Youth Radio - Featured Stories

Saving Cornfield Park, An Urban Oasis

ocampbell — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:10:11 -0500

The new California budget includes more than 14 million dollars of cuts to state parks. Although an official list of the parks to be closed won’t be available until after Labor Day, an initial list by the California State Parks included a park in urban Los Angeles. It’s called Los Angeles State Historic Park, but all the locals know it as The Cornfield.

The beauty of Cornfield Park is subtle. Like a big grassy back yard. Tucked in between the 110 freeway, the Metro Gold railway, and industrial warehouses, it may not sound like much, but Cornfield is an oasis. It's what I call a "chill spot" somewhere you go and let time slip away from you in peace. Recently, I found a few power outlets in the ground and chilled there on my laptop just enjoying the view that I rarely get to see, unless I’m sitting in traffic.

“You can’t compare it to our great desert and redwood parks," says Rick Rayburn of the California State Parks service. “But certainly it will be one of those great urban parks that many of us have seen across the country.”

How’s this for great? Cornfield Park (officially named Los Angeles State Historic Park) was the first site where a water wheel brought running water to the Pueblo of Los Angeles in the 1800's, even before William Mulholland designed the LA aqueduct. And as for the name...

“There was never any corn growing there," according to Alicia Brown, local historian and resident. “The farmers would bring in their carts to pick up the vegetables to take them to el pueblo because that was the marketplace. That was the big hub of activity. And the wagons would carry corn. Corn was very popular. So they just called it the corn field. It was sort of like a nickname you have for a community. And it stuck.”
For decades, the space was just an empty field used by the Metro train yard and was almost converted into industrial warehouses until the scrappy land was transformed by a community art project led by artist Lauren Bon.

“Her activating the space with her artwork really engaged the community, and opened this land to heal itself with the community's involvement," says Meredith Heckleman, a grower at Farmlab, the organization that has continued Bon’s work of restoring the toxic soil, planting the seeds, sewing the cornfield, and feeding a handful of goats. The flowers that bloom in the spring are a symphony of colors in an area typically surrounded by weeds, buildings and cars.

As families sit on the hill and enjoy what may be the final days of their access to this space, Park Ranger Thomas Carroll compares the skulls of some wildlife.

“So tonight, for our campfire, we’re going to learn how animals adapt to their environment."
If Cornfield closes, families would have to search elsewhere for greenspace in a park poor city. Families like the Rogers.

“I live in an apartment. So this is one reason why we come out here. Because we don’t have a yard," says Rosalia Rogers. “This is the best place for the kids. It’s a good place to walk, it's a good place to bring the dog and the kids and it’s safe and it's a nice place. Plus it has a lot of history, so I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else.”

After spending a few weeks there, I can understand why Mrs. Rogers feels this way. I had a hard time leaving the park when it closed at sunset one night, revealing its fantastic nighttime view of the skyline.

As I chilled, though, I couldn’t help thinking about a future where street traffic serves as a playground, rodents are referred to as “wildlife” and old folks, like me, will walk around asking other old folks: "Remember Parks?"

Previously:

Why We Kiss

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:28:54 -0500

So I was wondering the other day--(and I'll spare you why)--why it is that humans kiss. I mean really, why is it almost always the first romantic step? Is it just because that's what we've always seen people do at the end of movies, or did even cavemen kiss?

So I dug around and did a little research. Here are some ideas:

Theory #1: Kissing started as a way for mothers to feed their babies.

Ok, so when I heard that theory it sounded pretty gross to me, by here's what the in-depth article in Scientific American I'll be referencing said:

In the 1960s British zoologist and author Desmond Morris first proposed that kissing might have evolved from the practice in which primate mothers chewed food for their young and then fed them mouth-to-mouth, lips puckered. Chimpanzees feed in this manner, so our hominid ancestors probably did, too. Pressing outturned lips against lips may have then later developed as a way to comfort hungry children when food was scarce and, in time, to express love and affection in general. The human species might eventually have taken these proto-parental kisses down other roads until we came up with the more passionate varieties we have today.

Well that makes sense to me in terms of kissing being something you learn as a kid. I know I was always lucky to get lots of hugs and kisses from my parents, but that still wouldn't exactly explain why people who didn't get that affection as kids still like to kiss as adults.

Theory #2: Kissing is a Drug

Anyone who remembers their first make out session can probably get behind this theory. But why does kissing feel so addictive with the right person?

Human lips enjoy the slimmest layer of skin on the human body, and the lips are among the most densely populated with sensory neurons of any body region. When we kiss, these neurons, along with those in the tongue and mouth, rocket messages to the brain and body, setting off delightful sensations, intense emotions and physical reactions.

Of the 12 or 13 cranial nerves that affect cerebral function, five are at work when we kiss, shuttling messages from our lips, tongue, cheeks and nose to a brain that snatches information about the temperature, taste, smell and movements of the entire affair.

Sounds like we're getting closer, but still, aren't there other romantic behaviors that provide the same, if not more intense, pleasure? This theory still wouldn't exactly explain why we tend to open with a kiss.

Theory #3: Evolution, Baby

I get kind of annoyed when we reduce all our desires to a question of furthering our gene pool, but in this case there's probably some truth to that argument. Kissing may have evolved as a way for females to pick out a compatible mate before they get to the point of carrying the wrong guy's baby.

In a study published in September 2007 Gallup and his colleagues surveyed 1,041 college undergraduates of both sexes about kissing. For most of the men, a deep kiss was largely a way of advancing to the next level sexually. But women were generally looking to take the relationship to the next stage emotionally, assessing not simply whether the other person would make a first- rate source of DNA but also whether he would be a good long-term partner...The reason a kiss carries such weight, Gallup theorizes, is that it conveys subconscious information about the genetic compatibility of a prospective mate.

Theory #4: Kissing First is Just More Polite

For most of us anyway. There are some societies-- where believe it or not-- people just don't kiss. And there are even people in our own society who don't. I remember meeting a young woman who had had sex, but had never kissed anyone. She said she had no desire to. I remember thinking that she must have had some serious emotional issues, but maybe she just didn't subscribe to the kissing tradition.

At the turn of the 20th century Danish scientist Kristoffer Nyrop described Finnish tribes whose members bathed together but considered kissing indecent. In 1897 French anthropologist Paul d’Enjoy reported that the Chinese regard mouth-to-mouth kissing to be as horrifying as many people deem cannibalism to be.

In fact, anthropologists estimate that up to 10% of humans just don't kiss.

So what's the real reason most of us lock lips? Maybe we shouldn't overthink it. Or better yet, maybe the best way to find out is to do a little anthropological research of our own.

Bad Music and the Fans Who Dance To It

skhan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:36:07 -0500

It seems as though a lot of current artists have run out of new ideas. Nowadays, you hear silly songs that rhyme about the simplest things and somehow make it big in the charts. A few years back, Lil Mama created a hip hop sensation with her single "Lip Gloss," which goes into the psychological depths of how her lip cosmetic of choice is so cool and how it will make all the boys chase her after school. Soulja Boy had tweens across the country singing about a comic book hero-inspired sexual act with his hit single, “Crank that (Soulja Boy).” And most recently, the New Boyz have got youth all over my neighborhood calling each other jerks with a track that they first recorded in a closet. A lot of people argue that what these songs lack in lyrics, they make up for in the toe-tapping beats and and hip-shaking dance moves that they introduce into youth culture. This phenomenon makes me wonder about what creates musical success: the song or the dance?

It seems that dancing is key and that the internet has something to do with it. Soulja Boy’s instructional dance video for “Crank That” is the most watched viral entertainment online, but is now vying against Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” for that spot. I think that only in the age of the internet, when anyone can be a star on YouTube, could the “King of Pop” have to compete with the jesters of that genre.

As a serious dancer who has studied hip-hop and belly dance, I cringe at the comparison between Michael Jackson and the likes of Soulja Boy. Unlike them, Michael Jackson wrote amazing music and lyrics and made the most complicated dance moves seem effortless and smooth. As a dancer, I can say that his moves are extremely difficult to execute. And a new generation of R&B artists like Justin Timberlake and Usher has done a pretty good job trying to emulate his style. But, the dance moves that go along with the silly songs out today aren't that well thought out. It seems like the singers just come up with a weird move that requires the dancer to jump around at random. Maybe the internet has democratized dance itself by making it accessible to all?

I asked some teens what they thought of this genre of music that I think doesn't warrant a second, or even first, listen. Why do they think these melodies and beats dominate the minds and bodies of today's youth?

Mayra, 18, doesn’t really like this music and doesn’t think anyone else does either:
“I don’t really listen much to mainstream music nowadays because it seems to me that people tend to sing about random things that don’t make sense. Lil Mama’s song about lip gloss, there was no reason for that song just that her lip gloss was poppin. People don’t really like the songs, they just to listen to it because of the beats […] and they can dance to it.”

David, 16, wouldn’t say the songs are his favorites, but finds the music to be addictive:
“A lot of the times it’s the beat because the lyrics are a little bit dumb sometimes especially the one about the car and the candy bar. The thing that catches my attention is more the music than the dancing because the dancing changes from every song, but if the song is really good, and it has a nice beat, then you’ll listen to the song whether you like the dancing or not.”

Previously:

Oscar Grant's Father Sues BART for Son's Death

denise — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:02:05 -0500

A civil suit was filed Friday by the father of BART shooting victim, Oscar Grant. Grant's father, known as Oscar Grant, Jr. (himself the son of an Oscar Grant, Sr.) is currently in prison on a first-degree murder conviction and has been in prison for the duration of his son's life. If Grant, Jr. wins his case, he would collect any monetary damages that could be awarded. But Grant, Jr. isn’t the only one filing a civil suit; other members of Grant’s family have filed for the amount of $50 million. The third civil suit is from Grant's friends—who were arrested and detained the night of the shooting—for the amount of $1.5 million.

“Grant Jr.'s lawsuit claims he was "mentally, and emotionally injured and damaged" as a result of his son's death, suffering a loss of familial relations. The suit names as defendants BART, BART police Chief Gary Gee, Mehserle, and BART police Officers Anthony Pirone and Marysol Domenici.”

Grant, Jr. was convicted in March 1986 at the age of 22, less than a month after his son’s birth. According to Grant, Jr.’s attorney Panos Logos, his son visited him as a minor, but Grant, Jr. hadn’t seen his son in over five years.

This case is striking given the unfortunate connections between the lives of father and son. Grant, Jr. was convicted at the age of 22, the same age his son was killed. He was also convicted a month after the birth of his son. Oscar Grant's death leaves behind a young daughter.

It may sound harsh, but I don’t see how Grant, Jr. could be mentally or emotionally damaged by his son's death when he hadn’t seen his son in over five years. I think this is just a tactic to get some cash from his son's death.

As Oscar Grant's case continues to unfold, it is becoming a symbol for the pursuit of justice. Others like Gary King, Andre Moppin were also killed by police officers, but their investigations are ongoing without a court date set. Grant’s father, however, symbolizes something much different -- taking advantage of a horrific situation -- and that’s the worst part.

Previously:

Facebook Quitters

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:29:55 -0500

I've broken up with Facebook officially only once. But we've definitely had a love-hate relationship from the beginning--at first I refused to join up, then I surrendered, only to become one of those people who laid it (mostly) all out there.

In my inexperienced Facebook days, my profile picture was of me and my then boyfriend. Imagine 6 months later, when after a hard break up, I realized we had to break up all over again on Facebook. When I deleted our relationship status, the literal icon of my heart broken showed up on my news feed. Immediately I was bombarded with messages from concerned friends demanding to know what had happened. Then there was the prospect of un-tagging all the photos of the happy couple. Instead of dealing with it, I deleted my account.

There I was, breaking up with not one, but two obsessions, and stuck without access to a phone during my month long homestay in Costa Rica. The lack of communication was too much to take, and 2 weeks later, I logged back on.

Unlike my relationship with the ex, nothing had changed between me and Facebook. He welcomed me back with open arms. I found nothing had changed between us-- he'd saved all our pictures, remembered all my friends' names and even what kind of music I like. To top it off, he even greeted me with a couple questions, asking why I had quit, and if there was anything he could do to make sure I didn't feel the need to leave again. And that's how Facebook got me back.

But according to a recent NY Times article, based (like this post) entirely on anecdotal evidence, some disgruntled members are leaving the site for good.

The exodus is not evident from the site’s overall numbers. According to comScore, Facebook attracted 87.7 million unique visitors in the United States in July. But while people are still joining Facebook and compulsively visiting the site, a small but noticeable group are fleeing — some of them ostentatiously.

One ex-Facebook user the NY Times interviewed Leif Harmsen, a one-time user who now crusades against the site. Here's how he puts it:

“The more dependent we allow ourselves to become to something like Facebook — and Facebook does everything in its power to make you more dependent — the more Facebook can and does abuse us,” Harmsen explained by indignant e-mail. “It is not ‘your’ Facebook profile. It is Facebook’s profile about you.”

Harmsen's words don't sound entirely unlike what I wrote earlier this summer about my own Tech Depression. And while I'm still looking forward to not having a cell phone or much access to internet when I return to Cuba next month, you won't see me deleting my Facebook anytime soon.

Call it an unhealthy relationship, an addiction, or an easy way to keep in touch and share my writing and photos. All would probably be true. Hey we have our issues, but at least Facebook and I are trying to make it work.

Previously:

Back to School: SF State

noah — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:35:09 -0500

Three SF State students shine a light on the impact of budget cuts in this Debate Club Ch@t Room video.

Previously:

14 Year Old Rapper B.I. Makes Big Splash in K-Pop

melodyor — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:39:28 -0500

B.I. is a 14 year old Korean Rapper, who has been dubbed as the 2nd G-Dragon. G-Dragon started training at the age of 13 and now, his first solo album is currently #15 on the United World Chart.

About a month ago, B.I. appeared in MC Mong’s music video, as well as performances and K-POP fans were amazed by B.I.’s rapping ability and stage presence. B.I. has already met G-Dragon himself, and other big well known K-POP artists. B.I. is definitely making his making his way in the K-POP music industry.

K-POP fans are constantly comparing B.I. to G-Dragon and are excited to see what he will accomplish in five to ten years. MC Mong, who hand picked B.I. to be featured in his song “Indian Boy”, stated "When I look at B.I., he reminds me of a young G-Dragon." (via allkpop)

Previously:

Fall Back, Chris Brown, Fall Back!

Devonte Swag — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:16:15 -0500

Chris Brown's first interview since he beat up Rihanna, will air this Wednesday night on Larry King Live. America is eager to hear from the R&B stars mouth exactly three things: "W! T! F!" Judging from a preview of the interview with the 20-year old Brown sandwiched between his mother Joyce Hawkins and lawyer Mark Geragos, it looks like he's not going to offer up any real explanation. We will get to hear exactly what type of emotional trauma from his childhood (which his mother should expound upon) led up to what his loved ones call "strange behavior".

But, honestly, who cares about that? The real question at hand is: can he come back from this devastating blow to his "good boy" image and maintain a career as an entertainer? Pop culture history gives us some examples to look at here.

Chris Brown on Larry King Live.

In the midst of child pornography charges R. Kelly made "Tapped in the Closet". A comical R&B opera series that became one of his most popular works since "I Believe I Can Fly". The only difference is unlike Brown, Kells didn't plead guilty to his charge (even though many of us still believe he did it) and was pronounced innocent.

The King of Pop, rest in peace, faced charges of molestation and kiddie-porn. Yet on a whim he could sell out an arena anywhere in the world because he is The King Of Pop. Well, he pleaded not guilty and won too.

So. There is something to be said about the whole "not guilty" verdict that helps with public perception. Or does it?

Rapper/Actor Tupac Shakur was a convicted sex offender who spent almost a year in prison. While incarcerated sales of his album "Me Against The World" flourished, making 2Pac the only artist ever to have an album at number one on the Billboard charts while serving a prison sentence. After he was released from prison he made some of his most celebrated and often remixed Death Row recordings.

This is the reality Chris is going to have to face. He can woo the girls but he can't write hits like R. Kelly, He can dance his ass off but he doesn't have the adoration of a king (not even a prince). And, yes, he has some amount of a hard edge but his voice and music isn't as heart wrenchingly powerful as Tupac's was.

This is not to say that he can never achieve some of those goals if he wants. But I'm not sure how loyal his primary fan base of teenyboppers will be after a scandal like this. I mean think about the media darling Rihanna is! She was groomed for pop icon status by Jay-Z himself while Brown has yet to have a #1 song on the pop charts.

Quick history lesson again. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Extremely famous female singer falls in love with R&B star, everything's good. Then the world sees their domestic issues. Mary J Blige and K-Ci is another example. Rihanna simply learned much faster than her predecessor Whitney Houston who after a dysfunctional relationship, drug abuse, and a reality TV stint, FINALLY calls it quits with Bobby Brown and is clawing her way back into the spotlight she once commanded. Rihanna's next record is going to be a woman scorn survivor pop sensation and it is bound to only increase her fan base.

So Chris if you’re reading this, take my advise; FALL BACK! You already have lots of money (or should). Enjoy the rest of your youth. Go to school. Just don't keep making autotune drenched "I'm sorry" songs because unless she takes you back, you kind of look like a crazy ex-boyfriend. FALL BACK…a little more… right next to Lil Romeo and Sammie. There you go. Perfect.

Previously:

In Your Dreams

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:59:29 -0500

Ever had a dream where your teeth are falling out? Or maybe you often dream that you're flying, falling or even naked.

For me, a common dream is being in a car that doesn't work--either the brakes keep sticking or I can't quite steer right. While that's not exactly the most complicated symbol to explain--(it signifies feeling out of control/lacking direction) not all dreams are so easy to decode. For example, my best friend told me she had a reoccurring dream as a kid that she was riding a ferris wheel with Sister Act-Era Whoopi Goldberg).

In any case, I thought I'd tackle this important pop-psychology issue using the ever-credible #1 dream interpretation site: Dreammoods.com.

Dream Symbol #1: Your teeth are falling out/crumbling/generally messed up

I know I've had this one before, and according to Dream Moods, this is their most common dream interpretation question. So what do the teeth stand for?

Teeth are used to bite, tear, chew and gnaw. In this regard, teeth represent power. And the loss of teeth in your dream may be from a sense of powerlessness. Are you lacking power in some current situation? Perhaps you are having difficulties expressing yourself or getting your point across. You feel frustrated when your voice is not being heard. You may be experiencing feelings of inferiority and a lack of self-confidence in some situation or relationship in your life.

Another popular interpretation of the dream is that your teeth represent your self-image and any anxiety you might have about your appearance. Researchers have found that women going through menopause are more likely to have dreams about their teeth falling out, symbolizing the change that is happening to their bodies. As if the living nightmare of hot flashes isn't enough.

Dream Symbol #2: I believe I can fly

I've had this dream only once that I can remember, but it was by far one of the most awesome I've ever had. Best thing about it? I felt during the dream that I could control my flying, feel the sensations of wind, and saw the landscape below me clearly. And unlike most dreams, I realized I was dreaming without it being a buzz kill or waking me up. Apparently with flying dreams, this isn't uncommon.

Flying dreams fall under a category of dreams known as lucid dreaming. Lucid dreams occur when you become aware that you are dreaming. Many dreamers describe the ability to fly in their dreams as an exhilarating, joyful, and liberating experience.

So what does it mean to fly?

If you are flying with ease and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. You have risen above something. It may also mean that you have gained a different perspective on things. Flying dreams and the ability to control your flight is representative of your own personal sense of power.

All of these symbols seem pretty obvious to me. Here are other common dreams that represent what you might expect: Being naked in public=Feeling insecure about something, Falling=Feeling like you've lost control over something, Failing a Test=Worry about your own inadequacies.

Perhaps more interesting are do-it-yourself therapy methods you can try at home to help solve some of these subconscious worries.

One popular method is Gestalt Therapy, in which patients try to experience their dreams from all perspectives, including inanimate objects. Here's how Dreammoods explains the method:

Frederick Perls (1893-1970) is the founder of Gestalt therapy. Gestalt therapy seeks to fill your emotional voids so that you can then become a unified whole. Perls believes that dreams contain the rejected, disowned parts of the Self. Every character and every object in a dream represents an aspect of the Self. You are the tornado, you are the attacker, you are the broken down car and you are the dusty book. Perls rejects the notion that dreams are part of a universal symbolic language. He believes that each dream is unique to the individual who dreams it.

I have to agree with old Frederick on this one. While it's fun to pretend that a dream dictionary can tell us the meaning of all dream symbols, no matter how common the theme, a dream can't have the same meaning to everyone.

Still, it's fun to try and pretend like you know what it all stands for. My interpretation of my friend's reoccurring Whoopi dream? Whoopi is the Singing-Nun-Comedic-Mentor she never had, and a ferris wheel stands for the loss of her childhood. Don't believe me? Look it up.

Watching the World Through Foreign Films

ddominguez — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:05:33 -0500

When I was in middle school, I started watching foreign films, particularly those from Asia. I'd like to think that, at the time, my choice in movies reflected a perspective independent from other teens my age. As I grew older and continued to enjoy watching Bollywood and anime flicks, then relatively unknown to US audiences, I persisted in viewing the world through an independent lens. For instance, I am now a vegetarian and refuse to shop at large corporations known to exploit their workers and/or use sweatshops, like Wal-mart and Forever 21. These movies literally opened up new worlds to me. And knowing that there were other cultures out there, other ways of seeing the world, other ways of telling a story, be it romantic or horrific, helped me see the alternatives available to me in my own life.

Hollywood movies, on the other hand, are predictable and boring and present a bleak view of an alternate reality. Frankly, I’m tired of happy endings and distasteful romantic comedies because while they might provide an ideal version of real life, it’s a fantasy that’s been played over too many times. One can view Hollywood’s peddling of bland fare as a kind of censorship. While we have a lot of economic opportunities in the United States, we can’t necessarily freely express ourselves through mass media. Hollywood films don’t allow people to imagine worlds outside the confines of its narrowly defined standards.

While some cinematographers beautifully frame the images in Hollywood films, there’s not much diversity in the content. One thing I’ve noticed among foreign films is that they play more with the conventions of various genres. They can be both a musical and a thought-provoking documentary at the same time. One of the first foreign films I saw was the Bollywood movie "Asoka," which combined the genres of historical drama and romance. It is a fictional account of the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great, who ruled much of South Asia from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. I thought it was interesting that the main characters, Asoka and his beloved, never once touch each other, yet love each other intensely. I found this version of romance to be refreshing because it wasn’t just about sex; it was about emotions as well.

And even within one genre, there is variety. For instance, the Japanese film "Battle Royale" is about as unpredictable as a horror film can get. You won’t see any girls running through the woods and getting killed by the lakeshore. This movie is about a school in which every year, fifty junior high students are isolated so they can fight each other to the death until one student remains. And the students can’t escape. Their movements are restricted by metal collars around their necks which contain tracking and listening devices; if any student should attempt to escape the school, a bomb will be detonated in the collar, killing the wearer. If no student dies in any 24-hour period, all collars will be detonated simultaneously. To encourage the students to be creative in their killing, the teachers provide them with knapsacks filled with random objects. It’s clear that the plot has been designed to fully exploit the graphic potential of the movie. But, I think the more interesting aspect of the film is how it depicts what people would do if they had both the liberty and imperative to kill. It’s like a social experiment. And it’s definitely more thought-provoking than empty plots of dumb teenagers who are completely blind to their surroundings and get mindlessly murdered by some freakish killer.

Now, as Asian films become more mainstream, especially with the recent success of Danny Boyle's Bollywood-inspired hit, "Slumdog Millionaire," I’m wondering whether these films, and more importantly, the viewers of these films, will retain an independent viewpoint. When something goes from independent to popular, I feel like it’s no longer special. It’s not that the films themselves become lower quality. It’s just that I’m not sure that everyone who watches them really understands, appreciates, and learns from them.

Previously: