tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42632846546099610482024-03-21T19:25:35.613-07:00Sonaly SpeaksSonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-71768589677568338722016-09-11T14:31:00.001-07:002016-09-11T14:31:15.868-07:00USA 4 TECH Smart Tool Box Demo Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jXUVLQmRoIE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jXUVLQmRoIE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-3560263850879111932015-03-07T13:22:00.001-08:002015-03-07T13:22:10.848-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/VvI9wnCaHjY/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VvI9wnCaHjY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
Coding the wave of the Future!Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-76959712817008246842011-05-14T15:22:00.000-07:002011-05-14T15:22:08.086-07:00Education Reform: Reinvent how Teachers teach and Students learn<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292727; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></span><br />
<div class="mod-chitribarticleheader mod-articleheader" id="mod-article-header" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="konafilter" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Taking school to the next level</h1></div></div><div class="mod-articlesubtitle" id="mod-article-subtitle" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="konafilter" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h2 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">CPS hopes Quest's video game methods will inspire students</h2></div></div><div class="mod-chitribarticlebyline mod-articlebyline" id="mod-article-byline" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="konafilter" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="pubdate" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">March 29, 2011</span><span class="separator" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px;">|</span><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">By Joel Hood, TRIBUNE REPORTER</span></div></div><div class="mod-chitribarticletext mod-articletext" id="mod-a-body-first-para" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">— Rock music blares in a Manhattan classroom as an 11-year-old builds a website for video game enthusiasts and a classmate solders LED lights and capacitors to a circuit board. In another room, students are immersed in a life-size video game as they kneel beside a virtual river, sifting through the remains of ancient civilizations.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What kid wouldn't love a school developed by video game designers?</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Quest to Learn was designed to be different from the ground up. This complete reinvention of the typical urban middle school downplays rote memorization in favor of collaborative learning, critical thinking and imaginative exploration in an effort to change how today's students learn.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And this fall, it's coming to Chicago.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">With more than $1.2 million in funding from the MacArthur Foundation and other philanthropic organizations, the public<a class="kLink" href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-29/news/ct-met-video-game-school-0330-20110329_1_video-game-elizabeth-purvis-charters#" id="KonaLink0" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; border-bottom-color: transparent !important; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: transparent !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: transparent !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; bottom: 0px; color: #37689a; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-variant: normal; font-weight: inherit !important; left: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; right: 0px; text-decoration: underline !important; text-transform: none !important; top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: green !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: green; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">charter </span><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: green; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">school</span></span></a> to be called Chicago Quest is scheduled to open in September in a renovated school building at Ogden and Clybourn avenues on the edge of the old Cabrini-Green public housing development. Officials are already talking about one day opening Chicago Quests on the city's South and West sides as well. </div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">For city educators, Chicago Quest is an important foray into 21st century thinking. Students will learn from video game designers and computer experts how to design and build their own video games, produce custom websites, podcast, blog, record and edit short films and connect with technology in meaningful and productive ways.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In an era of rigid standardized testing, city leaders say Quest is a novel approach to get today's wired 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds prepared for the technology-driven, global <a class="kLink" href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-29/news/ct-met-video-game-school-0330-20110329_1_video-game-elizabeth-purvis-charters#" id="KonaLink1" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; border-bottom-color: transparent !important; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: transparent !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: transparent !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; bottom: 0px; color: #37689a; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-variant: normal; font-weight: inherit !important; left: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; right: 0px; text-decoration: underline !important; text-transform: none !important; top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: green !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">job </span><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">market</span></span></a> that awaits them.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"The only way we're going to catch up with the rest of the world is to reinvent how <a class="kLink" href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-29/news/ct-met-video-game-school-0330-20110329_1_video-game-elizabeth-purvis-charters#" id="KonaLink2" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; border-bottom-color: transparent !important; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: transparent !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: transparent !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; bottom: 0px; color: #37689a; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-variant: normal; font-weight: inherit !important; left: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; right: 0px; text-decoration: underline !important; text-transform: none !important; top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: green !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">teaching</span></span></a> and learning occurs," said Chicago Public Schools interim chief Terry Mazany. "That's why this is so vital. It's going to be an innovation engine for the district, and I'll strongly encourage the next leadership to keep them close and learn from them."</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">On a recent trip to Quest's cramped Manhattan headquarters, Elizabeth Purvis, <a class="kLink" href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-29/news/ct-met-video-game-school-0330-20110329_1_video-game-elizabeth-purvis-charters#" id="KonaLink3" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; border-bottom-color: transparent !important; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: transparent !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: transparent !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; bottom: 0px; color: #37689a; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-variant: normal; font-weight: inherit !important; left: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; right: 0px; text-decoration: underline !important; text-transform: none !important; top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: green !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">executive </span><span class="kLink" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; color: green !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;">director</span></span></a> of Chicago International Charter School, seemed dazzled by what students were able to do.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292727; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"You can't watch how these kids work, how invested they are in what they're learning, and not come away amazed," Purvis said.</div></div>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-49249893998311352962011-05-09T16:26:00.000-07:002011-05-09T16:29:36.767-07:00Educators and Entertainers can give a vocie to Schools in low-income Areas too!<h1>Los Gatos Education Foundation Gives Voice to Schools </h1><div class="subhead">The parent-led group has raised $7.7 million for public K-8 schools in its 29-year history. </div><div class="byline">By <span class="vcard NS_2ft3852c7u"><a class="author fn" href="http://losgatos.patch.com/users/jodi-engle">Jodi Engle</a></span> <span class="divider NS_2ft3852c7u">|</span> <a class="link_to_email_authors_modal_dialog NS_2ft3852c7u" href="http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/los-gatos-ed-foundation-gives-voice-to-schools-education#">Email the author</a> <span class="divider NS_2ft3852c7u">|</span> <span class="date NS_2ft3852c7u"> 5:34am </span> </div><div class="facebook_wrap span-18"><div class="facebook_like_wrapper"></div></div><div class="comment_bubble lesslegroom span-6 float-right last"><a class="go_to_article_comment no_underline" href="http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/los-gatos-ed-foundation-gives-voice-to-schools-education#comments"><span class="A-icon icon_medium bubble text_overlay">0</span> Comments </a> </div><div class="standard_template template NS_1s79r3nhqa" id="article_template"><div class="asset_container"><div class="span-12"><div class="ad_below_asset_block ads_adtech_js adtech_placement append-bottom bp01-blueprint NS_161to3qvkw"><div class="small quiet bottom">Sponsored By</div> </div></div><div class="asset_block collapsed patch-reset NS_2o46t4a4c7"><a class="toggle_expanded" href="http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/los-gatos-ed-foundation-gives-voice-to-schools-education#"><span class="collapse">‹ Back to Article</span> <span class="expand">View full size</span> </a> <br />
<div class="collapsed current_asset" data-asset="{"id":4788283,"title":null,"asset_subclass":"photo","asset_type":"photo","thumbnailed":true,"canonical_type":"photo","urls":{"thumbnail":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/130x88/crop/88x88+21+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902","collapsed":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902","expanded":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902"},"crop_x":null,"crop_y":null,"crop_w":null,"crop_h":null,"expanded_photo_dimensions":"600x405","crop_dimensions":"405,405,97,0","scale_when":1.0,"orig":"88,88","dimensions":"600x405"}"><div class="current_asset_image photo" style="position: relative;"><div class="centering_div"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=4924989399831135296" id="photo_4788283"> <img alt="" src="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902" /> <span class="new_tag"></span></a> </div></div><div class="thumbnails"><a class="embed" href="http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/los-gatos-ed-foundation-gives-voice-to-schools-education#"></a> <span class="divider"></span> <span class="share_label"></span> <span class="facebook NS_1q5hhu79yc"> </span> <span class="twitter NS_1q5hhu79yc"> </span><a class=" link_to_login_modal_dialog" href="http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/los-gatos-ed-foundation-gives-voice-to-schools-education#modal_dialog:email_fco_modal_dialog"></a><br />
<h2 class="type">Photos</h2><div class="photo_box thumbnail_box"><div class="photo_view_pane asset_scroll_panel" data-asset_ids="[4788276,4788283,4788291,4788295]"><div class="photo_thumbnails"><div class="photo_4788276 thumbnail data_element photo thumbnail_size NS_1tkc7q1iij" data-asset="{"urls":{"thumbnail":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/117x88/crop/88x88+15+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/c32899b62b2fdd3c228de16b81fe65a7","collapsed":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/c32899b62b2fdd3c228de16b81fe65a7","expanded":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/c32899b62b2fdd3c228de16b81fe65a7"},"id":4788276,"title":null,"asset_subclass":"photo","asset_type":"photo","thumbnailed":true,"canonical_type":"photo","crop_x":null,"crop_y":null,"crop_w":null,"crop_h":null,"expanded_photo_dimensions":"600x450","crop_dimensions":"450,450,75,0","scale_when":1,"orig":"88,88","dimensions":"600x450"}" data-asset_attachment="{"short_url":"http://patch.com/A-dRft+p-LDMP"}" id="photo_4788276"><a class="photo_thumbnail" href="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/c32899b62b2fdd3c228de16b81fe65a7" id="photo_thumbnail_4788276" title="Daves Avenue student Allie Fox gets involved in the LGEF fundraising drive."> <img alt="Daves Avenue student Allie Fox gets involved in the LGEF fundraising drive." class="asset_image" height="88" src="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/117x88/crop/88x88+15+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/c32899b62b2fdd3c228de16b81fe65a7" width="88" /> </a> <span class="photo_credit credit metadata"> Credit Marybeth MacLean </span> </div><div class="photo_4788283 thumbnail data_element photo thumbnail_size NS_1tkc7q1iij" data-asset="{"urls":{"thumbnail":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/130x88/crop/88x88+21+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902","collapsed":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902","expanded":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902"},"id":4788283,"title":null,"asset_subclass":"photo","asset_type":"photo","thumbnailed":true,"canonical_type":"photo","crop_x":null,"crop_y":null,"crop_w":null,"crop_h":null,"expanded_photo_dimensions":"600x405","crop_dimensions":"405,405,97,0","scale_when":1,"orig":"88,88","dimensions":"600x405"}" data-asset_attachment="{"short_url":"http://patch.com/A-dRft+p-LDMQ"}" id="photo_4788283"><a class="photo_thumbnail" href="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902" id="photo_thumbnail_4788283" title="Fisher students remind parents to donate during the 2005-6 LGEF fundraising campaign."> <img alt="Fisher students remind parents to donate during the 2005-6 LGEF fundraising campaign." class="asset_image" height="88" src="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/130x88/crop/88x88+21+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/7bffc496e58231eabcb42169bab74902" width="88" /> </a> <span class="photo_credit credit metadata"> Credit Marybeth MacLean </span> </div><div class="photo_4788291 thumbnail data_element photo thumbnail_size NS_1tkc7q1iij" data-asset="{"urls":{"thumbnail":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/117x88/crop/88x88+15+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/b9141c32c03525917947c8d6693f8b77","collapsed":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/b9141c32c03525917947c8d6693f8b77","expanded":"http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/b9141c32c03525917947c8d6693f8b77"},"id":4788291,"title":null,"asset_subclass":"photo","asset_type":"photo","thumbnailed":true,"canonical_type":"photo","crop_x":null,"crop_y":null,"crop_w":null,"crop_h":null,"expanded_photo_dimensions":"600x450","crop_dimensions":"450,450,75,0","scale_when":1,"orig":"88,88","dimensions":"600x450"}" data-asset_attachment="{"short_url":"http://patch.com/A-dRft+p-LDMR"}" id="photo_4788291"><a class="photo_thumbnail" href="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/b9141c32c03525917947c8d6693f8b77" id="photo_thumbnail_4788291" title="LGEF has funded the Artist in the Classroom Program, offering hands-on art instruction, since 2004."> <img alt="LGEF has funded the Artist in the Classroom Program, offering hands-on art instruction, since 2004." class="asset_image" height="88" src="http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/117x88/crop/88x88+15+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/b9141c32c03525917947c8d6693f8b77" width="88" /> </a> <span class="photo_credit credit metadata"> Credit Marybeth MacLean </span> </div><div class="photo_4788295 thumbnail data_element photo thumbnail_size NS_1tkc7q1iij" data-asset="{"urls":{"thumbnail":"http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/117x88/crop/88x88+15+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/941ab69f70167b027eee40aef6aeac34","collapsed":"http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/941ab69f70167b027eee40aef6aeac34","expanded":"http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/941ab69f70167b027eee40aef6aeac34"},"id":4788295,"title":null,"asset_subclass":"photo","asset_type":"photo","thumbnailed":true,"canonical_type":"photo","crop_x":null,"crop_y":null,"crop_w":null,"crop_h":null,"expanded_photo_dimensions":"600x450","crop_dimensions":"450,450,75,0","scale_when":1,"orig":"88,88","dimensions":"600x450"}" data-asset_attachment="{"short_url":"http://patch.com/A-dRft+p-LDMS"}" id="photo_4788295"><a class="photo_thumbnail" href="http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/941ab69f70167b027eee40aef6aeac34" id="photo_thumbnail_4788295" title="Daves Avenue fifth-grader Connor Brossart receives music instruction funded by the local parcel tax and LGEF in 2005-06. "> <img alt="Daves Avenue fifth-grader Connor Brossart receives music instruction funded by the local parcel tax and LGEF in 2005-06. " class="asset_image" height="88" src="http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/117x88/crop/88x88+15+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/941ab69f70167b027eee40aef6aeac34" width="88" /> </a> <span class="photo_credit credit metadata"> Credit Marybeth MacLean </span> </div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="asset_browser collapsed"></div></div></div><div class="main_text">Founded in 1982, the parents behind the<a href="http://losgatos.patch.com/listings/los-gatos-education-fund" rel="nofollow"> Los Gatos Education Foundation</a> (LGEF) were content to raise less than $200,000 every year.<br />
Then in 2003, the state threatened to cut funding for more than a dozen teaching positions, and the parents of LGEF banded together to launch the “Save Our Schools” campaign.<br />
They plastered banners around town, sent letters to local families to urge them to give $600 each, and recruited parents and teachers to participate in a phonathon to hustle even more dollars.<br />
They aimed to raise $1 million in six weeks; they easily surpassed their goal in just four weeks and saved the teachers’ jobs.<br />
“They realized, ‘Wow, this community can do more than we ever thought,” Dan Snyder said of this major turning point in the organization’s history. He joined the 17-member board nearly two years ago and now is president.<br />
One of more than 600 local educational foundations in California, the LGEF provides a link between the tight-knit community of Los Gatos and the schools in the<a href="http://losgatos.patch.com/listings/los-gatos-union-school-district" rel="nofollow"> Los Gatos Union School District</a> (LGUSD): Blossom Hill, Daves Avenue, Lexington and Van Meter elementary schools and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School. Since its formation, the parent-run nonprofit organization has contributed more than $7.7 million to supplement the district’s limited budget.<br />
LGUSD receives no general-purpose funding from the state. Instead, 65 percent of its $26 million general fund is derived from local property taxes. A significant 25 percent of district funds comes from local sources, including the $290 parcel tax that voters approved again last June, the LGEF and home and school clubs that support individual schools.<br />
Because the district relies so heavily on property tax revenues, the recent decline in property values has led to fewer tax revenues at a time when student enrollment is increasing. The student population of 3,055 is expected to rise to 3,478 students by 2016.<br />
These are just some of the challenges that the district faces, and the foundation is there to help.<br />
“LGEF’s ongoing contribution to our goals of creating and maintaining a best-in-class education experience for our children has been invaluable,” said Doug Halbert, member of the school board. “We are very fortunate in our district to have the leadership and support of LGEF.”<br />
Basically, the district's staff and trustees identify funding opportunities, and the educational foundation makes grants to support its programs that would've otherwise gone unfunded. Most of the money LGEF raises supports science, music, art and technology programs throughout the district. The foundation also funds two music teachers and a technology mentor who trains teachers in how to incorporate technology into the curriculum.<br />
“I am very happy to see art and music in our schools, because, unfortunately, it seems to be the first thing that gets put on the chopping block,” said Marybeth MacLean, a former foundation board member from 2005-09 who continues to volunteer. “Especially in these elementary grades, enabling children to be expressive through the arts is a crucial part of their education and not an ancillary part. I am very proud that our parents step up to fund these programs.”<br />
Despite the tough economy, people in Los Gatos manage to keep giving. The foundation’s goal this year is to raise $750,000, said Tina Murray, director of annual giving. So far, the organization has raised 93 percent of its goal, she said.<br />
LGEF also raises funds by asking parents to make a $600 one-year pledge for one student and a $900 pledge for two or more students in the district. It also hosts parties such as Fall Fashion Palooza and<a href="http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/denim-diamonds-gala-raises-money-for-los-gatos-schools" rel="nofollow"> Denim and Diamonds Casino Night</a>, which was April 29 at the Opera House in downtown Los Gatos.<br />
Not only do parents support the foundation, but local businesses and community members at large also step up, because they see quality schools as the key to a thriving community and high property values. The latter is why residents in the La Rinconada area, which is in the town of Los Gatos but in Campbell Union School District, want to switch to LGUSD, explained Snyder. It would increase their property values by 20 percent.<br />
But some parents might wonder why they are being approached to support public education—something taxes usually provide.<br />
“I use the analogy that the state of California provides state parks that we all love and enjoy,” MacLean said. “And they are public, and yet when you go visit a park, you stop at a kiosk staffed by a ranger and you pay your $9 or $10 to enter the park. The money will go to maintenance and repairs. [Likewise,] we all have access to public schools, and we carry the burden to keep the quality of the schools at the quality we desire.”<br />
Asking for money is never easy, but MacLean reminds herself that it’s for the children.<br />
“We’re the front people who do the ask,” she said. “The heroes are the people who write the checks.”</div><div class="call_for_comments">How are you helping support local K-8 public schools?</div></div>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-17200654593161305582011-05-05T13:14:00.000-07:002011-05-05T13:14:14.595-07:0015 years old and Accepted to Harvard! How Cool is that<div class="postHeader"><h2><span id="ppt19932017">15-Year-Old Picks Harvard After Being Accepted to 13 Colleges</span></h2></div><div class="bloggerDetail"><div class="byline"><span class="postData">By <a href="http://www.bvblackspin.com/bloggers/abena-agyeman-fisher/">Abena Agyeman-Fisher</a> on May 4th 2011 6:03PM</span> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/mars/2792/saheela-ibraheem-450pk050411.jpg" /></div><br />
<br />
Do you know any 15-year-olds who are on their way to <strong>Harvard</strong>?<br />
<br />
Meet <strong>Saheela Ibraheem</strong> (pictured), a senior at <strong>Wardlaw-Hartridge School</strong> in Edison, N.J.<br />
<br />
Crediting her parents, who are Nigerian immigrants, for her academic achievements -- her father is said to have stayed up at night teaching her subjects not found at school -- Saheela's exceptional journey began as a 6th grader at <strong>Conackamack Middle School</strong> in Piscataway, N.J.<div style="float: right; margin: 5pt 1em 1em 5pt;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bvblackspin.com%2F2011%2F05%2F04%2F15-year-old-picks-harvard-after-being-accepted-to-13-colleges%2F&src=sp" name="fb_share" style="text-decoration: none;" type="box_count"><span class="fb_share_size_Small fb_share_count_wrapper"><span></span><span class="fb_share_count_nub_top "></span><span class="fb_share_count fb_share_count_top"><span class="fb_share_count_inner"></span></span><span class="FBConnectButton FBConnectButton_Small" style="cursor: pointer;"><span class="FBConnectButton_Text"></span></span></span></a> </div>While there, Saheela asked to be moved to a higher-level class because she was passionate about math. Instead, the school decided to skip her a grade. <br />
<br />
<strong>But this would be just the beginning</strong>.<br />
<br />
Saheela realized early on that her public school still wasn't doing it for her; consequently, the zealous student moved to <strong>Wardlaw-Hartridge</strong>, a private school, and skipped freshman year to land in 10th grade. Her new school would end up being the right place for Saheela, giving her the bandwith to feel challenged and excel. Wardlaw-Hartridge Director of Development <strong>William Jenkins</strong> says:<br />
<br />
"She's learned and she's very smart. But she keeps pushing herself."<br />
<br />
<strong>But this is not just the story of a student who has mastered education. Saheela takes the concept of stimulating the mind and body to a whole other level</strong>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/piscataway_15-year-old_girl_he.html#cmpid=v2mode_be_smoref_face" target="_blank"><strong>From the Star-Ledger</strong></a>:<br />
<br />
"<em>She is a three-sport athlete, playing outfield for the school's softball team, defender on the soccer team, and swimming relays and 50-meter races for the swim team. She also sings alto in the school choir, plays trombone in the school band and serves as president of the school's investment club, which teaches students about the stock market by investing in virtual stocks</em>."<br />
<br />
<strong>And she is just getting started</strong>.<br />
<br />
Last year, Saheela applied to 14 colleges and universities that spanned the nation with a "<em>grade point average (between a 96 and 97 on a 100-point scale) and her 2,340 SAT score (a perfect 800 on the math section, a 790 in writing and a 750 in reading)</em>." <br />
<br />
<strong>California Institute of Technology</strong>, Harvard, <strong>Princeton</strong>, the <strong>University of Pennsylvania</strong>, <strong>Columbia</strong>,<strong> Cornell</strong>,<strong> Brown</strong>, <strong>Williams College</strong>, <strong>Stanford</strong>, <strong>University of Chicago</strong>, <strong>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</strong>, <strong>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</strong> and <strong> Washington University</strong> <strong>in St. Louis all accepted her</strong>. <br />
<br />
Surprise, surprise, Saheela chose Harvard and wants to major in either neurobiology and neuroscience in order to study how the brain works. <br />
<br />
Of her accomplishments, Saheela only had this to say:<br />
<br />
I try my best in everything I do," Saheela said. "Anyone who's motivated can work wonders."<br />
<br />
I am dumbfounded by Saheela's success. If she is like this as a teen, what will she accomplish as a full-fledged adult? Kudos to her family for doing such a fine job raising a balanced, ambitious child. As a fellow parent, that is not an easy thing to do. <br />
<br />
Just a few months ago, the phenomenon of <strong>Amy Chua's</strong> <a href="http://www.bvonmoney.com/2011/01/20/tiger-mother-vs-black-mamas-battle-hym-tiger-mother/" target="_blank"><strong>Tiger Mom</strong></a> overwhelmed the airwaves as people discussed the strategy of raising a successful child. The Tiger Mom ideology tauted all work and no play, with everything -- consciously or unconsciously -- focusing on being the best academic student. <br />
<br />
Saheela's parents, though, allowed their daughter (and other children who also attend the same school as Saheela) to have a more balanced existence, encouraging her in academics and extracurricular activities. <br />
<br />
How impressive!<br />
<br />
Wednesday morning, <strong>The Root</strong> broke a story about the small surge of pornography in Africa. I'm not sure if this is something that is being condoned or vilified, but the real point of the piece is to say that young poverty-stricken kids are now starting to look at the porno industry as a ticket out of indigency. <br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/young-africans-who-want-be-porn-stars?page=0,0" target="_blank"><strong>The Root</strong></a>:<br />
<br />
"<em>In dedicated apartments, young women watch movies to learn every kind of caress, sexual positions and Western-style pornographic techniques. The 'teachers' do not hesitate to show the girls how to do things right. ... They also test men's and women's abilities</em>."<br />
<br />
One South African self-described 23-year-old porno star <strong>Palesa Mbau</strong> sees African involvement in the porno industry as a step toward black empowerment:<br />
<br />
"I am getting proud because it is a black [pornographic movie]," says Mbau. "That is raising black empowerment because the porn films that you [commonly] see in South Africa are all white."<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Really</strong></em>?<br />
<br />
As black people, I don't know why we often use false and negative touchstones as inspiration. As I read about the African porno industry, I felt sick to my stomach. As if we already don't have enough problems to deal with, now we want to encourage our young men and women to join in the dubious porno industry. <br />
<strong><br />
Couldn't any of them come up with something better than that</strong>? <strong>What with all the STDs and HIV/AIDs affecting black people all over the globe, this is the best we can come up with</strong>? <br />
<br />
Someone needs to tell all of our children that the mind is the only real ticket from hunger. That lasting success and solid bank accounts comes to those who study. That the human beings who made an indelible impact on society were the ones who pushed themselves to think, question and know. <br />
<br />
Stories such as Saheela's show what happens when we choose our minds as <em>the </em>vehicle to experience all that life has to offer.<br />
<br />
Congratulations, Saheela!Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-17930096496681304752011-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:002011-05-04T07:39:22.908-07:00Your Child 99% Stupid and 1% Exceptional? Hang in with the 1%<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px;"></span><br />
<div class="article story" id="article_story_body" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 11px;"><div class="articlePage" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NP422_mag511_G_20110421183725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="[mag511_meet1]" border="0" height="369" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NP422_mag511_G_20110421183725.jpg" style="border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: initial; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="553" /></a><br />
<h3 class="byline" style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 0.583em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
By <a href="http://online.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=JOSHUA+LEVINE&bylinesearch=true" style="color: #093d72; letter-spacing: 1px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase;">JOSHUA LEVINE</a></h3><div class="insetContent embedType-image imageFormat-G" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 19px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 0px; width: 555px; zoom: 1;"><div class="insetTree" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipUnit" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; top: 0px;"><cite style="color: #666666; display: block; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; text-align: right;">Photograph by Ronald Dick</cite><br />
<div class="targetCaption" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Eve and Ted Branson photographed at home just before Ted's 93rd-birthday party.</div></div></div></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="legacyInset" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 19px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 278px;"><div class="insetContent" style="border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 4px; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 0px; zoom: 1;"><h3 class="first" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #333333; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Timeline: Daredevil Billionaire</h3><div class="insetContent embedType-interactive" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; float: none; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; zoom: 1;"><div class="insetTree" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipUnit insetTarget" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; top: 0px;"><div class="insetZoomTargetBox" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipBox" style="bottom: -5px; font-size: 1em; left: -5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute;"><div class="insettip" style="background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1em; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576249123462201938.html#" style="background-color: #eff4f8; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #093d72; cursor: pointer; display: block; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; text-decoration: none;">View Interactive</a></div></div></div><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576249123462201938.html#" style="color: #093d72; cursor: pointer; display: block; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="174" hspace="0" src="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NR780_BRANSO_D_20110428141248.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="262" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">They look like they stepped straight out of "Mrs. Miniver," but life wasn't easy in the village of Shamley Green, Surrey, where Richard grew up. Ted was struggling to make a career as a barrister. He had wanted to be an archaeologist—his own father was a High Court judge, though, so his path was laid out. Perhaps this is why Richard was given remarkably free rein to find his own way. Richard describes his father as a quiet figure, fond of his pipe and newspaper.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Eve is another story: onetime dancer, air hostess, glider pilot and all-around pistol. However, when Richard, her eldest, came along in 1950, she stopped working even though money was tight. In the Branson family government, Ted was the reassuring home secretary and Eve was a feisty minister of pluck.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Richard, his wife, Joan, their two children and his parents were all planning to fly into space whenever Richard launches Virgin Galactic, his commercial space-flight venture. "Between you, me and the gatepost," Ted told me conspiratorially, "I suspect it's as close to heaven as I'll ever get." We pray that he's wrong. Just before publication, Ted Branson passed away in his sleep.</div><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; display: block; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 89px; margin-right: 3em; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Schoolbook', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 1.2857em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: -89px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 13px; padding-left: 57px; padding-right: 65px; padding-top: 15px; text-align: center;"><span class="quo oQ" style="display: block; font-size: 100px; left: -81px; line-height: 1em; position: absolute; top: 1px;">“</span>We didn't know whether he was 99 percent stupid and 1 percent rather exceptional. We hung on to that 1 percent<span class="quo cQ" style="bottom: -45px; display: block; font-size: 100px; line-height: 1em; position: absolute; right: 16px;">”</span></div></blockquote><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div class="insetContent insetCol3wide embedType-image imageFormat-D" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; clear: left; float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 19px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 0px; width: 264px; zoom: 1;"><div class="insetTree" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipUnit insetZoomTarget" id="articleThumbnail_2" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; top: 0px;"><div class="insetZoomTargetBox" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipBox" style="bottom: -5px; font-size: 1em; left: -5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute;"><div class="insettip" style="background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1em; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=1793009649668130475" style="background-color: #eff4f8; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px;">View Full Image</a></div></div></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=1793009649668130475" style="cursor: pointer; display: block;"><img alt="mag511meet7" border="0" height="174" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NQ062_mag511_D_20110425115125.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="262" /></a></div><cite style="color: #666666; display: block; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; text-align: right;">courtesy of the Bransons</cite><br />
<div class="targetCaption" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When Richard (pictured with classmates) left school at 16, a headmaster predicted he would "either go to prison or become a millionaire."</div></div><div class="insetFullBracket" id="articleImage_2" style="font-size: 1em; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: -100%; visibility: hidden; z-index: 100;"><div class="insetFullBox" style="background-image: url(http://s1.wsj.net/img/BGD_insetBracket.png); border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: -10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -30px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 30px; position: absolute;"><div class="insetButton" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 8px; top: 5px;"><a class="insetClose" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=1793009649668130475" style="background-image: url(http://s2.wsj.net/img/BTN_insetClose.gif); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 19px; text-indent: -9999px; width: 19px;"><img alt="mag511meet7" border="0" height="19" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/img/BTN_insetClose.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="19" /></a></div><img alt="mag511meet7" border="0" height="369" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NQ062_mag511_G_20110425115125.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="553" /></div></div></div></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Everybody says Richard gets his gumption from you. Did you do anything in particular to foster that?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>Well, I didn't want him to be a namby-pamby little boy like all the other little boys. He was timid, so I used to make him perform. I said, "When you're timid, you're just thinking of yourself! Think of the other person—put him at ease, get him a drink." I used to get very cross when he was shy.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">There's a story that you dropped him on a hillside nearby when he was 5 years old and made him find his way back home. That's just terrible!</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>No it isn't! It's made him who he is today! He was a naughty boy, and it took some of the energy out of him. But he got lost at the end. He knocked on a farmer's door—he's had his head well-screwed-on all his life—and the farmer rang me up and said, "Have you got a blue-eyed boy who's gone missing?" I said, "My goodness, yes," but I admit that by this time even I was worried—I thought, "My God, you've really done it this time!"</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">What did he get from his father?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>I think he found his father quiet and comforting, and he needed that. I'm too much like him. Ted would say, "Yes, dear boy," even when he was being naughty. He had his father twisted around his little finger, but he needed the mixture of the two of us.</div><div class="insetContent insetCol3wide embedType-image imageFormat-D" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; clear: left; float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 19px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 0px; width: 264px; zoom: 1;"><div class="insetTree" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipUnit insetZoomTarget" id="articleThumbnail_3" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; top: 0px;"><div class="insetZoomTargetBox" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipBox" style="bottom: -5px; font-size: 1em; left: -5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute;"><div class="insettip" style="background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1em; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=1793009649668130475" style="background-color: #eff4f8; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px;">View Full Image</a></div></div></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=1793009649668130475" style="cursor: pointer; display: block;"><img alt="mag511_meet3" border="0" height="174" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NP425_mag511_D_20110421183918.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="262" /></a></div><cite style="color: #666666; display: block; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; text-align: right;">courtesy of the Bransons</cite><br />
<div class="targetCaption" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In the mid-'80s, Richard (here with Ted and Eve) expanded upon his success with Virgin Records by launching Virgin Atlantic Airways.</div></div><div class="insetFullBracket" id="articleImage_3" style="font-size: 1em; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: -100%; visibility: hidden; z-index: 100;"><div class="insetFullBox" style="background-image: url(http://s1.wsj.net/img/BGD_insetBracket.png); border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: -10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -30px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 30px; position: absolute;"><div class="insetButton" style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 8px; top: 5px;"><a class="insetClose" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=1793009649668130475" style="background-image: url(http://s2.wsj.net/img/BTN_insetClose.gif); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 19px; text-indent: -9999px; width: 19px;"><img alt="mag511_meet3" border="0" height="19" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/img/BTN_insetClose.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="19" /></a></div><img alt="mag511_meet3" border="0" height="369" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NP425_mag511_G_20110421183918.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="553" /></div></div></div></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>You need to show them love, so when they go off in the morning they can stick their chest out and say, "I'm a man." Would you agree with that, darling?</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>They certainly need a lot of love so they know you're behind them whatever they do, well, more or less.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Was he naughty in school?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>Let's say he was unusual at school. We didn't know whether he was 99 percent stupid and 1 percent rather exceptional. We hung on to that 1 percent. Not everybody would want a son like that, but I'm quite glad now, mind you.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Were there any early signs that you were raising a great entrepreneur?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>When he was 15, there were the budgerigars. He was going to sell them, but they kept multiplying and we were left looking after all these birds when he went off to boarding school. One day I said, "I can't take this, I'm going to open all the cages and let them go free." And I did. He didn't mind particularly. Next he thinks, "I will buy little baby Christmas trees and make my fortune when they're big enough." We helped him plant them on the property. Then rabbits ate them. But by then he was doing his magazine, and that was more successful.</div><div class="insetContent embedType-image imageFormat-DV" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 19px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 0px; width: 264px; zoom: 1;"><div class="insetTree" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipUnit" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; top: 0px;"><img alt="[mag511_meet4]" border="0" height="394" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NP426_mag511_DV_20110421184002.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="262" /><cite style="color: #666666; display: block; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; text-align: right;">courtesy of the Bransons</cite><br />
<div class="targetCaption" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">At school, Richard captained the football, rugby and cricket teams, winning cups each year on sports day.</div></div></div></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>We thought it was a school magazine, but it was a national magazine called Student.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>Richard told us, "I want to leave school to start a magazine. If I can pass an A-level [an English secondary-school exam], do you promise me I can leave school?" We said all right.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>I wouldn't have left when he did, but he was determined. I felt he hadn't gotten enough education, but I also felt this was something he should find out for himself.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Did you expect him to fall on his face?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>Oh yes.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>I really started him off. He had made friends with a vicar in London who let him use the crypt in his church to produce the magazine, so he and his little friends sat on the floor amongst all the coffins. One day I was going around London, and I found a pearl necklace. The police said if nobody claimed it in a month, it was mine. I didn't know if it was real or not, but a jeweler took a risk and gave me 100 pounds for it. I went down to the church and said, "You're not going to get it all in one go, but every time I come up to London, I'll give you 10 pounds." And Richard said, "Oh come on, hand it all over," and of course I gave in and he was able to launch the magazine.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">I gather he had a dicey moment in his next venture when he was caught selling discount records designated for export only. I believe you had to remortgage your home to pay the tax authorities what he owed plus a hefty fine.</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">EVE: </strong>That was pretty horrifying for the both of us.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>It was very distressing, very distressing. But Richard reacted first, and he was so full of remorse that all we could do was to stand by him. He paid the money off in installments, so in fact he doesn't have a conviction.</div><div class="insetContent embedType-image imageFormat-DV" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(112, 120, 124); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 19px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 0px; width: 264px; zoom: 1;"><div class="insetTree" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="insettipUnit" style="float: left; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; top: 0px;"><img alt="[mag511eve]" border="0" height="394" hspace="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-NR714_mag511_DV_20110428130242.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="262" /><cite style="color: #666666; display: block; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; text-align: right;">John M. Heller/Getty Images</cite><br />
<div class="targetCaption" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Branson gives his mother a lift at a 2007 event.</div></div></div></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">When did you start to breathe a little easier about him?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>When British Airways was trying to destroy Virgin Atlantic Airways and there was a lawsuit, and in order to win it, he had to sell his record company. He sold it for 600 million pounds, I think it was, and then one realized that he was showing considerable promise. But what one does know when one has learned enough about life is that if it comes fairly easily, it can go fairly easily. And so only in comparatively recent years did I feel that he's got enough now to face up to whatever the world throws at him.</div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">What has made you proudest—it can't be the money?</strong></div><div style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">TED: </strong>I was in Leicester Square and two of his shows were playing, and everybody was calling out, "Richard, Richard!" Everybody calls him Richard from the lowest office boy on up. Nobody calls him Richard Branson or Sir Richard. This makes me very proud.</div></div></div><br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576249123462201938.html#ixzz1LOTAtSa0" style="color: #003399; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576249123462201938.html#ixzz1LOTAtSa0</a>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-27797415212786811262011-05-03T15:10:00.000-07:002011-05-03T15:11:36.182-07:00African-American teens face 90% summer unemployment rateFeel like screaming "Get a job!" to your teenager this summer? Parental threats of no car keys, groundings or taking phones away if they don't find work may not do much good when there are few jobs for teens to even land.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42853461/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy/" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reports just one in four U.S. teens -- a record-low and the worst rate since World War II -- will be able to secure a summer job this year. As a result, urban studies experts tell the news service, big cities such as Chicago could see more street violence.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Both national and local leadership continue to ignore the plight of youth who are most at risk for potential violence as a result of being left on the streets in the summer months when crime is at its most explosive," <a href="http://www.thechicagourbanleague.org/chicagourbanleague/site/default.asp" target="_blank">Chicago Urban League</a> President Andrea Zopp tells Reuters in a statement.<br />
<br />
In Chicago, the news service reports, 16- to 19-year-old African-Americans face a nearly 90 percent summer unemployment rate, while the summer employment rate for teens nationwide is expected to be about 25 percent, according to an analysis by Andrew Sum of the <a href="http://www.clms.neu.edu/" target="_blank">Center for Labor Market Studies</a> at Northeastern University in Boston.<br />
<br />
Experts tell Reuters no summer jobs for teens can result in a less-experienced work force and "increased government spending due to lower lifetime earnings, reduced tax revenues and higher prison costs."Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-80068647293263696472011-04-30T10:20:00.000-07:002011-05-02T14:13:25.587-07:00Youngsters using their creativity to build Robots<a href="http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/whats_right/wrtb-robotics-team-040711?CMP=201104"></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFE0PIkRlo3-fjYJVcPiZ26D3lwPgWqxdLRJlsXBolBDRzWG48t3VkPNGR1bakxoweK384UPxSjskd-KvmeU-wrVrsbL5xQq4cxlm_bX8ZT21Y86WtNxXrk34gu5NpOa0_QXYo7klz5IO/s1600/0407wrtb.WTVT_tmb0001_20110407153437_640_480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFE0PIkRlo3-fjYJVcPiZ26D3lwPgWqxdLRJlsXBolBDRzWG48t3VkPNGR1bakxoweK384UPxSjskd-KvmeU-wrVrsbL5xQq4cxlm_bX8ZT21Y86WtNxXrk34gu5NpOa0_QXYo7klz5IO/s320/0407wrtb.WTVT_tmb0001_20110407153437_640_480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/whats_right/wrtb-robotics-team-040711">http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/whats_right/wrtb-robotics-team-040711</a></div><div id="firstColumnModulesStoryPage" style="font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold;">Building the future, one robot at a time</span></div></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 class="fontStyle51" style="color: #333333; font: bold 22px Arial,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br />
</h1><div class="fontStyle21" style="color: #636363; font: 9px Arial,sans-serif; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Updated: Thursday, 07 Apr 2011, 3:37 PM EDT<br />
Published : Thursday, 07 Apr 2011, 3:37 PM EDT</div><ul class="byline fontStyle16" style="color: #636363; font: 11px Arial,sans-serif; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></ul><div class="fontStyle4" style="color: #404040; font: 12px/17px Arial,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="story last" style="font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">TAMPA - Young kids using their creative minds and imagination in a positive way may one day help change the world.</div><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Armani Humbert and Nick Berlund enjoy working together on the robot they built. They are part of a robotics team called Darth Panthers.</div><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">The team formed in 2006 at Lomax Magnet Elementary School. Earlier this year, they competed in the Florida Lego League State Robotics Tournament. They won the director's award and earned an automatic bid to compete in the North America tournament at Legoland California.</div><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">"I think it mostly contributes to us being together as a team for a long time, so we know each other's strength and weaknesses, and that way we can work out what we are going to do," Nick explained.</div><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">The competition has three major areas: robot building, research, and core values.</div><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">"It's probably not as hard as you probably think but you know it does take practice and skill to actually try to make something very successful," Armani offered.</div><div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">The Darth Panthers say they are proud to represent the state of Florida later this year in California. </div></div></div>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-6894494806956950782011-04-30T08:55:00.000-07:002011-04-30T08:55:56.415-07:00Educators and Filmmakers give Students First foothold in the Industry<div id="content_maincontent" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/entwire_bv/post_left_corner); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; color: #4b4b4b; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1.1em; padding-right: 1em; padding-top: 1.2em; position: relative; width: 46.5em;"><div id="p19927133" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="postHeader" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0.3em; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #5b5851; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 28px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="ppt19927133" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Building Communities & Embracing New Models</span></h2></div><div class="bloggerDetail" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(224, 226, 223); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="byline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; width: 350px;"><span class="postData" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://blogs.blackvoices.com/bloggers/rodney-evans/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 1em; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Rodney Evans</a> on Apr 28th 2011 6:27PM</span></div><div class="Numcomments" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/entwire_bv/comment_bubble); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 9px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #575757; float: right; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 13px; padding-left: 1.7em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 8px;"><a href="http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2011/04/28/building-communities-and-embracing-new-models/?evar1=vo-featured|mod0|http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2011/04/28/building-communities-and-embracing-new-models/#commentsInline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font-size: 1.2em; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Comments (5)</a></div></div><div class="share_class2" id="shareMainshow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div addthis:title="%EncodedPostTitle%" addthis:url="http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.blackvoices.com%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fbuilding-communities-and-embracing-new-models%2F" class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 54px;"></div></div><div class="post" id="19927133" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #333333; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/mars/2314/rodneyadrianabrandon1.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 4px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" /></div><br />
I have never been big on career strategizing. I tend to follow where my passion leads me and trust my gut instincts. After several years and endless meetings on a larger period film ($1.5m - larger in my world), I started to crave the idea of doing something contemporary on a really small scale with the minimal resources that I had immediate access to.<br />
<br />
This idea was also sparked by my experience at the <a href="http://www.binger.nl/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Binger Film Lab's Director's Coaching Program in Amsterdam</a>, where I managed to shoot a 10 minute short film in 8 hours with a three-person crew and two actors. This short, 'Billy and Aaron,' part of the larger period film 'Day Dream,' premiered at Tribeca last year and has played 25 film festivals since then. It was a startling reminder of how little was actually needed to make a good film that you could be proud of.<br />
<br />
Coming from a documentary background, where I was used to working as a one-man band, it felt very natural to be working this way and would be an asset to certain types of stories. With the experience of shooting the short fresh in my mind, I had been back in NYC for a couple of weeks in the summer of 2009 and was invited to a production of a play called 'The Happy Sad' by my friend Ken Urban. I had seen an earlier reading of the play at Playwrights Horizons and found it genuinely funny and profoundly moving, while also dealing with topics like open relationships, internet hook-ups and fear of commitment that I saw playing out around me in so many of my friend's lives (and my own).<br />
<br />
These issues seemed so prevalent within my circle of friends, but were so rarely dealt with in films in any kind of realistic or meaningful way. I immediately saw its potential as a film and when I mentioned that to Ken, he told me he had already begun adapting it into a screenplay. After reviewing each draft and giving my feedback, the third draft really struck home and I knew I had to direct it. It would still need focusing and more revisions to fully transform from the stageplay into a film, but the essence of it was there.<br />
<br />
With the finished screenplay in hand, it became time to think about how we would raise the necessary production funds to get the cameras rolling this summer. After a great info session hosted by Yancey Strickland at the Kickstarter headquarters, the idea of crowdfunding started to feel like a viable option. As I walked to the subway with a filmmaker friend, we discussed how difficult it can be to ask for the resources that you need to make work, and that for artists at a certain stage in our careers (beyond emerging, but not yet mid-career), we both had the feeling that we should be pretending that there was enough support from grants, foundations and traditional industry resources to make our films. We needed to get over the shame about the fact that these resources were not forthcoming and start pursuing different models.<br />
<br />
I think for filmmakers of color who are not interested in doing genre material, but more focused on pushing aesthetic boundaries while still also being emotionally engaging, the deck is stacked even more against us. Instead of going to the same doors over and over again only to find them closed for the umpteenth time, I decided to utilize Kickstarter to reach the communities that tend to embrace my finished work and actually see it as a reflection of a personal experience that they rarely get to see on screen. In short, I was going where the love was.<br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="410px" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1309653304/the-happy-sad-from-the-director-of-brother-to-brot/widget/video.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="480px"></iframe></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">A great source of inspiration over the past few months has been the distribution efforts launched by Ava Duverney with her first narrative feature, 'I Will Follow.' Here was a self-financed, microbudget feature with impeccable writing, acting and directing from an African-American filmmaker who decided to stop waiting for someone to give her permission to make a film.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://(https://www.facebook.com/affrm)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement or AFFRM </a>is the distribution model Ava created with much success by pooling the resources and organizing power of the largest African-American film festivals in the country. It was great to witness the large turnout on her opening weekend to support an independent filmmaker's vision, all fueled by grassroots, inexpensive marketing techniques. It's a new successful, community-based model that works. It got me thinking about how so many of the sources and inspiration for the stories that I tell come from relationships and experiences that I see around me on a daily basis. How could those communities be brought into the filmmaking process to tell alternative and original stories?<br />
<br />
With my microbudget feature 'The Happy Sad' centering on alternative, risk-embracing twenty- and thirty-somethings looking to expand "proper" notions of romantic relationships, it seemed like a no-brainer to incorporate these students into a collaborative filmmaking process since they showed similar traits and qualities in their own lives and artistic practice. It seemed like a natural extension of the dialogue that had begun in the classroom with students able to receive course credit for hands-on experience in feature filmmaking. It's a model that merges my roles as an educator and indie filmmaker while also providing students with their first foothold in the industry, working side by side with experienced professionals. It seems like the right production model for this film and exemplifies a lot of the ways that I have been rethinking the means and methods of filmmaking.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="vimage_2336" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/mars/2336/rodneyadrianabrandonpiano2-1304084896.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(230, 230, 228); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 4px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" /></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
I used to pour all of my passion and energy into one project that I would focus on for many years until it got done. As I evolve, I have learned the value of not placing all of your eggs in one basket but having two or three different projects of different size and scope so that I can continue to make work under different circumstances. I think directing skills, like most other skills, atrophy when not put to use, so this is a way to stay nimble and keep exercising those muscles while providing opportunities for emerging film professionals as well.<br />
<br />
It is now day 16 of our 30-day Kickstarter campaign and we are 30% of the way there. It's taken 3-4 hours of email outreach per day, plus the help of friends and supporters in spreading the word virally. My laptop and I are closer than ever before and we still have 14 more days to go! I see this effort as larger than myself, though, and it points the way towards more community-based models for filmmakers to use in order to get work produced and distributed.<br />
<br />
I recently mentioned this new project to a filmmaker friend. His email response (posted below) made me feel less alone in my quest for new models in the face of an industry that has collapsed, but also never functioned as a support mechanism for our work in the first place:<br />
<br />
"I think we came to similar moments, as I'm planning to shoot a lower budget film this summer also, and I just had to put the long simmering project on the side for the meantime. We are too old to wait around forever, and I think we have to be creative daily as filmmakers to figure out how to keep making films."<br />
<br />
So here's to an adventurous summer of collaborative filmmaking. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
The photo stills above are from the short 'Billy and Aaron,' copyright Rodney Evans.</div></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div class="share_class_end_main" id="shareMainendshow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div addthis:title="%EncodedPostTitle%" addthis:url="http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.blackvoices.com%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fbuilding-communities-and-embracing-new-models%2F" class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 54px;"></div></div><div class="clear" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div></div><div id="surphace-inline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div class="quigoAdCenter" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 2em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 2em;"><form action="http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2011/04/28/building-communities-and-embracing-new-models/?evar1=vo-featured|mod0|http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2011/04/28/building-communities-and-embracing-new-models/" id="qas_dfp_frm" method="get" name="qas_dfp_frm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" target=""></form></div></div>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-6472243339948571042011-04-28T20:44:00.000-07:002011-04-28T20:49:53.037-07:00Teens keep the Spirit of Entrepreneurship alive and well in Urban America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5JJMZlYEXL1JfjfexVQGaLUtV5P57rSn4Xvy3vw30yteAkucfpXnHVA5Yv5Az7sf2ThFPj7J7gQ3hRpzvSk6nyEYrxB9S9E7EECu7PL6xOwg5eBbGSl26CMVvPh6gzqdTPyWMI9DwrjZ/s1600/african-american-teens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5JJMZlYEXL1JfjfexVQGaLUtV5P57rSn4Xvy3vw30yteAkucfpXnHVA5Yv5Az7sf2ThFPj7J7gQ3hRpzvSk6nyEYrxB9S9E7EECu7PL6xOwg5eBbGSl26CMVvPh6gzqdTPyWMI9DwrjZ/s320/african-american-teens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Whoever said "youth is wasted on the young" never met a growing number of ambitious, industrious teenagers who are self-made millionaires.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A recent story in the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109472/teenage-entrepreneurs?mod=career-work" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Wall Street Journal</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">highlights several not-yet-legal adolescents who are forging their way to riches as business owners.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">While most of the students profiled in the article live in the tech-rich Silicon Valley area of the country, it's important to know that -- among the youth, in particular -- the spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and well throughout every nook and cranny of America. In fact, teens and young adults are increasingly learning how to successfully mix their academic studies with their business pursuits, regardless of their age.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">That's why colleges large and small, from coast to coast, now offer majors in entrepreneurship; many colleges without a full-fledged entrepreneurship major offer numerous entrepreneurship-oriented classes, such as creating start-ups, writing business plans or test-marketing new products and services.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Entrepreneur magazine has a list</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">of some of the leading U.S. colleges offering entrepreneurship classes and majors. If you know a budding teen entrepreneur, turn him or her on to groups like</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.c-e-o.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">CEO, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">or</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://sife.org/Pages/default.aspx" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">SIFE, Students in Free Enterprise</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Also, a good book on this topic is '</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Campus-CEO-Entrepreneurs-Launching-Multi-Million-Dollar/dp/1419593714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273610722&sr=8-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">,' by</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://randallpinkett.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4a549b; font: normal normal normal 1.1em/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Randal Pinkett</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">, winner of 'The Apprentice' with Donald Trump. Pinkett -- who was an outstanding A-student during his college days -- often credits his interest in business and his early passion for entrepreneurship as one of the foundations for his success today as a business owner.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-39600132497953090872011-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:002011-04-28T19:50:46.300-07:00True Urban Success No other Public School in the country has done this<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrEBfhcvY93PuSIvb_xvKJarl3cFffOnJ6vJWYrZsYRK9wR84nAJpp8wKsWds2lZPjd65A-qqE-PAXRt4OJEHAttDDu-I9pQOfdCzE2GnR5wm0yryqEPUqHDKhyBnszdvGpM7Q4JZXBHO/s1600/newspromrewardtb-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrEBfhcvY93PuSIvb_xvKJarl3cFffOnJ6vJWYrZsYRK9wR84nAJpp8wKsWds2lZPjd65A-qqE-PAXRt4OJEHAttDDu-I9pQOfdCzE2GnR5wm0yryqEPUqHDKhyBnszdvGpM7Q4JZXBHO/s320/newspromrewardtb-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">Well, they've done it again.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.urbanprep.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Urban Prep Academy </strong></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">of Chicago, an all-male charter school with kids from the "worst" parts of Chicago, is sending</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/urban-prep-100-percent-of_n_824286.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">100% of its graduating seniors off to college. </strong></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">The school, founded in 2006, has stated that its continuous objective is to see to it that all of its students go to college. They are succeeding with flying colors.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">The school started with kids whose futures had been left for dead by their public schools: Only four percent of the school's incoming freshmen were reading at grade level when they arrived on campus. But by sending all of their graduating seniors to college, they've not only gotten these kids up to speed, they've allowed them to zip past every other public school in the entire United States.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">"No other public [school] in the country has done this," said Tim King, the founder of Urban Prep.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">The students at the school are required to wear a jacket and tie every single day. They also go to school for two hours longer than other kids. They take English twice a day and are given a mentor with a cell number that kids can call 24 hours a day. They've clearly hit the mark when it comes to understanding that getting our children to the land of educational success requires both academic and sociological strategies.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">When I first wrote about</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/03/09/urban-prep-academy-for-young-men/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Urban Prep Academy last year</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">, I was incredibly proud. Like</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/01/13/morehouse-college-stephen-stafford/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Stephen Stafford</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">, the 13-year old kid who now attends Morehouse College, the men of Urban Prep Academy are firm reminders of what black men are meant to be. We are not hard wired to be thugs, athletes or entertainers. We are meant to be just as brilliant, capable and successful as everyone else in America. Tim King is teaching his boys something that I learned while teaching college over the last 17 years: There is no such thing as "college material." Every child can be college material if they choose to be. I was personally told that I wasn't smart enough to go to college, but it takes more intelligence to make it in prison than it does to make it on a college campus. It all comes down to hard work, and black people know how to work hard.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="ke_kit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">Urban Prep also reminds me of the controversy surrounding the "Tiger Mom," Amy Chua, who believes in positioning your children for excellence. I am a huge fan of the Tiger Mom, and I believe we need a whole bunch of "Tiger Mamas" in the black community to push our children to reach their potential (our mothers are our first teachers, giving them the most important job in the world). Even those who have access to the best of American public education are falling far behind the rest of the world when it comes to their ability to compete in the 21st century. In that regard, Tim King's boys at Urban Prep are actually ahead of the curve, not just catching up.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">What I also love about Urban Prep is that they are translating the excellence that black men show in athletics and transferring that to academic achievement. It takes far less effort and natural ability to become a heart surgeon than it does to become an NBA basketball player. By diversifying our paths toward professional and economic success, we are helping thousands of black men avoid the standard trappings of the typical inner city hoop dream.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.bvblackspin.com/2011/02/16/al-sharpton-and-dr-boyce-watkins-to-rally-for-kelley-williams-b/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> As I rally for educational equality </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">and Kelley Williams-Bolar today with Rev. Al Sharpton, I think about how this city would have treated Kelley's kids differently if one of their names had been LeBron James. It's shameful that black kids are rewarded for being athletic, but punished for being intelligent.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">We must all cheer for Urban Prep like they just won the Super Bowl. They should be given millions more dollars to pursue their objectives. Their educational model should be replicated in every city across America. They are showing us that black men are not destined for failure, fundamentally flawed or built for mediocrity. We truly embody excellence.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.greatblackspeakers.com/speakerprofiles/boycewatkins.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b0b0b; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.greatblackspeakers.com/speakerprofiles/boycewatkins.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"></a></span><a href="http://www.greatblackspeakers.com/speakerprofiles/boycewatkins.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #bf3e27; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"></a>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-25497281588551970652011-04-28T10:20:00.000-07:002011-04-28T10:21:42.219-07:00What is the Obama Administration doing to help the Black Community?<div id="blox-breadcrumbs"><ul><li> <a href="http://www.stlamerican.com/"> News Web Site </a> </li>
<li> <span class="ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e" style="float: left;"></span> <a href="http://www.stlamerican.com/business"> Business </a> </li>
<li> <span class="ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e" style="float: left;"></span> <a href="http://www.stlamerican.com/business/local_business"> Local Business </a> </li>
</ul></div><h1 id="blox-asset-title"><span class="blox-headline entry-title">‘Winning the future’ for black businesses</span></h1><div id="blox-story-media"><div class="managed-service" id="blox-story-photo-container"><div class="hMedia" id="blox-large-photo"><a href="http://www.stlamerican.com/business/local_business/article_1d74c6ba-70fe-11e0-864a-001cc4c03286.html?mode=image&photo=1" title="Obama administration official wants to connect community with opportunity"> <img alt="" id="img-holder" src="http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/stlamerican.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/0/ec/4eb/0ec4eb90-70fe-11e0-b8d2-001cc4c03286-revisions/4db86381bd0e3.preview-300.jpg" /> </a> <br />
<div class="photo-cutline entry-content"><span class="entry-content" id="gallery-cutline"> <span class="photo-credit fn">Photo by Wiley Price</span> Michael Blake, deputy associate director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and an associate director for the White House Office of Public Engagement, recently addressed about 75 African-American business and community organization leaders at FUSE Advertising on the Landing. </span> </div></div></div><div id="in-media-box"><div class="tncms-region-ads" id="tncms-region-ads-in-story"></div></div></div><div class="story-times dtstamp">Posted: <span class="updated" title="2011-04-28T00:20:00-05:00">Thursday, April 28, 2011 12:20 am</span> </div><div class="byline"><span class="bookmark hide"><a class="url entry-title" href="http://www.stlamerican.com/business/local_business/article_1d74c6ba-70fe-11e0-864a-001cc4c03286.html" rel="bookmark">‘Winning the future’ for black businesses</a></span> <span class="author vcard"><span class="fn">By Rebecca S. Rivas</span></span> <span class="hide source-org vcard"><span class="org fn">St. Louis American</span></span> | <a class="blox-comment" href="http://www.stlamerican.com/business/local_business/article_1d74c6ba-70fe-11e0-864a-001cc4c03286.html#user-comment-area" id="comment_1d74c6ba-70fe-11e0-864a-001cc4c03286"> 0 comments </a> </div><div class="entry-content" id="blox-story-text"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What is the Obama administration doing for the African-American community?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“That’s a limiting question,” said Michael Blake, deputy associate director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and an associate director for the White House Office of Public Engagement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Blake spoke to about 75 African-American business and community organization leaders on April 20 to discuss some of the White House’s new programs. He also heard the audience members’ concerns that federal initiatives for minorities often don’t play out on the local level.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The event, held at FUSE Advertising on the Landing, was one of 1,000 events in 100 cities that Blake will hold to get the word out about these initiatives and how people can access them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“This is showing that you can organize even if you are not present,” Blake said. “How do you identify people on the ground who do this every day? My job is to find the local leaders around the country.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">First, Blake announced a new website, <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/africanamericans">www.whitehouse.gov/africanamericans</a>, which lists the federal programs benefiting the black community. From small-business lending programs to health care, Blake laid out the “Winning the Future” federal budget 2012. After an hour of discussion, Blake said he heard a continual theme.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“You have people who run businesses who are ready,” he said. “All they want is a chance. They want access to the opportunities. One of the things I’ll take back is we need to continue to find ways to make people aware of the opportunities and then concretely make the connection to the agency who can provide that help.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">To help entrepreneurs in low-income and minority communities start businesses and create jobs in inner cities, the federal budget includes $13 million to continue the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders initiative (formerly Emerging 200). Overall, the budget supports $16.5 billion in 7(a) loan guarantees, helping small businesses operate and expand.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">There are also several initiatives designed to promote entrepreneurship in underserved areas, he said. The challenge some audience members expressed was getting those opportunities enforced in Missouri.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Keith Turner of Turner Technologies Inc. said he was concerned that the new SBA programs targeting women will exacerbate a current problem where the wives of wealthy white business owners apply for the programs and take away opportunities from minority-owned businesses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“We see it every day,” Turner said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">However, Blake said from a practical standpoint, “this will lead minority women to getting access to counsel and capital, which was never happening.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Alan Green, director for the Office of Supplier and Workforce Diversity within the state Office of Administration, said when Missouri received the stimulus money for capital projects, few minorities got to participate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“How can we get more access?” Green asked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“The challenge in terms of why dollars didn’t get down to minority businesses like we wanted to,” Blake said, “the states had already decided where the money would go – which was completely out of our control.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">He said the administration could have worked more aggressively to ensure those dollars were getting to minorities. However, he said people should not assume that the federal government knows what’s going on at the state level. Overall, he was asking the leaders in the room for their help in spreading the information and staying connected.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“Policy is about people,” he said. “People need to understand the benefits of their health care and they need to understand that teachers’ jobs were saved. It may not be perfect and there is more to do, but all we are trying to do is help people.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A Bronx, New York native, Blake said he feels his position of directing outreach to the African-American community is a good fit for him because he grew up in struggle. He said he never takes for granted that his mother was homeless and his two brothers served time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">“I can relate to what people are going through, which allows me a chance to be successful,” he said. “I know what struggle is, and I know what that feels like. My thing now is that I’m not just telling you about a program or a theory. I’m telling you because I know what it’s like to need some help.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Blake encouraged people to go to the website, join the listserv, host events and tell the story. He aims to add one million African Americans to his listserv.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“If you have benefited from something this administration has done, tell the story,” he said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">He invited individuals to email <a href="mailto:africanamericans@who.eop.gov">africanamericans@who.eop.gov</a> with questions.</span></div><h3 class="more-keywords">More about <i><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-tag blox-icon-tag-link-story"></span><a class="blox-tag-related-keywords" href="http://www.stlamerican.com/topic/?q=employment&t=&l=25&d=&d1=&d2=&f=html&s=&sd=desc&s=start_time" rel="tag">Employment</a></i></h3><ul class="bull-list"><li><b>ARTICLE</b>: McDonald’s adds 50,000 </li>
</ul></div><ul class="story-tools-sprite service-members"><li class="print-button-sprite" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=2549728158855197065">Print<span class="icon"></span></a></li>
<li class="share-button-sprite share-widget"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4263284654609961048&postID=2549728158855197065"><span class="icon"></span></a></li>
</ul>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-21239250053720793252011-04-26T15:47:00.000-07:002011-04-26T15:47:33.544-07:00Bring Back Songs that Inspired and Love Songs<h6 class="kicker">Findings</h6><h1 class="articleHeadline">A Generation’s Vanity, Heard Through Lyrics</h1><h6 class="byline">By <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/john_tierney/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More Articles by John Tierney">JOHN TIERNEY</a></h6><h6 class="dateline">Published: April 25, 2011</h6><div class="articleBody"> A couple of years ago, as his fellow <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/psychology_and_psychologists/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about psychologists.">psychologists</a> debated whether narcissism was increasing, Nathan DeWall heard Rivers Cuomo singing to a familiar 19th-century melody. Mr. Cuomo, the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/weezer/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about Weezer.">Weezer</a>, billed the song as “Variations on a Shaker Hymn.” <br />
</div><div class="articleInline runaroundLeft"> <div class="inlineImage module"> <div class="image"> <div class="icon enlargeThis"><a href="">Enlarge This Image</a></div><a href=""> <img alt="" height="258" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/04/26/science/26tierney/26tierney-articleInline.jpg" width="190" /> </a> </div><h6 class="credit">Viktor Koen</h6><br />
</div><div class="columnGroup doubleRule"> <h3 class="sectionHeader">Related</h3><ul class="headlinesOnly multiline flush"><li><h6><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/top/news/science/columns/findings/index.html">More Findings Columns</a></h6></li>
</ul></div><div class="doubleRule"><h3 class="sectionHeader">RSS Feed</h3><div class="story"> <div class="inlineLeft" id="readerscomment"> <div class="content"> <blockquote>Share your thoughts.</blockquote><ul class="more"><li><a href="http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/science/26tier.html#postComment" rel="2p">Post a Comment »</a></li>
<li><a href="http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/science/26tier.html" rel="3v">Read All Comments (203) »</a></li>
</ul></div></div></div></div></div>Where 19th-century Shakers had sung “ ’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,” Mr. Cuomo offered his own lyrics: “I’m the meanest in the place, step up, I’ll mess with your face.” Instead of the Shaker message of love and humility, Mr. Cuomo sang over and over, “I’m the greatest man that ever lived.” <br />
The refrain got Dr. DeWall wondering: “Who would actually sing that aloud?” Mr. Cuomo may have been parodying the grandiosity of other singers — but then, why was there so much grandiosity to parody? Did the change from “Simple Gifts” to “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIbnlvjF5PY" title="YouTube video.">Greatest Man That Ever Lived</a>” exemplify a broader trend? <br />
Now, after a computer analysis of three decades of hit songs, Dr. DeWall and other psychologists report finding what they were looking for: a statistically significant trend toward narcissism and hostility in popular music. As they hypothesized, the words “I” and “me” appear more frequently along with anger-related words, while there’s been a corresponding decline in “we” and “us” and the expression of positive emotions. <br />
“Late adolescents and college students love themselves more today than ever before,” Dr. DeWall, a psychologist at the <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_kentucky/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about University of Kentucky">University of Kentucky</a>, says. <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2011-05681-001" title="Study abstract.">His study covered song lyrics from 1980 to 2007</a> and controlled for genre to prevent the results from being skewed by the growing popularity of, say, rap and hip-hop. <br />
Defining the personality of a generation with song lyrics may seem a bit of a reach, but Dr. DeWall points to research done by his co-authors that showed people of the same age scoring higher in measures of narcissism on some personality tests. The extent and meaning of this trend have been hotly debated by psychologists, some of whom question the tests’ usefulness and say that young people today aren’t any more self-centered than those of earlier generations. The new study of song lyrics certainly won’t end the debate, but it does offer another way to gauge self-absorption: the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The researchers find that hit songs in the 1980s were more likely to emphasize happy togetherness, like the racial harmony sought by <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/paul_mccartney/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Paul McCartney.">Paul McCartney</a> and <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/stevie_wonder/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Stevie Wonder.">Stevie Wonder</a> in “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZtiJN6yiik" title="YouTube video.">Ebony and Ivory</a>” and the group exuberance promoted by Kool & the Gang: “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M" title="YouTube video.">Let’s all celebrate and have a good time</a>.” <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/diana_ross/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Diana Ross.">Diana Ross</a> and <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/lionel_richie/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Lionel Richie.">Lionel Richie</a> sang of “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnfwnOp6uek">two hearts that beat as one</a>,” and <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/john_lennon/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about John Lennon.">John Lennon</a>’s “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAJ2AoEwDvY" title="YouTube video.">(Just Like) Starting Over</a>” emphasized the preciousness of “our life together.” <br />
Today’s songs, according to the researchers’ linguistic analysis, are more likely be about one very special person: the singer. “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gOHvDP_vCs" title="YouTube video.">I’m bringing sexy back</a>,” <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/justin_timberlake/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Justin Timberlake">Justin Timberlake</a> proclaimed in 2006. The year before, <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/beyonce_knowles/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Beyonce.">Beyoncé</a> exulted in how hot she looked while dancing — “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1dUDzBdnmI">It’s blazin’, you watch me in amazement</a>.” And <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/fergie/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Fergie.">Fergie</a>, who boasted about her “humps” while singing with the Black Eyed Peas, subsequently released a solo album in which she told her lover that she needed quality time alone: “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agrXgrAgQ0U">It’s personal, myself and I</a>.” <br />
Two of Dr. DeWall’s co-authors, W. Keith Campbell and Jean M. Twenge, published a book in 2009 titled “<a href="http://www.narcissismepidemic.com/" title=" ">The Narcissism Epidemic</a>," which argued that narcissism is increasingly prevalent among young people — and possibly middle-aged people, too, although it’s hard for anyone to know because most of the available data comes from college students. <br />
For several decades, students have filled out a questionnaire called the Narcissism Personality Inventory, in which they’ve had to choose between two statements like “I try not to be a show-off” and “I will usually show off if I get the chance.” The level of narcissism measured by these questionnaires has been rising since the early 1980s, according to an analysis of campus data by Dr. Twenge and Dr. Campbell. <br />
That trend has been questioned by other researchers who <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3z6fst7" title="Donnellan et al, Journal of Research in Personality">published fresh data from additional students</a>. But in the latest round of the debate, the critics’ data has been reanalyzed by Dr. Twenge, who says that it actually supports her argument. In <a href="http://spp.sagepub.com/content/1/1/99.abstract" title=" ">a meta-analysis published last year in Social Psychological and Personality Science</a>, Dr. Twenge and Joshua D. Foster looked at data from nearly 50,000 students — including the new data from critics — and concluded that narcissism has increased significantly in the past three decades. <br />
During this period, there have also been reports of higher levels of loneliness and depression — which may be no coincidence, according to the authors of the song-lyrics study. These researchers, who include Richard S. Pond of the University of Kentucky, note that narcissism has been linked to heightened anger and problems maintaining relationships. Their song-lyrics analysis shows a decline in words related to social connections and positive emotions (like “love” or “sweet”) and an increase in words related to anger and antisocial behavior (like “hate” or “kill”). <br />
“In the early ’80s lyrics, love was easy and positive, and about two people,” says Dr. Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University. “The recent songs are about what the individual wants, and how she or he has been disappointed or wronged.” <br />
Of course, in an amateur nonscientific way, you can find anything you want in song lyrics from any era. Never let it be said that the <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/rolling_stones/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about Rolling Stones">Rolling Stones</a> were soft and cuddly. In “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLddJ1WceHQ" title="YouTube video.">Sympathy for the Devil</a>” the devil gets his due, and he gets to sing in the first person. In 1988, Bobby Brown bragged that “no one can tell me what to do” in his hit song about his awesomeness, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cDLZqe735k" title="YouTube video.">My Prerogative.</a>” <br />
Country singers have always had their moments of self-absorption and self-pity. But the classic somebody-done-somebody-wrong songs aren’t necessarily angry. When <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/hank_williams/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Hank Williams Sr.">Hank Williams</a> sang “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hubUNqQLjN8" title="Song on YouTube.">Your Cheatin’ Heart</a>” he didn’t mention trashing his sweetheart’s car, as in “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaSy8yy-mr8" title="YouTube video.">Before He Cheats</a>” by <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/u/carrie_underwood/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Carrie Underwood.">Carrie Underwood</a>: “I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights.” <br />
Some psychologists are skeptical that basic personality traits can change much from one generation to the next (or from one culture to another). Even if students are scoring higher on the narcissism questionnaire, these skeptics says, it may just be because today’s students are more willing to admit to feelings that were always there. <br />
Dr. Twenge acknowledges that students today may feel more free to admit that they agree with statements on the questionnaire like “I am going to be a great person” and “I like to look at myself in the mirror.” But self-report bias probably isn’t the only reason for the changing answers, she says, and in any case this new willingness to brag is in itself an important cultural change. <br />
The song-lyrics analysis, published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, goes up to 2007, which makes it fairly up-to-date by scientific standards. But by popular music standards, 2007 is an eon ago. Could narcissism have declined since then? <br />
It would take a computerized linguistic analysis to be sure, but there are reasons to doubt it. In 2008, the same year as Weezer’s “Greatest Man That Ever Lived,” Little Jackie had a popular song titled “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ltDw_Oi24" title="YouTube video.">The World Should Revolve Around Me</a>.” <br />
The current Billboard chart includes the Cee-Lo Green comic ode to hostility with its unprintable refrain (for the <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/grammy_awards/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="More articles about the Grammy Awards.">Grammy</a> television audience, he changed it to “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZXvxxnmF10" title="YouTube video.">Forget you</a>”) as well as Keri Hilson’s paean to her own beauty: “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtXOVKNazYU">All eyes on me when I walk in, no question that this girl’s a 10</a>.” Regardless of whether the singers really mean it, there’s obviously a market for these sentiments. <br />
“The culture isn’t going to change wholesale overnight, and neither are song lyrics,” Dr. Twenge says. But she has some time-honored common-sense advice for people who want to change themselves and their relationships. <br />
“As much as possible, take your ego out of the situation,” Dr. Twenge says. “This is very difficult to do, but the perspective you gain is amazing. Ask yourself, ‘How would I look at this situation if it wasn’t about me?’ Stop thinking about winning all the time. A sure sign something might not be the best value: <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/charlie_sheen/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Charlie Sheen.">Charlie Sheen</a> talks about it a lot.” <br />
<div class="articleCorrection"> <span class="italic">This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:</span><br />
<strong>Correction: April 25, 2011</strong><br />
<span class="italic">An earlier version of this article misstated the year "My Prerogative" was released as 1989.</span><br />
</div>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-81284799350296700032011-04-26T14:28:00.000-07:002011-04-26T14:28:33.842-07:00Social Media provides opportunity for Unity<div id="p19910412"><div class="postHeader"><h2><span id="ppt19910412">Black Is</span></h2></div><div class="bloggerDetail"><div class="byline"><span class="postData">By <a href="http://blogs.blackvoices.com/bloggers/una-kariim-a-cross/">Una-Kariim A. Cross</a> on Apr 12th 2011 11:31AM</span> </div><div class="Numcomments"><a href="http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2011/04/12/black-is/?evar1=vo%7Cmod6%7Chttp://blogs.blackvoices.com/2011/04/12/black-is/#commentsInline">Comments (93)</a></div></div><div class="share_class2" id="shareMainshow"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"> </div></div><div class="post" id="19910412">I do not believe black people need to do more explaining. As long as we simply live, our contributions to this nation and world are relevant. What we most need is to embrace ourselves and our heritage.<br />
We need to collectively strengthen our socio-economic position and align (or realign) ourselves for ownership and control of our images and our messaging.<br />
<br />
We have to push beyond the images that the media delivers to our communities, both nationally and globally, and re-frame ourselves as we want to be seen. We should consider expanding our conversations about blackness beyond even being non-monolithic to embracing our Diasporan ancestry and traditions.<br />
<br />
I say this because I often find myself still trying to explain to white people the enormous intricacies of black life. I wonder if when I do this I'm looking for acceptance or because I feel the need to provide some type of authentic clarification of who I am in the context of black culture.<br />
<br />
Many of us define blackness on our own terms. When President Obama and his family moved into the White House, it stirred the so-called melting pot. Instead of a hopeful silencing under the auspices of the term "post-racial," Obama's Presidency has been somewhat of an exposé, an unearthing of sorts to the not-so-hidden bones of racial and ethnic disparities in North America.<br />
<br />
These disparities glow and flicker like industrial style florescent lights. The resurgence of the Tea Party, the multiple economies, unemployment numbers, housing, census numbers that reveal the number of blacks leaving the North and going South, the Academy Award's White Out (or Black Out), and countless other headlines and episodes illuminate and agitate the already chaotic environment.<br />
<br />
President Obama's tenure has pushed me review and question my personal identity and question the notion of "collective" identity. His Presidency has put a spotlight on blackness in ways I did not imagine.<br />
<br />
Outside of the Presidency, and looking at historically white colleges and universities, we still see that the number of black professors pales in comparison to white professors. Yet, look in the kitchen of a restaurant or other service positions and you see mostly black and brown faces. In news rooms, fire departments, and still Hollywood, we are under-represented and in service jobs (and prisons), we are over represented.<br />
<br />
Black identity (as humanity), is nuanced and complex. The media has reduced and pigeon-holed black life to: blacks as entertainers and rappers, athletes, and suspects on the local news.<br />
<br />
This leaves little room for multi-faceted black life, and the realization that there is a full-spectrum of blackness that includes people with families in suburbs, cities, and public housing, that there are active black father's, that we are artists, intellectuals ... citizens.<br />
<br />
Marlon Riggs' 1995 documentary 'Black is Black Ain't' explores the discomforts and beauty of blackness. Fifteen years later, I began my project titled 'Same Difference and Other Meditations.' The 4-channel video is a reflection on blackness from the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the present -- a combination of silent visual meditations and voices of people from various walks of blackness. Like Riggs, I developed this project because we still need to let the people know we are here and we matter.<br />
<br />
But mattering does not need explaining. We don't need to explain. We need to reposition, reassert. Be here.</div><div class="share_class_end_main" id="shareMainendshow"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"> </div></div></div><div id="content_maincontent"><style type="text/css">
</style> <div id="surphace-inline"> </div><div class="quigoAdCenter"> <form action="" id="qas_dfp_frm" method="get" name="qas_dfp_frm" target=""><input name="ie52_mac_only" type="hidden" value="" /></form></div></div>Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-36322096637672673952011-04-23T11:17:00.000-07:002011-04-23T11:17:45.545-07:00The Revolution for Education Reform will not be televisedFree Public Education like Free Advice is worth every penny we pay for it. The old system of depending on tax payers dollars (The Government) to support a Quality Public Education is Dead. Remember the Milkman? Dead! Remember Ice Houses? Dead! Remember Dial up internet? Dead! Remember the days of the one room Classroom and one teacher? Dead! Remember when there were Aides to assist Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers? Dead! Remember when the teacher student ratio was realistic? Dead! Remember when you had to go to College in order to have a great Career? Dead! Join Educators and Entertainers for Education Reform. The Student Revolution will not be Televised it will be Digitized!! Stop complaining and be a part of the Solution.Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263284654609961048.post-72765321490264751452011-04-14T11:10:00.000-07:002011-04-14T11:10:30.826-07:00Happy Thrill seeking ThursdayToday I am taking four teenage boys to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. How are you seeking your Thrills for the day?Sonaly Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927242049173229535noreply@blogger.com0