Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Digital Death to Buy Life

       If you could help to save a life, would you? Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys are the co-founders of Keep a Child Alive; a foundation that supports children with AIDS by providing treatment, care, and support services for the children that need it in Africa and India. According to the Keep a Child Alive website, 14.9 million children have lost their parents to AIDS in Africa alone. This foundation helps these children by building and keeping orphanages in which they can stay.
       A fundraiser called Buy Life started on December 1, 2010, which is also World AIDS Day, and will end when one million dollars are raised for this cause. Many famous people such as Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Kim Kardashian, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Lady GaGa, Jay Sean, Ryan Seacrest, Katie Holmes and others will participate by undergoing a ‘digital death.’
       To participate in this ‘digital death’ these stars can’t post on their blog pages such as Facebook and Twitter. Ads dealing with the ‘digital death’ show pictures of the celebrities posing in coffins and state that the person has died. They had to ‘die’ in a sense of not being heard by the outside world through the internet until the money is raised. As of December 2nd at 7:34 in the morning, there has been $106,699.03 collected, which isn’t a very large amount considering the goal is one million dollars.
       Nicole LaMonica, a fifteen year old, explains that she thinks this fundraiser is “a really good idea.” She thinks that “this is a good way to raise money for this needy cause because people love celebrities and don’t want them to disappear from the internet.” She agrees with this campaign and hopes for the best for this foundation.
       However, Danielle Reffsin, another fifteen year old, states that “I think this is not an efficient way to raise money for AIDS because people shouldn’t be so obsessed with celebrities and the internet and shouldn’t be giving money to get celebrities back on the web. They should focus on AIDS, not themselves.” She disagrees with this method of raising money, but she does believe that money should be given to this cause.
       To ‘buy life’ you can text the first name of the celebrity of your choice to 90999. The minimum amount of money you can donate is ten dollars and with a one hundred dollar donation you will receive a free ‘buy life’ T-shirt. It is also a possibility to sacrifice your own digital life by signing up on their website buylife.org.
       In Kenya alone, there are 2 million people living with AIDS. This disease affects many people in Africa and in India and Keep a Child Alive is working to raise money for these less fortunate people. Whether or not this is an efficient way to raise money is up to you to decide, but this fundraiser is taking place now if you would like to donate money or sacrifice your digital life.

Digital Death Campaign

Teen Jobs By Danielle Reffsin

                  “Mom can I borrow some money”, or “Dad, I’m going to the mall can you lend me some money,” are just some phrases that teens use to get money from their parents. This can cause stress for parents so they advise their children to get jobs.
                   Teens at Smithtown High School West have jobs for many reasons. They could be for money or even just to look good on their college application. Jobs can be very time consuming for some students because it could interfere with sports or school work. Nicole LaMonica, a student at Smithtown High school West states, “If I got a job I would be too overwhelmed with homework.”
                  Many teens are eager to get jobs because it can give them a sense of freedom and responsibility. In Smithtown, there are many job opportunities available. For example, restaurants and fast-food joints like Country Kitchen, Maninos and McDonalds offer jobs to teens around 14 and up. Also, jobs at Pets Supply Plus or the public library are available to students in Smithtown that are looking for jobs. Volunteer jobs at the local shelter, senior citizen center and Guide Dog Foundation are also available for any age. Minimum wage in New York State is $ 7.15 per hour for jobs in New York State. Kerianne O’Dwyer, a student at Smithtown West, who works at Main St. Pizzeria states,” My job consumes time but I get the chance to make friends. I also work 5-15 hours a week which is a lot for me.”
                      Even though some jobs offer little to no money, they are very rewarding in the end. By volunteering or getting a small job this often helps create new friends and also can build character. Also for college applications, teens can place the jobs that they do on there. Colleges look for students who are diverse in different areas of life. This could be like sports, academics, clubs and jobs are great things to put on your application. Morgan Hrynyshyn, a student at Smithtown High School West, worked at the Party Starts Here. This is a local business in Smithtown that hires teens to work at kids parties. She stated that, “I worked an hour and a half with my friends and it was a lot of fun. This also made me feel really active in my community.”
                   In New York State, teens under the age of 18 are only allowed to work a maximum 20 hours a week. This is to allow a student to get their homework done. Although they have time to do their homework, jobs are very strenuous so this can cause teens to become tired and less motivated to do their work or study for school. Emily Doveala a student at Smithtown West who babysits during the weekend states, “I don’t think I could take on a part- time or full job because it would interfere with my studies.”

Book Review: Style by Lauren Conrad

       Starting this summer you can add a new Lauren Conrad book to your bookshelf! This new easy-to-read book can make reading enjoyable for girls of all ages. Along with many of her other popular books, Lauren Conrad’s new book is one of a kind on the market. Her book is called Style and is all about creating a wardrobe and style that fits you. Conrad discusses how she has created her wardrobe and then describes each type of clothing that she has so you can create a wardrobe of your own. Conrad shows every girl how to keep it stylish when dressing for any occasion.
       Conrad tells the reader how she has created such a large variety of items in her closet and how she manages her wardrobe for all of her traveling and outings. She describes how she shops and how she finds good deals on such nice pieces of clothing. Conrad also shares her inspiration for her “look” and shows you how to create your own unique style.
       Conrad has separated her book into three sections; fashion, beauty and lifestyle so as you continue reading you start learning about hair and makeup as well. The lifestyle section of the book shoes you outfits for specific occasions like school, work and parties. This is where you learn what is appropriate for when and where. As you get further into the book, Conrad shares the details on specific style of clothing and also certain items that are a necessity when it comes to forming the perfect wardrobe. She focuses on items like denim, the little black dress and many more. While reading the book ideas fly into your head about new ways to create a one of a kind wardrobe. Last but not least Conrad talks about makeup. She says that keeping it simple is the best way to achieve a look that is right for everyday activities. Believe it or not Conrad doesn’t even wear eye shadow!
      Amanda McGuire, a 15 year old high school student, says, “Having a good sense of style can boost your self esteem, so I think that girls of all kinds should read this book.” Amanda among a bunch of other girls feel that they would buy the book or like to receive it as a gift for the holidays.
       Danielle Reffsin, also 15, thinks that “it is a good idea, but for other people this might be a problem because it is telling people what to wear. People want to express themselves in their own way and not how Lauren Conrad wants them to.” Danielle also said that she “would not want to receive this as a gift, she would rather get something she would actually use.”
       This style guide can help girls and woman of all ages to create their own look that could potentially inspire someone else to look good whenever they go out. For someone who has so many people as inspiration, Lauren Conrad is really inspiration herself. It would be a great gift for the holidays or ‘just because’!