Here are a few of my favorite published articles that are not movie reviews. The first one is about a group of teens who decided to go on a different kind of Diet. The next article, "Leaving their mark," is about teen tattoos. "Mall full of nothing to wear" is about the lack of cute clothing available for plus sized teens. "Glitter and Glitz" is about Homecoming floats. "Royal Achievement" follows one teenage girl who made it onto the Sacramento King's cheerleading team. Lastly, "Common Cause" is about a group of teens doing volunteer work.

Soul Music
Students undertake task of listening exclusively to Christian music for 30 days
By HARMONY WHEELER
TEENS IN THE NEWSROOM

Thirty freshmen at Big Valley Christian High School went on a diet last month.
This diet, however, did not involve losing weight, working out or giving up favorite foods.

Instead, the Christian Music Diet required participants to give up secular music and listen to only Christian music for 30 days.

For some, that was even harder than giving up McDonald's and Cold Stone Creamery.

"Doing this Christian Music Diet was not easy," said 14-year-old Nicole Chacon, "but I got through it with the help of God. I prayed to Him when I was struggling. After all, the point of this diet is to become closer to God.

"Now," she said, "I have good days when I used to have bad days. Listening to Christian music is always very uplifting, compared to secular music, which is often depressing."

Nicole said the diet helped her become closer to God.

"Whenever I was struggling, I knew I could look to him, and I did," she said. "To this day, even after the diet, I look to God for comfort, strength and guidance."

The diet was created by Al Menconi Ministries, an evangelical, nondenominational ministry whose goal is to educate and equip Christian parents, leaders and students to communicate biblical values in the home and church.

"I originally started encouraging my students to take a 'diet' in 1972," Menconi said in an interview by e-mail. "It has been refined over the years and is constantly changing. In fact, we made major changes to it last year and now call it The FullTilt Challenge, or Living FullTilt."

Like the Christian Music Diet, the FullTilt Challenge requires participants to listen to only Christian music for 30 days. However, it also involves eliminating all forms of entertainment that go against biblical values.

Like losing weight, Menconi says on his Web site, you cannot accomplish something by giving up only small, select areas and, after a quick diet, going back to old habits; you have to change completely.

Ed Limon, a Bible teacher at Big Valley, adopted the diet about four years ago as an extra-credit opportunity for students.

Now, freshman Bible teachers Steven Neff and Ryan Poling have continued this challenge, while Limon has taken on the expanded version of the diet, FullTilt, and used it to challenge the juniors and seniors.

Involving more than just students, the diet required family participation. Parents had to sign an agreement saying they would not listen to secular music around their kids.

The teachers who assigned the challenge did it along with the students, as well.

"I would never ask anyone to do something I would not be willing to do myself," he said. "This is a biblical concept set forth by Jesus himself, as well as his disciples and the apostle Paul."

Neff, who teaches computers as well as Bible, would not allow the use of iPods or other MP3 and CD players during free time while the diet was going on.

Secular music plays a large role in teens' lives, so giving it up can be quite a challenge.

"It is very difficult to shut out secular music," said Meaghan Kingsley-Teem, 16. "It is everywhere: in stores, at school, even at church!"

Meaghan said curiosity motivated her to try the diet.

"I just wanted to see how much my music really affects me," she added. "I usually listen to music that fits my mood, whatever I feel like, but the Christian Music Diet is a way to take your mind off of this world and focus it on God. Through the diet, I have grown closer to my Lord and experienced joy that does not depend on circumstances."

Even though she sees the Christian Music Diet's effect as positive, Meaghan said she doesn't plan to continue avoiding secular music.

"I do not think I will follow this diet stringently," she said, "but I will definitely change my music selection to a mostly Christian makeup."

Neff said he wishes more students had accepted the challenge. Out of about 65 freshmen, only 30 did.

Dan Grigg, 16, said, "I was raised on the music I listen to, mainly rock, and I am not willing to give it up. I like it. I am not going to give it up just like that."

Besides, he added, "It takes a while for me to find out the other types of music I like."

Joe Colley, 14, also passed on the challenge.

"I did not want to do the Christian Music Diet because I did not need the extra credit and I enjoy the music I listen to," he said. "What I listen to depends on who I am around. I like all kinds of music and can listen to anything that people put in. My family listens to secular and Christian music, but we listen to a lot of radio."

He also said it would have been difficult to maintain the diet at home.

"I am not willing to make my family conform to something they are not willing to do," he said. "I am not going to torture myself by switching my music and giving it up for 30 days for some music I listen to only once in a while."

Robert Lasiler, 15, said he listens to a lot of industrial, punk, techno, grunge and metal music; anything, he said, that has meaning in its words.

"Music does not change a person," he said, "and not listening to music won't change a person, either. The music you like does not describe what kind of person you are. If I listen to lyrics that say, 'God is dead,' it won't change my faith. I am not changed by others' opinions."

Neff said he has heard many Christians say that they aren't affected by listening to secular music.

"My question to them is this: If these things do not have an effect on your life, then why is it so hard to give them up for a measly 30 days and find out for sure? Especially when we, as Christians, believe that Jesus gave up his throne in heaven for a time to suffer humility and an unspeakable death on the cross for us?"

Britteny Vargas, 15, said that since she tried the Christian Music Diet, "in my everyday life, I feel calmer and ready to face my trials. I might try the diet again in the future. It was a difficult challenge, but it helped me a lot. It has given me a more well-rounded feeling for music. I can understand more of what I hear now. It has made me conscious of what I listen to."

Britteny said she enjoys Christian music much more since she tried the Christian Music Diet.

"Sometimes I like to vent through music. With nonsecular music, it seems like you can't do this, but you really can," she said.

"When you have a bad day, you want to get all of your anger out. Listening to hard-core stuff, just loud and crazy music or music in general, seems to get rid of the hurt. Music, both secular and Christian, can give you the feeling that someone else has been through your hurts, too."

Britteny said she likes hard rock by Green Day, Muse and Three Days Grace. But similar sounds can be found with Christian bands like Switchfoot, Hawkinson, Kutless, 12 Stones and Relient K.

"Sometimes, secular music may seem better, but Christian music can sound just as good."

Neff said he has seen changes in the students who tried the Christian Music Diet. "They are more open to seeking godly music," he said, "They are no longer afraid of being looked on as different because of the music they listen to, because they have discovered there is good Christian music in almost any genre they could imagine. My prayer is that they will take this newfound knowledge and apply it to other things in their lives, such as the television and movies they choose."

The theme verse of the diet is Colossians 2:8, which says, "Don't let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men's thoughts and ideas instead of on what Christ has said."

Nicole Chacon could identify with that verse after trying the Christian Music Diet.

"I would encourage people to just try this diet," she continued, "It really does help not only your personal relationship with Christ, but your daily life, too. I do not think I will continue to listen to Christian music 24/7, but I will listen to it more often."

Leaving Their Mark
The popularily of tattoos continues to rise among young people -- but is the pain worth it?

Tattoos aren't just for sailors and bikers anymore.
Today people from all walks of life are getting tattoos, and that's true for teenagers, too.

Maybe it's because young celebrities like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan or popular athletes like Mike Bibby and David Beckham proudly sport their tattoos.

Maybe it's because characters in shows like "The Simpsons," "Friends," and "That '70s Show" have tattoos.

Or maybe it's just that teens are looking for yet another way to express themselves.

Jose Bedolla, owner of Main Street Tattoos and Piercings in Turlock, points to television shows like "Miami Ink" and "Inked" (which air on TLC and A&E, respectively) that he says fuel the trend.

"I think it has a lot to do with the shows on TV," he said.

Whatever the reason, more young people are getting tattoos than ever before. Twenty-eight percent of adults younger than 25 have tattoos, according to a 2003 survey by Scripps Howard News Service.

And, perhaps even more telling, "doctors estimate that more than thirty percent of all tattoo removal is done on teen girls who want the name of an ex-boyfriend taken off," according to a recent issue of Teen Magazine.

What sparked trend?

Like piercings, tattoos have become chic. They're no longer just for the "bad crowd."

And there are many reasons people get tattoos. They may be expressing their individuality or making a political statement. They could be commemorating a lost loved one or showing religious devotion. Or they could be using them as as a source of inspiration.

"I have a tattoo dedicated to two people I knew who have died," said Ryan Merchant, an 18-year-old graduate of Beyer High School. "The names of Jackie Carter and (Camillus Salcedo) are each on a part of a cross tattoo on my left arm."

Tyler Weiland, an 18-year-old Big Valley Christian High graduate now attending Biola University in La Mirada, said he wants to get a tattoo of his favorite Bible verse on his rib cage.

Bedolla said he has gotten a lot more young customers lately. By young, he means 18 or older — California law states that you have to be 18 to get a tattoo. Even parents' permission won't get you an appointment at a tattoo parlor.

Jessica Bowman, a 20-year-old MJC student, said she got a tattoo with her mom when she turned 18.

"I got it of a treble clef because I teach piano," she said.

Will it hurt?

Bowman said getting her tattoo hurt, "but not enough to make me cry. It just felt like an irritating scratch."

Ray Hoot and his son, Steve Hoot, owners of Tattoo You and Piercing in Riverbank, said tattoos have become very popular with everyone, despite the process being painful.

"Tattoos are mainstream now. People do them for fun," Ray Hoot said. "Whatever pain there may be in getting the tattoo, they enjoy it."

Dirk Venn, an 18-year old graduate of Modesto High who will be attending Fresno State this fall, is happy with his tattoo.

"I got it on the middle of my back of a Volcom clothing brand sign," he said.

But not everyone is as pleased with the pain.

Sarah Pieracci, an incoming sophomore at Big Valley Christian High, said her brother just got two tattoos and that they "hurt so much that he regrets getting them."

The process

In short, to make a tattoo, a needle punctures deep into the dermis, the second layer of the skin, and injects enough ink to make one dot in a design. That process is repeated until the dots form an image.

It can take a few minutes or a couple of hours, depending on the size of the tattoo. Price also depends on size. At Main Street Tattoos and Piercings, customers must spend a minimum of $50, which will get them a small tattoo.

"It can range all the way up to $200-300," Bedolla said. "If you want a real big tattoo, I charge one basic price for the outline, and another $100 per hour for the coloring in."

Stay safe

Before you get a tattoo, experts say you should do your research. Check with others who have gotten tattoos to find a reputable shop. Tattoo artists should wear gloves, and needles should be used one-time only.

Even then, there could be health risks.

"The fear of passing on an HIV infection is, of course, a concern, but the odds are very, very low if good hygiene habits are practiced," Parent-Teen.com says.

Medical professionals say that every time you break the skin, you risk bacterial or viral infection. But as long as you go to a proper shop for your tattoo, and if you aren't allergic to the dyes used and don't have overly sensitive skin, they agree that you should be all right.

After care of the tattoo is important, too. You shouldn't immerse the area in water for two weeks, or let it get sunburned. Don't pull the skin off. Wash it with antibacterial soap. Put ice on the area, and rub antibiotic ointment into the tattoo often.

Are you sure?

Teens should think long and hard about whether to get a tattoo.

They are, after all, permanent. The image will stretch and fade over the years. Removal techniques are said to hurt twice as much, cost a lot more, and take a lot longer to get done than the tattoo itself.

It can cost from less than $100 for fading creams, which never make the tattoo go away fully, to tens of thousands of dollars for surgical techniques that remove the tattoo but often leave scars behind.

And while much of the stigma of having a tattoo has waned, there are still issues with prospective employers. Many look down on those who have visible tattoos.

And then there are issues with being stereotyped — by family, friends, co-workers, etc.

"I think a lot of my friends would look down on tattoos," said 15-year-old Kathleen Strojan, an incoming sophomore at Big Valley Christian High. "But I don't think it should matter what a person has on their skin. What matters is who they are as a person."

Lauren Goldeen, a 15-year-old incoming sophomore at Modesto High School, believes people should wait until they're older to make such a permanent decision.

"Getting a tattoo this young is stupid," Lauren said. "When you get older you have more life experience and then you know when and what a tattoo will bring and mean. A tattoo is permanent, so it will be with you forever. Having that kind of responsibility can be difficult."

Whatever the reason — and despite objections some parents may have, as well as the opposition of many religions and employers — the popularity of tattoos among younger people continues to grow.

Sixteen-year-old, Michael Weir, an incoming junior at Big Valley Christian High, said he plans on getting a tattoo of a wolf when he turns 18. He has his own reasons for getting one.

"It would make me feel confident," he said. "and give me self-happiness."

Mall full of nothing to wear
By HARMONY WHEELER
TEENS IN THE NEWSROOM

Think of the hottest places in town to shop for teen clothing. Abercrombie and Fitch or American Eagle likely come to mind. But they — and stores like Hollister and Forever 21 — are not an option for a growing number of "horizontally challenged" teens.
Sixteen percent of American youth ages 6 to 19 are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That is triple the number in 1980. With that rise has come greater demand for fashionable clothing in plus sizes.

So where do overweight teens find trendy clothes? There hasn't been a variety of youthful clothing choices out there for larger sizes, but more options are becoming available.

Online, there is plenty of plus-size clothing, at sites such as www.alloy.com and www.jeenybeans.com. All you have to do is search for "plus size clothing" and you will get loads of sites. But not everyone can or wants to shop on the Internet.

While stores like Gap and Hollister carry up to size 18 or XL at the largest, other stores (though not exactly as name-brand popular) are beginning to offer trendier plus-size clothing.

One such store is Torrid, which offers sizes zero to 4 for women — zero being like a medium or large, and 4 being like a 3X or 4X.

Leslie Wagner, an 18-year-old senior at Oakdale High School, has worked at Torrid in Modesto's Vintage Faire Mall for about six months.

"Before that, I drove all the way to the Torrid in Pleasanton for clothing. Other stores just don't have clothes that fit me right.

"Torrid fits me well. Working at Torrid, I can relate to the women I see and help them find slenderizing clothing."

As far as what she looks for in her own purchases, Wagner said she prefers low-ride pants and long shirts. "I like what is youthful," she said. "I am versatile in what I wear; it depends on my mood."

Torrid meets those needs, Wagner said. "Most other places either don't have my size or only have grandma-like clothing."

Clothes make the girl

Big Valley Christian High School freshman Jessica Espinoza agreed. "I need to have trendy clothes because I want to know that I look good." she said. "Like that saying goes, 'Nice clothes make a girl feel wonderful and powerful.' Plus, I don't want to look like an 80-year-old grandma. I mean, just because we're big in areas doesn't mean we can't look nice.

"It would be nice to have someone say, 'Hey, that's a cute top. Where'd you get it?' But fashion for us bigger girls keeps getting worse. If you're not a size 0 to 5, you're looked down on. …

I can't even go into the name-brand stores in the mall and get stuff because they only sell clothes for small-sized girls."

Some teens are on the borderline in sizes. Seventeen-year-old Christy Wheeler of Oakdale High School said she often shops at places like Gap and Old Navy. But she did notice a big difference in availability. "There are more choices in the smaller sizes than there are for my size," she said of those stores. On the other hand, "stores like Lane Bryant, which used to carry old-lady clothing, are starting to carry more trendy clothes."

Kate Brodie, also 17 and a senior at Oakdale High, said, "What makes stores like Torrid and Lane Bryant nice is that they are for almost all types and all ages."

There are plus-size stores in Modesto, such as Catherines (on Pelandale Avenue) and Avenue (on McHenry), but they do not carry as much youthful clothing as most teen shoppers would like.

The limited selection overall has some shoppers down in the dumps, but there are others who just shrug it off. Bunny Sheldon, 17 and a senior at Manteca High, said, "I can't exactly find what I want to wear," so "I have to deal with what I find."

Paying the price

Manteca High senior Monique Villavicencio, 18, said she would like to go to formal and prom events but never can find dresses in her size. She could spend extra on special orders and have them fitted, but that would be even more expensive than your typical prom dress, which can easily run $200.

Even when tailoring isn't involved, cost can become an issue. Modesto Junior College student Kristen Corbett, 19, said, "I have noticed that if you go into a store, bigger sizes sometimes are more expensive, but you are using more material, so it all works out, I guess."

For example, a particular brown shirt at JC Penney costs $24 in petite sizes but $26 in larger sizes.

What you'll pay for plus-size clothing compared with smaller clothing also "depends on the location," Wheeler said. "Places like Torrid are the same, while department stores cost more."

As for whether she's at the height of fashion, Corbett said she doesn't really care.

"I don't need trendy clothes," she said, "I guess everyone wants to have a sense that they look good, but it really depends on what you mean (by) trendy."

Corbett said she seeks cute and conservative clothing, but not much is available for her style. "Most of what I have seen is tighter clothes," she said.

"It would be nice to have more, but if you saw something cute that wasn't your size, wouldn't you be motivated to lose weight? Not having a lot of options could be a good thing."

Corbett said she shops at Wal-Mart, JC Penney and Target because those stores do carry larger lines of clothing.

The bottom line is that while selection has improved in recent years, most makers of brand-name clothes apparently have yet to realize, or care, that it's not just skinny teens out there. "It makes me angry, mad and hurt," Espinoza said, "to know that in today's world, you can't go to American Eagle or Abercrombie and get clothes that fit."

Glitter and Glitz
By HARMONY WHEELER
TEENS IN THE NEWSROOM

If you go looking for glitter at a craft store, you won't find any. It's homecoming season.
When high school students get together to build class floats for their homecoming parades, each float — from the simple to the complicated — is all about flash. Not to mention school spirit.

"I like homecoming because it is fun to see students get spirited," said Saira Garcia, 17, who serves as junior class secretary and treasurer at Davis High School.

Davis, Modesto, Beyer, Modesto Christian and Hilmar High are among schools that built floats for competitions at homecoming.

"Judges look for floats that are big and out there," said Jordan Dickson, 15, sophomore class president at Davis.

Davis sophomores worked on their float for about five weeks before putting the final product together.

Their theme was "Life," taken from the board game. Along with a battery-powered spinning wheel, they had students dress up as graduates, a bride and groom, elderly people, a family, and mourners at a funeral, just like the pieces in the game.

The junior class at Davis based its float on a board game, as well.

"Our theme was Clue," said junior class representative Brittany Silva, 16. "We had a wallpaper background with portraits of the characters in the game. A few juniors also dressed as the characters and stood on the float."

While Davis students kept their floats simple, those from Hilmar High took a more elaborate route.

Inside a country barn, they folded paper flowers and stapled them onto the wooden frame, built around a car.

Designs were intricate. One float depicted a battleship shooting confetti toward a second, smaller float representing the opposing football team.

The town of Hilmar makes a big deal out of homecoming. Officials close Lander Avenue each year for the parade, and most of the town comes out to see what the students have created.

The Class of 2005 last year won two national awards for its fall homecoming float. The money went to a fireworks display at graduation.

Hilmar High invites different people, usually from out of town, to judge its float competition.

"We don't even know who the judges are," said Ashley Hackney, 17, senior class representative at Hilmar High.

Because high school students take float competitions so seriously, students won't reveal their designs until they present their floats at the homecoming game.

At Modesto High, which has not yet had its homecoming, senior class adviser Amy Brandt, 17, would say only that each class was given a decade on which to base its float. The freshmen were the 1970s, the sophomores the 1950s, the juniors the 1980s and the seniors the 1960s.

Sarah Bostan, 15, a sophomore and historian commissioner at Modesto High, said homecoming floats help make high school a fun experience for everyone.

"It is largely about raising the level of Panther pride," she said, "and, hopefully, a homecoming spirit boost can stick with students all year long."

At Beyer High, students had to come up with a theme based on the word "roll."

The freshmen came up with the theme "Rock 'n' Roll: School of Rock."

Breann Anderson, 14, freshman class president, said constructing the float was a bit stressful.

"But it was worth it in the end," she said. "We worked together, and the resulting float turned out well."

Things did not go as well for Elizabeth Wood, 16, sophomore class president at Beyer. She feels that she ended up doing the bulk of the work for the sophomore "Tootsie Roll" float on her own.

"Even though it was stressful, and I had to put off my own personal life, I did gain some responsibility and leadership skills," she said. "I know now how I can be more organized and do things better next year."

Disneyland, "The Happiest Place on Earth," was the homecoming theme at Modesto Christian High School.

"It is compared to heaven," said Rachelle Sauser, 14, freshman class president, "because heaven is the happiest place."

Each float was based on a Disney movie and had a Bible verse to go with it.

"It really is a lot of fun," said Aimee Bidlack, 16, junior class president at Modesto Christian. "You get to spend time with people you don't normally spend time with."

Trevor Grimbleby, 15, sophomore class president at Modesto Christian, agreed.

"I really like working on the floats because you can use creativity," he said, "and teamwork really makes it all come together in the end."

Royal Achievement
Beyer grad has her dream job dancing
By HARMONY WHEELER
TEENS IN THE NEWSROOM

Everyone has an ideal job they want to have. Rachel got hers a lot sooner than she expected.
The 19-year-old, a 2004 graduate of Beyer High School, will make her debut as a Sacramento Kings dancer this month.

It's Maloof Brothers Entertainment policy not to give out the Royal Court dancers' last names, but friends and acquaintances will remember this dancer.

It's a dream job for Rachel, a longtime fan of both dancing and the basketball team. She found out about auditions for the dance team on the Kings' Web site, which she checks frequently.

"I've always been a fan," she said.

The dance team, which includes members from throughout the San Joaquin Valley, has already been practicing two times a week from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Before they started practicing, they had to audition to make the team. Rachel, one of hundreds of hopefuls, made it through three rounds of cuts before she was chosen.

Candidates were put in a straight line and called up one by one to say something about themselves, and to dance to whatever music was played.

"The judges looked for confidence in us," Rachel said. "There were some people who did not dance that well but still made it through to the next round because they had confidence and showed it."

Those who made it to the second cut were put into groups of three and taught a routine.

"Then, once I got to the last cut, I had to go in for a personal interview," Rachel said. "They also had me do both a dance I choreographed on my own and a dance they taught me."

Rachel was one of the lucky 16 to make the squad. Six dancers are new, 10 are returning.

Now she practices with the team, learning dances from professional choreographers.

That's nothing new. Growing up, she took lessons at 5678 Dance Studio in Modesto for 10 years, and she had six years of dance before that. She's taken jazz, tap, ballet, modern, point, lyrical and hip-hop classes.

As a high school student, her daily routine consisted of waking up in the morning, going to school, taking dance lessons, doing homework and going to bed.

"It was a tight schedule," she said, "but I love to dance."

She attended San Jose State University, majoring in dance. Now that she is on the team, she attends Sierra College in Rocklin. Eventually she would like to go to UC Davis.

Dancing for the Kings is considered a professional job, so Rachel is paid for what she loves to do. "It is not enough to pay for tuition. Most of the girls on the team have other jobs. But I love dancing, performing and meeting new people. This job puts all three together, which is why I love it so much!"

The team dances at all home games, performing half-time routines and other numbers during breaks in the action. The team also makes public appearances.

Overall, Rachel has landed her ideal job, at least for now.

She offers this advice: "To all the future dancers — have confidence and just try to have fun with what you are doing."

A common cause
By HARMONY WHEELER
TEENS IN THE NEWSROOM

Where can you find farm animals, gardens, homes representing the way people live all over the world, and a group of students working hard to make a difference?
They all could be found Saturday when the Central Valley Youth Chapter of People to People volunteered to help at the Heifer International Ceres Education Center.

The group included about 16 students ages 13-17 representing Modesto, Atwater, Turlock, Stagg (Stockton) and Big Valley Christian high schools and Hart Ransom Middle School.

"The Heifer Project Work Day was held because it is something we all believed in," said Sarah Bostan, a Modesto High freshman who is a member of the chapter. "Knowing that there are kids in other countries who can live because of donations from Heifer, just helping out at one of the many Heifer International Centers was a great privilege."

The Ceres Heifer Educational center gets roughly 4,000 visitors a year from all over the country. The center teaches visitors about Heifers for Relief and other worldwide projects sponsored by Heifer International, an organization dedicated to ending hunger.

Volunteers at the Ceres education center take care of animals and gardens and give tours to visiting children, school groups and donors.

The People to People students began at 9 a.m. with a video and tour. Then they rolled up their sleeves and went to work.

Even with jobs such as repairing animal shelters, putting mud on a mud house, herding animals, cleaning water troughs and raking up manure, they kept a positive attitude.

"The work was hard for me because I have never done it before," said Lauren Goldeen, a 14-year-old Hart Ransom eighth-grader. "But it was fun, and I really enjoyed lending an extra hand to help Heifer and take care of the animals."

For many in the group, a highlight of the day was renewing their acquaintance with Australian resident Peter Renwick, who joined in the day's work while visiting Modesto.

Last summer, a group of local junior high students visited Australia through People to People Student Ambassadors. There, they met Renwick, who had been volunteering at the station they were visiting. He taught them many things about the Australian culture, including how to throw a boomerang and crack a whip.

"A lot of tourists who come through Australia are rude," Peter said. "I realize now they are only a minority, but it did affect my view of Americans before the People to People Student Ambassadors came. The kids were great! They were well-mannered and nice."

This is part of the mission of People to People.

According to Ben Goldeen, a Modesto High junior who is president of the local youth chapter, People to People was founded by President Eisenhower as a way to bring people together, to bring about peaceful relations through interactions

"What we are doing at Heifer," Goldeen said, "is furthering that mission in our community."

In addition to the local chapter, students can travel overseas as student ambassadors to learn about other cultures.

"We try to involve student ambassadors in the chapter," said Ben, "but you do not have to be a student ambassador to join it. We meet monthly and work locally to serve the mission of People to People in the coming together of people."

"There are a lot of people out there who think we are snotty because we are Americans," said Hart Ransom eighth-grader Arielle Earl, another member of the chapter who went on the Australia trip last year. "However, going to other countries and really showing how Americans can be, being an ambassador, means showing how we can be truly be learning about them and how we can truly care."

There are more than 108 chapters in most countries over the globe.

Sara Bostan, the Modesto High freshman, said that after travelingwith People to People, she wanted to stay involved, so she joined the Central Valley Youth Chapter.

"We basically promote peace, understanding, and friendship in our communities," she said. "We know that you do not have to travel abroad to make the world a better place."

Sarah said the local People to People chapter has hosted a dinner for Danish visitors, donated school supplies to needy children in Third World countries and held book wrappings to donate books to local children.

"Mostly," she said, "we want the world to know that we do care."

Robert Jacobsen, a 16-year-old Modesto High junior and vice president of the chapter, said, "The work done by the Central Valley Student Chapter is really a great example of the many works we do in the community. Helping locally for a global effect is why the Central Valley Student Chapter is here and why the chapter is volunteering at Heifer."


Copyright © 2007 Harmonious Glow Writings