While my summer at the link & option center was great cause I was helping out with the kids that came to the summer camp. They enjoyed it a lot, it was cool to meet new people and do things you never did before. I was here last summer and I had a great time working here. Then when the summer camp program ended I got placed with a different group. And I like that because all we do is going out in promote the company and that alone made my people skills better. And I like going to all the events we be promoting about, that’s good for the youth and the community. I think the youth violence is at an all time high in our day and age. What I think the problem is that the youth don’t have too many actives’ and events. Therefore they hang out on the street looking for something to do, that’s way it’s a lot of young gang bangers. And sometime it’s the house hold they live in. There parents my never be at home or always off some type of drug, that cause a kid to look at a gang as his/her family. It’s going to be a very good thing having the Youth Against Violence Talent Explosion because it’s gone show the community and the youth there’s good thing they can do and attend. I would like for the talent show to be a big event that grow by the years and get better.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My Summer at The Link and Option Center
Before I even had a job this summer I was just a 19 year old college sophomore that didn’t know what I was going to do when I got home. After I when through the .P.O.E.T program which helps young adults find employment I was placed at the Link & Option Center, a place where they attempt to give kids an alternative to hanging out in the streets. During my time here I was able to not only hone some of the skills I had walking through the door but I was also able to gain skills that I could use on in the work area in the future. As well as being a part of the street team and the marketing team my team members and I co-wrote a play and also was called upon to evaluate talent for a talent show which is held here at the center. Before this I never had a job before which isn’t really good seeing that I’m 19 yeas old, but this experience along with my athletic background makes my job hunting a lot easier for the future. I was also able to hone my writing skills since we were asked to write weekly blogs on things that we thought were interesting, which was helpful since I was leaning to towards the field of journalism in school. And I personally think this whole experience this summer has made me more responsible, patient and a bit more reliable since if something isn’t done when its supposed to its not like school where I just get a zero or an incomplete, I could be fired. Overall this whole work experience this summer has made me a better man, brother, son and grandson and this was a valuable experience that couldn’t be duplicated.
My Overall Work Experience AT TLOC By Beatrice Elam
Working at the TLOC was something very different. It wasn’t what I expected but the people that I worked for and with made it a very fun and good summer job experience for me. It gave me a good out look on the business world and what all it takes to get and keep a business up in running. Working here taught me morals and how to value all the things that I’ve worked for. I’m happy that I was able to receive the work experience that I did. This was a good community center outreach program. My job working at the TLOC was to promote the Youth Against Violence Talent Explosion, help make a newsletter, and work on different blogs and create different flyers. We walked around and talked to the people all day explaining what was going to be happening with the talent show and why we were having it. We also asked them to come up to the center for try outs. I learned how a persuade people to come out and donate to a good cause.
I think that the talent explosion was a good way to get kids and parents to come together as one and see what’s going on. I also think that is a good way to promote the Link and Option Center. It gives people a good view of what’s going on at the center and how we’re trying to help the youth. You can also attract good donations and sponsors by having an event like this. The talent show will give people something to look forward to. They can come out and support their family and friends that’s apart of the show and just have a good time. I think that the talent explosion is going to turn out very nice and it’s going to help a lot of people in the community.
Over all this was a good summer job. I received a lot of good help and advice from my supervisors. They worked me hard but at the end of the day I know that it was for a good cause. I know that all the walking in talking to the people in the community will help keep a lot of the youth off the streets and out of trouble. TLOC is a good environment to be a part of. They teach you respect right from wrong and morals. I really think that this work experience will help me out in the long run with my business aspirations.
What I Think About Youth Violence….By The LOC Squad
The violence against youth in our community is crazy and it’s getting out of control. First off, more violence occurs in the black community than any other. There are young black men of various ages in gangs killing each other over what set they ride with or what street they’re from. It’s making this generation look very bad because it seems like we have this is the most killings of all time. It’s crazy because many times the person that ends up getting killed is in the wrong place at the wrong time; an innocent little kid that didn’t have anything to do with the situation.
One of the reasons why more young people fall victim to violence is because there aren’t enough activities to keep them busy. You can honestly say you don’t hear about John Doe getting killed walking home from The Link & Option Center, but you will hear about somebody getting killed coming from the corner store. If the schools and community centers stop cutting activities such as arts and music programs they wouldn’t have time to spend in the streets or be glued to their TV playing violent video games.
Another big reason why the youth are out getting killed is because their families don’t have a big part in their children lives anymore. Parents feel like they are too busy to spend time with their children to guide them in the right direction. Some children also grow up without father figures in their life so it pushes them too learn from the streets. It’s in those streets that lot of young kids join gangs, seeking someone to look up to, and often times it’s a person lacking values or morals. The same holds true for today’s young girls. Without someone to teach them right from wrong or how to be a young lady, they grow up admiring the wrong type of women—women that teach them too look and act trashy. Nowadays parents are much younger. Too many young women are having babies and they’re just babies themselves. If our youth would just learn what respect, loyalty, trust, values, and morals are, then a lot of the foolish things they get into wouldn’t even happen to them or become obstacles in their lives.
It seems that people, especially our youth are forgetting the importance of having morals and values. Basically, if you don’t develop any type of values or personal values you are living without a purpose. Personal values should play a big part in everyone’s life; they give you the strength to strive for your goals and to understand right from wrong. Family values are important as well, because they keep your family close and help you develop a sense of trust in trying times. Spiritual values help youth focus on what really matters and gives you the courage to make good decisions regardless of what others might think of you. Respect should play a key role in one’s life as well. Having respect for yourself will give you the knowledge of respecting someone else life no matter what type of situation they live in.
So like Malcolm said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
My Summer at The LINK - By Kendall Fitzpatrick
As the years pass, and I grow older, I have had to take on progressively more and more responsibilities. One major responsibility is working in the summer months because all of my other time is taken up with school. Every year I am blessed to work on a different project that teaches me valuable workplace and life skills, and this year was no exception. This year, through the Put Illinois to Work Program, I was employed at Twin Green’s Link and Option Center in Markham Illinois as a member of the marketing team. Some of my duties included writing for the company’s newsletter, helping to plan and promote events for the agency through social networks and street marketing, researching for corporate sponsorship efforts, and working on a PSA for the agency. This was all valued training in work that I plan to do in my future career path. I was recently applying for internships for school and many of the job descriptions included the same work I’ve been doing all summer, so I will be going into a job where I already have beneficial experience.
One of the other ways I benefited from this work experience was the remarkable people skills I gained from working with such a diverse group of people. My coworkers came from different neighborhoods all over the south suburbs thus bringing a vast majority of ideas and personalities with them. Learning about each other to better complete the tasks given for the day was an experience in itself. Dealing with different attitudes and differences in opinions has given us all very valuable problem solving skills in the workplace and taught us how to compromise to reach the desired results. Plus we formed close bonds and made many new great friends that we might have never met otherwise.
The biggest project we had over the summer was to develop and plan a summer talent explosion for the various communities. The theme for the explosion was: “Youth Against Violence”, a topic that everyone should be aware of with the current issues with teen violence in our communities. The event was designed to bring children out and showcase their personal talents as well as enjoy a great day of family fun and activities in a safe environment. The event should also serve as an open house for the Agency and allow the public to see first-hand the positive work being done by the organization.
Overall this has been a wonderful experience for me and I have come out of it with skills and training that are rare for some. Many people who could have very promising futures just lack the opportunities to get into certain fields. I can personally say that The Link and Option Center is a organization that truly “opens doors” for people and offers invaluable skills that can help one reach their true potential. This was a great summer.
My Experience This Summer at TLOC By Raunisha Maxwell
This summer I’ve had the privilege of working at The Link & Option Center (TLOC) through the P.O.E.T program. We’ve had a few projects that were not successful like the “Our Side” play that we put together. Although it didn’t go through I still had fun working on it. We had to go out and get the word out about the play by passing out the flyers in some of the local communities. We actually got a hand full of people to come out and join the play, but the part that I liked the most was revising the script. We came up with good ideas for the play, so that was pretty cool. Once the project was cancelled we started to focus on the “Youth Against Violence Talent Explosion” which will be coming up very soon which I can’t wait too see how it turns out. I believe it will be awesome.
Even though some of the things we did to get the Talent Explosion started I didn’t care for, such as tagging. I was never the type of person that would go out asking for donations or even try to sell anything. My mother never approved of those things so I honestly didn’t like doing them, but it was my job. I made the best of it by making it fun to keep my mind off it. My partner and I were competing against each other to see who could raise the most money; and I won. The only thing about passing out the flyers I didn’t really like was the weather. On some days it would be scorching hot and it just made you not want to do anything. Though I was a little irritated, frustrated, and testy, I looked at it as good exercise. There’s always a positive to something.
When we first started working here, we did a lot of networking projects which is part of our job description; we set up profiles on sites like digg.com, facebook, myspace, twitter, and many more. Setting up the sites wasn’t bad, and since we are of a younger generation, we know how to set these sites up much faster. Once we had them set, there wasn’t much else to do, so that’s why I didn’t mind going outside to do more networking about the center.
I learned a few things from working here at TLOC one of the things I learned is that it is very good to have networking skills because pretty much wherever you work you will be doing some type of networking, so this is a good skill to have. I also learned communication skills because networking is also going out and speaking too people, you have to lure them in by giving them a good conversation, getting their attention and keeping their attention. So I got really good at that, I mean I was always good but I sharpened it up so it’s a lot better now. Working here at TLOC is a good help for me to further my education and my career like I said before it gave me a stronger and broader communicating skills and it helped me with learning how to work with people with all types of different personalities and learning to cope with them.
Now our big event that is coming up next is the Youth Against Violence Talent Explosion. I am really super excited for it, we worked hard on this event raising money, getting the word out and trying to find people to help donate things for the Talent Explosion. We actually have a real good amount of people that will come out and showcase their talent, so I cant wait too see what they will be doing because their auditions were very good. I really feel that this event is a great idea something very nice for the community to bring their family and loved ones out to enjoy the festivities. To show that there are still people out there who cares about the youth and that they’re not alone in the world, I just really want to see this event as a success and for people to appreciate what we at The Link & option Center and Ms. Twin Green are doing for today’s generation.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
SPORTS’ HOT TOPICS with Shannon Miller
Lebron probably didn’t think of that and I don’t blame him. There is a long history of NBA greats that never won a championship. Karl Malone, John Stockton, “Pistol” Pete Maravich, to name a few people, and he doesn’t want to be on that long list whenever his playing days is over. That is where as an NBA fan I would have to put my selfish reason for entertainment on the back burner. I’m sure Lebron James grew up wanting to win a championship ring just like his idol, Michael Jordan, and he felt this was the chance to do it. For many years now Lebron has been saying that his number 1 goal is to win a championship and he needs the team around him to help bring a ring to Cleveland but it became clear that the Cavs themselves wasn’t able to make that possible for Lebron or themselves so Lebron seized the opportunity and took the chance to play with two possible Hall of Famers in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
I think it’s clear that Lebron wanted a relevant chance at a ring and he felt that this was his best option. They have proven chemistry by winning a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In conclusion, Lebron has to do what’s best for him in the long run. He knows he is the next generation of Hall of Famers and he wants to be considered as one of the best of all time, and the only way that can be possible is win two or more rings. As much as I don’t like the move to Miami, he has put himself in position to win rings for many years to come and the only things I can say to him is good luck and let’s see what the future holds for you. But remember the Championship is always won with a great bench. Hopefully Pat Riley can fill out a reasonable bench to bring Lebron his 1st ring. ~~~~~
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I Speak, You Listen – With Kendall Fitzpatrick
That’s Jazzy – With Jasmine Battle
A Positive Outlook on Sports
Sports have a big impact on our community. It gives our youth a positive activity to participate in, instead of hanging out with the wrong people and getting into trouble. I’m personally a fan of track and field, but my story of how I got into it is not a typical one.
When I was in high school I had an attendance issue. I felt like school wasn’t an important factor in my life, but I knew I had to graduate so I decided to join the track team. I joined the team not because I liked to run, but because I knew I had to attend practice everyday. I honestly didn’t even know that I could run. I didn’t know I had the endurance to do it until I got on the team. So I started going to practices, and at first I hated everything about track. The practices had my muscles hurting in places that I didn’t even know existed, but in the long run those long practices came in handy.
As I started to become accustomed to what we were doing, I began to learn the importance of teamwork and leadership. So track started to become what I loved to do instead of an excuse to come to school. I love running and I would still be running right know, but I suffered an injured during my senior year and that stopped me from doing what I loved.
I come to learn that I might not have graduated if it wasn’t for track. I encourage anyone who has passion and drive to join the sport that suits them best, because it can change you for the better. If you continue to do your sport all through high school they have excellent scholarship programs to get you into great colleges, so you can take your talents to the next level.
My advice to you is to do what makes you happy. In the long run, sports can better your life; take my advice I know from experience.
The Grind - With Christopher Harris
WHAT IS CRUNK DANCING?
A lot of people don’t know what crunk is.
First of all, the word crunk was coined by Lil Jon because by combining the words "crazy" and "drunk." That gave us the word crunk. No, you don't have to be drunk to learn how to crunk dance, but you can always pretend. It’s all in how you want to do it. You make it your style. As for the crazy part, you do need it to crunk—it’s just a metaphor but crunkin’ needs that crazy in it. Crazy and drunk were just words combined to describe an aggressive form of dance.
Most people think you need fast music just to crunk, but you really don’t. For example, you can crunk to a “twist-heart beat”, which is a kind of slow song, but it really doesn’t matter. But to really get crunkin’, it’s like a mad type of dance, so you just find anger with in you and you bring that force out and just let go. When you battle, it’s really a play fight. So you’re really going to be swinging but you don’t hit each other for real; it’s just an act.
Before its new use, the word crunk was a new way of saying hyped, or pumped up… Crunk originated in the mid 1990’s. It’s often paired with a Hip-Hop style of dance. Many popular dance crews and solo choreographers create and freestyle dance to crunk. Two of the most popular crunk dancers are Mike Song and Victor Kim. Crunk can also be paired with other styles of dance, such as Krumping, B-Boying, Funk-style, Popping, and Electro-House dance. They all have that angry feel to them.
Well that’s a little something on crunk that a lot of people don’t know about.
Fashion World – With Raunisha Maxwell
Today’s fashion is nothing but a repeat, most people feel as if it’s the new thing, but what some don’t realize is that it’s happened before. We’re taking fashion cues from back from the 70’s, 80’s—even the 90’s and giving it our own little twist. Such styles as flared jeans resurfaced in the early 2000’s, but back in the day, they used to be called Bell Bottoms. They were hip, cool and very big at the bottom; a hot trend then, but hey it had to die down again. So, as the years went on, we went back wearing straight legs. We call them skinny legs now and they have completely taken over. Skinny legs come in all different forms, shapes, and sizes. They have short ones, long ones, cut-ups, tie-dyed, and all kind of animal prints. I can honestly say I have a few pair of each kind.
That leaves me to the good old Pencil-Skirt; a fashion staple I believe will never go out of style. Usually I see them worn by women working in the business field as part of their daily flair, or to interviews, and even meetings. So if you’re ever looking for an outfit to wear to an interview or just around the office, I would probably say, no, most definitely say, go with the Pencil-Skirt.
Styles will come and go in your lifetime. So if you have an old pair of acid wash jeans, or some “Flashdance” sweats, don’t get rid of them just yet; store it in the back of your closet. They may be going out of style now, but most likely it’ll be back in decade or so.
My Career in Physical Therapy
By Niquela Elmore-Corbett
I was a freshman in college and not sure of what I wanted to do. While watching television one day, a commercial came on describing a career in Massage Therapy. I thought that it was something that might be quick and easy and I was also interested in something hands on that would hold my attention. I decided to major in Kinesiology and this led me to pursue a career in Physical Therapy. This is a good field because there is always somebody who will get hurt and need assistance getting their body back in shape. Physical Therapy is an ever changing field because there will always be new developments as a result of ongoing research. There are many different opportunities within this field. When I first looked into this as a career, I wanted to do sports related physical therapy; however that vocation is not easily accessible. So now I’m interested in geriatric physical therapy.
Typically a therapist can earn a salary upwards of $73,000 to $100,000 dollars. One reason physical therapists in this specialty are paid so well is because few people really want to work with the elderly. One downfall for physical therapy is that there is a high turnover rate within the field. This is because therapy sessions require you to be on your feet for long periods of time. In addition, there are long hours and significant travel involved.
This career will be challenging, but I’m definitely up to the test.
What Are They Getting Paid For Again???
The Lowdown - With Diontae Brown
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| Sam Bradford |
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| JaMarcus Russell |
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| Matt Ryan |
The Climb - NBA Rookies Fight to Stay On Top
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| DeMarcus Cousins |
With outstanding rookies like John Wall and DeMarcus from Cousins Kentucky; Dominique Jones from South Florida and Derrick Caracter from Texas, the NBA rookie ladder this year is up and down. The rookie ladder is a free-flowing, constantly updated chart that ranks the 2010-11 rookie class. If a rookie plays well he climbs; he plays poorly or if his game is weak, he hits the skids, sliding down a rung or two or three. The listing of the top ten rookies changes after every game. On day seven of summer league play in Las Vegas, Dominique Jones held his on against number one draft pick John Wall. Jones was taken by Memphis with the 25th pick, and then traded to Dallas. He went 9-for-17, scoring 28 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists.
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| Dominique Jones |
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