Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

The Little Village Lawndale High School was born out of a struggle, the 19-day hunger strike of mothers, grandmothers and students who knew the neighborhood needed a new high school and who were willing to fight for it. One of the schools within the school is Social Justice, where students learn about these kinds of struggles. As we all await the first graduation ceremony, here is what some Social Justice students have to say about their experiences and where they see their lives going.
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

Editor’s Note: This article was written slightly before the national election.

The Obama cave: October 30, 2008, 566 W. Lake St. You go down the stairs in the dark. Then you see a bright light and the Obama cave is there, with its many rooms, Obama signs and the word “Obama” everywhere.

The supporters show their love by coming in, signing up, and making phone calls to get other people to vote for Obama. Some go door to door. Everyone is there: the young and the elderly. They work there day and night from days to weeks, just to make sure that they get your vote and others. Eighty to 200 people come and help out every day. These were some of the people who took part in the campaign: Kate Samuels, Andy Kitaeff, Rodney Washington and Dough Stevensin.
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

Piotrowski Park, on 31st Street in Little Village, is cool. On Oct. 28, there was a program for youth voters or for young people to get involved in voting. These are some people who helped to organize this: Denise Olivares, 17, Jose Vera, 17, and Paulina Camacho, 23.

Olivares said, “This program is to encourage youth to get involved in voting and get their votes. Also to get people to vote soon and keep the youth in mind. This program talks about the issues, issues that youth have or that are going around the community.’’ Then I asked her, “If you were old enough, who would you vote for and why?” She said, “I’d vote for Obama because his policies are more for the people and a positive change.”
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

Lillian Piotrowski Park is one of everyone’s childhood memories. Every day that has decent weather you can find the park full of kids. Whether it’s on the playground or in the gym or the pool.

Today at this fine establishment is Early Voting.
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

Whether Democrat, Republican or Libertarian, whichever party you call your political home, they all celebrated Illinois’ native son Barack Obama’s victory.

The biggest party in Washington DC history took place on January 20, 2009. The inauguration of Barack Obama made history, since he was elected the first African American president of the United States.
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

South Shore is not as clean as it could be. Why? Because the students are so careless. They throw garbage on the floors and they complain because it’s very nasty.

The bathrooms could be cleaned better but because everyone wants to be nasty, they stay dirty. If the students just put everything in the garbage cans instead of the floor, it wouldn’t be that way. Everywhere you go in the school, you see a garbage can. They are there to be used, so why don’t students use them?
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

It’s crazy how when you get to high school in your first year, you think that it’s good not going to class, walking the halls, just having fun, and not doing the school work.

You think you can make it up. It’s just the first year and at the end of the day, you don’t know that you will eventually have to go to night school for all the times you messed up and didn’t do right when you had the time to do it.
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

People wonder why schools don’t have healthier foods.

South Shore High School and suburban schools are different, health-wise. Some Chicago Public Schools people think and say school food helps make children obese.
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

KS: Why did you come to this school?
Ms. G: A professor of mine worked with inner city youth and his stories inspired me.

KS: If you could, what would you change about your classes?
Ms. G: I would spend more time with my students so I could get through to them, especially the ones that need the most help
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Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a youth reporter who is a graduate of the Urban Youth International Journalism Program.

The Robert Taylor Homes, a South Side public housing complex where 27,000 people once lived on 92 acres, was a place where many people had life experiences. Its 4,300 units were home to residents who all were hurt when it was destroyed.

Now, the Robert Taylor Homes are nothing more than a book of memories—just a pile of dirt, bricks and cement. Since the Robert Taylor Homes are gone, the once-drawn-together residents have scattered all over Chicago. Some even went to live in the suburbs.
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