White Station High School

White Station’s  recently amended policy outlaws all electronic devices, ranging not only from the standard cell phones and iPods but also to gadgets such as laptops, e-readers, and iPads.

The original policy was created by the previous Memphis City School’s Board years ago and outlawed “all electronics,” according to WSHS principal David Mansfield. At that time, however, laptops were not being brought to school and iPads did not exist.

“Some weeks ago during a faculty meeting it was brought to my attention that students were bringing iPads and laptops to school. I said, ‘We have to get on the same page here,’ and so one morning I reminded the school about our electronics policy,” said Mansfield. He is unsure whether the new Shelby County Board of Education plans to continue the rule.

Many students are indignant and many teachers are uncomfortable or even inconvenienced by the policy.

Senior Joie Tanaka used to bring her laptop and Kindle e-reader to school. “I feel like [the rule] makes sense, but electronics also help me with my schoolwork. I would look up homework stuff on my laptop and read books on my Kindle. Some teachers still let me use my Kindle, but one teacher last period told me to put it away, even though I was reading Pride and Prejudice.”

Tanaka thinks the rule was made because “people were abusing it too much, and one thing led to another.”

Junior Quentin Kane still occasionally brings his iPad to school.

“I used it as a chemistry book. Someone stole my chemistry book earlier this year, so I used the online copy. I also typed up papers for English,” he said.

To Quentin, however, the ban is “not a big deal.” “Only some of my teachers enforce it, and I’ve never gotten in trouble since the rule came into effect,” he said.

Paige Mandelman, a junior, used her laptop for her online class.

“I used to do my online class during school hours, whenever I had some downtime. It gave me time to do my online class and I used it for learning purposes,” said Mandelman. “But now I have to work on it after school, so I go to sleep later. I have work and extracurricular activities, along with other homework. I have to make time to do it outside of school now.”

Some teachers are also irked by the policy.

Laine Agee teaches AP Computer Science, two dual-enrollment computer classes, and three animations classes.

“In the past, about a third of the students in my Advanced Placement classes brought their own laptops to school to work on their programming at school and at home. It’s not that major of an issue, because we use Dropbox and they can call me. It really only affects the AP students and maybe some of the dual-enrollment students….but I predict that in the next five to 10 years our textbooks will be on electronic devices,” Agee said.

Lydia Martin, or Reina as her students call her, is a Spanish teacher at White Station.

She said, “I think the biggest problem with electronics is that students can communicate electronically. I understand that the board needs to control this kind of communication. I have caught students cheating, but never at White Station.”

I let my students use their cell phones as dictionaries. Sometimes they use iPod touches or iPads to create Spanish flashcards or puzzles. I’ve had to change from using electronic dictionaries to having real dictionaries, but it’s not really cost-effective because they’re ruined it a few years. But it’s an avoidable cost. We want kids to have more technology skills, but here we are snatching [technology] out of their hands,” Martin said.

However, cheating is a serious consequence of allowing students to bring personal technology to school. “Students can take pictures of tests and pass them on to others,” said Mansfield.

There is also the question of safety.

Although English teacher Mr. Scott Harrison sees the potential benefits of using technology, he warns that there are risks.

“Anyone who brings an expensive item to school, electronic or otherwise, is potentially at risk of being robbed. Best-case scenario is that the item is stolen. Worst-case scenario is that a student is injured in the process of it being stolen…Also, what about students who can’t afford such luxurious items? They could be at a disadvantage,” Harrison said.Kristy Conger is a Director of Instructional Technology and adjunct faculty member at the University of Memphis.

Conger, previously a high school teacher, said in an e-mail, “I don’t believe bringing personal electronic devices into the classroom is a ‘right’ that students have.  I see it more as a privilege, and that privilege is earned and kept by displaying appropriate use of the device during the school day.

“There is more to effective instructional technology integration than simply placing a computer or interactive whiteboard into a classroom.  First, the course curriculum should be reviewed to see if the use of technology is a good fit for the subject area being taught.  If it is determined that teaching and learning can be enhanced within a given course through the use of technology, teachers must then be prepared to use the technology in their classroom,” she wrote.

“Technology can help bring lessons to life in ways that weren’t possible a few years ago,” wrote Conger.

However, she sees potential areas of concern.

“Some teachers believe that technology of any kind in the classroom is a distraction.  If technology is not properly integrated and lessons aren’t planned that effectively utilize a specific technology tool or resource, there is a chance that students will not be engaged during the lesson.”

Central High School

Summer is the time of year where many kids are happy that they do not have to go to school and they finally have the break they needed.  Many students may not want to do anything but hang with friends or stay at home and relax, but this summer they should try something to get a jump start on the future.  Graduation is rapidly approaching. Why not take advantage of programs offered in the summer that provide a snapshot of college life? Some even give college credit.  Many programs have already passed their application due date since summer is near, but here  are some that are still open for enrollment through May. These programs can be both  life changing and educational for teens, so take advantage of them now.

 iD Tech Camps

When: (varies depending on session)

Where: Vanderbilt University

Cost: $700-$900

Are you thinking about becoming an engineer? Well this is the camp for you. Since 2001, this coed camp has opened the eyes and minds of teens through technology’s magic. With the help of highly trained instructors, campers learn how to construct PCs, laptops, and so much more in this weeklong session. To make it even better, the camp ranks as the number one tech camp in the nation.

Visit www.internaldrive.com for more information.

Pro Ambitions Hockey Camps

When: June 16-22

Where: Nashville, TN

Cost: $351- $500/week

Calling all Sports Lovers! Instead of going to that same old basketball, baseball, or football camp, try something new!  Sports Illustrated deemed this hockey camp “one of the best in the country”.  The camp is open to all boys and girls form ages 6 to 18.  Top-notch hockey coaches while in a small group, allowing for more one on one assistance, will teach you.  With this camp, you will definitely get your money’s worth.

If you are ready to take on the challenge, go to www.proambitions.com

Camp Jam

When: July 9-12

Where: University of Nashville

Cost: $549/session

Just like in the Disney Channel movie Camp Rock, Camp Jam brings out the rock in Rock n Roll. For four days, campers experience the beauty of music and the uniqueness of different genres of music. The first three days are spent learning, having fun, and practicing for the big concert that will be held on Thursday. 

Visit www.campjam.com for more information on how you can be a rockstar.           

Memphis Music Camp

When: June 18-22

Where: University of Memphis

Cost: $300 camp fee, $50 registration fee, $25 per night housing fee (4 nights) $95 optional meal plan (includes 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, d5 dinners).

The University of Memphis offers a summer music program for aspiring musicians of all ages. 

Visit www.memphis.edu for more information on this camp and other unique and  including an engineering camp for girls and a manufacturing camp for girls.

VolunTEEN Program

When: June and July (3 separate sessions)

Where: Lebonheur Children’s Hospital

Cost: $0

If you are an aspiring doctor, nurse, or anything in relation to the medical field, then this program is right for you. Not only will you help around the hospital, you will also get to know the duties of doctors and nurses. In addition, by volunteering at the hospital, you will be rewarded with service hours.

For more info visit www.lebonheur.org and click on Ways to Get Involved.

So are you ready for a genuinely fun summer? Take advantage of one of these adventurous camps and do it soon, because the deadlines are quickly approaching.

Central High School

Memphis Ambassadors Program gives the city’s children an opportunity to succeed in life and at school while also making new friends and lasting memories.

“My life would be different if I wasn’t in the MAP program because MAP has given me so many great memories and friends, and I can’t imagine how my day-to-day life would be without them,” said Central High School junior Kelsey Logan.There are over 100 schools in the Memphis City Schools system, but many students do not know many people besides the friends they make within their own school and/or neighborhood.  The mayor’s Memphis Youth Ambassadors Program (M.A.P.) gives teens in the city a chance to meet others outside of school while learning the true meaning of the four core values they need to focus on to start off their life in the real world: education, health, civic/social responsibility, and employability.

Kelsey said that she has become friends with kids she would have never imagined talking to in her first year of being in the program.

“I am more comfortable getting to know new different people. Some of my MAP friends are people I would normally never talk to. I’ve gotten to get closer to people in my generation that I don’t see on a daily basis at school. Also, my community builders, Greg and Zipporah, are great role models and wise young adults. They have given me some great advice and guidance.”

The Memphis Ambassadors Program is a year-round, after-school program that was developed to replace  the summer job program after 1,000 kids did not receive their paychecks.

James Nelson, assistant to the mayor, told The Memphis Flyer,  ”When Mayor AC Wharton was elected in October 2009, one of the first issues we had to deal with was repairing the Office of Youth Services. It had a very rough summer, and some kids didn’t get paid, [so] we decided to revamp and try something new.”

Peter Formantes, one of the community builders for the work site located in district seven, got involved in the program after switching his major in college from nursing to psychology.

He said the program evolved from a small number to over 500 students.

“As I was doing my internship for psychology, my professor got involved with Mr. Nelson and they asked me to help them start this program. We started with 28 students to try to test it out and see if it works.  Then from 28 students, a month later we moved on to 200 students and eventually it evolved into what it is today, and it worked out through all the trials and errors,” Formantes said.

Currently in its third year, the Memphis Ambassadors Program has provided tutoring and mentoring for 560 teens each year.  The small number allows for equal representation between each of the seven city districts.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students are required to attend mandatory life skills training at 4:30 p.m. at their designated site.  Meanwhile, on Mondays and Wednesdays students are allowed to come for tutoring or mentoring from their community builders.  In addition, students do a monthly road map where they set goals (one for each core value) and list the steps they need to take in order to reach their goal within in that month.

“Most of the youth especially, if they don’t have much support, can’t find that direction to where to go and the program is a stepping stone to them growing up, because most youth don’t know how to reach their goal and we help them figure out how to get there are help them reach that goal,” Formantes said.

Not only has the program made a positive impact on the ambassadors themselves, but their community builders have grown also.

“I believe I have learned a lot myself while being a mentor in the program.  I actually feel I have learned more than what I have taught my ambassadors.  I am more humble, appreciate things more, and have learned how to be more patient with young adults,” Formantes said.The program also allows the kids to earn a quarterly stipend up to $500 depending upon the amount of points they receive.  Points are earned by attending mandatory days, community service, parental involvement and other factors within the program.  Students are also given points for each grade and their conduct on their report card.  Each grade is a different amount of set points, so it motivates students to strive for higher grades.

Formantes shared that he “had youth who didn’t know where to go, had attitude problems, or just decided to give up.  However, through the program, the ambassadors were able to reach their goal and I have ambassadors that are in college now with full-ride scholarships and internships.  The program is so beneficial that it is too hard to sum up how much it benefits the youth, it is just life changing.”

Teen Appeal Assistant Coordinator

I went to see the Academy Award winning documentary Undefeated the Sunday afternoon it opened in Memphis.

The movie showed exclusively at the Malco Paradiso, a theater not known for showing independent or artsy films, unlike its cousins the Ridgeway Four and Studio on the Square.

I’m not sure if it was intentional, but I immediately noticed that the sole showing scenario brought together many folks who would have otherwise avoided each other.  (Confession: I often choose which theater and day/time I see a movie based on what I think the crowd will be like.) On this early Sunday afternoon showing, the number 16 screen was packed with all sorts of folks. Black, white, young, old, singles, families. It was a good representative cross-section of the city itself.

Ok, now let’s get back to the movie.

The documentary focuses on a single season of Manassas football and its volunteer coach, Bill Courtney. After opening a business nearby, Courtney decided to come aboard the team and also start a much-needed booster club.

The school was unique in the fact that it had never won a playoff game in over 100 years of existence. In fact, other schools would often use the team for their homecoming games. Other schools farther away in Western Tennessee would actually pay Manassas to drive up and get beaten mercilessly.

Also, in the movie we are introduced to the rough and tumble lives of three of the players: O.C. Brown, Montrail “Money” Brown, and Chavis Davis. We got to see a glimpse of their highs and lows, struggles and successes.

The film also does a good job of letting viewers see into the eyes and heart of Courtney and his motivations.

The movie is poignant and does a good job of not getting in the way of the story. There is no narration and what viewers see is essentially unvarnished.

One complaint would be that some of the subtitles for a particular student were slightly erroneous. I am not generally a fan of subtitles for people speaking in English outside of extreme circumstances. The accent was not that impenetrable.

During at least two scenes in the movie the audience broke out into spontaneous applause.

And the ending brought many to tears (I guess I will fess up here.).

The movie is rated PG-13 due to some swear words and runs 115 minutes.

After the movie let out, I noticed there were also a few Tiger alumni who had decided to check out the film. They seemed pleased with the depiction.

Undefeated is an emotional window into a year in the life of some unforgettable Memphians. I highly recommend seeing it.

White Station High School

White Station Middle School eighth grader Max Friedman will show his genius on a big stage soon.

Max composed the piece Celebrate Artes, which will be featured at the second annual Artsfest hosted by Memphis City Schools March 30 and 31, 2012.

According to Max, Celebrate Artes is based on one of his earlier brass quintet compositions, but changed a lot over the course of working on it.

Artsfest is a program intended to display MCS students’ artistic abilities.

For the first time, a city-wide orchestra will also be a part of the program.  The orchestra will perform a finale concert at the Cannon Center in downtown Memphis.  Participation in the Artsfest Orchestra is determined by students’ All-West Tennessee Orchestra auditions earlier in the year.

Dr. Larry Livingston, professor of conducting at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, will conduct the orchestra.  Those who previously worked with Dr. Livingston at the 2011 All-State Tennessee Orchestra workshop know they are in for a treat.

White Station High School orchestra conductor, Dr. Andrew Palmer said, “Some of my students worked with Dr. Livingston last year and really enjoyed it.”

White Station High School senior and concertmistress  of the Artsfest orchestra, Joie Tanaka, expressed her excitement at having the chance to work with Dr. Livingston again.

When asked how Joie felt upon being named concertmistress, she said, “I was happy; my hard work had finally paid off.”

Of course, Artsfest includes a lot more than just music. Memphis City School students will present choir, dance, and theater performances as well as original artwork at the Memphis City Schools Board of Education building.

White Station High School

                  L.A. Weatherly, author of Angel Burn and Angel Fire, came to Memphis and spoke to a group of students about her novels at the Booksellers of Laurelwood on February 16. Her tour was sponsored by Justine Magazine, a publication for teenage girls.

Weatherly was born in Arkansas but moved to the United Kingdom 17 years ago after her marriage. Her books were rejected many times before being published.

She said, “When [the manuscript] come back and it says ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ you lose faith in yourself.”

Her advice to fledgling writers, however, is to “keep going. It’s very unusual to get published at a young age. Don’t get discouraged. It might be years…but you’ll definitely get there.”

Weatherly’s reading habits are different from other writers. “I don’t read adult fiction because I don’t find interest in it. I really like the coming-of-age type stories.” Interestingly, Weatherly tries not to read young adult fiction either, especially not other “angel books” such as Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush or Fallen by Lauren Kate.

“I’m worried it would undermine my self-confidence,” she said.

The main characters in her Angel Series are Willow, a half-angel, and Alex, an angel hunter charged with killing her. Weatherly tries to write 2,000 words per day, or about eight pages. “A lot of [my daily work] is just thinking as I write. As a writer, I do plan things out. Although you can plan a lot of things in a story, a lot of things change. Sometimes even minor details become important…For example, I never knew that Alex spoke fluent Spanish. But it really worked out for me, because it the second book they travel to Mexico. It was hard to write about a place I’d never thought about, never been to. I knew [the first book] had to be set in America because it involved a road trip. This is a concept Europeans don’t quite grasp,” said Weatherly.

She came up with her main characters almost 20 years ago, trying to fit them to various stories. The first book she wrote about Alex and Willow was never published. “I’ve had Alex in my head since I was in my mid-twenties, and I’m 44 now. I had always wanted a ‘hunter falling in love with the hunted’ type plot…I thought it had a lot of energy to it. I was trying to find the perfect story to fit them. At first, Alex was going to be a teenage hit man, but I wanted a happy ending. As a hit man, there was not long term potential for happiness. I mean, he would be a murderer; he would be killing people for a living. Eventually he would have to go to jail, which sort of ruins a relationship. Then Twilight came out. I didn’t want vampires. Maybe demons, but then demon books started coming out, too.”

What separates Weatherly’s work from those of other young adult authors is the fact that the angels are evil creatures. Weatherly was standing in front of a bookstore’s nonfiction display about angels when she was hit with the idea, “What if angels were not what we really thought they were? What is they were evil? What if they’re here and they have their own agenda?”

Once she fitted Alex and Willow’s story to a plot, the writing came fast. “I wrote it in five or six months after dreaming about them for 20 years,” Weatherly said.

Titling the completed book was difficult. “I wanted to title it Angel Heart. My editor…she was like, ‘You can’t do it. It sounds like a Harlequin romance novel!’ She wanted to name it Angel Heat…My publishers in the U.K. named it Angel. The only problem was that there are a lot of other things named that. My publishers at Candlewick Press in the U.S. wanted to name it Angel Burn. It was the obvious title, because angel burn is actually a part of the story. It just hadn’t occurred to me. The next book is called Angel Fire, and the third one is called Angel Fever. Basically, the idea is that things are heating up.”

White Station High School

Willow is a 16-year-old girl living with a mentally disabled mother and a brusque aunt. She tries to prevent a classmate from joining the Cult of Angels, a disturbing new religion that has been spreading among Americans like wildfire for the past two years. At their church, she is attacked by a malevolent angel and is rescued by a 17-year-old angel killer named Alex. Alex has been told that Willow is an angel and has been given orders to kill her. Upon seeing her, he realizes that she is not an angel and protects her out of an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality. Alex and Willow realize that the division of the CIA which works to kill angels has been infiltrated by the angels. Wanting to create a new organization of angel killers, Alex and Willow travel from the East Coast to New Mexico and on the way fall in love.                  Though Weatherly claims to have been developing these characters for years, her actual characterization is negligible. Having bought and read Angel Fire at the book signing, I really do not think that Alex was very different from many other Byronic heroes of today’s supernatural young adult genre. He’s moody and brooding, with the prerequisite tragic past and handsome figure. Willow, on the other hand, is a strong female protagonist. She is brave, reflective, and not as idiotic as most heroines. She is willing to make difficult choices and sacrifices for people she does not know and probably do not deserve her help. There were no other important characters besides Willow and Alex, so I am not sure who my favorite was. My least favorite characters were the really minor ones – Willow’s best friend Nina and her Aunt Jo.

Angel Burn was innovative and had the potential to become a great story. One thing I appreciated was Weatherly’s refreshing interpretation of angels as an alien race from a post-apocalyptic dimension with the intent of sucking souls from humans. Unfortunately, the melancholy mood that held throughout and the lack of character development make the book flat and average. My favorite scenes were those during the early road trip, when neither trusted the other and there was a mutual dislike between Willow and Alex. The dialogue was not particularly funny or engaging, and oftentimes sparse. I recommend this book only to teenage girls who enjoy paranormal romances and dark, troubled heroes.

L.A. Weatherly is currently writing the third novel in what she hopes will be a trilogy, called Angel Fever. It is expected to release in October of 2012. In the future, Weatherly sees herself “still writing. There’s no room in my head for anything else.”

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Booker T. Washington High School

Break ups. Intimidating peers. Over-bearing parents. Failing a class. These are all issues some teens consider devastating. Sometimes teens are oblivious to real devastation until it lands at their front door.

BTW sophomore Lashonda Malone knows what devastation looks like. She knows how it feels.

Lashonda was diagnosed with leukemia Tuesday, November 23, 2010, just two days before Thanksgiving Day.

Lashonda shared her experience with cancer with The Teen Appeal.

Teen Appeal: What’s your age, gender, and what type of cancer do you have?

Lashonda: I’m a 16 year old female and I have Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).

Teen Appeal: How did you find out you had cancer?

Lashonda: I had been sick for a couple of days. I couldn’t move or eat and had shortness of breath. I had flu-like symptoms, so my brother and cousin took me Le Bonheur. After they ran tests for about an hour, I was told I had cancer. They immediately sent me to St. Jude.

Teen Appeal: Had you gone to the doctor for your flu-like symptoms?

Lashonda: Yes, the hospital doctors were asking why my regular doctors didn’t detect it when they did blood work, but no one could answer that question.

Teen Appeal: How did you respond to learning you had cancer?

Lashonda: I was upset at first and thought I was about to die.

Teen Appeal: How did you tell your friends and family when you learned? What were their reactions?

Lashonda: My brother called and told my mother and grandmother. They thought he was playing. When they found out it was true, they cried. I couldn’t tell my friends. They found out through the school. Most of my friends cried, but everyone treated me the same.

Teen Appeal: What treatments did you have?

Lashonda: Chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow testing. Chemo had me in a lot of pain and sick a lot. I had to have surgery where they put a tube in my chest. They connected a tube with the medicine to the one in my chest for each treatment.

Teen Appeal: Did you lose your hair during chemo? What was your reaction?

Lashonda: Yes. The first time my hair came out was on New Year’s Day. My cousin was combing my hair and stopped to show me a lot of hair in the comb. Then I ran my fingers through my hair and a lot came out then too. So I just stopped touching it. Whenever I woke up there would be hair on the pillow too. There’s a lot I don’t remember because the medicine always had me asleep.

Teen Appeal: How long where you hospitalized?

Lashonda: About seven to eight months from the day I went to the ER.

Teen Appeal: How did having cancer affect the people around you?

Lashonda: No one could be around me if they were sick and had to wait a week after they got better before they could come around me. My immune system couldn’t fight off any bacteria or germs.

Teen Appeal: As a teenager, what were your fears?

Lashonda: That I wouldn’t live. I had heard about cancer, but didn’t know exactly what it was. My grandmother had cancer and hers went into remission. She would always tell me to never think about dying, think about what I would do when I got out of the hospital.

Teen Appeal: Who was your biggest support system while you were battling this disease?

Lashonda: My family, but mainly my boyfriend at the time. He was there a lot. He would wake me up and remind me to walk around.

Teen Appeal: Do you still have to do treatments now?

Lashonda: Well, my cancer is in remission now, but I have to go to St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital) for bone marrow testing every month.

Teen Appeal: Does having this disease affect your ability to care for your son?

Lashonda: A little. I just have to be very careful with him. When I was diagnosed he was only a couple of months old. I had him tested when he was one because I didn’t know if it was hereditary. But I learned that it wasn’t and he’s fine.

Teen Appeal: What treatments did you have to do when you were able to go home?

Lashonda: I had to perform a flush on the tube in my chest. I attached a syringe, filled with medicine, to my chest tube and gently injected the medicine. My mom would check and change my dressings to keep me from getting an infection and make sure the tube didn’t come out. I also had to go to the dentist because AML affects the gums. My gums were swollen and bleeding and I had to get a tooth pulled. There was a small hole in one of my teeth and I had to have it pulled in case of an infection. The doctors told me my body wouldn’t be able to fight off the infection.

Teen Appeal: What were your reactions to the questions people had when you came back to school?

Lashonda: It was a lot! At first it didn’t bother me, but after so many I just either ignored people or told them to stop asking me questions.

Teen Appeal: What do you want people to know about leukemia?

Lashonda: You have to know what the symptoms are and be aware of how quickly they can overtake your body. The doctors told me I was lucky because I got to the hospital soon and they caught it in the early stages. You may think you have one thing, but it could be something a lot worse.

Booker T. Washington students participated in the Pasta for Pennies community service project to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) throughout the month of February. Students, teachers and secretarial staff raised money. During the program, schools choose a three-week period when student fill collection jars with spare change. The top fundraising class at each school receives a pasta party from a local Olive Garden restaurant.

BTW’s instructional facilitator, Lakeisha Haywood, was contacted by the LLS, and she moved forward with the project.

“I want students to know that a small amount of change could make a big difference,” she said. “We’re not just giving back to the community, but we’re giving back to the world.”

Other students shared what they felt about the community service project.

“It’s important to help others,” said Jonathan Hunter, a sophomore. “I would want someone to help me if I were in that position.

Westwood High School

Westwood High has seen a spate of violence and fighting in recent weeks.

Alex Cole, a senior at Westwood, said she is growing tired of the drama.

“It makes the school’s atmosphere awkward and unpleasant,” said Cole.

“Homecoming week was a sham,” said Deidre Rogers, also a senior at Westwood. “There was no celebration.”

For Basketball Homecoming 2012, Westwood, a school with 560 students, had no pep rally, dance or fun dress-out days. Instead, that Tuesday, January 24, four fights broke out.

The next day, January 25, an eerie feeling filled the hallways of Westwood. The students knew something was suspicious when it was 9:25 and the bell for third period didn’t ring. The teachers gathered in the hallway and began to talk and then came back into the classroom.

Jamarcus Ricks, a sophomore, was in the gym at the time.

“We were in the gym playing flag football, and all of sudden about five police officers rushed in and began to curse at us, telling us to put our hands in the air and not to move,” Ricks said.“We had to keep our hands on the wall while they conducted the search. I’m not for sure what they were searching for but it made me feel like a criminal.”

Talaya Samuels said that the police officers were very rude and forceful.

“It made me feel violated,” she said. “I feel like they should’ve done it in a better way. They slung my things all over the place when they rummaged through my purse and even ripped it a little. I felt like it was an inappropriate search. I was touched in ways that made me very uncomfortable.”

Memphis City Schools Division of Security and Safety Supervisor Ray Hopkins said that officers were dispatched to Westwood High School because a Durham school bus driver had found five live bullets on the bus floor after Westwood students had left the bus.

“The MCS security officers were immediately dispatched because of the likelihood that there was also a weapon in the hands of one or more of those students,” Hopkins said in e-mail. “The officers had to quickly address the issue because a pistol in a crowded school places numerous students and staff at risk. “

Hopkins said the searches were unrelated to any fights the day before.

“I’m sick and tired of coming to school and not knowing whether I am safe or not. That was scary and sometimes facing school is too,” said Brittney Milam.

Hopkins also said that during the school searches, officers collected a total of 156 cell phones and returned those phones the same day.

Dr. Helen Harper, assistant principal at Westwood, has been on sick leave for majority of the year. She came back mid-January. She said she thinks Westwood is overall a good school. Dr. Harper came from Detroit. She has mostly been involved in alternative schools, so she’s not new to gang violence or troubled schools.

In response to students who said they felt mislead for not being told about the search in advance, she said, “Sometimes students shouldn’t know what’s going on, because then things become altered and chaotic.”

When asked how she felt about the students being upset about the search being poorly conducted, she answered, “I wasn’t in there so I really don’t know what actually took place. However, I feel like you can get anything out of children if you come at them the right way. If you respect them they’ll respect you.”

Hopkins said that though the searches involved nearly the entire student body, he received only one complaint subsequent to the searches.

“There were several students who were uncooperative and offended about something that they did not feel connected,” he said. “However, when one bus rider made it into the school,the entire school is contaminated. So, our searches were pretty much school-wide.”

Precious Banks said she and many other seniors are still upset about Homecoming Week being canceled. However, Dr. Harper said that if she feels like the safety of the students is being jeopardized, then she is going to do whatever it takes to ensure their safety.

In response to students who said they blamed Dr. Harper for the search, she said, “My feelings were a little hurt, because nobody really wants to be blamed for something they didn’t do.”

A second search was conducted on February 2, but it wasn’t nearly as aggressive as the first. Police came into the classes calmly and asked females to stand on one side of the room and males on the other side. Then they made them stand in a line. And they simply waved a metal detector wand around the students. Next, they searched bags, and that was all.

“I am glad to be coming back from sick leave. I love the students and Westwood. And I just want order where children learn,” said Dr. Harper with a smile.

Hopkins said, “Westwood High School and the Westwood community is a wonderful, tight-knit community with above-normal pride. I worked there for many years in the MPD Westwood CoAct Unit and community center offices. My sister lives a half block west of the school on Rose Heather. I too am concerned about any crime or ill-treatment in that community. In my opinion, the fights and problems found in Westwood are no more prevalent than in other communities within the school system. “

White Station High School

Boys can be seen waddling though hallowed halls of White Station instead of swaggering because they are wearing their pants too low to walk properly.

To be sure, the epidemic of sagging pants is not what it once was, but it seems that those who continue the trend wear their pants extremely low. One could easily spot a student with his pants hovering near his knees, his boxers entirely exposed for the world to see.

Although the saggers might think it looks good, others do not.

“I don’t think that’s attractive,” said sophomore Dominique Savage, “and I think it must be very uncomfortable.”

Her friend Alexus Hubbard agreed, “I hate when dudes sag to their ankles.”

White Station sophomore Isaiah Howze sags his pants on occasion. “I only do it when I’m wearing shorts and they’re getting too short. You know how a guy’s shorts have to be below the knee. Other than that, sagging is dumb. The have to spread their legs to walk…I guess they feel like a thug when they sag. It’s like they’re part of a group.”

Senior Marlon McShan wears his pants low often. He said, “I guess I wear sagging pants because it goes with the look. It goes with the swag.”

Tyrone Smith, a biology teacher at White Station, said, “I believe that boys wear their pants sagging due to influence from others…they want to imitate the rappers…But mainly here I see a reduction as compared to about two or three years ago. The problem I’m seeing now is females and their short skirts. But as far as guys and their sagging pants, I think it was just wanting to be with the in crowd, and for some of them it was just peer pressure…

“It shows that they have low self-esteem, they want to fit in. People might view them as a hoodlum or a thug or somebody that wants to have the image of being cool. It might have something to do with gangs. A lot of guys in gangs, they wearing their pants sagging to show membership, or just to send off a message like, ‘I’m bad,’ or ‘I’m cool’.”

Smith thinks that sagging pants aren’t as common now because there is a new trend – skinny jeans. “I think it’s gone out of fashion, the skinny jeans are in now and the skinny jeans are fitting, so in order to have them fit, they couldn’t sag. I think it was just a fad and now you don’t see as many going with that style, because it really isn’t in style anymore, not since four or five years ago.”

In the words of sophomore Cameron Benson, “Saggin’ ain’t swaggin’.”

Mitchell High School

On occasion, athletes are put in to a category of people unlikely to succeed academically, but many football players of today’s generation are changing that stereotype.

Six of Mitchell High’s top football players signed four-year contracts to go to colleges of their choice, not only to pursue athletics but academics as well.

“Pick up your pens and sign your life away, now parents, sign your child’s life away”,
joked Coach Nathan Cole at the signing.

Nathan “Lil Nate” Cole Jr., Jermiah Balfour, Martavious “ToeJoe” Smith, Terrance “TJ” Ayers, Devin “DP” Preyer and Sedrick “Lil Knox” Jones all signed letters of intent. Lil Nate signed with the University of Cincinnati, Devin Preyer with the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Smith, Balfour, Jones and Ayers all signed with Lane College.

Nathan and Jermiah are wide receivers; Terrance is a quarterback, Martavious is a
running back, Devin is a cornerback and Sedric is a defensive tackle.

The players expressed how exuberant and excited they were.

“I’m very excited to attend college with three of my teammates,” Sedric said.

“I feel blessed; I’m glad God gave me the opportunity to go to college with my
teammates,” TJ said.

“Life is hard then you die, so I feel excited that I get to live my life, attend college and do what I love,” Nathan said.

“I’m happy and very excited to attend that college, I feel like I’m at home there,” Devin

said.

“I feel excited and blessed,” Martavious said.

The parents and principal were even more excited to see them sign than the actual
players.

“I’m real excited, his sister is his biggest fan and she’s so proud of him, he’s not only on an athletic scholarship, but academics as well,” said Devin’s mom, Tara Preyer.

“I’m excited that he chose a college where he’s comfortable and that God gave him this opportunity,” Nathan’s mom, Tammon Cole, said.

“Very, very excited, it been a long time coming and I’m glad he made it,” Terrance’s

mom, Melisha Payne, said.

“Unbelievable, it feels good,” Jermiah’s mother, Hazel Balfour, said.

Martavious’ mom Cherri Askew added, “I’m happy he’s going to college; I’m ecstatic.”

Mitchell High Principal Kevin Meeks expressed his pride, too.

“I’m very excited and honored to be in the mist of six young men furthering their careers
in college,” Meeks said.

Middle College High School

Lately Memphis has suffered from a rollercoaster of fluctuating weather.

In result of this, fashion trends have gone from wearing skirts to rocking snow boots. Even though the weather has been crazy, fashion continues.

"Pop of Color" Kourtney Moore

Mademoiselle: Even though the weather is mostly likely the key determiner for what you wear, don’t let it stop your creativity. Scarves can contribute texture, color and uniqueness. Oxford shoes can bring attention to your fee, combine colors and bring new colors to your outfit. Also, the color blocking technique is very chic and can bring new elements to simple uniform fashion.

"Prep Meets Combat" Coreena Blackburn

Monsieur: There are a lot of different ways you can stay warm but still keep up with trends. Bow ties bring different textures and colors to the table. Blazers bring a professional air to school settings. Denim jackets bring an edgy look to a boring uniform; also, layering them over pullovers and thin jackets can keep you warm and make you stand out.

"Pretty 'n' Simple" Ayana Purdy

Fashion will always continue no matter what season, time, or place. As long as you make trends your own or just stay updated, fashion lives within you.

Craigmont High School

Lifeblood's Cindy Sims preps Carvel Walker for donation.

Craigmont High students and teachers donated blood to LifeBlood during a drive sponsored by the school’s Junior ROTC program on January 27.

The goal was to donate a total of 65 pints of blood to be eligible for a $500 scholarship.

Only 42 pints of blood were raised, but students who donated said that they found the experience rewarding.

“It was alright. The needle was kinda big, but I guess it went through successfully,” Avery Carmichael said.

He also shared his thoughts about the screening questionnaire.

“Yeah the questionnaire was kinda personal, but I understand because they gotta make sure it’s clean.”

Nicholas Lancaster said he was proud to have donated his blood too.

“You get a good feeling from it, you know you’re going to help the community, because there is a blood shortage right now,” Nicholas said. Nicholas is a member of the JROTC color guard and played a big part in getting the news of the blood drive out around the school. Between a job, drill team practice, and planning the JROTC ball this year, Nicholas still found time to help the blood drive go smoothly.

Some students were turned away for having a low blood count.

Men who have had sexual relations with another man at any time since 1977 can not donate blood. LifeBlood employee Cindy Sims said this is part of the donation policies given by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to LifeBlood. The FDA prohibits blood donations from these men because they are at a higher risk for HIV, even though the blood is tested before use

“The questionnaire will ask you your medical history, your sexual history, your travel history, we do a mini physical where we get a little drop of blood from your finger to check iron, get your blood pressure, temperature, pulse, if all that’s passed then you’re good to donate.”

Overton High School

     Daniel Radcliffe has switched from starring as a teen heartthrob in his own series of movies (Harry Potter) to focusing on his new debonair persona by starring in the thriller The Woman in Black.

The PG-13 movie hit theaters on February 3, 2012 and was instantly a huge success, resulting in long ticket lines and crowded movie theaters.

In this chilling movie directed by James Watkins, Radcliffe plays a lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who travels to a remote village to collect paperwork so the house of recently deceased Mrs. Drablow can be sold. Viewers learn that Radcliffe is widowed and has a four-year-old son, whom he has to leave behind in order to do his job, though both his son and the nanny will be joining him later on in the week. Upon reaching the house, he discovers the ghost of a scorned woman who seeks revenge on those who caused her pain.

By delving deeper into her past, he puts his own life in danger. No one is openly willing to discuss the house of the ‘crazy woman’ who once lived alone. Once the people in the town blame him for the deaths of the children in the town, Radcliffe realizes that this may be bigger than he’d originally thought.

A rather riveting and memorable scene is watching a young boy climb out of the marsh that he was said to have drowned in years prior; then comes a knock on the door. When Radcliffe opens the door, he sees children standing in the forest close to the house, watching him. But when he goes back inside of the house, there are muddy footprints leading up the stairs and a loud thumping sound coming from
behind the door of a locked room.

Radcliffe’s only friend in the town is Simon Daily, played by Ciaran Hinds, who turns out to be the only man in town with a car. Hinds is struggling with his own problems as he has lost his son and he thinks his wife is suffering from mental illness, when really, she can communicate with the dead children in the town. She lets him know that his life is on the line and that ‘the woman in black’ is after him because he has seen her. Soon, it becomes a race to save himself and his own son before it’s too late.

With a thrill at every turn, this movie will surely keep you on the edge of your seat. If you are faint at heart, I wouldn’t recommend this movie, but I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars on top of the $37,000,000+ it earned as of February 14!

Hollis F. Price High School

      “I had someone tell me I fell off. Oh I needed that,” raps Toronto-born music artist, Drake, on the number-one single “Headlines.” It seems as though the star has been on top of the game every since his platinum debut “Thank Me Later,” released back in 2010. From singles to tons of features, the rapper has remained relevant in music.

“Take Care,” the long awaited sophomore album from Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham, is proof that he never “fell off”. The album is a mixture of emotions Drake feels after getting on top of the game and reassurance that he isn’t going anywhere.

Most would argue that Drake has really changed since the beginning of his career.
However, most artists seem to go through an evolution of different sounds and emotions and don’t stick to one sound every album. While “Take Care” sounds nothing like his Grammy nominated mixtape, “So Far Gone,” nor does it sound like “Thank Me Later.” What it sounds like is undeniably good.

One thing noticeably different on “Take Care” is the amount of growth Drake has
experienced since his debut. While “Thank Me Later” was a mainly monotone soundtrack of lessons learned and past experiences, “Take Care” is more experimental: cocky yet genius. There are multiple types of production and several flows Aubrey uses to get out his thoughts.

Production wise, “Cameras” and “Crew Love” were the most experimental songs on the album. “Cameras” featured a sample from R&B singer Jon B.

The album has an extensive list of features with appearances by Andre 3000, Rihanna, The Weeknd and numerous others.

The lyrics on the album also stood out, featuring raw and honest delivery. “Lord Knows” was of the most boastful songs on the album. He raps, “I’m a descendant of either Marley or Hendrix. I haven’t figured it out ‘cause my story is far from finished.” The most honest and heartfelt track is “Look What You’ve Done,” on which he raps about several of his influences that made him who he is today.

Overall, the album is near perfection and delivers what all true Drake fans have wanted in the second album. It portrays what the rapper has grown into without losing too much sight on where he has been.

Drake ends the album on the last track “The Ride” saying, “My sophomore, they was all for it, they all saw it. My junior and senior will only get meaner…take care.” I’m sure everyone would agree that the world will patiently await Mr. October Very Own’s junior effort.

Album Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Hollis F. Price High School

PAUSE Partnership Chairman Janeta Reeves (left) and President Antionette Boooker (right) speak to students at the February Teen Appeal staff meeting.

The mission of Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence at the University of Memphis is to encourage success academically, professionally and socially by providing information, training and networking opportunities for women on campus.

PAUSE President Antionette Booker, an international business major who will graduate in December, said that the group has 88 members.

“This interest group has tremendously helped me with proper business attire, being professional, and knowing how to network with people,” Booker said. “Before this program, I was not an expert on networking. Networking is so important in college.”

The group reaches out to women of all races, creeds and colors on campus, according to Booker.

“We do not discriminate, as we are a diverse group of women,” the president said.

The group began on the University of Memphis campus seven years ago with 10 women.

Marliana Love, a freshman at the University of Memphis studying information
systems management and a PAUSE member, shared her experiences as part of the group.

“When you hear about PAUSE on campus, you might think of it as just an organization where the girls on campus dress up, and spend their time being committed,” Love said. “However, the experience that I have shared with my PAUSE sisters has been priceless.”

“Our organization is a learning process that we each undergo, in the preparation of becoming a professional in our field of choice,” she said. “We bond like no other, and inspire each other to do better.”

Love said the group has not only affected her networking and professionalism, but also her focus on academics.

“Since my involvement, I was inspired to do better in school, and create a sisterly
relationship with my sisters I will never forget. We do not look at our organization as such that we must do to obtain hours for community service, but because we each enjoy giving our time to community to help better ourselves,” she said.

Love said current and future female college students should look at PAUSE.

“I encourage all interested young ladies who are ready to take a big step in learning how to become successful, and the essentials of success, to be a part of PAUSE,” Love said.

Meetings are held on Tuesdays in the University Center. Guest speakers regularly attend meetings to discuss professionalism and networking.

PAUSE committees include PAUSE for the Cause (which highlights issues that
affect women), Professional Awareness, (provides insight and training for professional success) Activities and Fundraising (in charge of fundraisers and special events), Women’s Conference (plans the annual conference), Public Relations, and Membership.

P.A.U.S.E.’s annual women’s conference, this year called “Women Visionaries Without Boundaries” will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 17 on the third floor of the University Center.

For more information on P.A.U.S.E., follow the group on Twitter at twitter.com/
PAUSEUOFM, check out the P.A.U.S.E. Facebook group or contact them via e-mail at pauseuofm@gmail.com.

White Station High School

Daniel Kiel, director and producer of The Memphis Thirteen, answers questions from students at the White Station screening of his documentary.

Daniel Kiel, director and co-producer of the documentary film The Memphis Thirteen, is a law professor at the University of Memphis and former White Station Spartan. 

     Kiel screened his movie, released to the public in October 2011, at White Station High School on January 20, 2012. Teachers brought their classes to the auditorium during seventh period to listen to speakers Kiel and Steven Becton, an associate at the Urban Education and Organizational Initiative, and watch the documentary.

The Memphis Thirteen was a group of thirteen African-American first graders who first integrated four elementary schools in the Memphis area in 1961. The school system chose to integrate gradually, starting from the lower grades because “those white high schoolers were already tainted,” according to an interviewee from the film.

Kiel included White Station in the movie by using it as a backdrop for a clip about the diversity of schools today. When students at the screening recognized their school and their classmates, they stood up and cheered. Kiel appreciated the enthusiasm.

“I was fortunate to have a terrific public school education.  But as a student in an optional school, I had a sense that not everyone had that same opportunity, even within my own school.  When I played basketball and visited other schools, the fact that other schools were not like mine was made even more obvious.  It was this sense and a lack of understanding as to why this was the case that drew me to the story of desegregation in Memphis in the first place,” Kiel said in a later email interview.

Kiel said, “I have been studying the official legal part of the story of school desegregation in Memphis for some time.  That interest came from my own experiences in the Memphis City Schools and a sense that there must be some story about my own schools.  I knew the story of the Little Rock 9 and I knew the stories of school desegregation in many other communities, but knew nothing about Memphis…So the project began as a way to fill that gap – to give the human part of the story of school desegregation in Memphis.”

The 13 children were volunteered by their parents to attend previously all-white schools. Their names were Joyce White, Michael Willis, Dwania Kyles, Harry Williams, Sheila Malone Conway, Sharon Malone, E.C. Freeman Fentress, Leandrew Wiggins, Deborah Holt, Pamela Mays, Alvin Freeman, Jacqueline Moore, and Clarence William.

The night before the Memphis Thirteen’s first day of school in 1961, the police chief gathered the men assigned to guard the children and told them, “I’m a segregationist, always been one, but I’m a lawman first…You can leave if you don’t want to protect these kids, just turn in your badge.”

One former member of the Memphis Thirteen said in an interview during the documentary, “The books were crispy-new…But it was hard, I hated going to school. Ninety-eight percent of those kids were good to me, the other two percent, well, they were just bad kids.” Another said, “You would wake up in the morning and you’d dread going to school.”

Parents got hate mail. One recalled a message reading, “Your daughter’s going to a white school, but she’s still going to be black.” Another was asked to leave her job.

A few of the 13 returned to African-American schools later on, but on the whole, their mission was a success. In one school, the African-Americans outnumbered white students by the time they reached fifth grade. President John F. Kennedy and his brother, the Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, congratulated Memphis on the relatively easy transition, so different from the violence and protests that took place in Little Rock, Arkansas when they tried to integrate Central High School.

Kiel graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and later attended Harvard Law School. He began as a professor at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2008.  Prior to that, he worked as a lawyer in both Boston and Memphis. He is now serving as a member of the Transition Planning Commission charged with merging Memphis City and Shelby County Schools

He was a driving force in the film’s creation, beyond producing and directing. “There was nothing I was not involved with, from raising money to finding the students to doing the interviews to crafting the script and making changes to the film itself,” he said. “The technical parts of the film could not have been accomplished without Jane Folk (cinematography) and David Kiern (editing), who really did an extraordinary job in producing the final product.”

Finding each of the interviewees is a story unto itself.  Kiel said, “Some were quite simple; others required a great deal of luck.  I had the names (at least the maiden names) from the newspaper accounts and school board records at the time, but I had no contact information… For those we did not have initial leads on, we did everything from looking in the phone books to checking online class reunion sites for matches to sending letters.  Often finding one person would get at least a lead to another.  But it is really the case that we had to use different tools for every single person we interviewed. And once we found them, getting them agree to an interview was often difficult as well.”

Kiel’s goals in creating the film evolved with the project. “My hope is that the film brings to light a story that most Memphians don’t know and honors some extraordinarily courageous pioneers in our community.  I also hope that the lessons the story examines can be applied to issues we encounter today as part of a larger dialogue.”

Joyce B. White was a member of the original Memphis Thirteen. As a first-grader in 1961, her mother volunteered her to help integrate Memphis City Schools. White attended Rozelle Elementary for first and second grade.

“My first grade teacher was really nice,” said White in a phone interview, “but my [second grade] teacher was not. Some people were friendly; most were not…It wasn’t really scary, it was just different.”

MCS made potential students undergo many exams to “ensure [they] had the academic ability” necessary. Thus, the first day of school for the African-American students was in October.

White returned to her predominantly African-American elementary school in third grade. “We had already done what we set out to do,” she explained. “I was just ready to come out of there and go back to school with the neighborhood kids.”

Her participation in the integration process was never discussed later on. “I never talked to my brothers and sisters about it. It’s just something I didn’t talk about…I suppressed it. It wasn’t just something you told people…It didn’t matter to me.”

After the documentary was released, “a lot of people were really excited.” White said, “My baby brother, he was just ecstatic…I don’t think it made people change towards me, they just understood why I am the way I am. They understood me better.”

“What I hope people get from seeing this movie [is that] these people aren’t that old, and that they live right near you,” Professor Kiel said in the question-and-answer session after the screening. “Help us honor the people who lived this story. We have people who are the first in their family to go to college, the first in their family to speak English. If the film causes people to think about…and discuss such issues, it is a success.”

The application process is competitive and the deadline is March 1.

The application can be found  here: hsj.org/About_HSJ/Content.cfm?id=273

This Institute is for teachers whose journalistic, ethical and technical skills can be sharpened and shared with thousands of teens. They can see what Institute alumni have to say about the experience: hsj.org/testimonials

Central High School

Imagine stepping out on a soccer field, full of anticipation as you wait for the game to begin. However, when it time for the game to start, the referee comes over and denies you the chance to play because he says your religious head covering does not comply with the rules.

That happened to two Muslim players on Central High School’s soccer team as they prepared for a game against Collierville on Sept. 13, 2011.

“The referee came over and told the players that their head coverings were an ‘adornment’ and that they could not play with them on because it was against regulations.  We said we would forfeit the game if our players could not play with their head coverings on, and our coach asked the referee which rule he was talking about, and they went over to look in the regulation book,” said Kara Skjoldager, a senior on the soccer team.

“The first thing that the referee said he was concerned about was safety, and the second was adornment, but I didn’t see why these girls couldn’t wear their head coverings when it was their religion, so we went to his supervisor.  The supervisor said the problem should be solved using common sense,” said Central High’s soccer coach James Dycus.

As they continued to try to get the issue resolved, members of the Central soccer team comforted their teammates.

“We just kept telling the players that it was not their fault and that it was going to get straightened out,” Kara said.

As the coach and  referee were still debating about the situation, both teams grew weary and just wanted to play.

“The other team [Collierville] did not like that the referee was making a big deal out of the head coverings, and they felt that they should let them play because it was part of their religion,” Kara said.

Finally, Kara saw the coach walking back toward the team and waited to hear what had happened.

“The coach said that the players could play with their head coverings because there was no rule against them playing with them on,” Kara said.

On the handbook posted on Memphis Interscholastic Athletic Association website, the uniform soccer guidelines simply state that the home team must wear light colors and the visiting team must wear dark colors and that uniforms must be numbered.

It also refers to the policy set by National High School Federation’s soccer handbook.

The website of the NFHS did not mention anything specifically about religious head coverings. However, it mentioned, “At this time, the use of soccer headgear is permitted.”

A NFHS uniform policy updated in July 2011 notes that “soft caps in weather” and “padded headbands” are permitted for players to wear in soccer matches.

” Everyone went to the field crying since they felt bad about what happened, but they had to continue out with the game,” Dycus said.

Central lost the game against Collierville, but they were proud they were able to have their teammates playing along with them on the field.

White Station High School

Valentine's Day-related products hit supermarket shelves in advance. Companies manufacture pink and red, heart-shaped packaging for products that can be used on only one day of the year.

Fifteen percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day, as reported by Wisebread, a personal finance website for women.

How lonely does a woman have to be to send herself flowers?

This is  one of the contradictions of Valentine’s Day. It is meant to be a day of love and devotion, but instead, many are left feeling bitter and forlorn.

Sophomore Joanna Deaton said, “If you’re a couple, Valentine’s Day is fun. But I think it causes more loneliness than happiness, because the majority of us are single.”

Aston Patrick, a sophomore, said, “Sometimes Valentine’s Day can be a little overrated. It gets people too worried about it.”

At White Station, students can buy carnations or chocolates to send to other students and teachers for Valentine’s Day.

Virginia Fite, a sophomore, said, “I actually don’t like Valentine’s Day very much, because I’ve never had a Valentine. In sixth grade I sent all my friends chocolate roses, but no one sent me any in return. I spent Valentine’s Day last year watching TV and eating ice cream.”

“If you’re single or going through rough patches, Valentine’s Day is kind of like a slap in the face. Also it’s awkward when you’re just one of those people who celebrate Valentine’s Day alone, sitting on the couch watching soap operas,” said sophomore Luca Tanaka.

Sophomore Kamilya Gosmanova said, “Valentine’s Day is nice if you have someone to spend it with, but if you don’t it kind of sucks. And if you have someone special, you’re obligated to spend money on them and pay for presents, especially if you’re a guy.”

Americans send over $1 billion Valentine cards per year, the second-largest occasion after Christmas, according to MyDearValentine.com.

“I feel like Valentine’s Day was made up by Hallmark to sell stuff, and that it’s meaningless,” said sophomore Deepak Sathyan.

“It’s a Hallmark holiday,” confirmed sophomore Margaret Grace Haltom.

Zach Billet, a sophomore, said, “I think Valentine’s Day started out with good intentions, but it became over-commercialized, and now it’s just kind of ridiculous.”

“I think Valentine’s Day promotes chivalry and romance, but it’s over-commercialized,” said junior Allison Burns.

A CBS news article by Paul LaRosa and Michelle Singer entitled “Valentine’s Day: Does ‘V’ Stand for Domestic Violence?” shows that crime, especially domestic violence, rises slightly around Valentine’s Day.

Also, many challenge the reason why there is only a single, specific day devoted to love.

“I am against Valentine’s Day. If you truly love someone, you would spend money on them every day of the year. If you want to make a person feel more important, you should spend more than one day on them,” said sophomore Alice Pham.

Katie Perkins, a junior, said, “I don’t particularly like Valentine’s Day. I just don’t see the point in it. I don’t see it as a holiday. You don’t need a special day to show people you love them. You can do that every day.”

Sophomore Sean Means said, “I think it’s an over-indulged holiday without merit and that if someone really cared for someone else, they’d do something for them all year long.”