pacific University • Ranked a “Best in the West” college by Princeton Review • Receive personal attention in classes under 25 students • Learn alongside students from more than 100 countries • Choose from more than 50 acclaimed programs 1-866-CALL-HPU • www.hpu.edu/teen At Westminster College, you'll engage in a full college experience. Reach your fullest potential – Inside the classroom. And out. Visit us and turn YOUR college thinking inside out. 501 Westminster Avenue Fulton, MO 65251 800-475-3361 • www.westminster-mo.edu Teen Ink Wants Your P. O. Box 7150 Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150 1-800-990-8227 www.uccs.edu �� TM Teen Ink • April ’09 • Page 32 Earn a world-renowned degree in a personalized environment. Work with professors who will know your name and your goals. Choose from 41 majors and many research, internship and study-abroad opportunities. www.upb.pitt.edu you can • 1-800-872-1787 go Bradford, beyond PA 16701 www.upb.pitt.edu • 1-800-872-1787 Bradford, PA 16701 For info, text 6upittb to 64842 Yale College, the undergraduate body of Yale University, is a highly selective liberal arts college enrolling 5,200 students in over 70 major programs. Residential life is organized around Residential Colleges where students live and eat. P.O. Box 208234 New Haven, CT 06520 203-432-9300 www.yale.edu Attention Students! Join the Teen Ink Student Advisory Board FEEDBACK TeenInk.com/StudentBoard ��
Stargirl by Rasheeda Smith, Balch Springs, TX Dear Jerry Spinelli, I’m not your typical teenage girl. I am homeschooled by my wonderful mom. I have eight siblings who can be irritating at times, though I still love them. I love creating art from reusable items like cans, plastic, and newspapers. I blog. I use photography to express myself, and I can’t go a day without reading one of my favorite adventure books. Not long ago, I was what some people would call a wallflower. I was very self-conscious and would never raise my hand when the teacher asked a question. My list of friends was as blank as a sheet of white paper. And I would have rather eaten raw fish than socialize with others my age. But reading your book Stargirl inspired me to embrace my individuality. When I first picked up your book, Mr. Spinelli, the title struck me as a bit odd, but as I began reading, I started to comprehend why you chose it. Stargirl gave me a better perspective on how both children and adults resolve situations when coming in contact with new people. I think the reason some people don’t treat others with respect is because they don’t respect and love themselves. I learned this firsthand at a school I attended. My first year there was third grade. The student body was 99.9 percent Christian, and I stood out because I wore a headscarf like many Muslim females do in public. In a school where all the other girls wore their hair uncovered, I was somewhat uncomfortable. My headscarf made Almost every day I faced verbal abuse from peers Commercials. We all hate them, some more than others. Many of us try to avoid them as much as possible. But for those who watch them, I have a reason why commercials may be a lot worse for us than we think (besides the fact that they make us wait five minutes for our favorite show to come back on). We may not even realize it, but much of what we see on TV affects how we think and act. Television shows and commercials often put images in our heads that we instantly believe. For example, when we see someone who has a mental disability, such as Down syndrome, what do we think? Idiot? Charity case? We’ve all seen actors on TV call others “retards” if they are acting foolish. We’ve seen ads for charities to help research mental handicaps. Watching this, someone may conclude that these people are helpless charity cases. This is wrong – dead wrong. Two people who are very important to me have mental disabilities. My 10-year-old brother was born with autism. People with autism don’t look different, but they exhibit strange behaviors. It also affects their ability to communicate with others. He has more trouble with some things than other people do, but he manages to work through these challenges and succeed. He is now in fifth grade, near the top of his class, and serves as student council president. He is one of the funniest, most lovable kids you will ever meet, and most people can’t tell he has autism. me stick out as though someone had written a big red X on my forehead. Everyone would snicker and stare; even the teachers treated me differently. In my opinion, people like that shouldn’t be allowed to work with children. Almost every day I faced verbal abuse from peers. Some would say “You’re ugly” or “You smell” or “Boys will never like you.” The list of insults went on and on. It was very degrading to my self-esteem, which reminds me of what Stargirl had to deal with. Nevertheless, she rebelled against the negativity of others by remaining herself, serenading her peers on their birthdays, and giving out candy and notes on special occasions. That is something I would have liked to do, but I wasn’t bold enough at the time. Stargirl and I are alike in other ways too. We both have beautiful spirits, we’re creative, smart, and have the same perspective on the world. Cool, huh? Sometimes I imagine if Stargirl were to pop out of your book, I’m sure we would be great friends. But thinking about it now, there probably is a girl somewhere out there just like me, looking for a friend like me. And one day I hope we will meet. In conclusion, before I read your book, Mr. Spinelli, I hadn’t found my path in the world. But reading it helped me understand that every girl, including me, no matter what race or religion, is a Stargirl at heart. Thank you for writing this inspirational book. Your biggest fan, R.M.S. ✎ Change the Channel by Patrick, Franklin, MA Nothing good can come from believing what commercials tell us I often forget myself. In addition, my uncle, who is 35, was born with Down syndrome. This condition affects people both physically and mentally. Common physical characteristics are upward slanting eyes, small ears, and a large tongue. Down syndrome also affects a person’s ability to learn. Although it may be at a slower rate, they do learn, contrary to some beliefs. Uncle John has challenges, but, like my brother, he manages to work through them and succeed. He lives independently with a roommate who also has Down syndrome, and he has a job. John is loved by almost everyone he meets. He is also rolling-on-thefloor-not-being-able-to-breathe funny, especially when he tells stories from his childhood. For example, when John was young he convinced his sister (my aunt) to put him in the dryer. He was hilarious then and continues to tickle everyone’s funny bone. I cannot be near him for more than 30 seconds without bursting into laughter. He can easily make anyone’s day a bit better. As I have hopefully shown with these examples, those with mental disabilities are more than our televisions make them out to be. “Try Proactiv and you too can be beautiful!” Yet another miracle beauty product advertised on your TV, this one claims it can clear up acne in just days. As realistic as some of these ads seem, they are very unreliable. Do we ever see a person on one of those VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLES ON TEENINK.COM AND TEEN INK RAW Why Not? by Anthony, Wilmington, DE Do you want to go to the boys club where the testosterone lingers like garlic chicken leftovers? Do you want to go to McDonald’s where dreams and futures are ground up like the beef in the freezer? How about outside, where the “ghetto” is friendly to natives and hostile to outsiders like an unseen but alwayspresent spirit? Why not? I ask as I shuffle my feet, a million problems in my mind but smiling as if I couldn’t care less. I wave to the “gangsters,” “thugs,” and “hustlers” of the neighborhood. Why not? I need to relax. I’ll have a stroke if I worry – brother is in jail and sister is pregnant yet This is the other side of success again. So why not? I deserve it. I never knew there could be pressure to succeed at 14. It sucks when you have to be the first in your family to attend college. Broken bottles lie forsaken and battered on the street, a bag lady curses out pigeons in the distance. This is the other side of success, the not-so-glamorous world that many experience. For some, it leads to ruin and despair. College is my only hope. I lost my best friend to this ugly yet beautiful world; I owe it to him. Everyone is counting on me, my cousins on the corner, my friends who may not have the opportunity, and my late friend. I am determined not to let them down, and my ambition will drive me through others’ expectations and propel me in a successful jump into life after college. So when I ask myself in the mirror, Do you want to go down in history as the first person in your family to excel, despite widespread inner-city clichés that make this journey seem trite? I say to this prominent ultimatum in my life, Why not? ✎ commercials who is ugly after they try the product, or someone for whom the product didn’t work? Never, right? These ads try to put ideas in our heads that we will be beautiful if we buy the product, and many viewers buy products because they believe these commercials. Nothing good can come from believing what commercials tell us – except disappointment and bad judgments. When your favorite TV show cuts to a commercial break, change the channel. Or try ignoring the commercials or finding something to do during the break. Then maybe we will all make fewer bad judgments about people and products. ✎ APRIL ’09 • Teen Ink pride & prejudice Photo by Garrett McMahon, Port Angeles, WA 33
Page 1 and 2: APRIL 2009 O U R 20 T H Y E A R T E
Page 3 and 4: A PRIL 2009 COVER FEATURES The Coll
Page 6 and 7: non•fic•tion 06 Boot Camp Adven
Page 8 and 9: non•fic•tion 08 School for the
Page 10 and 11: non•fic•tion 10 The Hospital Vi
Page 12 and 13: artgallery 12 Teen Ink • APRIL
Page 14 and 15: opin!on 14 Facebook Snoop by Kristi
Page 16 and 17: heroes 16 Grandmother Anna Purvianc
Page 18 and 19: FOCUS COLLEGE FOCUS 18 My Childhood
Page 20 and 21: FOCUS COLLEGE FOCUS 20 Is the SAT U
Page 22 and 23: FOCUS COLLEGE FOCUS 22 Parting Ways
Page 24 and 25: FOCUS COLLEGE FOCUS 24 How Public S
Page 26 and 27: college essays 26 Failing Successfu
Page 28 and 29: educatorof year the Kathy Nelson LA
Page 30 and 31: UA has a rich tradition of excellen
Page 34 and 35: Poetry 34 I Got the Joy! I got the
Page 36 and 37: you&your health 36 Pipe Dreams by D
Page 38 and 39: Travel&Culture 38 A Summer of Exces
Page 40 and 41: Video Game reviews Read more video
Page 42 and 43: Movie &TV reviews 42 DRAMA Revoluti
Page 44 and 45: fic•tion 44 Her, Him and the Rece
Page 46 and 47: fic•tion 46 Improvising by Onjuli

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