Phoenix Madness!!!

If you like smooth indie beats and songs that range from care free to extreme sobriety then Phoenix is the band for you. With songs like “Lisztomania” that describe an insatiable need to be outdoors having fun or songs like “Everything is Everything" that convey a sense of cool melancholy, Phoenix can easily fit whatever mood you're in. Phoenix is a French indie-band based out of Versailles that began their debut in France in 2000 with their release of their first album titled "United". United's most popular songs are "If I ever feel better" and "Too young". This album sets up the overall distinguishing characteristics of the band which is a relaxed mix of lighthearted beats with dark undertones.

So what does the music actually sound like????

One of the really interesting things about this band is that even though they are a French band, they sing in English! In any song you can easily hear (if not feel) the thumping bass and the instrumental interludes that will carry you away to a world that Phoenix has created. The synthesizer adds to the sometimes fast and sometimes slow backbeat creating a sort of musical rollercoaster for the listener. In other words this band isn't boring! Thomas Mars (the lead singer) has a voice that immediatly lets the listener know that they are indeed listening to Phoenix. His voice is right in that sweet spot between too high and too low. The songs on every album seemingly flow into one another composing an endless symphony of wistful rhythms.

My favorite song has to be "Lisztomania"...wait maybe "If I ever feel better"...or "Everything is Everything"...or "Fences"! I can't really pick a favortie song because I love so many of their songs. I'm not one of those crazy die hard fans or anything but they do speak to almost any mood I'm in. Sometimes after a long day, I can go home, turn on my ipod, and crank up the Phoenix tunes and the rest of the world melts away. The stress of my AP classes is replaced with calmness as soon as I put in my headphones and the indie beats fill my head. Don't you love it when music can do that?

I would recommend this band to anyone who likes alternative and indie music or music that just makes you feel good!

Love and Rockets,

Cheyenne

the girl name April, but was born in March

As a rising senior at Henry W. Grady High School, April McFadden has many interesting things that go on her life. McFadden has three siblings, one is an older half brother, whose name is Terance and is twenty 20 years old. Another on of her siblings is a half sister named Jo’Nay who id also 20 years old. And last, she has a sister named Summer. McFadden also has pet in her house. She has a dog, whose name is lucky, and a cat named symbols, and its 9 years old.

While talking to McFadden she also mention that if she could travel anywhere in the world she would like to go to Australia. And while being in Australia she would most defiantly wear UGG boots. And she would also like to travel to South America; she does not have a specific country, because she wants to travel all around it.

Something that is very interesting that I learned from McFadden is that she was not born in April; she was actually born in March. And one of her favorite things to do is think. She rather think than do something else.

McFadden is also a big fan of food. She loves to eat any type of food, but her favorite is bread. She also mentions that currently she is in love with hamburgers.

When it comes to sports McFadden is a team player herself. She plays lacrosse, and is part of the cross-country team. Although when it comes to watching sports, she is a lover of men’s basketball, but her favorite has to be professional basketball, and all other sports in general.

At the end I also asked McFadden if she had a nice time in Rockstar Journalism camp, and her answer was yes. She said, “ My favorite part was that everybody is really nice and different.”

love, silvia

Reflection of the Week...

This week at Journalism camp has been one of the greatest experiences of my life! I have truly learned so much from the teachers as well as the students who also attended the camp. Every person that I met had a different story about themselves, which made it so interesting to meet everyone! As far as journalism goes, I feel like I have improved my writing skills so much! Being so involved in journalism for so many hours a day every day of the week has really helped me get an idea of what being in a journalism career is actually like! There are so many things that I have learned that I am going to take back with me to my school's newspaper staff. Now I know that there is definitely a lot of work that my staff can improve on as a whole. What will I always remember? The people! Everyone here has impacted me in one way or another as a journalist. In general, this experience has been great. I have learned so much and I am so happy that I signed up for this. I definitely feel as if I have improved as a journalist.

Profile: Malikah Thompson

Malikah Thompson sighed and stared half-interestedly at the ceiling as she attempted to remember the hundreds of things she aspired to be as a child. “Definitely a photographer… a professional singer…” she said, recalling childhood days when anything seemed possible. “Oh, and Savion Glover made me want to be a tap dancer for awhile!”

Thompson’s previous enthusiasm about life has translated to huge dreams as a 16-year-old today. Though she said in a recent interview that her favorite things to do are “sleeping and eating,” her list of life and career goals is just as lengthy as it was ten years ago. She describes her dreams of traveling the world with the U.N. or a major publication with extreme zest; she is fond of foreign languages, especially French, and is ecstatic to see how this interest will benefit her halfway around the globe.

Though she has always held on to big dreams, life has not always been so bright and promising for Thompson. When asked about her childhood in Athens, Stone Mountain, and Virginia, she refused to say much more than, “It was decent. It had issues.” These mysterious statements allude to rocky times that perhaps influenced her current attitude toward people in general. “Real” people are the only ones she can stand – she refuses to put up with liars and stuck-up attitudes and typically surrounds herself with loyal people that maintain goals as magnificent as hers.

In the same fashion, she admires a down-to-earth acceptance that allows her to dress almost primarily for comfort. She adores girly boots and skirts but at the end of the day finds that she is still holding on to the same adoration of relaxed items that she has “worn forever.” Maybe this is why she adamantly insults cold winter months; extra layers simply mean more to fuss over.

Thompson gives off the impression that she could talk about her future forever. She says that she is most inspired when imagining her graduation day-the day the majority of her family failed to reach. Though it is clear that Thompson will indeed one day walk the stage to receive her diploma, the possibilities that will arise after seem endless.

Cheyenne Cheathem: Personal Profile

Cheyenne Cheathem: Personal Profile
By Marisa Meyerowitz

Cheyenne Cheathem is a high spirited 16 year old whose laughs and smiles are contagious to those around her. “People say I have a sunny personality,” said Cheathem, “One of them [my strengths] would have to be that I am a people person.”

Cheathem was born in Bethesda, Maryland but now lives in Austell, Georgia where she enjoys dancing and writing poetry and short stories in her spare time. As a teenager that attends Kennesaw Mountain High School, Cheathem’s favorite subjects are English and science. School is very important to her, as she takes many AP classes in the subjects that are of interest.

Cheathem is at the Georgia Journalism Academy this week because of her large interest in journalism as a career. Cheathem would like to intern for CNN Center as a way to gain experience in the field, especially because she lives very close to Atlanta, a city in which one of CNN’s headquarters is located. Although working at CNN would be a great experience, Cheathem’s ideal job is to one day be the host of her very own talk show.

Other than being a people person, Cheathem has many other strengths, such as writing, working with computers and giving good advice. “ I can give really good advice when you’re sad,” according to Cheathem, “I also give a lot of relationship advice.” As far as the computers go, Cheathem giggled when she stated that she was a female who was really good with fixing technical and operational computer malfunctions.

When it came to her weaknesses, Cheathem was not afraid to be blunt about the instances that she can work on in her life. “I’m easily distracted,” she admitted, “I bite off more than I can chew.” Because Cheathem is member of a math, science and robotics magnet program in school, she takes many hard classes that “kick her butt.”

As for her favorites, colors change day to day. “Today it’s red,” Cheathem stated on June 10. Her favorite food is “pizza all the way,” and her favorite movie is “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Although Cheathem does not really watch television, if she had to pick one show it would be “Glee,” and her favorite college sports team? University of Georgia Bulldogs!

When it comes down to her family, Cheathem’s mother is her role model because “She has done a lot. She was in the military for 22 years, and she is a very strong person.” Because of this, Cheathem hopes to be as strong as her mother has been. After all, one of the Cheathem’s largest scares is “the idea of not being able to make the most out of life.”

With this outlook, Cheathem is sure to live life to its fullest. Although she is an only child, she is a strong individual who knows what she wants. So watch out; you may just happen to turn on the TV in a few years and see the newest talk show airing with Cheyenne Cheathem as its host!

It's the Final Countdown!

OMG camp is over! It's been a tough week, but i had so much fun. I met friends that I'll probably talk to forever. Ms. Mary Jessica Hammes was an amazing teacher and the gal pals were awesome.

To Lisa Your vocabulary and word choice is going to make me carry a dictionary everywhere now.

To Kate I love your style.

To Cheyenne We've had countless laughs together.

To Marisa Good luck, with your leadership, your newspaper will do well this year.

To Ke'Ana Your such a sweetheart ILY.

To Malikah To our laughs and boys.

To Sylvia You are a Super Happy Fun Person.

I learned that I shouldn't take on too many stories if I want to write great ones. I also learned that I'm pretty good at writing leads. My newly acquired editing skills and new words that I got from Lisa. I will always remember the friends I made.

I will miss everyone...and this camp. "Girl Power" is "Spectacular".

The Essence of Sylvia

All giggles and smiles, Sylvia Rodriguez sits in her chair spinning slightly. The 16-year-old El Salvador native will be entering her senior year at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens this fall.

Rodriguez, a member of her school’s swim and varsity soccer teams, enjoys making jewelry in her spare time.

“In the summer, I make a lot of stuff I don’t wear,” she said with a laugh.

She recently got beads from South America and likes to make jewelry because she can determine the size and colors herself. As well as jewelry-making Rodriguez loves shopping, dressing up and swimming.

“I love swimming, I could swim all day,” she said.

Rodriguez, with a smile to match her cheerful personality, spent half of her life in El Salvador and the other half in Georgia.

“The food’s different. Pupusas are really good,” said Rodriguez about the stuffed tortillas with beans and cheese.

Rodriguez describes her perfect day as warm but not to warm where you’re sweating with a lunch and ending the day with a walk in the park to watch the sunset. In the future she sees herself in a dentist office and hopefully married in ten years. This is much different from her childhood aspirations.

“I wanted to be a teacher, ”she said. “I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher.”

Her best friend is Ecuadorian and was born in New York, she’s sad that she’s in Chile because she can’t see her but when they are together they like to act silly and have fun.

Sylvia enjoys being happy and rides her bike in her free time.

“I’m always laughing, smiling—I can’t stop,” she said.

In the spotlight: Marisa Meyerwitz

In the spotlight: Marisa Meyerwitz

By Cheyenne Cheathem

Marisa Meyerwitz is definitely someone cool to hang out with. Born in Coral Springs, Florida, this chica has the sunny personality to match the sunny place where she was born. Her favorite color is pink and she considers her own personal style to be girly but edgy. She's really determined and dedicated to her schoolwork and has had a natural affinity towards writing and Language Arts. One can easily tell from just talking to her for a few seconds that she's a kind girl and has a fierce passion for journalism. This chill girl has a job at Delia’s, which she enjoys very much and likes to hang out with her friends and spend time with her family. She wants to model her life after Lauren Conrad of the TV series “The Hills”. Marisa says that Conrad is her role model and she likes her style.

Her favorite childhood memory is when her little sister was born. She says “Even though I was only three years old, I can vividly remember being the first one to hold my newborn sister after my mom.”. Another favorite memory of hers was this past Valentine’s Day when she and her boyfriend of three months went out to dinner and she made him see Dear John and the two of them had a fun time together.

If you were to pick up Marisa’s iPod you would probably see a song listed on the Top 100 list. This is a girl who likes popular music but likes being introduced to new music as well.

Not only does she have good taste in music, but she has good taste in food too! Marisa’s favorite food is sushi and from the way she described the taste I feel like I have to try it at least one time. She says “Even though most people think it’s gross, I absolutely love it!”.

When asked what she wanted to be after college she didn’t hesitate to tell me she wanted to be an editor of a fashion magazine. I must admit that I’m not surprised. She’s fashionable as well as a great writer so editor of a fashion magazine is a perfect fit for her!

In the end, this edgy girly girl can do anything she puts her mind to and will definitely go far in life!

My buddy Lisa!

HED: Who said teens aren’t giving? By: Ke’Ana Clark When someone thinks of a teenager, they think of someone who is selfish for the most part. Or they may think of someone who only thinks about facebook, texting, and the opposite sex. However, one teenage girl from Marietta, Ga., is the complete opposite. It would be a complete understatement if said Lisa Dinh is very remarkable. She is extremely remarkable. Dinh is a 16 year old, Vietnamese girl who goes to Campbell High School. She is vice president and co-founder for her school’s club Habitat for humanity. She is apart of the Model United Nations, which is a mock version of the United Nations. She is also an active member of the school’s Earth Club. Dinh is the right defender on the soccer team. During her free time, she loves to paint sketches, read fiction books, spends time with her family, and exercise. “I feel that the most interesting thing about me is that I am very considerate of others. I don’t like to say anything bad about other people.” says Dinh. Outside of school she is also an active member in her community. She loves to help other people no matter what it takes. She helps out at the World Peace Cafe as a waitress. She helps with the Hands on Atlanta organization. She helped load and categorize books sent to African school children for Books for Africa. Dinh reads books for children at the library as well as developed a brochure children’s book. She also helps out at the Children’s Peace Center. “My sister is very giving and she wants me want to give also. She is very kind and caring. So I try my best to be just as kind caring also.” said Dinh Dinh truly is an all-around wonderful person. She is a very giving and unique teen. She’s already accomplished so much over the years, and she isn’t finished yet! She plans on going to college after she graduates in two years. She plans to teach biology. She wants to join the teachers without borders, teaching les fortunate kids in different countries. Lisa Dinh is a truly remarkable teen. She is the most generous, giving, kindest and caring teen I have ever met. She made me feel very unaccomplished! She also made me want to help out in my community way more!

Shrek Forever After

The book finally closes on the unique fairytale with everyone’s favorite ogre. Shrek, Donkey and Fiona return in “Shrek Forever After,” the fourth in a series that first stole the world’s hearts in 2001.

Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) returns in this delightful comedy as a father to three ogre babies, a doting husband and a celebrity, and instead of dodging torches and pitchforks—he’s signing them. He feels that he isn’t a real ogre anymore and longs to have those times back for just one day. After leaving his children’s birthday party he runs into the ultimate fairytale swindler, Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn).

The movie progresses with comedy and clarity provided by 3-D animation, and although only one scene included something that jumped out at you it was well worth the $12 I spent. I laughed from start to finished and the dialogue was clever. “Shrek Forever After” was as funny as the first movie and the plot was as good as “Shrek 2.” The moral—you don’t know what you have until its gone—really resonated and was clearly the theme behind the story. The returning characters were superb and didn’t lose their flair that was seen in the previous movies. Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) still maintained his Spanish zeal while being a portly housecat.

There is additional humor and complexity with new characters, like Cookie, the gay chef with the chimichanga stand, who added a touch of realism to a kiddie movie. There are also the renegade ogres led by Fiona (Cameron Diaz), who doesn’t remember Shrek because of his agreement with Rumpelstiltskin. The writers kept Fiona’s combat skills and the movie included a romantic training scene with her and Shrek, after his failed attempts woo her. Finally, for a series based on fairytale themes, the use of the Pied Piper was genius.

DreamWorks Animation proves that it can keep up with the big dogs (Pixar) by doling out this hit. Fans will “do the roar” for this movie over and over again.

Who I Would Interview

As cliche as it sounds, I would interview Tupac Shakur. When he was alive, I always thought of how universal he was. Not only did he rap, write poetry, and act in films, but he did it with flair. His rap style was phenomenal. No one could, or, in my true opinion, can touch him. He rapped in way that made you think and feel what e was saying, and his lyrics were about more than clothes, cars, and scandalous women. Then his poetry was so beautiful. It had a way of touching you and making you feel so....free. His acting was also amazing. He could go from character to character and make you actually believe that that was the type of person he was.

Because Shakur is dead, I would probably have to get permission from God to let him back on this earth for a few days. If that was allowed, I'd meet up with him in a recording studio. That way I could do my interview and see for myself how his recording process went.

I honestly don't know what I would ask. I would just be so amazed with my opportunity that my question would flow from my heart and not a piece of paper.

I wouldn't care where I worked. As long as I'm happy and enjoy what I'm doing, that would be enough for me.

Cheetah Girl Gone Bad: Kiely Williams "Spectacular" Review

There is only word to describe former “Cheetah Girl” Kiely Williams’ music video “Spectacular”: Horrible.

Miss Williams begins the video walking down the street in what appears to be very untasteful “streetwalker” attire, wearing a hideous fur jacket, black neon-looking corset, red skirt, tights and black pumps. She then begins the song talking about how drunk she was while doing a ridiculous dance routine. She then goes into saying how she was “face down, a-- up, clothes off, broke off, dozed off.” She also says although she can’t remember his name, they could have sex again because the sex was spectacular (hence the title, “Spectacular”). She continues to describe the morning after and how she couldn’t get home fast enough in the same clothes she wore the night before. The most memorable line from the second half of the video is when she proclaims, “I think he pulled a track out while he was blowing my back out.” While the hook is going, Williams has scenes from the sex act playing for visuals and continues the ridiculous dance routine. The video ends with Miss Williams raving about how the “sex was spectacular.”

I just have to say, “What the frig was that?” This video is almost, if not just as bad, as Soulja Boy Tell’em’s 2007 video “Yahh/Report Card,” in which Soulja Boy and rapper Arab are walking around screaming “Yahh, trick yahh” to people. Not only was I dying laughing from this video, but I was very disappointed in Williams. Even in her days as a member of the girl group “3LW,” she was never this scandalous. I would honestly like to know what made her make that video because it’s really that ridiculous.

Also, what kind of message is she sending to her Cheetah Girl fans? Are you telling them that it’s OK to get drunk and sleep with random strangers because the sex is good? As a former fan of hers, I was truly blown away by her in this video.

All in all, I give this video an F in creativity, material and taste. It does, however, receive an A in hilarity because this video will keep you laughing.

Hannah Montana

HED: Hannah Montana

By: Ke’Ana Clark

“Life’s what you make it” “Nobody’s perfect” “The best of both worlds.” These are all words of 17 year-old Miley Cyrus. If you are the parent of a girl in between the ages of 7-14, then you should know all about the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana.

In the show, Cyrus plays a teenage girl, Miley Stewart. Stewart lives the best of both worlds—she is a pop star, Hannah Montana, who also lives a normal life as Miley. During the day, she goes to school with her friends, Lilly Truscott (played by Emily Osment) and Oliver Oken (Mitchel Musso). At night, she lives the American dream and performs in front of millions of people, but she also deals with problems with her friends, as well as the usual love issues. Somehow she still manages to find a way to deal with the stress of pop star life as well as the stress of the average teenage girl.

Some people may feel that the show is unrealistic. I agree to a certain extent. The question is “How in the world does no one recognize Miley as Hannah?” The only disguise she has is a blonde wig and flashy clothes. So yes that part of the storyline is very unrealistic. However, the show still is very realistic! She has normal teenage problems. She argues with her boyfriend. They do the whole break-up, make-up thing. What teenage girl doesn’t do that? She fights with her best friend. Who doesn’t? She dislikes her older brother, Jackson (Jason Earles), but she still loves him to death. What teen doesn’t fight with their siblings? I do! She has her ups and downs with her father, Billy Ray (played by her real father, Billy Ray Cyrus).

The fact that she is a pop star also is not unrealistic. You have to stop and think, “Hey, if I were famous, wouldn’t I want to live a normal life also?” The fact that she does find a way to live both lives just says we can all do everything we want, we just have to know how to do it.

The show has a very positive message for young girls. It says that as long as we have family and friends then we can be happy. Many people feel that the acting is horrible. However, you have to remember most of the people on the show are teens and kids. So before judging someone else, stop and think “Would I be able to do this?” I will admit some characters on the show do over-exaggerate, but overall, I like it. I’ve been watching Hannah Montana since it first aired and am still watching today.

The show has its flaws, but every show, everything and everyone does. It’s a good show with a good message. So just like McDonalds, I’m loving it.

Sex and the City 2 Review

Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are back and on the prowl in their newest big screen feature, “Sex and the City 2”. Though women around the world still flocked to see their favorite gals, this movie was a flop, especially when compared to its decent enough movie predecessor and the Emmy Award-winning show.

With a very promising start, the film first flashes back to the girls in New York City in the mid 1980s-clueless, unfashionable, and fast friends. This is intriguing to old fans because of the show’s mysterious attitude toward how the girls met. When viewers are brought back to the present, however, disaster ensues.

Event after event causes Carrie and Charlotte lovers to cringe. Bradshaw’s Carrie gives off a high maintenance, showy attitude throughout every scene. After spending more than a decade getting her Mr. Big to settle down, she becomes an obnoxious, spoiled wife who ungratefully cheats with a past love in a later scene. Charlotte is unbearably high strung, overexaggerating her stressful family life and constantly worrying about her braless nanny. Yes, we realize motherhood is hard, but such a fun movie should do away with a million tiring extras. It must be noted, however, that Miranda and Samantha nearly make up for Carrie and Charlotte’s irksome attitudes. Miranda is unusually carefree after quitting her job, and Samantha is jaw-droppingly hilarious being, well… Samantha.

Everyone involved in the production of the movie should thank its costume designer, as the wardrobes are the film’s one flawless asset. Decked out in luxe Dior, Chanel, Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent, and the attitudes necessary to pull off such expensive frocks, the girls shine. What only makes the stunning clothing stand out more is the desert filming location-the United Arab Emirate’s Abu Dhabi. In one aesthetically fantastic scene, the girls are sashaying through the sand, rainbow-colored dresses clinging to their tanned skin.

Though it’s almost a necessity for “Sex” fans to see new installments of their favorite show, they should keep in mind that the second film is only enjoyable if they focus on the extraordinary fashions rather than the drooping plot.

-Kate Foster

Last day! Waaaaah!

Good morning!

Today, I'd love it if you finish posting your reviews from yesterday as well as today's profiles on your classmates (if you have time).

I also want to know: what did you learn this week? What skills will you take back with you to your school papers or magazines? What will you always remember from camp?

I've been very lucky to have such a great group this year. Take care of yourselves and keep writing (or I'll be sad)!

It'd Prolly Be...

Jay-Z
He is actually a well spoken guy and his opinions are worth listening to. Once I saw his interview on Oprah and I knew immediately that he'd give me a lot of great quotes. We'd probably meet at a location in New York where we wouldn't attract a lot of attention. I'd ask him his opinion on certain current events and new rappers in the industry. I also would want to profile him aasking questions about his past and what he sees in his near future.

Sydney, Australia
I love Australia! It seems like such a great place to be. Bright and the people vibrant. Their accents seems to be one of the coolest in the world. I'd probably cover the fashion or music scene. I also love sports so maybe that too...hmmm.... we shall see.

Somewhere petting a koala bear,
April

Deadlines!!!!

I'm so happy I'm finished! It was an extremely hard working under a 3 day deadline. You really want to write an effective story and the added stress from the the time crunch can make me nervous and frazzled. I also thought I was a bit overambitious taking on 4 stories. I learned that I should use my time wisely despite distraction...but you can sleep when your dead.

Movie Review

“Get Him to the Greek”
By Marisa Meyerowitz

"Get Him to the Greek"

Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne—three actors known for their outrageous comedy on screen. Yet their new film “Get Him to the Greek” does not truly display how funny these actors actually are. Although the film, which opened on June 4, had a few scenes that had the audience laughing out loud, the plot was not strong and the humor was minimal.

Although Director Nicholas Stoller developed this movie as a spin-off to one of his previous films, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek” definitely doesn’t reach the standards achieved in it. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” has a better plot and entails much more humor. “Get Him to the Greek” has a completely different storyline; Brand’s character is not even the same.

Just as Russell Brand’s character Aldous Snow has a music career that is heading right down the gutter because of the release of his new music “hit,” Jonah Hill’s character Aaron Green appears to help bring him back up the charts by getting him to a 10th anniversary concert at the Greek Theatre.

Hill is one of the stars of the film, as he plays a small time record company employee who is given a big job. The job entails getting Snow, a crazy rock star that is consistently doing drugs, drinking alcohol, and sleeping around, from London to Los Angeles for his concert. This proves to be a difficult job for Green because Snow is much more erratic than he thought. This is the general plot of the film; viewers watch the obstacles that Green must face as he tries to get Snow to his concert on time.

Although “Get Him to the Greek” is somewhat funny and includes a few quotes that truly make the movie, it is definitely not up to par with its predecessor. Yet those who like the rock star lifestyle should definitely see this film, as it portrays what a rock star’s day-to-day life is all about. Stoller is trying to expose to viewers that rock stars have problems too. In the beginning and throughout most of the film, Brand is addicted to drugs and will do whatever he needs to do to obtain them. This is one of the hardest jobs for Green: not letting Snow smoke and drink while he is traveling to L.A. His addiction to drugs can be seen in one of the funniest scenes in the movie, as Snow forces Green to put a plastic bag of drugs inside his butt in front of the entire airport just so he can take them on board to L.A. In the end, Snow overcomes his drug addictions in order to be with the girl that he loves.

“Get him to the Greek” without a doubt portrays the “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll” theme and definitely takes it to the extreme. The film is rated R for a reason. The dialogue is made up of explicit vocabulary and sexual allusions. Although this movie may not be the best summer film, it does contain some hilarious lines that will still be quoted as the school months roll around the corner.

The Best Feeling in the World!!!!!!

I'm finished with my articles!!!!! Completely finished! Done, fin, the end, hasta luego, hasta la vista articles!!! Wow I feel so accomplished now that my stories have been edited and sent off for publishing!! This has to be the best feeling in the world. This was a great experience for me and just deepened my belief that journalism is the field for me! It took a lot this morning trying to edit and tie up any loose ends in the chivalry story. We ended up running down stairs to broadcasting and asking for 3 random guys from the camp to ask them how they feel about the standards women set. That was a lot of fun and I'm learning that I really like to interview people and I like the rush I get from trying to get a story in on time. I'm so happy that people were so open to being interviewed and gave really good statements. This was such a fun and memorable experience and I'm just starting to like the field of journalism more and more!

Love and Rockets,

Cheyenne

If I Could Interview Anyone....

Wow, there's way too many options.

John Lennon - I've loved him forever. His music speaks to me. I'm pretty sure we'd also get along like old friends. Then there's someone like Michelangelo..... one of the most famous sculptors to ever live. Couldn't he look at something for about two seconds and then immediately carve every minute feature to perfection? I'd love to get inside his head. Finally, as shocking as this sounds, I'd love to interview some sort of crazy serial killer. If I were to become a journalist, I'd want to be on top of the most exciting stories - even if they were unbearably gruesome.

I think it would be really cool to do interviews in European countries. It'd be fantastic to interview the French about fashion or the Italians about food.

GET ME THERE!! :)

If I could...

If I could interview anyone in the world, it would be Lauren Conrad. I would want to meet up with her at People's Revolution in L.A. because it is a fashion office that is well known in the fashion industry. Lauren Conrad is my idol because she is a fashion icon and has worked in the Fashion industry. In addition to this, Conrad has worked for Teen Vogue, a fashion magazine, and this is my dream job. I want to eventually be the Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen Magazine. Having this job will combine my passion for fashion and journalism into one. Having an interview with Lauren Conrad would allow me to get input and opinions on the industry that I one day want to join, and getting viewpoints from someone as successful as Conrad would definitely be rewarding. Off of the serious and business side of the interview, I would want to ask Conrad about her fashion tips and how it feels to be the author of a book and a role model to so many teenage girls. As a college student, I am hoping to get an internship at some fashion magazine and work my way up to the top from there. Interning for any magazine will allow me to get good experience at a young age.

WAKE UP

Good morning!

If you could interview anyone in the world, who would it be? Why? Where would you meet? What would you ask?

If you could work as a journalist anywhere in the world, where would you be? What would you be doing?

NOTHING TO DO!!! :-(

SOO I am finished with my article and i'm sitting in class thinking OMG what is there to do!!!???? Today, i plan on going to lunch then to the liaison meeting. After the meeting I go back to class for 3HOURS! :-( Well, luckily for me i like the ppl in my class and they are very funny and goofy a lot like me. So it'll be okay after class I have the PR class. :-( BORING!!! Then we have the picnic dinner. SO CUTE. LOL never went on a picnic before. Then it's Grady After Dark! I wonder if thats gonna be Super Happy Fun Time????? LOL Then its back to the dorms for sleepy time YAY!!!!! LOL

Deadlines

Both of my stories were edited and emailed in to graphic design yesterday night, but I was so exhausted that I wasn't able to blog. This morning I feel great because I know that all of my work is done! Working under a deadline actually helps me because it makes me more motivated to get my work done. Therefore, the deadlines for this week to get my articles done helped me get everything finished on time. Being on the newspaper staff at my school, I am pretty used to having to finish and turn in articles on a deadline, so this experience was not necessarily new when it came to this. Overall, working on a deadline can be a little stressful but definitely helps me get my work done in a timely fashion.

1 Down 1 To Go!!!!!!!!!

So I FINALLY got all my interviews thank to la friends an fam so I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH MY STD STORY! YAY!!!!! It was a new experience and I'm so happy I got to go through it. Its gonna help me with my future career in journalism. Now myself, April, and Cheyenne have to finish the chivalry story tomorrow for the world to see. When we finish this EVERYONE MUST LIKE IT :)

Love Always,

Malikah

THANK GOD I AM FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am finally finished with my article! :-) Mary Jessica emailed my story to Graphic Design and I am FINALLY stress free!!!!!!!!!! YAY ME!!!!!!!!!! :-)

DeAdLiNeS!!!

Well, I just finished my draft!!! Mary Jessica is editing my draft now.:-) I hope its good and i hope its what she's looking for. I cut my food review article, because I wanted to focus more on the teen pregnancy article. I think its really coming along................Well, Mary Jessica just finished editing my story its just a few minor adjustments and i will be finished!!!! YAY!!!

Working on Deadline!

Working on two articles with a deadline hasn't proven to be too difficult for me. This could be because of a few different things.... first of all, I really only had one article, the potter review article. The other one was a simple lead paragraph and a list of songs. Also, I've been on my school newspaper for a year now and sometimes unexpected events would cause us to have a really close deadline. Because of that, I feel that I'm used to working quickly while still maintaining a decent article. Finally, I'm a natural early bird. I literally find myself in an anxiety attack or unable to sleep if I don't get something done as soon as possible. So, as usual, I got my articles done quickly and efficiently.

The only problem I seemed to face was that I've never actually had to interview someone for an article before. This really surprises me now that I've been at the UGA Journalism Academy and seen how integral interviews can be to an article. After receiving my writing assignments, I was pretty nervous about being able to interview the right people and get helpful quotes before deadline.

For the most part, it's been smooth sailing! :)

deadline!

We've been so busy getting our stories ready to turn in that we haven't blogged! Once your story is turned in tonight, write a blog post and tell us what it was like to write on deadline like this. Did you learn anything about yourself? Was it hard to work under pressure?

My Articles

For this year's Journalism Academy, I chose to write two of the articles that the feature writers brainstormed of for the newspaper. My first article is on teen jobs. As we all know, the US has been in an economical recession since 2007, and people young and old are in desperate need for jobs. The angle that I took for this story is about how teens are taking more jobs than adults. The recession is effecting the jobs of adults more than it is those of teens. I feel passionate about this topic because I myself have a job and always think about those moms that are in search for a job just to simply be able to support their families. For this article, I have interviewed the managers of three shops located in downtown Athens. The interviews were pretty much how I expected them to be. I asked questions about how they go about hiring people and what their opinions were on hiring teen employees. All of the managers that I interviewed were very nice and willing to be interviewed. My second article has to do with summer concerts and music festivals. I am doing this article with a partner, and we are going to start working on it tonight. We are planning on interviewing some students at the camp who have either attended the events in the past or are planning on attending the events in the future. From there, we will do little write ups on each event.

I am really exciting about how my articles are coming along, and I feel confident that all of the feature writers are going to write great stories to publish in this years newspaper.

Pottery and Music Articles

Art and music are two of my hugest influences. When I came to the UGA Journalism Academy, I was excited to brainstorm feature topics with my peers - it seemed that we had total freedom to choose what we wanted to write about. I chose to write an art gallery review because I am passionate about sculpture. I also sometimes feel like teenagers don't pay enough attention to art and its complexities, so I will take any chance to show them how important and influential art can be. I am also choosing songs for the mellow, beachy days of summer for a summertime playlist. I thought this would be an interesting approach to music in our newspaper because it is quick and gives people a chance to discover new music easily.

From the desk of Cheyenne

For my topics I chose to write about about three different things (yea, I got a little excited). My first topic is about school budget cuts and how students feel about them. I'm actually working with a partner for this one and I think we make a great team! I wanted to write about budget cuts and how they affect education because I know that in my county the budget cuts have affected the schools by teachers being let go and certain programs being let go. Also in my county they've shortened the school year by five days and we're off for a break every six weeks. I know most students would be happy with this but I'm actually deeply concerned that money issues are interfering with my education.

My second topic is about how social networking sites are taking away from actual human to human contact. I'm going to speak about how my generation is quicker to text someone versus call them or write them a letter. I'm going to pose the question "Has this generation's social skills declined or simply changed?". I'm working on this article by myself and really like it! I just want to send out the message that our generation can't become so wrapped up in technology that we don't even interact face to face anymore.

And lastly my third topic! This is a fun one that I'm working on with two other girls in sort of a news package. It's about chivalry and we're writing about it from the male and female perspective and also writing about how pop culture tends to set standards way too high (apparently every girl must look like Megan Fox and every guy must look like Taylor Lautner). I like this article b/c I've been interviewing people about their own personal views on chivalry.

Well I'm excited about my topics and hope that I can get them done! I'm really having fun though :)

Love and Rockets,

Cheyenne

articles! :]

hey there, once more I am sharing with you guys about why I chose the articles that I did.

I have two articles to write about. one of them is about fashion, which includes the Do's and Don'ts for summer of 2010. in this article i get to interview people from all over downtown Athens, and ask them about what they think that is suitable and what is not for this summer.

Also, my other article is about a restaurant review. For that article i will be eating lunch at the restaurant that I'm choosing. (although I have not decided where i will be eating)

I will also ask the manager or owner of the restaurant if he or she could answer some of the questions that I will be asking them.

the reason why I chose to write about these two things was because I love hearing and writing about what people have to say about style and fashion. it is very interesting because I'm hearing all of these funny but true statements. :)

and I like food! I think that (food) is what makes people happy. haha

& giving a restaurant my own review is going to be lots of fun! :D

- silvia

My articles! An why I chose what I chose

Hey Everyone!

Ok so the articles I chose to write about were chivalry in modern society: a males perspective and STD's in the Teen Community (No, these are not my actual titles. Haven't made em yet. Got any ideas?). The reason I chose chivalry is because in today's times, guys truly have no manners. They're rude, nasty, an sometimes, just downright disrespectful. Just yesterday, I almost had my tray knocked out my hand by some little boy who was desiring some teriyaki wings a if they were the last thing he was ever going to eat! So when the topic came up, I asked myself, "Why are guys like that?". What happened to guys opening your door, not because you asked them to t because they want to? What happened to being loyal and faithful to the one girl your with because you care about her and don't want to hurt her? And really and truly, what happened to guys talking to a girl with the slightest amount of respect and not like she's a piece of meat?As I did my interviews yesterday, I noticed that some guys try to do that for a girl and she doesn't appreciate it. I mean ladies really, what's wrong with us? I mean I know we want to be independent, but dag if someone does something so little and insignificant for you as opening your door SAY THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE THE GESTURE!!!!! I also noticed that some people didn't even know the meaning of chivalry. That somewhat didn't surprise me because with the way children are being raised today, they wouldn't know what chivalry was if it hit them. By the time I finish my article and its printed, I hope someone will take something from it and be more courteous, polite, and respectful to those of the opposite sex and the same sex because women need to learn some chivalry to these days.

My second article, which is on STD's, is one I refuse to take lightly. When I first moved back to Georgia back in February, the main thing I kept hearing about is the AIDS virus in AThens and how so many young women had caught just from messing with this one guy. An one day while walking back to Latin class, I saw a girl who had legions on her chest (for some reason she decided to wear a spaghetti-strap dress) and it just shocked me. Never before had I actually seen or known of anyone with a STD, especially one as serious as AIDS. So, when were deciding topics, I chose this, and from what I'm learning from research and from interviews, STDS are just a matter of people keeping their legs closed. Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint and I don't pretend to be, but I do believe that people should be discreet and safe about what they do. My main challenge for this article is getting everything I need to hep my article and writing my article in a way that everyone will be able to understand the message I'm trying to say.

Love Always,

-Malikah B

Me in a nutshell :)

Hello all you rock stars out there!! My name is Cheyenne, I'm 16 years old and a rising junior (class of 2012)!!! A little about me is my favorite color is red, I'm a fun person to be around and love laughing and making people laugh. The main reason I'm at journalism camp is to see if this is really a career that I want to pursue and if UGA is the school that I want to attend.

So far the answers are yes and yes!!!

I didn't realize how much I would actually like feature writing. I love writing in general but I didn't realize how much fun it actually is to go out and interview people. I also didn't realize how open people are to interviews.

In my spare time I love to read historical fiction, specifically about the Tudors. I also enjoy science fiction and playing video games (I'm a little bit of a nerd). My mom was in the Navy (the best military branch) so therefore I am a Navy brat (the best kind of military brat)! I've lived all up and down the East Coast but I haven't been outside of the country..yet!

Another thing about me is I'm a total news junkie! I watch CNN and NBC like there's no tomorrow. I enjoy entertainment news such as Entertainment Tonight and Extra. Well that's about it for me!

Love and Rockets,

Cheyenne

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Hello again!

One of the best things about being a journalist is being fearless and encountering new and amazing people. You just throw out "My momma told me not to talk to strangers..." and put yourself out there and GET THAT STORY.

I went downtown yesterday and arbitrarily picked people with different backgrounds and interviewed them. They all received me pretty well and I got some pretty good statements. I interviewed everyone from an old man eating ice cream(his name was Mike and he's retired from the variety of odd jobs he had in his life) to 20 year old college students. It was kind of disappointing when I was rejected by an old man at Starbucks and a women who wouldn't let me interviewed her daughters about the upcoming movie Toy Story 3(they wanted to be interviewed!). I wasn't going to ask them about politics or sex and drugs...just about chivalry and and a G rated movie. Mrs. Mary Jessica said that you get used to rejection the more you interview people but it still hurts because who wouldn't want to published???

As far as my story selection goes I know that I like to take on a lot of stories. I think it is more out of habit and my penchant (thanks LISA!) for writing and hunger to be a better journalist than pride.

Rising Tuition Rates I was interested in the topic because I'm concerned about how much I'm going to have to pay or leave in debt for a higher education (which is of then upmost importance to me). My philosophy is I don't care how much I have to pay to go to an institution I just want to learn and be surrounded by the best so I can among the best. But with the current economy I began to wonder how much is too much?

Toy Story 3 "Andy's going to college," said Andy's mom. Andy has grown up and it's time for him to put away childish things. That means Woody, Buzz and the gang have to go to a daycare. I just really want to do a preview and build up the hype a bit. Get people excited to see the movie. If they already aren't already.

Chivalry Who wouldn't want to interview guys about why aren't they still throwing their jackets on puddles or showing proper respect or rather see me in a bikini than with a book? Inquiring minds want to know.

Summer Playlist I love music and making people happy. Music makes happiness.

Till Tomorrow,

(It's only a day away!)

April M.

My story!! :-)

Well, I chose to write one of my articles about teen pregnancy. I knew if I chose this topic then I had the perfect angle. In Augusta, GA there is a teenage girl who graduated from Cross Creek High School. She has a son who is now one year old. She went through her junior year being pregnant. In high school your junior year is the hardest, because of all the tests juniors are required to take. During her senior, she managed to be a single mom, work, and go to school. With whatever time she had left she used it for herself or spent very little time with friends. Though it was very hard for her and she had many struggles, she still went on to graduate with honors. She graduated twelfth in her class out of three-hundred students. I was amazed by her, her story, her drive and will to succeed. My second article is a restaurant review. I plan on going downtown today to choose the restaurant i'm going to write about.

Well, HELLO!

I loved learning more about you! I'm so pleased this class is full of excellent writers with a lot of varied interests. Yay!

Today, I'd like to hear about why you chose the articles you're working on. And I'd like to know what it was like to interview people for them. Any challenges? Any surprises?

About Me!

Hey fellow rock stars!

My name is Marisa Meyerowitz, and I am an upcoming high school senior. Journalism has been my passion since the start of high school; therefore, I am hoping to major in journalism as a college student. Having been on the newspaper staff at Roswell High School for 2 years as a reporter and page editor, I am ecstatic to be the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the 2010-2011 staff. As one of the Editor-in-Chiefs of next year's paper, I am hoping to make my school's newspaper "The Sting" the best it has been since the paper was started. This is one of the major reasons that I am here at the Georgia Journalism Academy.

When I am not working on the school newspaper, I can be found in many other school associations and clubs, such as the National Honors Society, Beta Club, Anchor Club, and National Spanish Honors Society. Service, scholarship, and academics are all very important to me. The University of Georgia is my number one choice for college. I am hoping that this experience will help me in getting accepted into both the university itself and Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

In addition to school and my education, my job is very important to me. As an employee for Delia*s, a girl's clothing store located in 3 malls throughout Georgia, I am able to help young girls and girls my own age find outfits and clothing that make them have high confidence and self esteem. This is very rewarding.

Overall, my friends and family are of number one importance to me. I enjoy doing what most teenagers like to do. Now that it's summer, I am either at the pool, going out to lunch with friends, shopping, and much more. I am super excited to be here at The University of Georgia's Grady College!

Hey world.......

Hey everyone! My name is Malikah Thompson and I attend Clarke Central High School. I'm 16, a rising junior, and very much proud to say it ( kick rocks class of 2011!). I was born in Sicly, Italy, but I was raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. I have lived in Georgia (duh), St. Thomas, and most recently Virginia. I love to read and write. Those are the two main things that keep me sane half the time. My love for writing is part of the reason why I came to camp. I mainly decided to come to camp because I start Yearbook Staff this upcoming year and I want to have atleast a basic understanding of what I'll be doing and how I can do it to the best of my ability. I was nervous starting camp because I'm usually shy around new people and takes me awhile to get to know people, but now that I've started, I'm relaxed and can't wait for the rest of camp!

Love Always,
-Malikah B

Ke'Ana :-)

Hello Journalism rockstars

I am Ke'Ana Clark. I attend Cross Creek High school in Augusta, Georgia. I am a two-year member of the school's yearbook staff CCHS's Paragon. However, I will be unable to be apart of the staff next year due to my senior schedule I am required to have. I am currently at UGA for the Georgia Journalism Academy. I just came from downtown athens reviewing different restaurants for my feature story. My experience at first was kind of boring, but as of now it's wonderful. I am very excited to see what the rest of my rockstar experience will be like!!!

Me :)

I'm Kate, and my brain is hardwired to be creative. I am currently 17, and at a very young age I discovered the power of writing in all its forms: creative, informative, poetic, journalistic... you name it, I loved it. Soon I discovered a passion for art, specifically sculpture and ceramics. I love the way both writing and art can get hugely powerful messages across to the masses. My love of writing and fashion journalism brought me to the UGA Journalism Academy; I am always striving to learn more. I hope to eventually double major in Art History and Business at UGA so I can one day work as a gallery curator in some of the most dizzyingly busy and exciting cities in the world - New York, Paris, Chicago, Milan. Music and fashion have always inspired me. I tend to consider fashion just another art form; music, a means of adding a soundtrack to every one of life's moments. I particularly love the culture of the 1920s-1950s as music, fashion, and life became extremely fast-paced and chivalry ruled. At the Academy, I hope to write about some of the things that inspire me most.

First Rockstar Post

G'Morning Sunshine! The Earth says hello! I'm April and it's funny because I wasn't born in April, I was born in March. I'm 17 and I am a rising Senior at Henry W. Grady High School in Atlanta, Georgia. It's funny because I was born in GRADY Memorial High School, I attend GRADY High School and if I attend UGA I'd be attending the GRADY College of Journalism and Mass Communications. I'm here because I want to pursue a career in print journalism to preferably write for a magazine one day(and maybe be Editor in Chief). I work for my school's magazine the Nexus and it is a magazine of culture; we cover topics native to our school and Atlanta mostly. In my spare time I like to read, write, daydream, listen to music(my iPod is my 3rd lung...I can't breathe without it....well that's a bit over exaggerated) and watch television. I also love to talk and talk and talk and I tend to cut people off so if I'm just talking to much just let me know. Toodle Loo!(Get it? To the loo? But I actually don't have to go to the loo...I just killed the joke.)

more about me...

My name is Silvia and I'm from Athens, GA.

I'm also a rising senior this fall. :D (very excited about that). I am a Latina, I was born in El Salvador and lived there until the age of 8, then i moved here to Georgia and thats is where i have been half my life.

I am part of the swim team and varsity soccer team at my school.

i enjoy spending time outside mostly doing fun things.

This summer is really exciting for me because i get to be part of the Rockdtar Journalism Acadamy. Onw of the reasons why I wanted to come here was because i enjoy writting. This past year i was part of the journalism department at my school. i worked with the magazine which is called BruePrints, the magazine was like our newspaper.

one of the things that i like doing during my free time is crafty things for example I love doing jewelery! there are also many other things that I enjoy doing during my free time.

ok..to be honest I don't know what else to write. i think this pretty much all the fun, interesting things i have to say about myself. :)

Welcome!

Hello, my rock stars! I am completely excited about each and every one of you. Why don't you have your first post be an introduction (maybe a bit longer than what we had in class today) - we want to know more about you, why you are here, what you like to do in your spare time, what you want to do with your life (because I'm sure you already know every detail of your future career, right)? Yeah!