She He Stay or Should He go?

We recently asked the teens for their response to Michael Vick joining the Eagles, and here are two convincing opinions we were given;

Should Vick get a second chance in the NFL? If so, should it be in Philadelphia"

NO!-Shawn Powell

I do not think that Michael Vick deserves a second chance. He took his power and money for granted and if he was a regular person, he would have a hard time getting a job after being in jail. Though I do believe in second chances, this whole issue brings up too much drama, and what he did is too difficult to forgive. Also, I do not believe him when he says that he learned his lesson, he is sorry because he got caught.

Yes! -Darien Moore

I think Michael Vick deserves a second chance because he served his time and did what he was told. It is a great idea for the Eagles to sign him because they can use him for the Wildcat offense and 3rd down conversions. Though, it's hard to say what kind of shape he is in after not playing for 2 years. While what he did with the dog fighting was awful, and people are upset now, I think that after the Eagles start winning, fans will eventually forgive and fall back in love with Vick.

Socrates and "The Wire"

As Socrates said "The unexamined life is not worth living", we have spent this summer discussing various aspect of philosophies, moral codes, and ethics and analyzing why people take certain actions. In the hit show, "The Wire", morality and ethics can often be controversial, as many of the characters adhere to a moral code that we might see as unethical. Here, the students take some time to discuss their favorite and least favorite characters on "the Wire". Please take the time to read, and if you are a fan, discuss who your favorite or least favorite characters are as well.

My Favorite Wire Character by Darien

My favorite character on The Wire is Mike because he is a leader. He doesn’t really rely on people to do things for him and he is his own boss. He doesn’t really need Bodie or the rest of his friends. He exhibits good responsibility and he runs his crew.

My least favorite character is Marlo (above) because he acts hard around certain people but “he a nut on the calm” (he’s really weak when it comes to people stronger than him). He thought he was tough when he just took the lollipops right in front of the security guard, but Omar housed him in front of all those drug kings.

My Favorite Wire Character by Brandon

My favorite character is Mike because he’s the tough guy and he takes the role of the leader in his crew. He gets the most respect out of all the youngsters in the show and he looks out for all the kids being picked on. He also takes the mature role of taking care of his brother because his parents have a drug problem. Another reason that he is my favorite because he doesn’t take crap from anyone, even the top man Marlo.

Namond (above) is my least favorite because he tries to be so tough but he really not but when someone is about to fight he changes up and makes an excuse not to fight or uses excuses for why he lost the fight. He doesn’t take after his dad at all. He is a fake.

My Favorite Character on the Wire by Hakim

My favorite character from the Wire is Omar. I picked him because of his personality. He is feared and respected by everybody in the hood. Another reason is that I find it is ironic that he is gay. A lot of people look at gay people as soft and being pushovers, but Omar is certainly not soft or a pushover. One of my favorite things that he did is when he jumped out of a window, and walked around the hood with a trench coat and a shot gun.

My Favorite Character on the Wire by Shaire

Michael is my favorite character on The Wire because of his laid-back leadership skills. He also is a father figure to his little brother. My favorite scene is when Mike had the altercation with the crackheads who tried to lie to him about how much they bought. Mike told them take it or leave it, and they agreed to what he said and took what he had. That was true leadership.

Namond is my least favorite character because he lets everybody house him, and oldheads only respect him because of his Pops (Wee-Bey). Another reason I call him my least favorite is because he was messing with Dukie and Mike came over and beat him up and made him cry. Mike took all his anger out on Namond, and he didn’t do anything back.

My Favorite Wire Characters by Jamil

Stringer Bell and and Omar are my two favorite characters on The Wire. I like Stringer Bell because he’s cool, calm and collected. He has the swagger of a businessman, but the mentality of a hustler. Omar is my next favorite character because he has a lot of heart. He walks around like he has a chip on his shoulder. He rolls, steals from, and even kills many of the main hustlers. I also like him because everyone in the city is scared of him.

My least favorite character is Lil Kev, I guess, because he took advantage of a teenager to get his man set-up for some money and I think that’s not cool at all. If you claim he’s your man why did you get him set-up?

State Representative Johnson and Councilman Jones "get real" with our Teens- By Kristy Baldwin

There are a lot of stigmas behind Philadelphia politicians. Media outlets often portray them as 'fake' 'corrupt' and 'greedy',but, today, I was inspired by two great leaders in Philadelphia. It wasn't the amount of power, nice clothes, or slick brand news cars that impressed me while spending some time with Councilman Curtis Jones and State Representative Kenyatta Johnson,but, it was their ability to talk about issues in such a way that it felt like they were sincerely interested in my group and the paths that these young men are starting on.
Representative Johnson, started the day by greeting our young men at the door with handshakes and a smile. The conversation almost immediately turned to the kids school and social lives, even before we entered the conference room where we were to sit down with Councilman Curtis Jones. It was clear that Kenyatta Johnson really cares about the future of young men in Philadelphia, and he was visibly excited to introduce his friend and mentor, Curtis Jones, to the teens from UYA.
Curtis Jones approached the young men, in a way that wasn't political or pretentious, but as someone, as he says, "from their future". His message to the young men was; that at any instant a decision we make and how we are prepared to handle a situation can alter our paths.
He hammered on the idea that he could have easily ended up dead or behind bars if he had continued down the path he started on as a teen. For councilman Jones, it is not enough to simply avoid trouble, but to also be aware of unknown factors that can alter a young black man's life. He quotes the African proverb "When you see the lion in the woods, be concerned. When you do not see the lion in the woods, be afraid." In other words, he wants these young men to be aware of potential dangers and to know that, in their neighborhoods and in their lives, there are hunters watching them, even when they are unaware. This resonated with my group because of our recent discussions on President Obama's speech to the NAACP, in which he tells African Americans that it is in fact harder for them to essentially 'make it' in this world, but it is up to them to realize this and then work harder toward their goals. This is an idea that these two leaders clearly believe in.
Throughout the day, Jones had many interesting pieces of advice for the young men, one of which was "Being the tallest midget on midget island doesn't impress me" he explains this further when he tells the young men that if they are the smartest ones in the room, then it's time to find a new room, if they are the best basketball player on the team, then it's time to find a new team. "You should strive to be average in the next level up from you, and then you work hard to become the tallest midget, and move on to the very next level". Both Jones and Johnson spoke to the teens, not as though they were future voters, but as future black men who have every opportunity in the world available to them, as long as they work hard, remain focused, and keep pushing for that higher level. As someone who has seen these young men in action, I know this to be true, and I am so very grateful for the time and effort State Representative Johnson and Councilman Jones put in to reaffirming that fact to these bright young men.

Should Basketball Players Go to College? By Hakim Andrews

In basketball, there is an interesting debate whether or not high school players should be able to jump straight into the NBA. In some ways this is good and in others ways this is a bad thing to do. I think that some players are born stars and are ready for professional careers early on while others have to work hard and may not ever make it or have a back up plan.
One good thing about going right into the NBA is that a player has an early start and can gain valuable experience. This gives players a better chance at breaking and starting new records. Also, players would not have to worry getting hurt in college and never getting a chance to play for the NBA.
The downside to going pro after high school is that you do not have the time in college to let your game and body mature. Also, you miss an opportunity to have a backup plan with an education. Getting an education will help you make better decisions and if you enter the NBA at a young age you might not be ready to take on the responsibility yet. When your career is over, you might not know what you want to do to support yourself outside of basketball. All in all, it is a tough choice and one the player has to think hard about before deciding.

Our Trip to the Anthropology Museum

We recently took a trip to the Anthropology Museum at 33rd and Walnut. Here's a few things the guys learned while we were there.

BET is Killing our Youth By Shafeeq Coleman

I believe BET is not putting out the right message toward our youth. At any given time they have girls shaking their tails with nothing on but a thong on. This sends all the wrong messages to young girls who may see this and think this is how they should act. Also, these music videos are deceptive because most kids think that all the money and cars on the videos belong to the rapper, but did you know that most of the time it dosen't? The artist rents most of it and then returns it after they are done. Even more ridiculous is that most of the artists highlighted are not even the minds behind the music, and the writer who gets little credit for his or her work. So, basically, they are deceiving our youth into thinking they are rich and musically skilled when they are not.


All I am saying is that people should really sit down and really take a look at what BET is promoting to our youth, and question why we accept what is put up on the screen.

The Old and the Restless by Jamil Taylor

Athletes come in all shapes and sizes, but age is something that often gets in the way of performing well. Athletes such as Brett Farve, Jamie Moyer, and Lance Armstrong, however, do their jobs very well especially considering their ages. I believe that older athletes work harder and strive to be better than the average professional athlete, and that young athletes should look up to them.

Many sports have considered age limits. Older players can step in to help train and win games because they have so much experience. Older players also help with ticket sales because they are often heroes to a lot of people. An age limit would be ridiculous in a lot of sports because there is no telling what someone can do if they work hard. In the case of Lance Armstrong, he even battled cancer and still rides. Also, older players should know their own limits and putting on imposed limits could mess up their career plans.

I respect older athletes because they are brave, courageous, and have a lot of heart to continue playing.

My Issues with Steriods in Professional Sports by Shaire Tolson-Ford

For professional athletes, there are many issues that come with taking steroids as performance enhancers. The drugs do awful things to your body, they create an unfair advantage in sports, and they ruin achievements like the Hall of Fame.
First, I think that people who take steroids are damaging their bodies. Also, once someone starts to take the drugs, they might not want to stop because they would want to continue getting stronger. There is also a risk of roid rage which endangers others as well.
Another big issue with steroids is how unfair it is to the other players. As a young athlete I come across players that are better and faster than me, but I don't understand risking addiction and roid rage to unfairly get an advantage.
Lastly, it is completely unfair for Hall of Famers who have never taken steroids to be placed with others who have. These players work so hard and those who take steroids could be taking an opportunity away from others. In my opinion, people who take steroids shouldn't be able to be in the Hall of Fame.

What do you think? Do you agree with my reasons against steroids in sports?

UYA Visits the Franklin Institute

Jamil interviews Ms. Kristy about the program

One and Done By Darien Moore

In Men's basketball a lot of freshmen are playing just one year of college basketball before going professional. In the 2008 NBA draft, about 8 freshmen were selected in the first ten picks. While a majority of the rookies went on to have good seasons, a few struggled with injuries and their overall game. For instance, though he was drafted on 2007, Greg Olden was considered a rookie in 2008-2009 because of an injury that sidelined him for his whole first season. In 2008-2009, Derrick Rose had one of the best playoff performances for a rookie that we have seen in decades. He averaged over thirty points a game against the defending champs, the Boston Celtics, but after the season he was a situation regarding his grades with his alma mater, the University of Memphis, arose. The rumor is that the school boosted his SAT score so that he could be accepted into the University. Though the case was dropped due to lost information and paperwork, this gives college basketball a black eye because it makes us question whether other players are getting into college through fake grades. This also makes the term "scholar athlete" meaningless if students are just worried about playing sports knowing that they can just get fake grades.

I think that before going into the NBA players have to mature and at least earn an undergraduate degree. Athlete's have to start taking school seriously, because you never know what life can bring as far as injuries and major changes.

Racial Discrimination or Everyday Police Work? By Shawn Powell

Last month Henry Louis Gates Jr., a famous academic, author, and professor at Harvard university, was locked out of his home. He made efforts to try to get into his home and when neighbors heard the commotions, they called the police. When police arrived, they questioned whether the home was actually Gates' and what happened next is a source of much debate; the police claim Gates raised his voice and offended the officer and was therefore arrested. Gates, however, claim that he showed the officer proof that it was his home and that the officer refused to give Gates his name and badge number.
My opinion is that the officer should have checked in on the situation more, maybe on his computer, and see whether Gates was telling the truth about it being his house.
I think this is a form of discrimination because he is a black man in a rich white neighborhood and the assumption was that he had to be committing a crime, however, it could be that anyone making a lot of noise late at night in this neighborhood would have the cops called on them and we just don't know what exactly happened before he was arrested.
No matter what happened, if I was in Henry Gates' shoes, I would be upset that despite all of my success and hard work I would be treated like a criminal because of my skin color.

Blaming Music By Brandon Waddell

Can music affect the way people act? Why are violent acts blamed on heavy, metal, hip-hop, and rap?
People blame music for killings and other acts of violence because they think the words in different songs can affect a person's view on how to handle different situations. More often than not, however, a person who commits acts of violence in mentally unstable, with or without music. One example of this is the incident that took place at Columbine High School in Colorado. Where two teenagers killed 15 students, and then killed themselves. Altogether, Eric Harris and Dyan Klebold injured 24 people during that incident in 1999, and metal music, specifically Marilyn Manson, was blamed for what happened. Mental issues were really to blame in this case, as the perpetrators had a history of getting picked on in school, which probably led to a mental breakdown.
In conclusion, I think that the media often blames music and lyrics for acts of violence when the issue really is mental problems. Instead of blaming music, we should focus more on getting people help for any mental issues they may have and make sure we keep our facts straight on criminals who commits these crimes.

Jamil Interviews the guys after the first week in the program

The Trip to Chinatown By Shawn

The trip to Chinatown

By Shawn Powell

This week we went to Chinatown. The trip was fascinating because the majority of us have never really seen what Chinatown looks like and the art of their culture. When we went to Chinatown we saw a wall with the history of the Chinese men when they first came to America for the ''gold rush''. The wall also indicated how the Americans tried to build the vine street express across Chinatown, but the Chinese people didn't allow them to .

During our trip to Chinatown we learned a lot about the Chinese history in Philly. And we saw how many stores are in Chinatown. After we walked around Chinatown we went to a Chinese resturant and ate some Chinese food with the chop sticks, which was a little hard for some of us. But, overall, our trip to Chinatown was very fun.

Dr. Ali-Dinar Visits By Sulon Moody

University of Penn Professor from Sudan, Dr. Ali-Dinar, came to visit us as a guest speaker. At first we didn't know what to expect because there was no specific agenda for this visit. When he first came in there was no waiting, he jumped right into the conversation. First, he asked us our name, grade, and things we did after school. Then Dr. Dinar started by telling us his Grandfather was the last king of Sudan. He also told us a story of how he came over to America and how he had to get his PhD. Since most of the students/employees said that they played in a basketball league, Dr. Dinar said to get good grades on top of getting good at basketball so you can get into a good school. Lastly, he had time to answer some questions from the class most of us just asked us how life was in Sudan, if he has a family, and hold on he was when he got to America.