Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 October 2003 — Page 8

k SECTION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2003

The Recorder JAWS section (Journalism and Writing Seminars) is a nonprofit instructional program established through The Recorder Charities to provide students of color (interns) hands on training and exposure to the field of journalism. The goal is to encourage participants to pursue careers in journalism.

Teen mother works hard to care for son and finish her education

By Dinah Allen Ben Davis High School Recorder Intern Looking down at a pregnancy test and realizing that the rest of their life is about to change, teens that become mothers take the biggest step to adulthood. Many teen-age mothers defy the odds of parenthood and show proof that just because you’re a teen doesn’t mean that you have to lose all hope. There are definitely teen mothers who know how to handle this challenge and will continue to thrive. Ben Davis High School senior Amandia Vandever is one of those mothers. She is the mother of a healthy 3-year-old boy, and knows first hand how to raise a healthy child. "The main thing I think is important is to finish high school. I

don’t feel I would have anything to offer my son if I wasn’t strong enough to finish school. Having a job is second most important. I keep a job to pay my rent and keep my son with all the things he needs and more," said Vandever. At the age of 14 and in the 8 th grade, Vandever found out that she was pregnant. She knew she was going to have to grow up quickly. And she realized the news was going to be devastating to her mother - but she had to face her fear of telling her mother. “She was mad and upset because I was her baby girl, but she was always there for me. She supported me and helped watch him, but also made sure I was the responsible one." Along with taking care of a tbddler while she is in high school, Vandever works part-time at Best

Buy, provides her own transportation, and is currently living on her own in a Westside apartment complex. Teen mothers like Vandever are hard to come by, but with determination and hard work, other mothers can follow her example. “There are many programs to help teen mothers. My income isn’t the greatest, but my day care is taken care of and it can be done, because I'm doing it," says Vandever. "A lot of girls need to get their head together, and need to evaluate their life - because you need a plan once that baby comes.” Statistics show that teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school, live in poverty and are more likely to abuse their children. The statistics are upsetting, but there are teens who believe that when you have

children you can seize the opportunity to improve yourself. "The biggest misconception about teen mothers is that we leave the responsibility of raising the children on our parents, but there are some of us who are taking full responsibility and taking care of business.” Bringing a child into society is not easy, especially for teen-agers who are still in high school. Educational and social programs help guide youth in the right direction. Knowing that you can’t do anything without education, Vandever also believes you can’t go very far in life without a college degree and definitely can’t get anywhere without a high school diploma. “Going to school and working is a hard job, but like anything else, no one is going to do it for you," Vandever said.

Don't let fashion lead you to failure

By Leah Graves Lawrence Central High School Recorder Intern Everyone loves to look their best and look somewhat attractive. Do you let your clothes consume your life and have you passed that trait on to your children? Teen’s infatuation with fashion is starting to become a problem in the school. Reports show more and more Black children are falling into the blackhole that is Baby Phat, Fubu, Sean John, and many other fashion designers. The blackhole is surrounding you with clothes in exchange for your common sense and education. Talette Jones is a freshman at Lawrence Central High School; she is 14 years old. Jones said school is basically a fashion show. She admits she is one of those girls who put on lip-gloss in class, but she doesn’t let that become

a priority over her schoolwork. She does think some girls go too far with fashion, but she doesn’t think they let clothes be the center of their life. “I don't think fashion dominates school, because I get into fashion a Idt and my school work hasn’t been neglected,” said Jones, who has a 3.6 grade point average. In teen-agers’ defense she said, "Most kids know if they get good grades they will get some type of reward, so they strive to get better grades.” Estelle Motley is a sophomore from Scecina High school. Estella thinks fashion is the center of most African-American teen-agers’ lives. Estella thinks fashion is a big deal in high school and it shows on report cards. She talked about kids being made fun'of because they don’t have on the latest trend. She also talked about kids not being able to concentrate, if they are being made fun of so their grades reflect their

attentiveness in class. She goes to a private school and said, "Even though I wear uniforms to school, we still try to look good any way. We still wear the latest shoes and hairstyles and usually the person who doesn’t, gets made fun of. I think kids who can’t afford to dress like everyone else usually drop out of school, because they are too embarrassed to go to school.” It’s ironic that kids that don’t dress in the latest trends get made fun of. Does that mean the kids who can look past peer pressure make better grades? This is a very confusing ordeal. There are a lot of Black students who make wonderful grades and dress very nice, but there is a large margin between them and the kids who let clothes be lord of their lives and fail in school. Hopefully we will improve and Black children won’t drown in the pool of mediocrity because of an outfit.

Some teens take fashion too far

By Alyse Robinson Broad Ripple High School Recorder Intern Today’s fashions consist of everything from tiny tops to sagging jeans. Many believe it is the music and movie industries fault. But how does it affect today’s teens* It has been shown that many teens have been teased and tormented about what they wear. I know this because as a high school student I have been tormented as well I have talked with three Broad Ripple High School students and a department head from Man Alive in Lafayette Square Mall about the trends and violence that sometimes occurs. Carlos Thrasher, manager of Man Alive, said, "I do feel TV is an influence on the teens of today. I don't feel it's right for people to i be teased about their clothing \ either I myself am not a fol1 lower, I am a leader I also i\ believe friends have a big influence If your friend is dressing hot you will too." Broad Ripple student \ Vance Gardener feels he’s

not influenced by stars, but that TV is an influence. "Yes I do feel teens are influenced by what they see stars wearing,” said Gardener, a junior. “I have never been influenced, I wear what I’m comfortable in. Jayz is a big influence on the guys, Lil Kim is a bad influence on girls. It’s OK to be expressive, but she pulls the bad out of the expression. I would approach a girl more conservative. Like Janet Jackson.” Sherika Jones, a sophomore at Broad Ripple, said, "I believe only some people copy what they see or want to (be like). I don’t follow trends My style is natural. I've seen people being dogged on (made fun of). One guy’s pants were too short. When a person sees that they start to (one (tease) Like my style the majority will think it’s cute, but others will talk about me I believe teasing is hidden jealousy. I believe Aaliyah was a good role model. She was classy and still had sex appeal.” Freshman Zach Weifenbach of Broad Ripple believes teens are influenced by TV and so is he “I am somewhat influenced myself If

I see someone in something I like, I will go out and get it. I don’t feel it’s necessary for people to be teased because of their clothing. They might not have the money to buy the clothes.” Jeana Lewis, production manager, at The Indianapolis Recorder feels she puts her own twist to current fashion. “ I would say yes I’m influenced by TV. I still do what I want. I interpret the clothing. I’m still myself. When I go out to the mall and see an outfit I like, I take parts of the outfit and then adjust it to my personality.” Staff writer Ericka Thompson of The Recorder says she’s not easily influenced. "I’m not influenced because I’m at the age where I have my own style. And I don’t get influenced by what people have and don't have. It’s about being original and being mature. I understand how the youth get influenced But I think as they grow they will develop their own style, and won't be influenced by what others wear." So in conclusion everything is an influence. Style or not, violence is never tolerated.

Teens on the road

By Chris Rogers Lawrence Central High School Recorder Intern What is a teen-ager’s No. I priority while they get closer to 16 years old? That’s right. Cars. Many teen-agers struggle with making the money for the newly raised gas prices. Some teens worry about how they will afford their vehicle. But what about driving? Eighty percent of the teens asked if they were good drivers said "yes" without a second thought. But is this true? If teens were such great drivers, then why is it that teens, aged 16 to 19, are twice as likely to be in fatal accidents than adults, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration? Perhaps the question is: are teens ready for the road? Many questions arise from adults when it refers to teen driving: What should the age be? What signifies preparation for a license? Do parents play a big enough role in teens and their cars? Stewart DeVane, assistant principal dean at the McKenzie Career Center and a driver’s education teacher, said that driving "opens a whole new world for teens.” But he also stated that peer pressure comes into play and that many teens are not ready. “Part of driving is exposure. Exposure under controlled situations is a key element." Is this the teen’s fault? What about the parents? Do they play a big enough role? DeVane said, “Some do, but a lot of adults don’t know how to drive safely” themselves. One question that was asked was if teens should drive only certain cars before a certain age. Are some cars too powerful for teen-agers to control? Almost all

teens want to race down the road going as fast as they can in jan attempt to fulfill their "need (or speed." But this is difficult for them to do if their car doesn’t support it. If a teen is given a vehicle that has a 400 hp. engine, it will be difficult for them not to push the pedal .to the metal. So then is it the car s fault? j, Finally, what signifies complete preparation for driving? DeVane believes driver’s education shoujd be a requirement to get your license. Timjones, a studentat Lawrenqe Central High School and te^n driver, thinks that driver’s education is all that is needed to prove preparation for an automobile, but still doesn't think it should be,a requirement. "Teens should have the liberty of choosing whether qr not they want to take it (driver’s education).” Only the teen knows what is going through their own head once they get into the driver’s seat. Do they think about their blind spots or do they apply "3 o’clock-9 o’clock” with their hands on the steering wheel? Unfortunately, many teens ha9e one hand on the wheel, one dn their coffee, one on their dsll phone, and one hand is turning up the volume of their brand new stereo system. Sound familiar? If it does, then how can we prevent this? Every single person cannttt have someone monitoring their actions at all times. So many questions arise when It comes to driving. Are teens taking the necessary steps to being good drivers or are they just in a hurry to get their license? Do parents do what they are supposed to do when it comes to helping their teens? Are teens ready for the road? Perhaps these questions should be considered before you or your teen-ager start driving. For additional information or help with teen driving, go to www.teendriving.com.

Young black fathers

By Estella Motley Scecina High School Recorder Intern Being a young Black father can have its pros and cons. William Mundy, a Black father of two, feels that one needs a good paying job to properly care for a child. Young Black fathers should find the time to spend with their kids. "I try to spend time with kids but do not get enough time with them because the kids live with their mother far out from where I live," said Mundy. Mundy feels it’s hard to be a young Black father, bu'. he says he tries to be the best father he can be. The book Discipline from Birth to Three by Jeanne Warren Lindsay and Sally McCulbugh said that the “dad is often tired when he comes home from work, he may have little energy left for

playing with active little children.” The book also said “most children look forward to a special play time with their dad." The last thing that Discipline from Birth to Three said was that "fathers should be involved." "Most young Black fathers are not ready to be a father," said Dementrius Minor, an official for the Indiana Commission on the Social Status on Black Males. “The majority of the men are unprepared to be a father.” Some young Black fathers do not understand the concept of being a father. Minor said "young Black men do not realize that their life is going to change." Most young Black fathers do not really understand what is going to happen to them until the baby is born and then that's when they start to think that they helped make it and they have to help raise it.