A Time To Be Counted. I believe that teens should encourage their families to fill out the census. It’s simple and doesn’t take much time. Those 10 minutes will have a long-lasting effect on your community.
Ernesto Pineda, 12th grade, Animo Film and Theatre Arts Charter HS, Los Angeles, CA - 1/22/2010
Source: www.layouth.com

Field Narrows in New Orleans Mayoral Election. On Feb. 6, New Orleans residents will vote in a primary mayoral election to replace outgoing Mayor Ray Nagin.
By Bridget Rogers, Irish Eyes, Grace King High School, Metarie, LA – 2/2/2010
Source: my.hsj.org

Removing R-rated Films Would Be Latest Blow to Students' Rights. Freedom of speech? Better make sure your opinion is "politically correct," or be prepared to take the walk of shame to the principal's office.
By Alex Buben, Holy Ghost Prep, Bensalem, PA - 1/21/2010
Source: Reality (Bucks County Courier Times) , Levittown, PA

Gender Barriers on the American Dream. Despite all the claims of a feminist triumph over our dear, almost formerly chauvinistic U-S-of-A, the female politician is still in many ways a novelty.
By Caroline Streff, Pegasus, Chugiak (AK) High School - 1/13/2010
Source: chugiakpegasus.com

Save the whales? The National Marine Fisheries Service believes that the Cook Inlet's beluga whales should have a human intervention, because of their region exclusivity and their rapidly declining numbers. This seems like a worthy cause until you consider the effect it will have on Alaskans.
By Zachary Layton, Pegasus, Chugiak (AK) High School - 1/21/2010
Source: chugiakpegasus.com

Afghanistan Plan: A Grave Mistake. The problem with promising a troop surge followed by a withdrawal is that an assault on southern Afghanistan is not going to do anything to combat the central target, Al-Qaeda.
By Ryan Rabac, The Torch, University High School, Orlando, FL - 1/19/2010
Source: my.hsj.org

Job Market Tough for Teens Seeking Part-Time Work. The reality is that a part time job is a hard thing to find these days. Businesses are cutting back on workers as much as they can, and some businesses are actually shutting down.
By Steve VanHandel, The Tritonian, Notre Dame De La Baie Academy, Green Bay, WI - 1/8/2010
Source: my.hsj.org

Too Many Test Runs: Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect. Many students not only fail to improve on their scores when they take tests multiple times, but they often get worse scores — particularly on the SAT, a common college entrance exam.
By Nadia Wiwatwicha, Voice Correspondent, The State Journal-Register, Springfield, IL - 1/11/2010
Source: The State Journal-Register

6.9 Million Californians Take Part in Earthquake Drill 20 Years after Loma Prieta Earthquake. Twenty years after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, more than 6.9 million Californians on October 15 took part in an earthquake drill called the Great Shakeout. Many schools participated in the great shakeout to take part to improve our preparation for earthquakes.
By Ashlyn Hardy, Baler Newspaper, San Benito High School, Hollister, CA - 1/7/2010
Source: my.hsj.org

Movie Explores How Rugby Helped Forge a New South Africa. The film displays factors not always considered by the rest of the world, including the fear and guilt of those white citizens who never agreed with apartheid policies as well as the reasons non-white citizens struggled to reconcile themselves with a new South Africa.
By Mariechen Puchert, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa - 1/4/2010
Source: The T@ttoo, Youth Journalism International

Time for State to Initiate an Elderly-Driver Road Test. With rising statistics of elderly drivers becoming involved in multi-vehicular crashes, it’s time for Kentucky to initiate an elderly driver road test.
By Anthony Carney, ECHO,Trinity High School, Louisville, KY - 1/22/2010
Source: my.hsj.org

Google's Nexus One A Worthy Challenger to iPhone. Google is the undisputed king of the hill when it comes to Internet search engines and web advertising, but the company that helped define the technology age hardly wants to be left behind by Apple.
By Tiera Byrom, The Summit, Benjamin E. Mays High School, Atlanta, GA - 1/17/2010
Source: my.hsj.org

2010 And Beyond. In the past decade, we have had a definite change in politics. We are in two wars and have a rocky economy, unlike the way we started 2000. In the next decade, hopefully our economy will recover and the wars will end.
By Summer Bowling, Synergy, Carroll County (MD) Times - 1/15/2010
Source: Carroll County Times, Westminster, MD