A newspaper of service

and service-learning

FALL 2007

Young Leaders RisingLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssssssssssssssssss RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggggggg

2 | Shine On! | Fall 2007

Inside this issue:Freedom School letters for change ....3

Write On! student writing ................4

Everyday Leaders ..........................5

Superintendent! An interview with Dr. Bill Green .... 6-7

Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Learning ..................7

Shine On! essay contest ...............8-10

Seward Peace Garden ................... 11

Not your average camp experience ... 12

Check out more Shine On! Youth Writing & Art ONLINE at: commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/Shine_On

More brand-new youth work has been uploaded with the release of this issue!

Editor-in-Chief: Rebecca Dallinger

Managing Editor: Sarah Huff

Design & Production: Kirsten Perry

Youth Editorial Board: Dannah Waukazo, Annie Wood

Copy Editor: Anne Holzman

Special thanks to: Brenda Eccleston, Janine Freij, Janet George, Leon Oman, Colleen Sanders, Jeri Ezaki, Hannah Miller, Nathan Magel, & MPS Community Education Coordinators, Teachers and Employees.

Youth leadership and The Girl Who Owned a City

Xain Thornton8th Grade, Interdistrict Downtown

I ’M READING A BOOK FOR SCHOOL called The Girl Who Owned a City, by O.T. Nelson. In the book, there is

a kid named Lisa and she has to survive because everyone over 12 has died. She has a brother and that helps to make her a leader. She also is one of the smarter kids and is the one who figures out where food is, such as in a warehouse.

I am learning to be a leader as well. In our school, we are doing Urban Stewards and we are trying to take part in our community and help lead our world to a better future. We went out asking people in the street about the downtown environment and we are discussing the problems that the people on the street told us about. This is helping us to be leaders as kids. What our school is doing for us is to help us be leaders through these activities, just like Lisa. ●

Submit YOUR youth leader book reports to Shine On!Are there any books you’ve read that have inspired you to step into a position of leadership? Share them with Shine On! Send your youth leadership book report (200 words or less) for the next issue.

Shine On! wants YOUR writing and artwork, too!We accept youth submissions that relate to youth leadership, service, and service-learning. There are many ways to be a leader. Share your stories with us!

The deadline for submissions for our next issue is April 14, 2008.

Send submissions to:

Shine On! SubmissionsMPS Youth DevelopmentLehmann Center1006 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408

Inter-district School Mail:MPS Youth DevelopmentLehmann Center

Fax to:(612) 668-3945, Attn: Sarah Huff

eMail us:servicelearning@mpls.k12.mn.us

Visit our Website:commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/Shine_On

Shine On! Youth Editorial Board:

Meet the editors

Dannah Waukazo12th Grade, Patrick Henry High School

“I’m into writing and

studying for school, and

preparing for college

next fall. I’m psyched

to be a part of the Shine

On! Youth Editorial Board

because it is so important

to get kids’ voices heard! I

think this is a good way to

get babies’ to teens’ voic-

es heard, and get a broad

spectrum of diversity in

the paper, too. I’ve been with Shine On! since its

first issue. I just love it so much because of what

I learn and what we get to write about.”

Annie Wood9th Grade, Southwest High School

“I believe in the impor-

tance of youth voice. Teens

are often misrepresented

and stereotyped in the

media, and I believe it’s

our responsibility to show

people we are more than

stereotypes. I want to tell

the stories of real teens

who are making a differ-

ence. I’ve been writing for

Shine On! for the last two

issues and I’m excited to be a part of the board

and working with other teen leaders to make

more youth voices heard!”

Want to join the Shine On! Youth Editorial Board?

Send us a letter or email explaining why you would be a good addition to the team. Include ideas you have for the paper and your past experiences with or interest in youth art, writing and publication. Send to the same address as general submissions.

Applications are due January 14, 2008.

The Shine On! Youth Editorial Board is brand new this year. As a board, we write, edit,

and plan pages for Shine On! We also brainstorm to discover the topics students want

to hear about. Our work gives Shine On! a strong youth voice. If you like to write, edit,

and create, or want a prominent voice in your society, apply for our Youth Editorial

Board. This is why WE do it:

Young Leaders Rising

Shine On! | Fall 2007 | 3

Student letters on health care

“ We are writing to inform you that society is losing its health. We are also writing to ask you to do what you can such as donate to medical aid or offering free services a few days a week. By writing this letter, I hope to see people feeling great when sick and depressed. I hope to see doctors doing their best to help other people. That’s what I hope to see someday.” —Benny Warren

“ Health care is one of the major problems in our com-munities. Did you know that every 48 seconds a baby is born without health insur-ance?! Well, if you didn’t you do now. I hope my let-ter will convince you to help children and parents get health care.”

—Ma’Chauni Chandler

“ The lack of children having health care should be fixed. Babies die every day be-cause they don’t get the proper care they need. Think about what’s happening to these babies. Some get very bad diseases and die. Some may suffer in many different ways, but in whatever way they suffer, they still suffer. The bad health care won’t just affect me. I will get hurt, but the babies will hurt more than I will.”

—McKayla Chandler

Students also wrote Representative Dominguez about other issues:

“ I want to do something about all the vio-lence, the cliques, and the gangs. The gangs and cliques need a good place to go. You should work to open group centers to get young kids off the streets.”

—John Brown

“ Child abuse is wrong to do. Just because your child does not do something right away you don’t have to beat them. And if you start getting mad, you don’t have to take all of your anger out on them. Just because it is taking your child a long time to clean their rooms or do their daily chores, you don’t have to start getting a big attitude. If there is anything you can do about this situation, it would be fantastic.”

—Alera Officer

Freedom School students write letters for changeStudents at the W. Harry Davis Freedom School chose to take action this summer to

improve the state of health care. They decided to share their concerns and research

with their government’s decision-makers. Here are some of the letters they wrote to

their state representative, Augustine “Willie” Dominguez. Representative Dominguez

even responded, proving that EVERY voice —especially youth voice—

can work towards making important change!

“

“

SD

“

“

Dear Representative Dominguez,

Thank you for taking the time out of your day

to read my letter. I am informing you that there

are up to 9 million kids without health care and

if we can’t do anything, most of them could

possibly die. I was wondering for the parents

that can’t afford if they can get a payment plan.

For instance, if they owe eighty dollars they

can pay twenty dollars a month so that way it will be way easier for

them. Because there are so many kids that need health care and

their parents just can’t afford it. I think they would really like this.

Sincerely,

Sergio Ashford Dear Sergio:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for legislation that would provide health insurance coverage for all children in Minnesota. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.I absolutely agree that all children deserve access to quality, affordable health care and this must be one of the legislature’s top priorities. Our state has historically been at the forefront of health care initiatives and, according to the most recent U.S. Census statis-tics, we have the lowest uninsured rate in the nation at 8.7 percent. There are signs, however, that there is trouble in our future. It is estimated that 68,000 children in Minnesota lack health insurance coverage. Furthermore, between 2001 and 2004, the uninsured rate for our youngest children increased from 3.9 percent to 6.8 percent.

I have co-authored Legislation to pass a law that will result in approximately 37,000 new kids receiving health care by 2011. We will continuously work to address all children and adult references to health care in Minnesota.Again, thank you for contacting me. I hope you will continue to contact me on the issues that are important to you. I understand tomorrow, August 2, is your last day of school. Enjoy the rest of your summer!Sincerely,

Augustine “Willie” DominguezState Representative, District 58B

Do you have community concerns that you want to share with your representative? Follow the Freedom School Scholars’ example and write them a letter! In your letter, tell them who you are and why the issue matters to you, and suggest a way that you think they can help. Your voice can make a difference.

Find your representative online at: www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/Districtfinder.asp

Or call the information lines: State House: (651) 296-2146; State Senate: (651) 296-0504

4 | Shine On! | Fall 2007

Alex’s Drive: A fictional story about youth leadership

Do-Hyoung Park 5th Grade, Interdistrict Downtown School

“ We have breaking news! An F-5 tornado has touched down in Otis in central Kansas, and is moving southeast at 65 miles per hour. The wind speeds may exceed 300 miles per hour in the areas that are less than a half mile from the fun-nel. The towns of Otis and Albert have already been completely destroyed, and the tornado is moving toward Great Bend and Raymond as we speak.”

ALEX JOHNSON SUDDENLY SAT UP ON his family’s couch. He had been watching some cartoons until the breaking news

report had suddenly come on. He listened intently as the report continued. “We now have word that nobody has died or has been injured yet, but those poor people have lost everything. We here at the news station hope that they will be all right. Let’s look at the weather in Great Bend right now. Jane, tell us about the storm…”

It was almost midnight, and Alex was lying awake in bed, thinking about the news report. It had been a long time since the tornado had dissipated, and Alex wanted to help those survivors in some way or another. He ran the various ways that he could help through his mind, like donating food or clothes, but then he realized that he could help a lot more by hav-ing other people donate items with him. He would ask some of his friends at school tomorrow. Right now, he needed rest. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

When he got to school the next morning he ran into his homeroom teacher, Mr. Anderson. “What are you doing, Alex? You sure have a determined look on your face,” he remarked. Just then, Alex had an idea.

Alex was standing in front of the whole class. He was nervous, but he gave it his best try. “As many of you know, there was a tornado that touched down in central Kansas last night,” he began. “Nobody died, but four towns were completely destroyed, leaving their residents without anything. I want to help those people by donating items to them. I hope that you can help those people by bringing items that you want to donate to my house. Thank you.” His classmates applauded him.

Alex was doing his homework on the couch when the doorbell rang for the first time. He opened the door and saw John standing on his doorstep with a bulky package in his hands. Alex waved hello, and asked what the package contained. John had brought some of his clothes that were too small for him. He had also brought some canned peaches, pineapple, and mangoes. Alex said thanks, closed the door, and went back to his homework. Less than a minute later, the doorbell rang again. He smiled, closed his textbook, and went to open the door.

Want to fi nd out what happened? Read the rest of Do-Hyoung’s story online:commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/AlexsDrive.html

Youth leadership & everyday life

Sara Sommers 8th Grade, Interdistrict Downtown School

AT FIRST, I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYTHING worth writing about for this essay! Then I was reminded of the project my Girl Scout

troop is doing. We are working to earn our silver award, and needed to come up with a community service project that is more than just a one-time deal. I came up with “We should do presentations at the Brooklyn Center Library about tree care.” Later, we added a park event at a nature center, planting a few trees during the event, and making a video to share with libraries and schools in the area. We will be doing major projects that demonstrate youth leadership over the next two years.

Then I had other ideas about leadership. I thought about student government and church events. I took Shotokan Karate from my aunt for about four years, and my friend was in the Metropolitan Girls’ Choir for three. Don’t those all count as Youth Lead-ership? I don’t know why I didn’t think of these projects earlier.

I think leadership opportunities are everywhere and we don’t even realize it most of the time. We always have those really, really big topics in mind, not church or Girl Scouts. We should start thinking of the everyday things. ●

Walk a Mile in His Shoes

Jabre Earl Peoples8th Grade, Andersen Open

Walk a mile in his shoes and see what he goes

though, people trying to bring him down, he’s

trying his hardest not to find himself six feet

underground.

Walk a mile in his shoes. You think his life is just

peaches and cream, when the only real peace

he gets is the peace in his dreams.

Walk a mile in his shoes, when everyday there’s

a fright. He never knows when his parents are

getting ready to fight.

Walk a mile in his shoes and have to walk the

streets, going several days with nothing to eat.

Walk a mile in his shoes, when every day’s a scare,

sleeping in an alley in an old broken-down chair.

Walk a mile in his shoes, and listen to what he

has to say, because you never know what he has

to go through every day.

The following is a poem about how one student relies on her faith to give her the strength it takes to be a young leader.

A Letter to Jesus

Sarah Pospisil 8th Grade, Interdistrict Downtown School

Kids can helpeven when no one thinks they can.We were here too.It’s partly our land.

Jesus help them seethey can’t do it alone.They need me.It needs to be foreshown.

We need a chance to stand up and say,“Adults look at us.I want my way.”

I do it for you every day.So please give me respect.It’s not time to play.

You need to teach usto be leaders without a flaw.So when our time comeswe won’t break even the smallest law.

Our time has cometo be leaders and give. To work and have fun.To laugh and live.

New Generation

Sarah Lieberman, 8th Grade, Interdistrict Downtown School

Bush, Clinton, Reagan, they were all leaders of their time.

What they thought we needed is past us. We take control. We shall rise.New beginnings await us in another time.That time is now. Stand up and roar!Show your voice within the depths

of the world.Sing the song of our world’s toils. Mend the world’s scars.Mother Nature is calling and peace is afoot.For now we know better than the past.War will scare us. Peace will save us.Younger generations will rise!We know what is best.New fuel! New cultures!

A way to produce food!Money is not an option but something

holding us back. Just bits of tinder.All we need to do is set aside our fears

and differences.Politics are not the answer, and war

has no real meaning.Sacrifice will be made for the better.No more fossil fuels! Less pollution!Save our Mother Earth! Make it our own.

Write On!Student writing on Youth Leadership

Shine On! | Fall 2007 | 5

Green Central’s

Everyday Leaders

group, “Club Shine,”

has been very busy

this fall. They attended

a leadership camp at the YMCA’s

Camp Ihduhapi. They grew closer as a

group while learning some important

leadership skills. Above are some

pictures from their adventures!

“Club Shine” also started their own

monthly publication. Students write

articles about current issues and

things they like to do, and even create

word-fi nd puzzles! The following

article was published in the fi rst issue.

How much do you know about our community?

by Elliot Gorostieta

I LOOKED ONLINE TO FIND OUT WHAT (community) resources are around Green Cen-tral. I found www.ci.minneapolis.us and it

was really helpful. Some of the places they showed were the Bancroft Neighborhood Association, Field Regional Northrop Neighborhood Group and Park Neighborhood Association.

How well do you know your community?

What do you know about the his-

tory of your neighborhood or

school? Where do kids go to have

fun? Follow Elliot’s lead and do some re-

search. Make lists of your neighborhood

organizations, especially the kid-friendly

ones! Find out what events are going on,

participate and encourage your friends to

as well. Draw a map of fun things to do in

your neighborhood and share them with

young people that are looking for positive

ways to become involved in their commu-

nity. Don’t forget to share your final product

with Shine On!

Green Central’s “Club Shine”

Above: Jazmin DeLa Paz, Belen Cornejos, Rosalba Vega Ramirez, and Reuk Kueth do a balancing act after relaxing by Lake Independence.

Left: Group Pyramid (bottom to top, left to right): Belen Cornejos, Mosesa Harris, Sumayah Campbell, Aminata Toure, Bale Kader, Shalimar Dunlap, Rosalba Vega Ramirez, Maria Guadalupe Hernandez, Dulce Gonzalez, Jasmin Troupe, Jazmin De La Paz, Giovanni Hernandez, Tyra McCoy, Ruek Kueth, Denise Morrison Fadina.

Below: Mosesa Harris and Sumayah Campbell show off their finds from the nature walk scavenger hunt.

The Bancroft Neighborhood Association is on 4120 17th Ave South. They have places for recreational activities and are close to Lake Nokomis, too.

The Field Regional Northrop Neighborhood Group, Inc. started in 1965. They wanted to im-prove urban life. Their address is 1620 E. 46th St. in Minneapolis, which is the Lake Nokomis Pres-byterian Church.

Have you heard about the Park Neighborhood Association? It is located on 3400 15th Ave. South, Minneapolis. Here, they talk about economics, housing, and community involvement and have meetings twice a week.

Also around the school there is the Fire Station, the Police Station and the Sabathani Community Center. Where’s your favorite place to go in Min-neapolis? ●

By Rjobyn Fassett-Carmen

F O U R YOUNG ARTISTS IN GRADES 4-6 made a harmony mural for Barton School. We used an old board, 3 x 4 feet.

We collaged it with tissue paper, funky paper,

scrabble letters, beads, rib-bon, marbles and more. We made it outside the Communi-ty Education office with Cindy, the Community Education Coordinator, as our guide. The group worked well together deciding on colors, the quote, layout and ideas.

We chose the quote “Harmo-ny… is little pieces together to make a whole.” Harmony is

our school theme this year at Barton. The mural now hangs in the entrance to our school. We are

proud of how colorful it turned out, and people love

it! We wanted to make a mural because it was bright and colorful

and fun and a happy way to share our message of harmony and peace. The final product is a visual reminder of peace for our school community. ●

The Barton Harmony Mural

everydayleaders

everydayleaders

6 | Shine On! | Fall 2007

Left: Dr. Green shows off the drawing he made in one of his classroom visits.

Shine On! Youth Editorial Board member Annie Wood sits down with MPS Superintendent Dr. Bill Green.

What does it mean to be superintendent?

I used to have what I thought was the best job

in the world, teaching history in college. …[I]

had no intentions of leaving it. … But [this job

is] incredibly rewarding. I don’t think I’ll ever

do anything more important than this job, ever.

That doesn’t mean that every day is good—it’s

not. I have to choose between one decision that’ll

upset people and another decision that’ll upset

people. And so it’s a trick to try to figure out what’s

really good in the long run for all the kids.

What do you do on a typical day?

In one meeting, I might meet with the mayor,

then another with teachers in a school, then a

third meeting (this is all in one day) I’ll meet

with the superintendent of the park system. I

may go to legislature to talk about legislation

affecting public schools. … My day starts early

and ends late, and it’s usually one meeting after

the other.… Sometimes that’s fun, I don’t know

why… and I do have meetings on weekends.

What change do you want to see in the schools this year?

I want you guys to have a better experience

in the classroom. ... I want all kids to be ex-

posed to the best educational courses, the best

teachers. I want you all to have exposure to the

world. I want your educational experience to

be relevant to you. I want you to be exposed—

if you’re interested—to music, art, journalism.

I want every student in the school district to

have the same opportunities.

A lot of students [say] art is really important to them for expressing themselves. But it seems with all these budget cuts, we’re losing opportunities to take part in those programs. On a personal note: when I was in 6th grade we did these 6-week rotation classes where I got to take a shop class. I loved it. But the next year, because of budget cuts they had to cut that class and cut the teachers. What are your plans to support electives and arts?

I think that you’re not fully educated unless

you have art, unless you have music. … We’re

going to have difficulties with finances, there’s

no doubt about that. But we’ve got to figure

out how we are going to be able to provide

every kid with that opportunity. …That may

mean forming partnerships with corporations.

A couple of our schools have instruments

because of their partnerships with the music

industry. ... A lot of people are saying “What

can we do to help?” Well, support this program,

AL L T H R O U G H T H E school day, I had an-ticipated this moment.

I wondered what difference I would make, if any, as just a stu-dent. Would he care about my questions? Would he answer with some heart and insight? I pictured myself, a tiny speck on his calendar amidst his vast list of very important, very official things to do.

The instant he greeted us, I knew he was normal. Not nor-mal as in crazy vs. normal, but as in important vs. normal. He didn’t act superior or better than us. He was very candid and honest in his answers, and he was sincere. What shocked me most was how he never even wanted to be su-perintendent. He loved being a history teacher. But he cares so deeply about students and their futures that he does the job anyway.

I realized how hard it must be to be in his shoes. People expect so much from the superintendent. Students always say, “He never asks me for my opinion!” But that’s not because he doesn’t want it. He needs people to approach him and tell him what goes down in schools. He has many responsibilities. Follow-ing us around waiting for us to spill our deepest thoughts and emotions isn’t

one of them. The responsibility to tell him is ours.

If you take anything away from reading this interview, I hope you see that Dr. Green is a leader of this district, but students can be leaders, too. His word is not the last word (and he doesn’t want it to be), so anyone who has ideas should speak up. You will be heard. We can all make a difference in our education and lives by engag-ing today. ●

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Above: Interviewer Annie Wood with Dr. Green.

Shine On! Youth Editsits down with MP

Shine On! | Fall 2007 | 7

give me money to hire this teacher, give me

resources so the kids can sit with an easel or

learn something about the instrument. We’ve

got a lot of people who want to help. …I fully

believe that many, if not most, of them will be

willing to step up.

Many students have opinions about their school and education but they don’t really know where to go with their ideas. Do you ever communicate with students about their ideas?

Yeah, I do —but not enough. I meet with city-

wide PTA and sometimes I’ll know one or two

students in the school to whom I’ll say, “Get

some friends together. Let’s get some coffee

or something and just talk.” But I don’t get a

chance to meet as often as I’d like.

Student lives depend on good grades and good attendance. Taking away a student’s ability to attend class doesn’t improve the school community or the success rate of that student. Cit. rooms and attendance could be a problem with all schools, not just Patrick Henry. I know similar issues have been raised by students at South High. There are many other things students throughout the district care about. We, as a student body, have to raise these issues in a productive way or changes won’t be made.

For youth to make a difference about issues we care about, we need our voices to be heard. Express your opinion on school mat-ters any way you can. If you think there is a problem with the way schools are being run—because the students know more than most about what’s going on in school—talk to someone you are close with or who knows someone “up top” and get your opinions heard! Write for a newspaper. Request a meeting with the principal. Organize a peti-tion. Facilitate a discussion between teachers and students. If change is to happen, students must take action for what they feel is right. If the problem gets bigger than the school’s administration, perhaps just talking with your principal will get your voices and ideas to Bill Green or other high-up-there officials. It’s not enough just to be angry. You’ve got to take that excitement and turn it into change! ●

“I consider [conversations with students] ‘reality checks’… I gotta have them tell me

what they really feel. ...They tell me the truth, whether it’s good or bad.

I gotta know.”

I rely on the students to come to me. ... This is

an invitation to you. If you feel like you’d like

to talk...I’ll come out to the school …or at one

of the coffee shops out there wherever you

want to do it. … I consider those conversations

“reality checks.”

I try to always get outside of the building as

much as I can. It’s easy to get stuck here and

see things from the perspective of a map or a

chart. … I gotta get out in the schools and see

people. I gotta have them tell me what they

really feel. ...They tell me the truth, whether

it’s good or bad. I gotta know.

I know other students who want to be more involved in the decisions made about their education, but they don’t really know what’s going on. How can students become more aware about what’s happening with MPS?

A lot of people say the same thing. They don’t

know what’s going on. It is a major problem that

we’ve got to solve. Parents say the same thing.

Principals say the same thing. Teachers say the

same thing. … Well, communications is a major

challenge that we’ve got to fix. ...I think for the

longest time we didn’t think that what [students

have] to say was that important. We knew more

about what was good for you than you did. And

I believe that that attitude is changing. ...We’re

trying to change the way that we work with

students in their education. ●

EDITORIAL:

Life, liberty and the pursuit of learningDannah Waukazo12th Grade, Patrick Henry High School

T HE “CITIZENSHIP ROOM”: ARRIVEten minutes late to first hour at Patrick Henry High School, and that is where

you are going. Kids are sent to the “Cit. Room” to suffer long, agonizing minutes of nothing-ness. But, the majority of these “citizens” clearly don’t want to be in class. Thousands of tax dollars are wasted trying to force them to learn. They’re wasting my time, and your time, and making people who want to learn suffer. Call it an over-generalization, a stereotype or whatever you want, but not every student who is late is intentionally late.

This sort of school policy should be recon-sidered because it involves punishing the innocent. We don’t lock up all men in prison under the assumption that they’re all killers, so why does policy permit staff to “lock up” all late students under the assumption that we were intentionally late and don’t want to learn? If that were the case, wouldn’t we just skip the whole day?

If the administration honestly intends to make this policy work to improve the school atmos-phere, they should do something about the repeat offenders who are late every single day. You know them. They’re the ones who don’t actually want to be in school.

In reality, the Cit. Room is a free-for-all social hour. Maybe two or three people are clearly upset about being there. Kids are using the system and wasting money. As student Hannah Resch so elegantly put it, “[the Cit. Room] only punishes the students who want to be in class. Somehow I doubt that the students who want to skip care that they’re missing class.”

It is unfair for students to have to miss our en-tire first hour for showing up ten minutes late. But the administration feels it’s better to miss all of class than miss just ten minutes. Clearly, we won’t learn our lesson from having a lower grade in our first hour class. Ms. Lockheart, an English teacher at Patrick Henry opposes the Cit. Room tactic. “Tardy is not optimal, but it’s better than being absent,” she says.

Administration should take into consideration what students and teachers are saying, be-cause there is a problem. Sometimes students miss the bus, and students have car troubles, too. That does not mean they should have to miss more school than they already will for these troubles.

Phot

o: M

issy

Jack

son

8 | Shine On! | Fall 2007

2nd PlaceElementary

Kiela Franklin5th Grade, Nellie Stone Johnson

Why do Bullies Bully?

“ Anger builds on pain,

pain does not build on pain.”

—My Mom

FOR ALMOST ALL MY LIFE, I won-dered, “Why do bullies bully?” I’d ask my mom and she would always

tell me, “Anger builds on pain, pain does not build on pain.”

I wondered what this meant, but it never came to me. One day I was angry, and it hit me. It means you are not angry for no reason. You are angry because you are in pain.

This quote will help me by being able to dig deeper in a bully and see what is the matter. That is why bullies bully. ●

1st Place Elementary

Tasha Holtman5th Grade, Pratt Community School

Bringing Down the Mountains

“I have a dream that one day every

valley shall be exalted, and every

hill and mountain shall be made

low, the rough places will be made

plain, and the crooked places will

be made straight; ‘and the glory of

the Lord shall be revealed and all

fl esh shall see it together.’”

from the “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., quoting Isaiah 40:4-5

EVER SINCE KINDERGARTEN, I have been happy at Pratt Elementary school. All kinds of kids were together at Pratt: Asian

kids, Jewish kids, Christian kids, Somali kids, Hmong kids, and African American kids. Some kids had less money, and some kids had a fair bit of money. Some kids had better housing than oth-ers, some kids had parents with better education than other parents, some kids had more books at home than others, and some kids had more ways of doing research than others. Surprisingly, even with all these differences, almost everyone was friends with each other. The school was so small that I knew in person all but two kids. This helped kids be friends with each other even with all of these differences. This also made it easier for kids and teachers to help each other. This meant that kids who were having trouble learning could have more attention from others. For me, Pratt exalted the valleys and lowered the hills and mountains. The hills and mountains are things that keep people from getting education, and the valleys are things that keep people from being friends.

This year, Pratt is different because it merged with Tuttle. Before the merger Pratt had 80 kids, and now Pratt has 180 kids. Nobody is

as friendly to each other as they used to be. I think the reason for this is because people feel unsettled. The groups who are having the hard-est time being friends are the new kids and the old kids. One reason many Tuttle kids are not as friendly is because their school closed, and they had to move to a different school where they felt like they did not belong. Also, Tuttle kids probably feel jealous that the old kids got to keep their school. The old Pratt kids do not really enjoy school as much as they used to because they do not know everyone like they used to. It seems like there are many strangers. Because people are not as friendly to each other they also don’t help each other like they used to, and this makes it harder to learn. Now there are rough and crooked places in Pratt that were not there before the merger. The rough places get in the way of education, and the crooked places get in the way of friendship.

I think it is cool that Dr. King in I Have a Dream is quoting the Jewish prophet Isaiah. King does not think of himself as just as an African Ameri-can and a Christian. This inspires me to think of myself not just as a Caucasian Jew or an old Pratt student. Here are some ways that I might put King’s words into action. I might suggest to student council that Tuttle kids and Pratt kids could go together to a younger classroom and help. This might get them to work together. If they work together, they might also talk together which would help them understand each other. Then they would probably be more friendly to each other even though they would not be best friends. I could also invite a Tuttle kid to sit with me at lunch. This might help get us to be friends. Pratt used to be one community in which people helped each other learn, and that’s what I would like to have happen again. What “all flesh” should “see together” is one big community. ●

Students were asked to share their favorite quote and then explain why it was so important to them, and how it might change the way they live their life. The winning essays were chosen by the Youth Editorial Board and other Minneapolis Community Education staff members. They were chosen for their “strength of heart” and personality as well as their clarity. These essays represent the personal opinions and passions of the student writers. First place essays are printed in their entirety. If you’d like to read all of the winning essays, check them out online at commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/Essay_Contest2.

Shine On! fall essay contest:

What’s your favorite quote?

3nd Place Elementary

Ashton Lofton4th Grade, Jefferson

“ Good work, Sugar Pop.”

—My Grandma

MY FAVORITE QUOTE IS “Good work, Sugar Pop.” It comes from my grandma. I like it because it

affects my life in a positive way because it’s funny, it’s nice, it cheers me up, and it makes people laugh. It also confuses people when they hear it because I’m not a sugar pop. It’s just a nickname that makes me feel a part of the family. ●

Pratt used to be one community in which people

helped each other learn, and that’s what I would

like to have happen again. What “all flesh” should

“see together” is one big community.

Ain’t nothing to it but to do it! — My Mom

Shine On! | Fall 2007 | 9

Austen Claeys6th Grade, Susan B. Anthony

“ The shadow

proves the

sunshine.”

—Switchfoot

MEETING KIDS ORPHANED BY AIDS in South Africa changed the lead singer of Switchfoot’s life. He saw

one of the poorest places but he said it was a place that he had “never seen so much light ... or happiness.”

“The shadow proves the sunshine” means that the dark times make you grab on to what’s most important in life. Some of the people in the U.S. have everything they want, but it doesn’t make them happier people. The people that [Switchfoot met] in Africa probably had a lot of friends and counted on each other instead of money.

Everybody has shadows and sunshine. Without shadows once in a while you wouldn’t appreci-ate sunshine or the good times in life. The hard times in life help make us stronger. When we go through hard times, it makes us learn how to deal with them. ●

1st PlaceMiddle School

Kevin C. Kane6th Grade, Susan B. Anthony

“ Courage is being afraid but

doing something anyway.” —Tom Gordon

I LIKE THIS QUOTE BECAUSE that is what courage is. Many courageous people are afraid. They still do the task that is at hand.

Just because you are afraid doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do something. Most people who are famous for doing things that are brave were afraid of doing them.

Think of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, and many more. Those people were probably afraid. But they did

it still. Most people will face a decision in their life. You can either choose to do the brave thing, or do the safe thing. Sometimes, the decision is not about a big thing. That doesn’t mean that it’s not important. If you feel that the small thing is not important, then when a big decision comes along (if it does), you’ll probably feel the same way or you won’t be prepared.

Sometimes, the choice is just simply whether you want to do something like climb a moun-tain. If you turn that down, then you’ll probably forever wonder what would happen if you had decided to climb that mountain. When I took a trip to South Dakota (in the Badlands), my sister, my dad, and I climbed probably about 150 ft. up on a mountain. It was fun because there was no harness. The mountain wasn’t too steep. I have to admit, I was kind of afraid of doing it. But after I climbed that mountain, I climbed many more.

That helped me conquer my other fears. For example, when I went to a friend’s birthday party at a swimming pool, I was afraid to go on the drop slides, because the water was 12 feet deep. Finally, one of my friends convinced me to go, and I loved doing it. I’m obviously not just talking about water slides and mountains. Those are just examples. What I’m talking about is courage. ●

Jazzy L.6th Grade, Susan B. Anthony

“All the world’s a stage!”

—Shakespeare

IT INSPIRES ME BECAUSE it makes me feel like I’m open to the world. I can be me. I can dance in the streets. I can sing in the

bathrooms. I can act outside. I just can be any-thing I want to be! It affects my life by being who I want to be, believing in myself, letting my mind be wide open, taking chances. I think this quote means you can do whatever you want in the world, in life!

Shakespeare is important to me because he was a great writer and poet. When my aunt played a role in a Shakespeare play, I loved it and always wanted to be like her ever since. I got a book about Shakespeare stories, and they inspired me to be open and act. ●

2nd PlaceMiddle School

Anastasia Bykow8th GradeInterdistrict Downtown School

“ Who are you to judge me,

And the life that I live?

I know that I’m not perfect,

And that I don’t claim to be.

So before you point your fi ngers,

Be sure your hands are clean.”

—Bob Marley

EVERYONE HAS JUDGED SOMEONE once in their life. But judgment is what leads people to hatred and vio-

lence. The Jews were judged. The Muslims are judged. People who are Arab are often judged to be terrorists.

…You can’t judge a book by its cover. The person could be someone you could ad-mire. No one is perfect, so why try to judge someone you don’t even know? Is it because it makes you feel better about yourself? Or is it because you push anyone who’s different away from you? Everyone has made mistakes in their life. Before you decide your thoughts about a person, get to know them, you might actually like the person.

I’ve dealt with so much judgment in my life before, and this quote means a lot to me. What if those people really got to know me? Would we be friends? I learned to judge less, even if the person looks odd at first, I try to get to know them. I’m not perfect, and I still judge at times. But, everyone, hear me out. What’s so great about pointing your finger at someone and saying a statement you’re not even sure is true?

I came upon this quote when my friend was reading about Bob Marley. I feel that people forget how great Bob Marley was. His words, songs and lyrics were all about love and peace. But that is not what my essay is about today. It’s about this meaningful quote that should inspire everyone to be better people. ●

3nd Place (tie) Middle School

I am not young enough to know everything.

— James M. Barrie

10 | Shine On! | Fall 2007

Liz Shay12th Grade, Washburn High School

“ You can do anything you want to do.

Pray, believe, have faith, visualize,

dream, trust, & work your a** off.”

—Maddie

THIS IS A QUOTE BY Madeline Taylor Pa-guyo. She was diagnosed with an inoper-able brain tumor at the age of 13. Maddie

was my best friend since kindergarten. Her life is exhibited through her quote. She lived her life exactly how she wanted to. The first sentence of the quote is something she truly believed. You can do anything you want to. She believed that her brain tumor was not going to control her life, and that she was going to continue to live

how she wanted. She let nothing stand in her way, not even a grim diagnosis by a qualified physician. She prayed, visualized, dreamt, had trust and definitely worked her butt off. Maddie believed that her outcome was “good or better.” Good if she could get on with her 13-year-old life here on earth. Better, if she was going to see what comes next. She had a positive effect on everyone around her.

This quote inspires me everyday because it reminds me to never let anything stop me. It reminds me that I CAN do anything I want and that I have the ability to achieve anything. The last phrase of the quote also means a lot to me. To work my butt off is a goal in life that I will always have. I know what hard work means and I know how important it is. Maddie’s words make it extremely clear how she felt about putting in hard work.

Throughout her life, Maddie led by example and truly showed everyone how to live. I will never forget this quote because it comes from a girl I will never forget. Madeline passed away at the age of 14. Her quote is embroidered on the back of my lettermen’s jacket, as well as etched into my heart. ●

Kristi Nash 12th Grade, Uptown Academy

Words of Wisdom

“What goes around comes around.”

THE SAYING IS SO WISE and valuable to me because I have been on both sides. I have done the wrong thing that has

come back to me and I have done the right thing which also came back to me. Once in my life, I broke someone’s heart while I was in a relationship.

I wasn’t ready for him as much as he was ready for me. So my love then drifted off to someone else. Our relationship became more and more

shaky. Eventually, we went our separate ways and did not keep in touch. Then, I began to realize how much I did love him. At that point, it was too late.

I met someone else who I had been dating for a year. I did everything I possibly thought I could do. I did so much in so little time, always putting him first. I was trying to make him want me as much as I wanted him. I would always say yes and could never say no. It can be really amazing how someone goes so far out of his or her way to make another person happy.

In conclusion, it didn’t work out as I thought. The guy who I was dating for a year tells me he doesn’t want to be involved with me anymore. It all made sense at that point. What goes around comes around. I now know how he felt when he was ready for me and I wasn’t ready for him. I was now in his shoes. ●

High School Essays

A drought?! What?! A drought of high school teens in writing?

We need YOU to submit to future essay contests. Don’t conform!

Be brave; stand out by publishing. Tell us your thoughts and ideas.

We expect more of your submissions next fall.

—The Youth Editorial Board

Two submissions will share fi rst prize.

Be happy. It’s one way of being wise.

—Sidonie Gabrielle-Collette

Nothing is particularly hard if you break it down into small jobs.

—Henry Ford

Here are some other favorite quotes students wrote about:

Always tell the truth so you don’t have to remember what you said.

—Mark Twain

Phenomenal woman, that’s me.

—Maya Angelou

A clean house is a happy house.

—My Grandma

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

—Marianna Williamson

Read all of the winning essays online at commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/Essay_Contest2.

Shine On! | Fall 2007 | 11

Seward Peace Garden

The Seward Peace Garden

by Linnea Honl-Stvenkell & Sorcha McGuire

THE PURPOSE OF THE SEWARD PEACE Garden Summer Club is to teach the com-munity’s youth the importance of local farms,

marketing and nutrition. We have something to do every day. On Tuesdays, we learned the impor-tance of nutrition with Natalie. Tuesday through Thursday, Sarah helped us with our publication, “Herban Garden.” On Wednesdays, we did weed-ing, for $5, at either our school courtyard or the Seward Coop. Thursday, we took pictures with Jocinda from Seward Neighborhood Group, and on Friday we had our markets. We sold at the Birch-wood Café, Cliquot Club, and the Towers East and West from 10 am-1 pm.

Here’s what some of us said about our time at the Peace Garden:

“ I’ve been in the Peace Garden three years. I have learned a lot about teamwork and working a business. I think that these skills will help me a lot throughout the rest of my life.”

— Shannon

The Seward Peace Garden is a summer program at Seward Montessori School. The

program’s mission is to engage youth in fun, outdoor educational activities that

promote positive youth development, environmental values and ethics, entrepreneurial

skills and community involvement in an urban farm setting. This past summer, the

students involved in the peace garden put together a publication called “Herban

Garden” to spread the word about their work and the things they learned.

Want to do your part to live greener?

Here’s a list of Twin Cities markets and co-ops that sell locally grown produce:

The Wedge

2105 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis

Seward Co-op & Café2111 E. Franklin, Minneapolis

Linden Hills Co-op2813 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis

Hampden Park Co-op928 Raymond Ave., St. Paul

Mississippi Market Co-op1810 Randolph Ave., St. Paul

Saving green and living green: Why buying local is betterfell into the sea; scientists had predicted that this would never happen unless there was a huge warming and possibly an asteroid, or aliens, or zombies of death.In other words: it wasn’t supposed to happen!

The next time you see that nice, big bag of potatoes labeled “Idaho Potatoes,” think about what it took to get them there. Instead, stop by a market and buy local. Know you are doing your part to help save our beloved Mother Earth. ●

by Darya Pruitt & Sorcha McGuire(pictured above)

YOU KNOW WHAT’S REALLY COOL? Our garden not only saves you a trip to the grocery store, and saves

you some green, it also helps you live green and do your part to save the environment! I’m not exaggerating that much. Let me ex-plain, because I’m sure you’re wondering what our garden can do to help the climate crisis.

When you buy that big bag of potatoes that are labeled “Idaho Potatoes,” think about what it took to get them from the field in Idaho to your house:

First ,the farmer uses a gas guzzling tractor to plow his fields. Then he plants the potato seeds and if the potatoes are not organic then they used pesticides and herbicides in the process, which use very non-planet friendly processes. After the potatoes are harvested, they are shipped in a semi that gets about 1 mpg, to a packing plant where they are put into bags. These bags are probably made of tons of burned petroleum,

and those machines emit so much carbon gas it isn’t funny. After that, they are put on another semi and shipped halfway across the country to your grocery store. Then you drove to the store in your car, which gets maybe 25 mpg on a good day, bought them and drove back home.

It’s a lot when you think about it. All of those semis and the petroleum burning contribute to global warm-

ing, which, by the way, is not a thinning atmosphere but a thickening one. When

we release all of that carbon it thickens the atmo-sphere so that when the sun’s rays come through, the ones that are supposed to be reflected off the earth into space, can’t—thus heating the planet too much.

Global warming also has its costs. Scientists have predicted that the earth will continue increasing

at one degree a year if we do not work to stop it. Last year, polar bears died of drowning because they couldn’t find any ice to rest on. Why? Because the ice melted. The lake that holds 20% of the population’s water is shrinking, and fast. A huge part of Antarctica

“...part of Antarctica fell into the sea; scientists predicted that this would

never happen unless there was a huge warming and

possibly an asteroid, or aliens, or zombies of

death... it wasn’t supposed to happen!”

“ I liked learning photography and taking pictures at the garden. I don’t own a digital camera at home, so being able to take pictures of differ-ent things with different angles was pretty cool.” — Deanna

Peace Garden students designed the layout and created the content for their publication.

The Seward Peace Garden comprises: 4th graders Chiara Handsuch-Gamero, Isabel Rousmaniere, and Addie Welch; 6th grader Sadaf Pruitt; 7th graders Emma and Sarah Johnson; 8th graders Devin Bennett, Linnaea Honl-Stvenkell, Audrey Jerome, Hannah Luber, Alanna Maloney, Sorcha McGuire, Katherine McGraw, Shannon McGraw, Sade Odumuye, Rose Olson, Darya Pruitt, Anna Russell, Deanna Smith, and Caulay Steenson.

12 | Shine On! | Fall 2007

Loring Park Refugee Camp

By Ellen Sheehy6th Grade, Anthony

AFEW WEEKS AGO, some students from Mr. Sommers’ and Mr.

Quiggles’ classes went on a field trip to the Loring Park Refugee Camp. Doctors Without Borders set up this camp to show people how refugees live. Refugees are people who cross their country’s borders to escape from wars or other violence in their homelands. There are about 10 million people today living in refugee camps in Africa, South American, Asia and Europe.

The exhibit has models and pictures of refugee camps showing how a family of up to 15 people might live in a small tent the size of a small bedroom. People may have some pots and pans to cook with, but not much furniture. Food is rationed for each fam-ily. Special nutrition bars that have lots of calories and vitamins sometimes take the place of food.

Water is precious in refugee camps and must be purified with chlorine before people can drink it. People sometimes must walk far distances to get their ration of water. We use a lot more water every day for cooking, cleaning, and bathing than refugee families get in about a week.

Many people in refugee camps are sick with chol-era and other diseases that come from malnutrition. The exhibit showed examples of a cholera hospital, a special mini-hospital for babies and toddlers, and a hospital where people go for vaccinations.

There is an instrument used to measure the arms of children to tell how malnourished they are.

The saddest thing about the refugee camps is that people never know how long they will be there. Some people are born in camps, live their whole lives, and die in the same camps. It is good to know that there are groups like Doctors Without Borders who can help refugees. It made me think how lucky we are to have a real place to call home. ●

Thank You !!!

Thank you for giving a motherThe chance to feed her child,To watch her daughter grow & her son to be a man.Thank you for giving the chanceTo the starving little girlSo that she can turn into a phenomenal woman.

Thank you for making the world a better placeSo a child born tomorrow can feel safe.Thank you for making humans proud & able to sayAt least, sometimes, we know better than to kill & hate,Also, that we can bring joy beside the pain.

Thank you for making me proud to say:I am part of the next generation that cares.Thank you Doctors Without Borders!

—by Ayan Abdullahi, 8th Grade, Anwatin

Not your average camp experience:Students respond to refugee camp simulation

Below: Some examples of refugee dwellings from the Doctors Without Borders refugee camp simulation.

Thank you for your support and belief in the students, teachers and youth workers who work

together in leadership, service and service-learning.

You support the unfolding of our stories.

Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organiza-tion that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed

conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries. Find out more about the program and how you can sup-port their work at their website:

www.doctorswithoutborders.org

This issue’s cover art:

North High School Photo Club

Along with their fearless leader, Ameri-corps volunteer Miss Christina, students at North have been revitalizing a forgotten photography facility at their school. This fall, they’ve been learning the intricate processes of photography, along with many other unexpected lessons.

“ I’ve learned to be patient when taking my pictures.”

—Dashianna L. Bethea, 10th Grade

“ The pictures I’m most proud of are the ones I took by accident.”

—Sherita Olasande, 10th Grade

The Photo Club’s pictures will be featured at passthepeace.net, a collaborative multimedia project between the Univer-sity of Minnesota and Minneapolis North High School. Featured photographers: Dashianna, Sherita, Facilitator Christina Benz, and Kelly Xiong, 12th Grade.

The photos on the cover represent the photographers’ communities and the pride they have in them.

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