Where to begin? Everything's happening at once. So much to be happy for, so much to be sad about, so much to be mad about... it's hard to say what one feels at one given point.

Starting with the talk of the week - the East protests. Some of you will have gotten an email from me (which was a response to Susan). I outline my frustrations with the Journal Star's shabby reporting on this event... because, honestly, it was BAD. The rule of thumb for journalism is (or, at any rate, was) that if you can't try getting ahold of both sides then you don't run the story. If one side declines comment, then you can... but if you don't even make the effort to contact them... then that's not fair reporting. It's biased and abusive. I don't appreciate being presented as a violent idiot stereotypical teenager who doesn't have any sound reasoning. I believe that most of us acted better than many adults would, but the paper would never reveal that. So much easier to assume the stereotype. So they won't cover how we ran after the guys with the signs to apologize for our peers' violence, or how we thanked the police officer who broke up the screaming knot of kids, or how we stood in the cold drizzle for over an hour to stand up for ourselves, our friends, and those we don't even know. There is no mention of the human wall we formed to block the banners and signs. No mention of the carefull thought, pacifism, and consienciousness. The Journal Star has done this before. They're not alone in it either. It's a tendency the media has. And I'm fed up with it. I'm more and more inclined to start my own (online at first) paper... with news by the YOUTH. Because if we don't start making a voice for ourselves, then no one's ever going to here it because they're too lazy and biased to think of asking. Who's with me?

Whew! Okay, got that out of my system. Onto the next thing. I hate school. I know I'm lucky to get to go, and I'm quite thankfull to have recieved an education. But please note the past tense. Everything I've learned this year seems to have happened in spite of the school, rather than because of it. It's the activities, the teachers, and my friends who have helped me to grow this year... not some standardized test, not homework, not IDs. I feel restrained, oppressed, unable to move forward and do what I want to do. This weekend is no exception. Nor will the next be. Or the next. Or the next. It's kind of depressing... but I've got all my friends and that's what'll get me through... So... THANKS!

Now, the happy thing. I made it into the Congressional Academy!!! I'm super thrilled, because I know it's going to be fun. And I'm going to learn a lot. It's a two week program though, which means I'm missing even more of my summer... the one drawback which is a bit depressing. But, hopefully, I'll make up for that by networking with students and starting SIG and a student online newspaper online... we'll see.

Vell. I should probably go. I've been ranting long enough. I'm pretty fired up though about stuff (the Journal Star has a lot to do with it, as you can see by the length of that section...).

Paz y revolucion,
Barb