Soapbox: Teens on choosing sunscreen, page 2 Take YDC’s Annual Reader Survey, page 8 YDC checks out new Taco Bell menu, page 4 Volume 21 Issue 8 Summer 2012 Hyped up sunscreens: to buy or not to buy Samantha Joseph Young D.C. With beach trips and outdoor summer festivals on their calendars, sunscreen may be the last thing that teens have on their minds. Even if teens regularly apply sunscreen, they may not be receiving the amount of treatment and protection they think they’re getting. Since the 1990’s, the Environmental Working Group has worked to raise awareness of sunscreen misconceptions. It challenges claims such as “sunblock,” “sweat proof”and “waterproof.” EWG says terms are misused by companies in packaging and advertising. Starting in 2006, EWG’s research has updated people annually on sunscreen. By providing current articles, urging action by the Food and Drug Administration, posting ratings, making sunscreen guides and circulating petitions, EWG tries to counteract claims from manufacturers. EWG shares current information on skin, statistics and sunscreen through its “Skin Deep” web site and updates it annually. Visitors can look up sources of tips, guides and facts. Sections include “Best Sunscreens,” “Hall of Shame,” “Sun Safety Tips,” “The Sunscreen Guide” and more. EWG also incorporates statistics for absorbance spectra and calculating the Young D.C. UVA protection score. With a list of sun- YDC recommends packing sunscreens with a top rating from the EWG as you head for the pool or the beach. screen ratings and brands, anyone can have access to information on sunscreen and how it affects their lives. May 23, EWG’s Ken Cook wrote, “We know that claims like ‘sunblock,’ ‘sweat proof’ and ‘waterproof’ on sunscreen labels are just marketing hype. So it was a small victory in 2011 when the federal Food and Drug Administration announced new regulations that will ban these terms on sunscreen labels. Since the 1990s, the FDA has considered these terms misleading.” However, readers can’t be assured of victory because Cook went on to say, “Unfortunately, many sunscreen manufacturers continue to sell products labeled ‘sunblock,’ ‘sweat proof’ and ‘waterproof’ despite the FDA’s stance. The fact is, sunscreens wash off in water and when you sweat. And they don’t totally block the sun. But you can find these phony claims on products on the shelves of many major retailers—we checked just last week. We can’t afford to wait for the FDA to act. It recently announced that it would delay enforcement of the new regulations—years in the making—until after the 2012 summer season.” Researchers have found toxic chemicals inside some sunscreens people use today, including Oxybenzone. This chemical not only damages the human skin but it can also cause hormone disruption and have detoxifying effects on children. In a 2008 report on sunscreen, EWG senior scientist Rebecca Sutton See Sunscreens, page two PSU student, alumna cope with Sandusky scandal Christina Lee Young D.C. In November 2011, YDC covered the Penn State scandal and how it affected state laws requiring the report of child abuse. June 22, retired Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of sexually abusing 10 boys from the 1994 to 2009. Conviction on 43 of 48 charges means that Sandusky, 68, will probably spent the rest of his life in prison. The publicity around this case prompted states to refocus child abuse laws. At the same time, some Penn State students and graduates say scandal publicity tainted their academic achievements. Kylie Corcoran, 19, a sophomore at Penn State University Park campus, and Adell Coleman, a 2009 Penn State graduate shared their experiences prior to and after the trial. “Every single person I’ve talked to about the scandal [who doesn’t attend Penn State] thinks that the only reason my classmates and I wanted to attend this school was because of football, that we supported [late head coach Joe] Paterno unconditionally because of it, and that we allowed Sandusky to continue his acts of depravity for the sake of it,” Corcoran said. “There are many students who attend this school for reasons other than football. Being as unenthusiastic about football as I am, I didn’t know who Sandusky was until the story broke. I was just trying to cope with the country telling me I was an evil person for attending a school that enabled pedophiles.” Sandusky See Shamed by Sandusky scandal, page two Soapbox News t Young D.C. t Summer 2012 YDC asks local teens how they choose their sunblock Compiled by Christina Lee and Samantha Joseph Young D.C.- "First I see if its inexpensive, then I see if it's waterproof, then I try to buy one that isn't too greasy." –Mariama Diallo, 17, will be a freshman at Prince George’s Community College. “I think that anything over SPF 45 pretty much does the same thing.” –Cole Neuffer, 18, will be a freshman at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York, New York. “Mine is usually SPF 30. I don’t have any brand preferences because I just use whatever sunscreen there is.” –Sabrina Kim, 18, will be a freshman at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. “I use Neutrogena SPF 60. It feels nice on my delicate skin.” “For my face, I usually use Clinique or Neutrogena SPF 40 because it’s oil-free, while some Clinique ones have a tint of color to use as a primer for powder and it doesn’t feel like a layer of lotion is on your face. For my body, I use the Neutrogena spray stuff since it’s easy and quick to apply, not sticky and also goes on clear. In general, I try to use a higher SPF.” –Kevin Qian, 18, will be a freshman at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. –Nicole Yin, 18, will be a freshman at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va. Before you buy: screening is possible, blocking is not Sunscreens, from page one says, “although Oxybenzone is most common in sunscreen, companies also use the chemical in at least 567 other personal care products.” With a lot of people buying sunscreen, they are unaware of the hazards that may cause consequences later on. Children using certain sunscreens now are prone to forming diseases as they get older. Sutton adds that “children are less able than adults to detoxify and excrete chemicals, and children’s developing organ systems are more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposures, and more sensitive to low levels of hormonally active compounds. Children also have more years of future life in which to develop disease triggered by early exposure to chemicals.” To avoid further problems, EWG advises to avoid products that include Oxybenzone, Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), added insect repellent, spray sunscreen, powder sunscreen and SPF above 50. Concerning sunscreen guides, teens are not paying much attention to them. Parents might not be informing their children as much as they should be either. Along with a complete guide, has EWG included three more articles on sunscreen. Plus, it contains plenty of facts that may interest readers. Even though strong efforts have been made against the FDA for the false claims of sunscreen, it’s not enough. That’s why EWG created a petition. It also includes major retailers so if anyone has any com- plaints they can refer to them. If parents also want their children informed on this problem, they should sign and join the fight against the FDA and sunscreen companies. As for themselves, EWG will keep pushing for their sunscreen rights and regulations. It’s already summer, so it’s best if the FDA could acknowledge them and the victims of sunscreen. After all, over hundreds of companies have been lying to Americans. Samantha Joseph, 16, is a rising senior at DuVal HS in Lanham, Md. Christina Lee, 18, is a freshman at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea; Summer 2012 t Young D.C. t News Scandal shames students Shamed by Sandusky scandal, from page one Young D.C. is an independent newspaper written by and about metropolitan area teens. Address correspondence to: Young D.C. 1904 18th Street, NW Unit B Washington, D.C. 20009-1707 tel: 202.232.5300 fax: 202.232.5306 www.youngdc.org Copyright. All rights reserved. Managing Editor: Christina Lee Oakton HS (Va.) News Editor: Dana Harrison, Wootton HS (Md.) Lifestyle Editor: Cuyler Deegan, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.) and Lisa Hu, Wootton HS (Md.) Entertainment Editor: Kelly Fisher, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.) Sports Editor: Chidiki Jones Whitley, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.) Reporters: Alex Greenhill, Brehm School (Ill.); Eyen Zame Johnson, homeschooled, (D.C.); Samantha Joseph, Duval H.S. (Md.); Abigail Melick, Woodrow Wilson HS (D.C.); Matt Nguyen, Lafayette College (Pa.); Olivia Patch, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.); Nick Pope, Ellington School for the Arts (D.C); Cassidy Riley, Des Moines North H.S. (Iowa); Abby Seitz, Fauquier HS (Va.); Rajanay Sweet, Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy/Capitol Hill (D.C.); Emily Yang, Churchill HS (Md.); Kathy Zhang, Paint Branch HS (Md.) Board of Directors: Nate Beeler, George Curry (chairman), Tom Donlan, Rich Foster, Mary Hanley, Barbara Hines, Judy Hines, Cynthia Farrell Johnson, Kathleen Reilly Mannix (ex officio), Phillip Reid, Samara Sit Advisory Board (Emeritus Directors): Hector Ericksen-Mendoza, Sean Jensen, Rosamond King, Carol Lange, Sarah Menke-Fish, Bob Neuman, David R. Rapp, Young D.C. is supported by BNA, The Children’s Charities Foundation, The Herb Block Foundation, The Reva and David Logan Foundation and sponsors of Cartoons & Cocktails 2011, an auction of editorial art held Oct. 20, 2011 at the Newseum’s Knight Conference Center. C&C also benefited the Cartoonists Rights Network International. Sponsors included BNA, C-SPAN, Lynn Edwards of US News & World Report, Foxhall Gallery, The Freedom Forum and The Newseum, Andrew J. Hagan and Linda T. Smith, Stephen C. and Cynthia Farrell Johnson, Jim and Kerry Joseph, Lipman Hearne, Mike McCurry, Joe and Anne Murphy, The Obscure Organization, Politico, Rosalind G. Stark, The Washington Examiner and members of the YDC Board. Letters to the Editor are welcome and sometimes published. Letters are subject to editing. Readers writing to the editors should include contact information: name, age, telephone number. Corrections Young D.C. publishes corrections of matters of substance. Thank you for bringing them to the attention of the editors by telephone (202.232.5300), e-mail ([email protected]) or snail mail. retired in 1999, but the school still gave him access to football facilities. His victims were middle schoolers from a charity for at-risk boys that he founded. Some testified that they were molested on campus. Upon first hearing about the scandal, Coleman says she was “very sad and disappointed. There is no excuse as to why this happened to these young men and for such a very long time. It is heartbreaking. More than anything I was in disbelief.” Although Paterno did build a legendary football program with a reputation for insisting that athletes take academics seriously, Corcoran said a generalization that Penn State students attend the school mainly for football burdens them. On top of the misunderstanding as to why she chose Penn State, Corcoran is incredulous at the additional condescension she receives daily. “Now with the trial over and the release of the Freeh report, I have been getting more guilt than ever for being a Nittany Lion. It honestly bothers me how much flak total strangers have been giving me and [PSU students] over something that we had no hand in,” Corcoran said. “As hard as I worked to get to [Penn State], there were students who had fought even harder, including students from Virginia, New York and even China. Now we were all being shamed to feel that our efforts had been in vain.” Coleman said, “[The public] seemed to degrade the school as a whole instead of those who were directly behind the actions.” This alumna also reacted to both the administration’s cover up of Sandusky’s crimes and a student riot that followed Paterno’s firing five days after Sandusky was arrested. “It wasn’t a way to allow us to look dignified as we should,” said Coleman. “I understand the school wanted to stand united [but] I just felt in certain situations it could have been done differently. We need to hold those [responsible] accountable and not the university as a whole. This should not be something to define us.” “I shouldn’t, and my fellow classmates shouldn’t have to feel guilty for something we didn’t do,” Corcoran said. “[Give us] time to start the healing and re-growth process in peace.” Coleman said she “believes that PSU will be able to bounce [back from] this. I am very proud and will always be proud to have my Penn State degree and now is a time [that] we do not allow this incident to define us. “Instead, the staff needs to take better caution to ensure that something like this never happens again.” While the late Paterno had the power to have Sandusky’s behavior exposed, Corcoran believes that “many of the people claiming how they would’ve handled things [were] not in such a position.” Corcoran expressed concern that going to police or a higher school official with such serious suspicions would be seen as an invasion of the victim’s privacy. “The general public needs to keep in mind that not everyone is in a place where they can help these victims so easily.” Mandatory reporters are in that place. Mandatory reporting is the requirement that designated professionals report suspicion or injury to authorities. Approximately 48 states including Pennsylvania, D.C., Maryland and Virginia designate professions whose members are mandated by law to report child abuse. Teachers, physicians, social workers, etc., are considered mandatory reporters. Most states penalize them if they fail to report. Before the Sandusky trial, Maryland law stated that workers who failed to report any child abuse to authorities “may” lose their jobs, but suffer no criminal penalty or fine. In response to the Penn State scandal, as well as the Casey Anthony trial, Maryland State Sen. Nancy Jacobs (R, District 34), introduced a bill with stricter penalties in the last legislative session. However, it died in committee. She will reintroduce it during the next general session. Before this year, Virginia’s mandatory reporting law stated that anyone who works with children on a daily basis report suspected cases to child protective services. As of April 2012, the amended and reenacted mandatory reporting law has broadened the group of mandatory reporters to include teachers, social workers, physicians, interns and more. D.C. was and remains strict on mandatory reporting. Penalties for not reporting include fines and jail time. Spouses and patients are not exempt from testifying against their husbands or doctors, respectively and vice versa. D.C. resident Coleman says, “I think that we just need to pay more attention. We might not necessarily need to tighten the laws but more than anything we need to ensure that the laws are being enforced…we cannot hide behind a school’s level of athleticism and credentials to validate the violation of a child or to validate the lack of action in response to the violation of a child.” Christina Lee, 18, is a freshman at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea TasteBuds LifeStyle Young D.C. t Summer 2012 Taco Bell el Cantina Burrito es regular Chidiki Jones Whitley Young D.C. When I heard that Taco Bell has introduced a new line of higher quality food in an attempt to compete with Chipotle I laughed out loud. Upon eating the new Cantina Burrito, I still think that it cannot hold a candle to a Chipotle burrito. The difference between a regular Taco Bell burrito and its new Cantina Burrito is only a few cooking tricks. In the Cantina Burrito Taco Bell adds grilled corn and pepper. This adds more levels of taste that go well together. The sweetness of the corn is a completely different and interesting taste and it fits in because the corn has been grilled. This gives it a charred and smoky kind of flavor while retaining its sweetness. The real diced pepper gives an essence of spice, and it is miles above the fake spice flavoring of the regular burrito. The meat has been bumped up as well, which isn’t saying much, but now the meat is about average. Top all that off with a toasted shell and u got yourself a pretty good burrito. Is it as good as Chipotle? Heavens no, but this new Cantina Menu line of food does make Taco Bell a place I would consider going to over more popular fast food places. Chidiki Jones Whitley, 18, is a rising senior at the Lab School of Washington in the District of Columbia. Volume 21 had five Taste Buddies who wrote about eating out and cooking. Two have graduated and will be attending colleges far from D.C. Want to replace them? Give us a call, 202.232.5300, or download the staff and leadership applications from www.youngdc.org. Sources: BravoTV.com and CantinaBell.com Executive chef and restaurateur Lorena Garcia, a contestant in Top Chef Masters, Season Four, partnered with Taco Bell to enhance authentic Mexican flavors in the new Cantina Menu. The Herb Block Foundation The staff of Young D.C. Volume 21 thanks BNA, Children’s Charities Foundation, The Herb Block Foundation, The Reva and David Logan Foundation and the sponsors of Cartoons & Cocktails 2011 for giving us a voice in print and online Summer 2012 t Young D.C. Local teens write Father’s Day letters Adam, Jimmy and Jay Special to Young D.C. Dear Dad, ly Growing up without a father, I never real d rate sepa celebrated Father’s Day. My parents ry enta when I was about 2 ½ years old. In elem Day, er’s Fath for s school we used to make card godmy to it but I either threw it away or gave father. had You left me with a single parent that So her. brot my two jobs just to support me and .I Day I didn’t usually do anything for Father’s day you always thought that Father’s Day was a or do rts, spo play hang out with your dad and what ever your dad likes to do. was We first met when I was 12, and it ta star to tried you on through court. From then betry ’t didn good relationship with me, but I life. You cause you missed out on 12 years of my s, but never showed up to any of my birthday nI whe t visi to e your brother did, you never cam ed call was sick or in the hospital, you never even ey beto say, “Hi.” All you did was send mon the for sate pen com cause you felt that it would pain and suffering that you caused us. left. We never got to hang out because you ’t didn I but ily fam his I knew your brother and alI . kids r even know that you had three othe to show ways wanted a father figure in my life Instead I me how to play sports or ride a bike. learned through my godfather. call I always wanted a father that I could hard “mines,” who stayed with me through kids r othe that n ctio times, and showed me affe p in kee we got from their dads. Even though my dad, contact, I feel as though I can call you but I can’t say that I love. Dear Father, re Father’s Day is supposed to be a day whe his by ed brat a respectable father figure is cele ever, children, spouse and family alike. How likely with other current relationship that is not el mod role a e wer between us. Growing up you, true a e to me. I looked up to you like you wer t apart. hero. But as I got older, we began to drif mothmy ind beh t I began noticing that you wen rt. hea er’s back and eventually broke her e Then you began spreading your negativ went, influence to other families. Wherever you child a As f. you left a trail of despair and grie with d there are many things I never experience how to you as your son. You never taught me you and me, with ride a bike, never went fishing ly rare you never played sports with me. In all n time I ever bonded with me. The most ofte or whenwould see you is during the holidays cookout. or y ever the family would throw a part er but I know and accept that you’re my fath that I there are things about your personality ating che of it strongly dislike such as your hab however and your manipulative ways. I hope re and that our relationship improves in the futu did. er nev we are able to bond like we Dear Dad, or Father’s Day is a day specifically to hon because you. You have been a role model to me are. you king wor of how responsible and hard our port sup You have been working hard to more family even if it came down to working age all that one job. I am amazed to see you man have still and of the things on your schedule nts, my enough time to come to my school eve ro or to football games, drop me off to the Met ily. fam the school and able to hang out with dI n You have been there for me whe nee someed help or when I just asked you to do e for ativ reci app t thing for me. What I am mos or me port is that you are always there to sup move push me to do something that would help grades or on in life like my football career, my my driver’s license. anIt means a lot to me that I am not just an child other statistic as an African Americ actually that er without a father. I have a fath cares and loves me the way that you do. ays I appreciate you because you have alw and s lem prob my all been there to help me with ld posto push me to be the best “me” that I cou sibly be. e to I hope that when I get older I am ther not ld wou you support you as you did me so that deyou have to work for anything else because always serve it all. I thank you and love you for d. nee of being there for me in my time Adam, Jimmy and Jay are rising seniors at a D.C. charter high school. They submitted their letters, which they also shared with families and school staff, as part of an internship program hosted by the Hispanic Link News Service. Entertainment Young D.C. t Summer 2012 Summer action films also deliver suspense Prequel to 1979 sci-fi classic probes human origins Chidiki Jones Whitley Young D.C. Prometheus is the newest sci-fi movie, a prequel to the Ridley Scott Alien movies. The film stars Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw, Michael Fassbender as David, Guy Pearce Peter Weyland, Idris Elba as Janek, Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway, and Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers. Prometheus is about a group of explorers that find a star map depicted in a number of early civilizations. Believing that those maps could lead to some sort of advanced civilization that created mankind, the crew boards a ship named Prometheus to look for those beings. Unfortunately when they find the characters they learn a horrible truth and have to escape without the answers they were seeking. The movie begins a little slowly but the overall theme of “faith against the odds” is quickly abandoned. The writers know what the audience really wants to see: freaky aliens dominating the humans and Prometheus delivers. You don’t have to be an Alien fan to see and like this movie. In fact, many Alien fans are disappointed because the movie does not come through on its promise to fully explain some details. Much like the crew of the Prometheus, viewers will leave the movie with more questions then answers but will have a wild ride along the way. This movie will haunt your dreams for Photo by Kerry Brown©Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Vickers (Charlize Theron) and Janek (Idris Elba) on the bridge of spacecraft Prometheus days but a good time is in store. I give this movie two thumbs up. Chidiki Jones Whitley, 18, is a rising senior at The Lab School of Washington in the District of Columbia. Photos by Ron Phillips © Warner Bros. Pictures, TM & DC Comics. Left, Hathaway as Catwoman; center, Bane (Tom Hardy) faces Batman (Bale); right, Batsuit and cowl haunt Bruce Wayne (Bale). The Dark Knight Rises to the occasion Emily Yang Young D.C. The final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s Batman series certainly ends the trilogy nicely. Nolan gives viewers who did not watch the previous two movies [Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008)], enough general information to bring them up to speed. Don’t worry if you didn’t see the last two movies, you’ll catch on fast. Starting off the movie, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman (Christian Bale), is a man who has secluded himself in his home for about eight years. However, Wayne comes out of his shell after meeting Selina Kyle, Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). He learns that something big and horrible will happen. After more investigation, he becomes Batman again to prevent terrorist Bane from destroying Gotham City. Will Bane succeed? Will Batman fail under pressure? Well, you can probably guess by how hero stories normally end. However, don’t be fooled by appearances. Even the reddest apple can be rotten inside, and vice versa. Viewers will feel the tension in the air right before a big moment, no matter how obvious the outcome might seem. Nolan does a nice job sustaining suspense until the final outcome is revealed. The action may disappoint some viewers. The fighting scenes pack a punch, literally. That’s about it, just punching and kicking and the occasional gunshots. Those who are hoping for an extremely intense fighting scene of Batman beating the living daylights out of Bane, sorry, will have to see it in their imagination. The Dark Knight Rises is definitely a movie worth seeing. Although a little clichéd in parts, it’s a movie you should add on your watch list. Emily Yang, 16, is a rising junior at Winston Churchill HS in Potomac, Md. Omnivorous Reader Summer 2012 t Young D.C. Back in action with Langdon Emily Yang Young D.C. fiction with the science. In reality, it is unknown whether or not crystal growth is affected by human emotions, even though the story says otherwise. As Noetics is to science, Freemasonry is to religion. Freemasonry, as said in the book, is a secret society where the members do not believe in a god. Instead, they believe in a Supreme Being that is unique to each individual. It can be whatever the person believes, and can be in any shape or form. How does the story get involved with this religion in the first place? The main antagonist, Mal’akh, is seen in the prologue as joining the highest form of brotherhood, or the highest level of Masonry, in the society as a method to carry out his plan to become “entirely purified.” Mal’akh would cover his entire body with symbolic tattoos from ancient texts so that they would all collectively give him power in an otherworldly sense. Will he ever achieve his goal of being “purified?” Well, you have to read the book in order to find out. His true identity would’ve never crossed your mind. Emily Yang, 16, is a rising junior at Winston Churchill HS in Potomac, Md. Chidiki Jones Whitley, 18, is a rising senior at The Lab School of Washington in the District of Columbia. Humor Chidiki Jones Whitley If you loved The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, be sure to read The Lost Symbol, which will also be a movie later this 2012 year. The month of its release is still unknown. The Lost Symbol follows the Harvard symbologist professor Robert Langdon once again, but this time with his partner Katherine Solomon in America’s capitol: Washington DC. Full of complex puzzles and riddles like Brown’s previous two books, this book will give you tons of moments that will blow your mind. If you live in DC’s metropolitan area, chances are you can relate to many of the infamous locations of the capitol. Starting with the Capitol Rotunda and the Smithsonian Institution, the book will alternate between Robert and Katherine’s point of view starting from the point where they barely knew each other, to the point where both of their lives become intertwined with the impending danger. Of course, no Dan Brown book would be complete without the involvement of science, religion, or both as a part of the storyline. Throughout the book, Noetic Science is referenced as it is a part of Katherine’s conscience-dependable variable experiments. Basically, Noetic Science is using the human mind or conscience to affect the surrounding environment. Although it sounds a little farfetched, it does exist as a study, and the story does include Annual Reader Survey Your opinions are important, so there are three Does your school publish a newspaper? ways to respond to this year’s reader survey. If you are q Yes q No reading online, you can click to complete it online OR My favorite volume 21 front page is _______ cut and paste the survey text into an email (with subject line: YDC reader survey), answer and send it to news- I like to read about: [email protected]. Old school? Just complete this q People like me q Leaders page and mail or drop it off – q Innovators q Religion Young D.C. Survey q Technology q Films 1904 18th Street, NW q Sports Washington, DC 20009 q Visual and performing artists q Volunteer positions and job opportunities About YOU: q Ways to pay for college I am a q regular q occasional q frequent q Coping with challenging situations reader of Young D.C. q Other _________________________ My zip code is _________ _______________________________ My school is in ____________neighborhood. Do you find YDC at: q School q Public library Dear Readers, The summer issue marks the end of my managing editor career and the beginning of my new journey in South Korea. This fall, I’ll be a freshman at the Underwood International College of Yonsei University in Seoul. While most students study abroad in their second or third year, I’ll experience a new academic and social life in a different country from the get-go. Leaving Young D.C. is bittersweet. Bitter because it means leaving the new friends and acquaintances I’ve made, not seeing the cozy newsroom with its comfortable swivel chairs every other Saturday and smells of melting chocolate that wafts from next door. Sweet because I’ll still be in contact with Young D.C. and because I know have an exciting trek ahead of me. From intriguing front-page stories to provocative Soapbox questions, Young D.C. had a successful year. We published several nationally and locally valuable stories. In my first draft of a Penn State scandal article back in November, I learned that one incorrect Young D.C. t Summer 2012 q Store or coffeehouse q Teen organization q Friend q Other Do you know anyone else who reads YDC? q Yes q No What do you think is the biggest thing Young D.C. should improve on q Layout q Story content q Diversity q Other______________ Where else do you think we should distribute Young D.C.? ____________________ _________________________________ term could’ve changed someone’s whole perspective on the Sandusky case. Young D.C. taught me to be well informed on legal, culinary and political terminology and to consult as many sources as possible. My favorite Young D.C. event is its annual Cartoons & Cocktails auction fundraiser. As a vamper, my job was to walk among bidders with original (and pricy) editorial cartoons. I also met the board of directors, bonded with new and old staffers, tried gourmet hot chocolate and delicious finger food at the Newse- um’s rooftop conference center and, finally, see how a real live auction plays out. Since I’ll be in college, I’ll miss C&C 2012 at the National Press Club Nov. 15. Those of you who join the YDC staff will have a chance to volunteer for it. So, please, fill out the survey. Then check out the web site for a longer version of this letter. Thanks to my faithful staff and all of you readers. Christina Lee Managing Editor, Volume 21
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