Facebookers, show me your statuses

“Jessica Arenas is in Chapel Hill for the weekend.”

Above is my status on Facebook as of February 27, 2009. Short and sweet, and to the point. Not too revealing, right? It’s just a simple and brief notification to all my friends, saving them a text or cell phone minutes.

Sadly, others can’t keep such Facebook etiquette. Here are some examples (*Note, names have been changed to protect identity.):

1. “Jenna Perez is… romeo save me, take me somewhere where we can be alone.”

–Perez is quoting a lyric is from Taylor Swift’s “Love Song.” What a needy song lyric; no one needs to know how you’re feeling about “so and so.”

2. “Max Jordan wants to go hammocking.”

– That’s really random; does everyone REALLY need to know that?

3. “Hannah Stone is N club wit my gurls 2nite.”

– Do you want that kind of information leaked out to colleges? Even though the resumé you sent makes you sound like an angel, college admissions could think twice about a status like that. Also note the text message talk.

The statuses above are from real high school students spilling their beans on their Facebook statuses. Aren’t they aware that anything and everything they write on the Internet will stay on there forever? It’s going to haunt you one day… Trust me, you never know.

Teens have lost sight of the real point of a Facebook status. I think it’s sad that they overexpose themselves, making them transparent and giving a little too much personality. Personality is a great thing, but too much personal stuff that you put out on a status could make others think twice about you.

- By Jessica Arenas

Jessica is a senior at Northwest Guilford High School.

What’s really in teens’ closets?

In the world today, we teenagers feel the need to express ourselves in our own unique way. Trendy clothes are one way we do that. As a teenager at Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., I see my classmates and peers modeling the latest clothing lines such as Coogi, LRG, Aeropostale, Ralph Lauren, and The North Face. These particular clothing lines catch our attention because they are inexpensive, flashy, and easy to find in clothing stores, but what do teenagers really wear opposed to what the fashion industry promotes for us to wear?

Clothing company stores seem to have a different opinion of what teenagers should be wearing. Emillo Pucci, Live Mechanics, Paul Wilmot Communications, Lux Roots, and G-Stock are examples of what they believe kids my age are wearing. These different clothing lines are the complete opposite of what we wear, simply because they are sold at unreasonable prices and they’re not sold at stores we shop in. In my opinion, clothing companies are always competing with each other to see which store or brand will receive the most customers.

I strongly believe that the creators of the Coogi’s and the Black Label’s will always prosper over the Lux Roots and Live Mechanics because we are constantly searching for clothes that fit us the best and these lines do so. I would really love to see more clothing stores that are specifically for teenagers and help to show our different personalities. Then, people will really know what’s in our closets!

- By Fallon Rudd

Fallon is a junior at Dudley High School.

The “dumb” jock

While on the court Reggie Bullock, a Kinston High School basketball standout and UNC-Chapel Hill recruit, gives his spectators something to get out of their seats for. While off the court, he is busy in his books.

The idea that high school athletes are not as well prepared to go to college as their non-athletic counterparts, is widespread. In college, another myth is that college athletes will not be successful as other students if they do not play a professional sport after graduation. This stereotype is false in the sense that the graduation success rate of NCAA athletes has been surpassing the graduation success rate of the student body.

“Spectators” often become very stereotypical of athletes, thinking that sports are all the athletes know.
Unfortunately, this stereotype is widespread and not easy to render. It is a stereotype that is true for some athletes, while false for others. However, if one was to stereotype jocks, or should I say athletes, as “dumb,” they must ensure that it is true, gathering statistics on how these athletes are actually doing in their classes.

The so-called “dumb jock” myth is exactly that — a myth.

- By Crystal Roache

Crystal is a senior at Kinston High School.

You’re going downtown, Chris Brown!

A lot of controversy has been stirred as a result of the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation. Radio, TV, Web sites and teens all over the country are talking about it.

According to the LAPD, On Feb. 8, 2009 in Los Angeles Chris Brown and Rihanna got into a physical altercation while in a rented vehicle. Leaked photos of Rihanna have shown her face badly bruised from a beating. Chris Brown has not been charged with assault.

I feel that Brown should be arrested and punished for the crime he committed. Whether you are a celebrity or not, you should be responsible for your actions. Domestic violence is not acceptable and should be dealt with immediately and forcefully.

When I first heard about the incident I thought it was a rumor but then I saw the pictures of Rihanna, and I knew that this was a serious. Many of my friends, mostly girls blamed Rihanna and said that she deserved it. That type of thinking is foreign to me. No woman deserves to get hit or physically abused by any man or woman for that matter.

I think that Brown should give a public apology to Rihanna and fans. He should also go to anger management classes to get help. This should not happen again.

Chris Brown is a great entertainer but less so after this incident. Radio stations around the country have stopped playing his songs. Sponsors are running away from him. The once-popular entertainer has a lot of work to do to earn back the respect from fellow artist and this fan.

Rihanna, on the other hand, gained a lot of respect from women and teens that have been subjective to the same violence and abuse in their relationships. The Chris Brown and Rihanna situation has open a lot of eyes to domestic violence.

Hurting women is still a part of our society. We just don’t talk about it as much as much as we should. I just can’t believe it happen with one of teens’ favorite celebrity couples.

- By Maya Perry

Maya is a sophomore at Dudley High School.

Copy Cat, your fashion is not your own

“In a society that tries to standardize thinking, individuality is not highly prized,” stated Alex Grey. There are different contexts and styles of fashion that describe a person’s character, but in reality fashion is not a form of individual expression. Have you really thought about what makes fashion what it is? Fashion comes from one individual wearing clothing, accessories, the latest hairstyle or something unique and some one comes along and thinks the look is “cool” and copies it. It’s called trend-setter not trend-starter. Fashion starts a look for someone to follow. How is that individuality? Fashion is about creating a costume or identity that is unique to a group and not a person. Our life is cultivated around mass media, which pretty much dominates our judgmental point of view.

Typical teens idol celebrities, who doesn’t? If Beyonce wears the coolest jacket in a music video and has a minimum amount for sale, who wouldn’t buy it? It’s definitely likely that a lot of people would. Another way you can look at it is at award shows where some celebrities are found wearing the same dress. Wearing the hottest outfit is supposed to represent yourself; buying it from a designer styles is definitely not your own. Check this out.

- By Memori Peoples

Memori is a senior at Kinston High School.

“Tougher than Nigerian hair”

Blacks commonly use the term “good hair” to describe people with long, curly, or wavy hair. What truly defines “good hair?” This term has offended many Americans in the black community who have other types of hair, such as kinky hair, which has been referred to as bad hair. I generally don’t hear people use the term, “bad hair”, but does that insinuate that any other kind of hair that is not long, wavy or curly is bad?

The televised ‘perfect’ image of a black female is normally the light-skinned woman with long or curly hair. Other black females sometimes feel inferior to them and want to change their image. They want to look like the girls in the music videos who are referred to as being pretty.

R&B Singer India.Arie’s song “I am not my hair” is a great example of the struggles of a black woman’s self-esteem when it comes to her hair. She sings about the different styles she wore in her hair throughout her life that were unsatisfactory to her and to society. Then she decided to cut her hair off.

Arie sings, “I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am not your expectations, no, … I am the soul that lives within.” She realized that it’s all about who she is as a person and not her hair.

My hair stylist says that people have good hair whether it’s curly, kinky, straight, or wavy. She thinks it’s great if you have any hair at all. Good hair is healthy hair, she says.
What does “good hair” mean to you? Leave comments below.

- By Jaimie Lanier

Jaimie is a senior at Kinston High School.

That was so 10 years ago!

In the 1980s leggings were worn for warmth and protection both for men and women. However, the fabric of the leggings in the 80s was a lot different. The leggings were tighter then, but now they are stretchy. The length of the leggings has changed from the kneecaps in the 80s to the ankle in the 00s. Leggings are worn with skirts, dresses, and long sweaters now days to make a fashion statement that has traveled over the world. Teenagers mostly started to wear leggings in the year 2005 which helped the leggings make a comeback.

In the 1950s popular stars such as Cisco, Kid, and Marilyn Monroe also wore skinny jeans. Tight fit pants were often customized with bondage-style zips or patches of other material, and were often worn tucked into industrial-style boots such Dr. Martins. Today skinny jeans are worn along with flats or even a pair of heels to pull their outfit together. The first group to bring back the skinny jeans was The Strokes in the early 2000s. While girls wear skinny pants with flats and heels there are also skateboarders who also wear the pants to make it easier for them to move around while trying to skate.

Leggings and skinny jeans were first found in the 1950s and 1980s but now they have had a comeback. This comeback has been very popular in the adolescent world in today’s society.

- By Sararesa Hudson

Sararesa is a junior at Pender High School.

Get a room!

Making a love connection is always a teen’s goal, but in school there are some things you just don’t want to see. You should probably find another way to show the school that you’re not ashamed of your significant other.

Here are the PDA offenses ranked from least accepted to more accepted:
5: Kissing and grabbing on each other in front of principals and teachers
4: Tongues down each other’s throats, hands in mysterious places while
your friends are trying to talk to you
3: Giving your partner a hickey or more than one
2: Sitting on your partner’s lap
1: Hug, Peck on lips, kiss on forehead, holding hands

In “P.D.A (We don’t care)” by John Legend, he writes, “Let’s go to the park/I wanna kiss you underneath the stars/Maybe we’ll go too far/We just don’t care.” He breaks down the whole meaning of P.D.A, but it’s up to you to figure out when the place and time is right or wrong. Is it possible that songs like this can increase P.D.A. in high school? I say yes and no. You shouldn’t always do what you hear. It just depends on who you are. Just because I hear it doesn’t mean I’m going to go to school and act it out.

- By Derrica Evans

Derrica is a senior at Dudley High School.

Panthers plead for Peppers

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers wants out after eight seasons. Peppers said that he feels he could perform better in the 3-4 defensive scheme which would allow him to play more of an stand up linebacker/ defensive end role, which means he would be able to still rush the quarterback of edge and drop back into pass coverage when needed. Peppers made it clear that he has no intention of playing for Carolina next year unless they change from the 4-3 defense to the 3-4, teams that he said he would accept a trade for was the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles who by the way are fierce NFC rivals and both run the 3-4 defense, Dallas who is ah known defensive team has yet to talk with Peppers. But the question has arrived if Peppers does in fact leave who will be his backup? Tyler Brayton the 6-6 defensive end seem limited playing time last year may have to step in and fulfill that role.

Peppers had a season low 2 sacks in 2008 after a 13 sack season the year before, experts say that’s Peppers downfall he’s not consistent. He was a no-show against the Cardinals in the divisional playoffs. The Panthers on the other hand has completely different plans for Peppers, they are willing to do jus about anything to keep him including giving him the franchise tag which would ensure him 17 million dollars this according to ESPN. Peppers said that he thanks Carolina for all they had done he just felt like it was his time to go.

- By TayShawn Lowe

TayShawn is a senior at Dudley High School.