Is Summer vacation really a vacation???

Most teens don't really have time to hang out with their friends, go to the movies and have a good time like before. Reason being, is because we are able to get jobs at a young age of 14. We have the luxury of taking extra courses online or go to a community college to get ahead in school.

In these days teens like myself go to school, year round and have jobs. We want to get jobs to get more money to pay and save for stuff we want and need, but this takes a way from free time and to do the stuff you want to do. Also, online classes and taking classes at a community college can be a lot of work and can cause a lot of stress, but you have to keep a balance. But always remember... SCHOOL COMES FIRST!!!

My point is, once you start becoming older and taking on more responsibilities your free time becomes distant. For me personally I did not have a break this whole summer... I was either working at my job or doing my online classes to get ahead in school. I did not have a summer break at all, I could count on one hand where I actually went out with my friends and had fun. That is the penalty for having big long term goals that will make me successful and get me where I need and want to go in life.

Photo credit: Ricardo Garcia

Not Just "The Boy Who Lived"

With the last Harry Potter moving being released into theaters recently, its easy to say a big portion of our childhood has come to an end. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy the Harry Potter series (although I'm sure there are many haters out there). But from as early as I can remember, I've always enjoyed the series and was fond of how "real" J.K. Rowling made it all feel. She created an entire world in itself, and all the loose ends were pretty much tied by the end of the series. I don't think I was ever left questioning certain elements that "didn't make sense", like I have in the Twilight saga and other similar series.

Also, it's undeniable that the stories are pure genius and that J.K. Rowling is one as well, but the movies lived up to both the series and its creator. I'm super impressed that all the actors stayed throughout the series and they basically grew up with it, as we did. Although most people can argue that acting in a series for such a long period of time can be detrimental to your career, Daniel Radcliffe has sure proved otherwise.

I recently took a trip to NYC to visit colleges and spend some time with some family, and I was lucky enough to actually see Radcliffe on broadway in How to Succeed in Business. Ironically right before I left for my trip I saw the new Harry Potter in theaters by winning tickets from TeenLink. But BOY is this boy talented...I thought it would be weird seeing him with an American accent, singing and frolicking about on stage, but he was just mesmerizing and I was completely shocked by his great performance.

I'm really happy that he gets to continue his career and broadway seems to be a great route for him to do so. Plus, it's a known fact that you have to be the best of the best to be on broadway! So although Harry Potter may be over, Daniel Radcliffe's career sure isn't! I look forward to any other piece he is apart of in the future.

A New Spin on Teen Tours

This summer, opting not to spend my days wasting away at home, I decided to travel. A teen tour seemed the obvious choice, being too old for sleepaway camp but too young to embark on any extended, out-of-state trip without family or an organized group. When I began to research tours, I was overwhelmed by my options – countless companies travel all around the world with teens each summer, and selecting the right length of time and place for me seemed impossible. However, when I stumbled upon West Coast Connection's community service trips, I was sold. With tours to Costa Rica, Hawaii, Peru and more, the tour groups' partnership with 360º Student Travel provides a creative combination of typical teen tour sightseeing and excitement, and meaningful opportunities to give back to the communities in which participants spend their trips exploring.

Not wanting to stray t00 far from home, I chose a 21-day trip to California. The trip truly was the experience of a lifetime, in which I was able to experience college life (we split our time between living on University of California San Diego and Los Angeles's campuses), California life (visiting beaches, Universal Studios, and tons of other tourist attractions), and best of all, community service. Though my trip was far from the most glamorous look at California, I was able to donate my time building houses for Habitat for Humanity, acting as a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica, and running a food drive for the Orange County Rescue Mission, among other service efforts. Despite all of our fun and exciting activities, contributing to the community was by far my favorite aspect.

To any other students who wish to get away from home for a few weeks without wasting their summers away, I highly recommend this trip. It was the perfect balance of worthwhile work and exhilarating exploration, my only regret being that I discovered it only for my last summer in high school, so I will not get the opportunity to go again.

Word Power

The word "no" is usually a roadblock in our teen lives. Stopping us from seeing the latest Emma Stone romantic comedy or buying the newest Nike shoes. However, the word "no" was used by me this time. That little word almost caused me to miss one perfect vacation.

My dad had a job to do in New Orleans. His job required him to stay in New Orleans for four weeks. My whole family thought this would be a perfect time to take a summer vacation. Of course, I was perfectly content in my house with my computer and said no to the Swiss Family Robinson. Fortunately, my sister and mom did not understand the word no. They both booked tours and a hotel room and before I had the chance to spell the word "no" I was boarding a plane to New Orleans.

To me New Orleans was a place where Mardi Gras is held and you are allowed to walk freely with alcohol. So I wondered what we could possibly do when Mardi Gras is during March. Instead I found a place that can not be compared to any city. Every corner you turned musicians would be set up playing jazz so hypnotizing you did not want to leave. The city is alive all night; everywhere there is music, dancing and tourists everywhere. The French Market with delicious ripe fruits and the famous Cafe du Monde. I said yes to the typical New Orleans food and discovered my new found love for pralines. After several tours and many street car rides, I fell in love with the city. At first I did not even want to visit and now I hope to have a house there someday.

For once I was happy my parents did not listen to me. I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I learned to say yes. I am now more open to trying new things and the word no is almost out of my vocabulary. I think saying no is appropriate when asked "do you want peas with that." So to all you flamingos do not say no until you try it!

Parental Pressure

It seems these days that parents pressure their children so much that the children end up not knowing how to make their own decisions. I've seen countless people get pressured into doing certain extracurricular activities, like sports, being forced to take certain classes, being forced to work certain places and it sickens me. Too many people crack under the pressure their parents enforce on them. I've seen people have to go to therapy and get antianxiety meds because of all the stress.
I don't think that parents should relinquish all of their power over their child, but I do think this pressure has to stop. People always complain about peer pressure negatively affecting adolescents, but parental pressure poses a much bigger threat in my mind, because you cannot escape it. You have to live with them. And when it comes to school, forget about making your own decisions. Your educational career is not in your hands anymore. Parents can force you into taking classes you hate, and filling your schedule up with so many APs that you can barely breathe. The aftereffects of this are inevitable; students will either fail the class out of disinterest or the work being simply too hard for them.
It's not fair to teenagers to be forced into things like this. It leaves us constantly anxious that we won't finish something, always stressed, and flinching at loud noises we proceed to think are about to start turning into us getting yelled at. Not only does this affect our progress in school, but it also affects our home life. The more stress people face, the more they want to stay away from what stresses them; case in point being their parents.
Parents need to take a step back for once and instead of seeing one bad game and thinking their child is a horrible athelete, or seeing one bad grade and deeming them a failure, see that we are trying.

I know parents think trying isn't good enough, but when they incapacitate us with stress, what else are we supposed to do?

Summer 2011 is almost to an end. I made a lot of unforgettable memories this break and I enjoyed every single day and night. I will definitely miss waking up at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and going to bed at sunrise.

I have a bittersweet feeling towards school. I will be a senior this year and I am anxious yet nervous to see what this year has in stored for me. Due to a cheerleading injury I was in, I started my junior year off in a neck and arm brace. I faced several challenges because of it, but I know I can handle whatever senior year has to offer.

Speaking of neck and arm brace, MTV’s new show, Awkward, became my new favorite series. It is about a high school girl, Jenna, who is extremely clumsy and started the school year off wearing a neck and arm brace, too. I relate to the whole theme of the show.

I will also miss watching The 90’s Are All That on Nickelodeon every night after midnight. Watching Kenan & Kel and Rugrats brought back so many memories from my childhood.

Anyways, I hope everyone had an amazing vacation and you’re all just as excited to start life as a Teenlink reporter as I am!

Bye-bye Summer 2011, Hello Graduation 2012 (:

Something about Summer Reading

The start of August usually means the start of summer reading, or rather the dawning realization that you actually have to read something in the next few weeks. For most of us, summer is anything but reading a book assigned by a teacher whose name you can't even remember. Some may call this procrastination, but it seems to me that this is the perfect time to crack the spines of those books. First off, the first couple of weeks of summer are meant for long awaited rest and the strain of having to read and retain information just after having to study for finals and the closing days of school just can't be helpful. Also, in the midst of summer fun, vacations, and whatever other adventures the break has brought are all too overwhelming and exciting to focus, it destroy the regimen. Although August means that the final days of summer are coming, you'd be better off looking forward to the start of a brand new school year and in preparation for that grab that book that's been sitting on your desk the past 2 months and read your heart out because by the time you're finished school will be readily approaching and story will be stirring in your mind ready to regurgitate on that Summer Reading assignment.

And for all those planning to jump the bridge and simply read through Sparknotes, think again, you might as well be igniting, or rather sparking (pun intended) the flame in the burning in crash and burn. Take the extra hour or so a day to fulfill the task and when school starts you'll be thankful you did.