Courtesy SGVN/Staff photo by Watchara Phomicinda

Remember trading that pb&j in your lunchbox for your best friend’s chocolate chip cookie at the cafeteria table?

There’s a community on Craigslist.com that takes this idea away from the lunch table and applies it to more valuable items. Users can swap items for slightly more valuable items until they gradually acquire larger and larger things. Sounds a little impossible right? It’s not; in fact it has been done, by a teen no less.

Seventeen-year-old Steven Ortiz from Glendora, Calif., used this trading technique to turn his old cell phone into a 2000 Porsche Boxster S, a very prized and very expensive car. It took him two long years, and 14 trades to get the Porsche, coming into some pretty cool stuff along the way. In his trades, Ortiz went through an Ipod, a Mac book Pro laptop, a dirt bike, and then various cars including trucks and SUVs until he acquired his prized possession.

The best part? Ortiz didn’t spend a single penny on any of these transactions. In fact, if you think about it, he essentially received a Porsche for free. This speaks volumes not only for him but also for teens at large, who are sometimes known for their frivolous and irresponsible spending. Through thrifty trading and extreme patience, Steven Ortiz as it stands is the only kid at Charter Oak High School who drives to school every day in a Porsche.

Suck on that rich kids.

— Raya Tobler | VOX Staff

Courtesy ESPN

LeBron James shocked many basketball fans with “Decision,” the infamous broadcast announcement of his plans to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on Miami Heat. While some Miami fans may be elated about getting the Cavs superstar, there are many others who are outraged by the way he went about it.

Since publicly humiliating the Cavs and his hometown fans, LeBron has experienced nothing short of a backlash. Here’s a recap of just some of the reactions that have made the news:

• Gilbert posts a scathing letter on Cavs website and is slapped with $100,000 fine
• Public rallies around Gilbert, offers to pay fine
• Former King James fans burn, donate, throw out 23 jerseys
• LeBron gets booed at NBA player Carmelo Anthony’s wedding
• Nike/LeBron 10-story “Witness” billboard is torn down
• The Great Lakes Brewing Co. releases “Quitness,” a bitter ale inspired by the player’s decision
• Michigan man blames his DUI on James

“It’s not about him leaving,” Gilbert told ESPN. “It’s the disrespect. It’s time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children?”

But the way adults are reacting towards his transfer to Miami is shocking. Adults are always telling teens that we need to act mature in order to be treated as an adult. But maybe some of the idiotic things we do come from what we watch adults do. We aren’t all “born to be wild.” Some of our best and worst qualities come from the very people who raised us.

As I read Gilbert’s shockingly immature letter and saw the fans’ childish reactions, I found myself echoing his sentiment, asking of him and the rest of basketball’s fans: Is this the way you were raised?

Two wrongs don’t make a right. What LeBron did was stupid. Gilbert’s reaction was equally dumb. And fans rallying around Gilbert’s mistake doesn’t fix anything.  The more people react to the LeBron debacle, the more they condone and perpetuate bad behavior.

Is this how we want to raise our children? What do you think?

— Havilah Driver | VOX Staff

Photo courtesy of Island County Sheriff's Office/AP

Normally, I’m not one to advocate crime as a means to achieve one’s wishes or goals. But in the spirit of true teen rebellion, I must give Colton Harris-Moore, better known as the Barefoot Bandit, his props.

Since when has a teenager inspired headlines like: “The elusive 19-year-old ‘Barefoot Bandit’ is believed to be responsible for hundreds of burglaries and the theft of at least three airplanes and a $450,000 yacht”?

The bandit had managed to elude police for more than two years and made it as far as the Bahamas — that is, until his arrest last week. Boo.

Following his capture, there have been many complaints, mostly by adults, about how the heists and manhunts have wasted precious tax dollars. But this just fuels the fire of teen admiration.

The Barefoot Bandit is not just some flavor of the week. To me and many others, both young and old, he is a living legend. He represents the outlaw in all of us, the one that we rarely, if ever, reveal. And to be so young? Well, that just adds to the legend.

The action, the drama, the excitement and the illegality of it all could make even the most levelheaded teen widen their eyes in disbelief and root for the beloved criminal.

And while many are worried about the bandit’s freedom (he faces at least 10 years after pleading guilty to the charges) I sleep easy when I realize the day and age we live in. A day and age where even if he is convicted and sentenced, a young boy who committed extraordinary crimes could catch the attention of very important people and be filthy rich by the time he’s 21.

After all, no one writes stuff like this anymore.

— Raya Tobler | VOX Staff

Photo by K. Kenney, Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet

“She’s beautiful isn’t she?”

“She sure is,” the crowd whispers excitedly.

When the star of the HBO documentary “Ghetto Ballet,“ 19-year-old Sibahle Tshibika, took the stage at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, the room was buzzing with inspiration after just having seen the film. And for good reason.

Amongst the poverty that engrosses the small township of Khayelitsha, South Africa, an after-school program called Dance for All offers disadvantaged youth the chance to learn the art of dance and, once a year, compete for a spot as a professional dancer with the organization.

Ghetto Ballet follows a young a determined Sibahle (then 16) and her fellow hopefuls’ journey. Unfortunately, there is no fairytale ending. While two of Sibahle’s friends are offered a chance to dance with the organization, her hopes were shattered. The documentary ends on a hopeful note for the future, but no one knew that the young dancer’s happy ending lay right here in Atlanta.

Last month, Sibahle was offered a full scholarship to attend the Atlanta Ballet’s Center for Dance Education five-week summer program, an opportunity she has eagerly taken advantage of.

Ghetto Ballet is a moving documentary that follows the ups and downs of youth in hardship who fight tirelessly for a better life doing what they love. If Sibahle’s determination is not enough to inspire you, the courage and heartfelt honesty she exudes will.

You can watch Ghetto Ballet on HBO. Check out the trailer below.

— Stanley Stewart and Raya Tobler | VOX Staff

Penn Hansa

Today Mallory and I had a meeting for Bike MS Kickoff Breakfast planning with Jessica and Alex. They briefed us on what Bike MS was and some of the things that go into the event, like Save the Date emails, catering, table layouts, posters, displays for the plasma screens in the lobby and speakers notes, to name a few.

There are really only a few weeks before the kickoff, so we jumped right on our tasks. I went ahead and started making the photo slideshow that will play during the event with the photos from last year, and Mallory was assigned to write up the creative brief for posters. We’d never seen what goes on behind the event and were really surprised to see how much thought and planning went into just one breakfast.

We had lunch in the cafeteria that day with Mallory’s friend, Jackie, who was working in accounting at Manheim. She’s really talkative but so fun to be around, and it was nice getting to talk to people working in other departments. Mallory and I started talking about having an intern lunch on Mondays, where we’ll all go out for lunch and just get to talk and get to know each other. Maybe if it all goes well, we’ll go to the movies (maybe even at Studio Movie Grill, this new awesome place where you can order food during the movie!) or to a Braves game later on this summer.

All in all, a kind of busy day because of Bike MS planning, but we love it when we have things to do.

— Penn Hansa | VOX Staff

Photo by Gerald Coleman| VOX Staff

It’s hard enough being a teenager. But what happens to teens who are kicked out of their homes because of who they love?

The hard truth is that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens wind up living on the streets. They have no family, no friends, no food and no one to love them.

According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless, 26 percent of gay and lesbian youth are forced to leave their homes because of conflicts with their families over their sexual identities and 42 percent of an estimated 1.6 million homeless teens identify as LGBT.

Luckily, the L.O.V.E. (Lifting Our Voices for Equality) Coalition is dedicated to making a difference for these kids.

Last month I attended the organization’s White Party, an art show held downtown at the Youth Art Connection Gallery to raise money for a gay and lesbian community center.

The L.O.V.E. House will offer street outreach, case management, primary medical care, HIV testing, mental health assessment and treatment, food and hygiene care, an employment readiness and assistance program and referral to the group’s housing programs.

The event was filled with art, music, poetry, warmth and pride. Speakers included Stephon Collins, the organization’s founder, poet Antron Reshaud, and Simone Bell, the state’s first black lesbian lawmaker.

Collins said he believes change will come one generation at a time. As the first openly gay man in his family, he definitely knows first hand the feeling of being unaccepted. Those feelings can hurt anyone, but going through them alone can hurt more.

Bell said there are no safe houses for LGBT youth in southern states. Why is that? Is the south stuck in some type of trance? Wake up!

I know not everyone has the same views as me, but love is love. As I write this I get emotional because even though I do not identify as homosexual, I have plenty of friends and family members who do.

As the event came to a close, I found I had a deeper understanding of the struggles of LGBT teens. I realize that I sometimes take the things I have for granted. Having a home to call your own can mean so much. It makes you feel loved.

— Daisha Roberts | VOX Staff

Daisha is a rising senior at Redan High. She loves the world and all of the people who inhabit it.

Photo by Kelcie Willis | VOX Staff

This summer is a sweltering one in Georgia. I’ve heard friends and family complain about the high temperatures, so here’s a list of seven ways to beat the heat:

1. Take a dip in the pool. It’s an easy and fun way to cool off. If you’re lucky enough to have one in your back yard, then what are you waiting for? Stop complaining and hop in! If not, a kiddie pool or a trip your local community pool can do the trick.

2. Turn off unused electronics. We all love staying connected on Twitter and Facebook, but that computer can heat up a room! If you’re not watching TV or listening to music on your stereo, turn those off as well.

3. Close the blinds. Although I love natural light, keeping the blinds open heats up a room – especially in the afternoon hours. I’ve found that by closing the blinds (even a little), my room gets significantly cooler.

4. Open your windows. I always enjoy the summery feeling in my house when the windows are open. Letting your house cool down with fresh outside air and cool breezes can also be relaxing.

5. Turn on a ceiling fan. I almost prefer a ceiling fan to the air conditioner. The air blowing over you instead of into the room makes you feel cooler, whereas AC makes the room itself cooler. Don’t have a ceiling fan? A floor fan, table fan, or pedestal fan will do the trick.

6. Drink a cold bottle of water. Sounds obvious, but not only does this keep you cool, it keeps you hydrated — and that’s really important when you’re working or playing outside and at risk for heat stroke.

7. Sit in the shade. Shade is something I always look for if I’m going to be out in the heat for a while. The breezes feel better, and you can still enjoy your time outside without frying your skin.

What other ways do you keep cool?

—Kelcie Willis | VOX Staff

Photo by Brandon Lee | VOX Staff

I recently read an article in the New York Times about a middle-school student in New Jersey who was sexually harassed by another student via text message. The boy had sent several sexually explicit and threatening texts to the girl on a late Saturday night.

The parents of the girl demanded that the school punish the boy, but this was an off-campus event and out of the school’s jurisdiction. They pressured school officials to contact the boy’s parents. But why should school officials be held responsible?

Too many parents are pushing schools to discipline and train their children because parents are either too lazy and afraid to deal with their kids, or because the kids are too unruly or because parents want to be their children’s best friends.

If parents fail to discipline their children, and children fail to realize their mistakes, it’s not the school’s problem. It’s the job of students and parents to handle personal conflicts and minor dramas outside the school environment.

While it is the school’s job to discipline students on the way they behave in classes and perform in coursework, it is not the school’s job to punish students for things they do in their personal lives outside of school.

School is a place where you go to learn and grow with other people. It should be thought of like a job. It’s your supervisor’s job to handle conflict at work and reprimand those that aren’t doing their job. It is NOT the supervisor’s job to handle personal issues outside of work like gossip, beef between co-workers, or anything that should or could be handled by the employee.

Instead of bullying the principal, the parents of the middle-school girl should have looked in a phonebook and called the parents of the boy the minute she showed them the texts.

— Brandon Lee | VOX Staff

Penn Hansa

Because Mallory was out all day, I decided to start on the new project Keating assigned to me on Wednesday.

Cox’s CEO Jim Kennedy has his own scholarship that he gives out to 10 college-bound seniors that have ties to employees in Cox.

It’s largely based on financial need and how much potential they have. Grades, community involvement and background are all important factors.

So Keating gave me the assignment of writing informational blurbs on all of the 2009 winners. It was really interesting, going through all their applications and learning about these students from all over — Virginia, California, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Arizona — and what their stories were, and what they wanted to do with themselves.

After that, I proofread over some of the Summer 2010 InSide Cox articles for Jay and put up flyers for the Cox Mentoring program in all 16 breakrooms on each floor.

A variety of activities in one day. Pretty happy Friday, alright :)

More next week.

— Penn Hansa | VOX Staff

Courtesy McDonalds.com

The consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) claims that fast food chain McDonald’s is making kids fat and promoting unhealthy eating habits because their Happy Meals come with toys.

Earlier this month CSPI demanded Mickey D’s stop selling the toys within 30 days or be slapped with a lawsuit.

Parents have the ultimate say in whether or not their kids eat cheeseburgers and fries or skinless chicken breasts and broccoli. If they are that easily swayed by a 5- or 6-year-old tugging at their pant leg for a toy and a few McNuggets, their parenting skills need evaluating.

CSPI claims that the way McDonald’s markets the Happy Meals — with movie and TV show tie-ins — causes children to pester their parents until they get the high-calorie, high-fat food. While they acknowledge the hamburger chain’s healthier options, CSPI claims that once children are promised a toy, few choose the healthier meal.

The only thing McDonald’s can do is offer healthier meal choices. The restaurant already makes it a point to advertise children enjoying more nutritionally-balanced foods like Chicken McNuggets, Apple Dippers with low-fat caramel sauce and 1% milk, for example.

Ultimately, it’s up to parents to teach kids to make good choices about what they put in their bodies.

— Kelcie Willis | VOX Staff