Marijuana
By David Johnson

It's 9:00 p.m. and you're at your best friend's house. It is almost time for your curfew so you decide to hurry home. As you try to leave, you can barely stand or see. You never thought that marijuana would have this effect. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering, which means it changes how the brain works. You don't have to use marijuana just because you think everybody else is doing it. As a matter of fact, most teens don't use marijuana!
Marijuana is a green, brow, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, and seeds of a hemp plant called Cannabis Sativa. The numbers of marijuana users are steadily increasing. There are approximately 300 million users worldwide and 28 million in the United States. Some teens use marijuana because they are under peer pressure from their family and friends. It is often portrayed as being the cool thing to do or an escape from problems.
In low doses, marijuana causes relaxation, sleepiness, and disruption in attention. In high doses, some of the effects are hallucinations, delusions, impaired memory, and disorientation.
In addition to physical effects, marijuana has a negative effect on your health. A lot of users believe that marijuana does not have the same affects as nicotine and therefore is safe to smoke, but it can actually do more harm.
My anti-drug is sports. Playing sports gives me something to look forward to. It gives me a chance to get involved in my school and community. Playing sports teaches me dedication, team and leadership skills, conflict resolution. What's your anti-drug?

Stop the Killing
By David Johnson

Violence has become a part of our daily lives. We see bombings on the news, genocides all over the world, and shootings right outside our windows. In order for our world to change, people must change. CeaseFire has been a very important example of this change. There are many organizations that help prevent violence. CeaseFire takes on the responsibility of making peace in our community.
CeaseFire's goal is to get to the heart of the problems that plague the lives of the youth in our community in order to provide a safe haven for them. A major problem in our community is the limited amount of services available. CeaseFire provides positive activities like basketball tournaments, community walks, BBQs, and intervention groups for the youth. Our communities need to provide more options for the youth to decrease criminal activity.
Domestic violence, peer pressure, and delayed gratification are common problems that the youth are faced with daily. CeaseFire conduct meetings Monday through Wednesday at 1100 South 11th Ave. in Maywood, IL for men and women ages 16-25. Janice Mitchell-Bolling, Program Manager and Violence Prevention Coordinator of CeaseFire, describes CeaseFire as providing services for high-risk cases that most organizations would refuse to take. Janice along with four outreach workers teach the youth conflict resolution, how to make better choices, and how to identify problems.
CeaseFire has a bourgeoning relationship with the community. This organization has become part of the solution to stop violence. We all should be motivated by their efforts. It is time for us to make a difference and not only help CeaseFire, but also our world, our community, and our youth.

LOVE IS…
By Ashley Grace

Love is a special bond between two people. It is a feeling where that person is always on your mind and you immediately begin to blush or smile at that thought of them. You know you are in love when you talk to that person on the phone and when you hang up you start to miss them. Often times not being able to explain why you love them because you are so overwhelmed with emotion. I thought I was in love. Or thought I knew what love was. This was bigger than myself and this was bigger than him. This was about a life that was apart of me. This is my story. Each day I realize what love is….
I am 15 years old and a freshman in high school. What makes me so different from most of my peers? I am pregnant. I am alone. I must admit I am very afraid because my family does not support me. I do not know what to do.
The youth are crying out, so why aren't our cries being answered? According to plannedparenthood.com, each year more than 1 million teenagers become pregnant. Teen pregnancy is at an all time high. By the time teenage girls reach the age of 18, 1 out of every 4 girls has been pregnant. An important part of pregnancy is realizing that you do not have to do it alone. Planned parenthood is one of the many organizations that provide assistance to pregnant women.
Many girls get pregnant by means of unprotected sex. Learn to make conscious decisions because every decision determines your future. The most effective way to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases is to practice abstinence. Contraception is another way of preventing unwanted pregnancy and in some cases STD's. Birth control pills, Ortho Evra (the patch), and NuvaRing are effective contraceptives.
Creating more mentoring programs will also have a tremendous effect. Prevention is creating programs as alternatives for the youth. One person cannot answer this plea it will take a community. It takes a village to raise a child.