The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

Archives for July 2011

Parents Give Permission to Toke Up

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The hallway outside of Greg Newton’s Harlem loft smells like a jungle of exotic plants. Inside the fourth-floor apartment, the 18-year-old is lying on the floor smoking marijuana from a bong. His eyes are barely open. Awkwardly, Newton’s father sits next to him, seemingly higher than his son.

According to the research, marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug used by American teens today. Approximately 60 percent of teen drug users, smoke marijuana exclusively. Since many teens are using the illegally controlled substance, the question arises whether parents should give them permission to use the drug.

Single mom Beverly White says it is okay. White allows her 17-year-old son Joseph to smoke marijuana in her own home.

White, who first experimented with pot as a teen, said, “My friends were smoking so it seemed like the cool thing to do and I’ve been smoking ever since.”

White viewed her decision of allowing her son to smoke marijuana as a blessing in disguise.

“It actually helped our relationship rather than having a contentious one,” White said.

In fact, she said the decision brought them closer together because her son was honest with her.

While some people, may question White’s parenting skills, she insists that she runs a tight ship at home.

“If he wasn’t taking care of school it would be different,” White said.

There are boundaries to Whites permissiveness. She will not tolerate Joseph drinking. “I have a problem with the drinking because the drinking can lead to alcoholism,” she said.

It was about four month after Joseph started smoking pot that his mother found out about his habit.

“It came time to where I got caught so I told her,” Joseph said.

Joseph said his mother agreed to let him smoke in her house after they had   a long discussion.

He also sees the side effects of his mother’s actions.

“I look at her more as a best friend type than a mother. I can speak to her about anything,” he said.
Others, however, opposed White’s decision to allow her teen child to smoke marijuana.

Jonson Ortiz, a father of two children ages 18 and 25, said that he would not allow his children to smoke pot, calling it “a level of respect.”

“It’s settings up boundaries as to what’s the right thing and how do you want your family being remembered,” Ortiz said.

After being questioned about how a parent’s role would be altered if they allowed their children to smoke pot, adult therapist Cesia Morillo said that the parent becomes less an authority figure and will continue to play it safe.

“I think that the compromising makes it difficult for the child to understand why smoking marijuana is unhealthy in the first place,” Morillo said.

“Some parents sit down, have a conversation, set limits in terms of consequences, but they should never stoop down to their kid’s level just to ease a situation,” said an anonymous volunteer who works for Parent Stress Line, a helpline.

White argues that in her role as a parent, she will always have the upper hand. And while she does allow the pot smoking, she doesn’t condone it.

“I do hope that he stops,” White said.

The Debate on Planking: Which side are you on?

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Lying face down, while being photographed in an unusual location doesn’t sound like a remarkable activity to indulge in, however as of recently hundreds of individuals have chosen to participate in this act known as planking.
 
Nevertheless, since becoming popular in February 2011, discrepancy on the origin has emerged causing disagreements on its significance.   
 
Planking, has received controversial media attention after causing the death of an Australian man who plummeted to his death while planking on a balcony. This media attention has since augmented after entertainers, including Courtney Luv, openly denounced this trend because of its perceived ties to slavery.
 
 â€œMy view of planking is fairly negative since I do believe its roots come from either slavery or the mockery [of slavery,”] said Luv in a recent interview.
 
On her blog, http://www.courtneyluv.com, she sites research that while on “plank” beds, slaves were forced to lay face down with their arms by their side.
 
However, many slave historians find no substantial proof in Luv’s claims.
 
 â€œI doubt that the term originated from the slave trade” said Sian Rees, author of â€œSweet Water and Bitter: the Ships that Stopped the Slave Trade.”
 
“In all my research into the slave trade, I have never come across the word ‘planking’ in any contemporary document”  she said “It seems obvious to me that the term has been coined because planking requires people to lie stiff as a plank – I cannot see why any other meaning should be inferred.”
 
Julius Lester, author of â€œFrom Slave Ship to Freedom Road” and â€œTo Be a Slave agrees “They [slaves] were put on their sides and their knees were bent, and they were laid more like spoons in a drawer.” As opposed to lying stiff, face down, like people do when planking.
 
His research is supported by references from Hofstra University.
 
According to a passage in http://people.hofstra.edu slaves were rarely positioned on their stomachs with their hands to the side. They were generally placed on their side due to the ship captains’ intent to have slaves occupy as little space as possible. 
 
“It seems more logical to think that “planking” comes from imitating a plank of wood” said Lester. “I see no connection with the slave trade.”
 
But, despite what professionals say, people have their own reasons for planking.
“In the dictionary, the work plank means timber” says Delroy Bloomfield, who agrees that planking is connected to the mocking of wood rather than slavery.
 
Delroy, 17, who is also a proud planker says, â€œI think they [anti-planking activists] are uptight people who lack the ability to have fun.”
 
Though, despite admitting to it being a stupid trend, he still enjoys planking because it’s funny to see the different places where people decide to plank.
 
“Yea it’s stupid, but since when are non-stupid things fun? There’s a little stupidity in every entertaining thing…”
 
However, like most disputes, with rebuttals comes disagreement.
 
“I don’t care what they think. That’s their opinion.” 
 
Despite professionals’ dismissal of the connection, there is still very much to be controversial about for Mike Louis, a senior at Thomas A. Edison High School and anti-planking activist.
 
“Planking looks exactly like what the slaves went through” said Louis who views planking as an ignorant trend and plankers as mimics. 
 
“People continue to plank because they don’t care about its history,” He said. “They only see the humor in it.”
 
Nevertheless, whether the intentions are to resemble a piece of wood or mock slavery, the fact that people continue to gain gratification though planking and entertainment from its photographs, is ultimately what keeps this trend afloat.  
 
And, despite the controversial dismissal of professionals who have studied slavery immensely, a recent interview with Luv indicated she has no intentions to neither change nor reconsider her beliefs.
 
 â€œIt does not change my views at all,” said Love, “Rather it leaves me wishing I could challenge their thoughts.”
 

Time Periods

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Growing up, I listened to my grandparents and parents childhood stories often. These stories

made me wish I could of grown up in another time period. I would have loved to grow
up in the late 50s and wear clothing similar to the Brady Bunch children. Or watch the civil rights movement occur. Or even be there for the American Revolution. I think the major accomplishments  that occurred during these time periods have shaped the world today. Those significant events changed the course of history in a positive way. I would have loved to experience those crucial moments when history was being made. I could have asked questions and saw historical figures. The civil rights movement, developments in science, music and mathematics are just a few examples of advancements from these time periods.

 Unfortunately, I am unsure what people are going to take away from the present time period (2000-2011). Will it be the latest raps, the technology or the violence? I think this time period doesn’t include the culture and art that past time periods have. I wonder what impact will this generation have on other generations to come. I want this time period to be remembered and to forever change the world. Years to come, I hope people wish to have experienced living in this time period, but I’m not so sure that will happen. I hope that significant changes occur, so our time period can be remembered. How is it possible that despite being so advanced, we have yet to leave a mark?

Teen Says Rigorous Training is Worth an Olympic Dream

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Emma Davis, 16, is in the process of becoming an Olympian. She pushes herself to the extreme in order to one day compete in the world’s most famous athletic competition.

Besides being a full time student at NYC Lab High School in Chelsea, Emma is also on a training path to reach the Olympics. After a seven-hour school day, she commutes an hour to attend a two-hour high intensity workout four days a week with her soccer team. Emma’s team is part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP), which has traveled around the world competing, despite injuries to her anterior cruciate ligament in her leg causing her to have crutches and wear a brace.

Despite her many sacrifices like missing social gatherings with loved ones, the Olympics means everything to her.

“The Olympics are what I work for. I work to get to that level one-day and play for my country in the Olympics,” said Emma. “The Olympics are like the final chapter and the final prize, once you’ve made it there, you’ve reached your goal.”

Some teen athletes train up to six hours a day, says Peggy Bendel, a spokeswoman for the U.S Olympic teams.  â€œThey are dedicated athletes and they take their sport very seriously,” she said.

Emma’s training schedule is proof of the dedication needed to become an Olympian.

Her team’s high intensity workout consists of 15 minutes of stretching a round of keep away, conditioning exercises involving suicides and agility tests, additional drills and then, finally, a full game with all teammates.

Some people think that the level of dedication required is too much for teens.

Dr. Harold Raucher, a pediatrician affiliated with Mount Sinai Medical Center, said the Olympics “is a safe environment for teens.” However, “the whole issue is allowing them to focus on a sport to an extreme level practicing for many years.”

Other doctors don’t believe that the Olympics is too demanding on younger teens as long as precautions are taken.

“The Olympics is an extreme accomplishment and don’t discourage it in any way but if can be unsafe when proper training isn’t used,” said Dr. Jordan Metzl, through a spokesperson. Metzl is sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “This is the number one thing to make sure of when you are competing at such a high level. The Olympics can have some long term detrimental effects on teens when proper precaution isn’t taken.”

The intensity of the Olympics might not be for everybody.

Duval Mandel swam for six years and competed for three years before she quit. Her schedule of two-hour training sessions four days a week became too much. Eating only protein bars before swimming and carbo-loading before swim meets were more reasons for quitting.

“I wanted to be a kid rather than an Olympian,” said Duval now 16.

But Emma can’t see that getting in her way.

“I would never quit soccer,” she said when she heard about Duval. â€œI’ve been playing for so long it is my life, it is my dream and I refuse to quit on my dream.”

Media Diversity Attracts Teen Attention

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On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Jainelle Gaillard was flipping through “Paper” magazine pointing out people she recognized from TV. She began to notice a change in the people she saw on TV about four years ago, when she was 12. The characters in the media she consumed were more diverse.

Since 1999, diversity of ethnicity in prime time TV characters has increased 8 percent, according to Children’s Now, an advocacy group.

“My grandmother said there were only white people on TV. Now it’s a lot of black people on TV,” Jainelle said. “It’s giving me a lot more hope on where I can go. Whatever I want to do in life, I could.”

Some teens “probably can’t find someone who they can relate to in real life,” said Samantha Arroyo, 16, from High School of Fashion Industries. “They go to someone on TV or in a magazine and try to find someone as similar to them.”

This relatability has been a priority for some media companies for many years. Since 1968, Equal Opportunity Publications has published magazines that cater to diverse audiences. Some of its current titles include “Careers & the Disabled,” “Minority Engineers,” and “Woman Engineer.”

“We provide role models,” EOP Editor and Publisher Jim Schneider said. “With our magazines it presents more offered profiles individuals can relate to.”

Not all diversity is equal, however. Teen critics on Empowher.com say that some TV shows, like MTV’s “16 & Pregnant,” present teenagers in a negative light.

But still they have a draw for teens because the characters remind them of their peers, even if the circumstances are sensationalized.

Cassandra Carrasquillo, 16, from High School of Fashion Industries, has some advice for TV executives who want to gain a teen following. She says to make it “personal. What we like and what we talk. Relate to what kids care about.”

In most cases, teens don’t have to look to far to find someone to look up to.

 â€œThere are role models for each person. Black and straight, white and gay, purple and bi,” said Jainell. “There is someone out there that has the same things like you do.”

The Script

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I’m a person that absolutely loves music, and I listen to basically every genre out there.

I have many music phases. For a certain period of time I prefer one genre, and then it moves on once I get tired of it. My favorite genres have usually been techno and mainstream music, but recently I have transferred over to “pop rock,” well not necessarily the genre, but one band in specific, The Script.
The first song that that I had heard from The Script was the very popular single, “Breakeven.”
Even though I loved the song when it came out, I didn’t get into the band at that point.
However, a few weeks ago, one of my friends suggested I listen to his favorite song, which is “If You See Kay.” I gave it a listen and thought it was pretty good, but it wasn’t anything special to me. But, it did get me interested enough to look at some of their other songs.
After listening to a few songs, I started to get more and more into them and really like their style. Now, I listen to their songs constantly and have a playlist of their songs on repeat on my IPod. My favorite songs by them are “Faith and Science”, “Nothing”, and “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.” 
I’m not sure how long this “phase” of mine will last,but maybe I really did find a band that I will love forever. 

Thoughts On Norwegian Bombing

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After seeing reporting on the Norwegian bombing, I refuse to believe Fox News is a legitimate news outlet. Before bothering to investigate, Fox News labeled the tragedy as the work of Islamic terrorists, particularly Al-Qaeda. This is a testament to the prevalence of Islamophobia within the Republican party and its propaganda outlets. The idea that Muslims are behind every tragedy in the world is an idea that Fox News is not shy about spreading. 


But the terrorist wasn’t a Muslim or an al-Qaeda sympathizer. He was the farthest from an Arab- Muslim terrorist: a white Nordic Christian with blonde hair and blue eyes. The man,  Anders Behring Breivik, had no previous record of terrorist acts. He was simply a socialist sympathizer.  Breivik killed close to 100 people. The killings were a result of a shooting at a youth camp in Utoya, Norway and a bomb detonation in nearby Oslo. The man,  Anders Behring Breivik, had no previous record of terrorist acts. However, he was a socialist sympathizer.

Ironically, the motive behind the attacks was to make a statement against the supposed “Islamization” of the Scandinavian country. Breivik vehemently opposed Muslim immigration into the nearly ethnically homogeneous Norway. Muslims only make up two percent of the Norwegian population. 

My anger does not lie in Breivik’s anti-Islamist act, but rather in the display of prejudice shown by the media. When the story first broke out, instead of attempting to console the people who lost loved ones, Fox News placed the blame on Islamic fundamentalists instead of attempting to uncover facts and do true reporting. 

NYC Muslims Brace for Blistering Ramadan

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While many of his peers spent the summer vacationing, 18-year-old Brooklynite Mohammed Islam is reading the Quran, the Islamic scripture. In preparation for the upcoming month of fasting, he increased his prayers to six times a day and participated in a voluntary fasting.

“The Prophet used to fast during the month of Shabaan [month preceding Ramadan] and also used to do more worship during this month, said Islam. “In order to prepare I am doing the same.”

Mohammed, like many teens in New York City, has joined a youth group to share Islamic knowledge and seek guidance from the Quran.

Islam is one of nearly 100,000 New York Muslim teens who will observe Ramadan for the month of August. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunup to sundown. This lifestyle requires mental and physical preparation.

Imam Shamsi Ali, 43, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, the chairman of the Al-Hikma Mosque in Astoria and the director of Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, is a leading mentor to young Muslims across the city.

Alvi Rahman, 17, a pupil of Ali’s, helps the youth at the mosque.

“It’s important to let the public know how to prepare so they use the time to do it and become better Muslims inshallah [God willing],” said Alvi. “If no on tells them, how can they prepare?”

A rising senior at Bronx Science in addition to leading a youth group at the mosque, Alvi is a fan of the website Productiveramadan.com, which gives advice to Muslims on being pro-active for Ramadan. The site, which is only active during Ramadan and the week prior, works like a blog—everyday contributors put up articles, videos and links to help Muslims get the best experience from Ramadan.  

Alvi also said that he is reading Islamic books including “Sahih al-Bukhari,” a collection of quotes of the Prophet Muhammad to know more about Ramadan.

One quote Alvi particularly likes is “whoever does not give up lying and evil actions, Allah will not accept his fasting.”

“I like to tell people to follow these tips,” Rahman said. “But as a group, we let our community brothers [choose] the best way to prepare.”

Similarly, Tuhin Taslim Uddin, 16, a Muslim Ummah of North America youth leader, seeks to help Muslims in his community get ready for Ramadan.

“I’m helping the youth community by bringing them to a small youth gathering on Saturday sand Sundays and informing them of the beauty and the importance of Ramadan,” said Uddin. “Helping the youth set goals for themselves so they can achieve happiness by the end of Ramadan.”

“The hardest part of fasting is the weather and the long hours makes your body weaker physically,” said Uddin, a rising senior. “I’m keeping a healthy diet and working out now to make my body ready for fasting.”

Uddin does keep in mind the importance of Ramadan.

“We take the time to experience hardships little young ones face everyday. We start to give up our everyday luxuries and bring our faiths to the fullest capacity. We strive through this small hardship for one month to come closer with ourselves as a human being, as a Muslim and person in society.”

“My lifestyle becomes more conservative about the time spent, and how it’s spent,” Uddin said. “I start to gradually give up the things that consume my time such as video games and watching my shows whether it is online or on TV.”

Still, for some fasting is difficult to adjust to.

“Sometimes I make presumptions that I am going to work really hard that particular day and its going to filled of long hours of physical activity so I choose not to fast on those certain days,” said Shahed Haque, a 17-year-old Stuyvesant High School student.

“You have to not think of food or water throughout the day, which is very hard to do when your stomach craves it,” said Haque. “The stoppage of movement and activities throughout the day are also hard to adjust to. Time seems to slow down during the fasting period.”

Harassed on the Subway? Say Something!

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New Yorkers are familiar with the “If you see something, say something” slogan in subway stations. However, State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick believes that it shouldn’t only pertain to mysterious packages and unattended bags.

That was the reason she pushed to add onto subway announcements that victims of sexual harassment should approach the police or an MTA employee for help. Now, the announcement also advises witnesses of sexual harassment to report it.

Sexual harassment has always been a problem in the New York City subway system, and lately Metro, the free daily newspaper, has been writing more about it. It even dubbed one predator as the “Puny Perv.” As many as 63 percent of 1,790 people surveyed have been sexually harassed in the subway system, according to a report released in July 2007 by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

“Women have a right to travel without being harassed,” Glick said in a phone interview.

Websites such as ihollaback.org and stopstreetharassment.org allow victims to share their experiences with others.

The ihollaback site has numerous New York City subway stories. One writer, who went by the name Susanna wrote, “My friend and I were riding the 6 train downtown together. As we’re chatting, I feel something brush on my backside… It was really low on my backside and it was warm. I look and the guy behind me has a f——g ERECTION. It was right up against me.” This is only one of many stories posted on both websites that tells people’s experiences, such as being verbally harassed to being physically attacked. Attempts were made to contact Susanna but were unsuccessful.

Alanna Vasquez is a teenager who was sexually harassed on her way to school. During morning rush hour, she was on a crowded 4 train when she felt a man press his erection against her back. She didn’t report the incident. When asked why she didn’t report it to the police, she said, “They wouldn’t care about that.”

Alanna is part of the large group of victims who don’t report incidents like these. Ninety-six percent of the people surveyed have reported they didn’t file a report with the NYPD and/or sought help from an MTA employee after being harassed.

Glick said that it is not only the obligation of a victim of sexual harassment to report it.  According to her, harassers attack until they’re caught and that is why it is important to report incidents. If a person keeps track of a harasser, they can build a case against them and have a pattern for the police to follow, if they witness an assault.

Holly Kearl, the founder of stopstreetharassment.org, advises bystanders to do something. They don’t necessarily have to beat up the harasser, but just saying something like “Cut it out!” or “Don’t harass women!” should be enough.

Another approach is to talk directly to the victim. Kearl suggests to make up a fake name and approach someone who is being harassed and say, “Oh, hey Rachel, it’s been a long time, how are you doing?” because a harasser is most likely to leave the victim alone now that she’s no longer by herself.

But now that the MTA eliminated 121 token-booth clerk positions, it may be harder for women and girls to feel safe because there are less people they can report incidents to.

Other people, like Lia Joo, take the matter into their own hands.

After being flashed by a man on the 7 train a few years ago, Joo who had taken a clear picture of the man on her cell phone, filed a police report.

She said that effort was  “pointless and a waste of time.” She got the attention of Newsday, which wrote a story about the ordeal. 
“Cops won’t do much, unless it’s a big news story,” she said.