Shannon Dardis Stories
Bloggers
In the past few years, the Internet has become the primary source
of information for teenagers. It is also becoming a primary source
of information by teenagers. According to a New York Times article
(“Sorry, Boys, This Is Our Domain” by Stephanie Rosenbloom),
the increase in teen activity on the Internet is largely due to
the creativity of girls.
Thirty-two percent of girls have created their own websites. Compare
this to only 22% of boys. However, this is not the biggest area
of teen Internet activity; social networking sites are. Around 70%
of girls 15-17 have profiles on sites like MySpace or Facebook.
Only 57% of boys in the same age group do. There are activities
that boys excel at, though. The most apparent one is video posting.
Twice as many boys post videos as girls.
Another area where girls far outstrip guys is blogging. Thirty-five
percent of girls blog. There are boys who blog, too, (about 20%
of them do) like Alex Flores, a sophomore at Med High.
“If I have something to write about, [I’ll post] once
a week,” Flores said. “[I write] mainly about life lessons
and the people that surround me every day.”
Online diaries, such as Flores ’s, are very popular among
young people. To them, it is a way of communicating with people
that they might never meet otherwise, people that, despite living
in vastly different regions, geographically and culturally, share
common thoughts and interests. Many teens, instead of limiting themselves
to personal narratives, write about their views of social issues.
Some teens even write about books, like Giovanna Medina, 10.
“I write about all the books I read,” Medina said. “I
get excited when new editions come out.”
Why teens write is a much more complicated subject than what they
write. The attraction may be in the ability to speak out to a larger
audience than is usually possible.
“I blog because I like for people to critique what I say,”
Flores said. “I like for people to learn from my mistakes
and see how I grew a tougher skin.”
Eagle Scouts
The highest rank in the youth organization known as the Boy Scouts
of America (BSA) is the Eagle Scout. Since the rank’s inception
in 1912, only 1.7 million of the approximately 100 million members
have attained this honor. The Science Academy has several, including
juniors Bill Gordon, Nathan Olivarez, and Cesar Riojas. The newest
of them is Dylan Weeks, 9.
“[I became an Eagle Scout] in May of 2007,” Weeks
said. “It took me two and a half years.”
Weeks’s leadership project consisted of organizing the construction
of a playground at First United Methodist Church in Edinburg.
To become an Eagle Scout, boys have to first earn the rank of
Life Scout and keep it for six months. In addition to the eleven
merit badges necessary to be considered a Life Scout, prospective
Eagles must earn ten for a total of 21 merit badges. Twelve of
them are required badges, but scouts can choose from a list of
around 120 to finish the remaining nine. The list is surprisingly
varied, ranging from American business to woodwork. There’s
even one for journalism.
Aspiring scouts also have to complete their Eagle Project, which
affirms their commitment, charitable spirit, and leadership ability
through an undertaking beneficial to the community as a whole.
Olivarez, 11, worked with the organization Mujeres Unidas for
his Eagle Project. Mujeres Unidas aims to help victims of domestic
violence by providing shelter to them and their families. Olivarez’s
project consisted of making those shelters more livable. He spent
thirteen months painting the walls and replacing the bed linens
and window shades.
“We brightened it up to make it more cheerful,” Olivarez
said.
After taking this step, scouts meet with their Scoutmaster or
Coach to discuss their progress. Finally, scouts who have met
all requirements go before a Board of Review that gives final
approval of the promotion.
According to the BSA’s fact sheets (http://www.scouting.org/),
these steps are actually the end of a long process that begins
when scouts first join the BSA as Cub Scouts. Cub Scouts work
through various ranks, from Bobcat to Webelos. All the while they
are learning the skills and ideals necessary to become Boy Scouts.
As Boy Scouts, they earn ranks in two stages. The first starts
with Scout and ends with First Class. These ranks are achieved
by demonstrating proficiency in Scoutcraft, the basic skills and
ideals of the organization. The next ranks, Star, Life, and Eagle,
are based on leadership ability and overall readiness for life.
“Learning leadership and making a difference in the community
is the most rewarding part,” Olivarez said.
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