VOA常速英语2007-Student Newspaper Shows Diversity, Concerns of L

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
08 October 2007
 
A student newspaper in Los Angeles called L.A. Youth is giving a voice to teenagers, free from censorship by school officials. As Mike O'Sullivan reports, the paper deals with controversial issues from sexuality to violence, and such ordinary problems as getting a date in high school.

Each month, students from around Los Angeles attend an editorial meeting for the citywide teen paper, L.A. Youth.

The paper probes sensitive and controversial subjects, as well as ordinary topics, such as movies and music, that could be found in any high school paper.

Sixteen-year-old Daniel Marx is writing his first story. He says, "The article is about peer pressure with drinking.  And the whole process is, we write a draft and we send it to one of the editors."

Co-editor Mike Fricano says the paper started nearly 20 years ago after the U.S. courts granted broad discretion² to school administrators³ in censoring⁴ student newspapers. He says this one is independent. "We do not rely on government funding because we do not want to feel under that authority, or that [school] principals or school administrators or anyone who might find what we're doing is controversial, that they can censor¹ us and tell us that we can't do that."

Charlene Lee, 14, is writing an article on the pressures to score well on standardized⁵ tests. "I'm working on a story about how I think teachers right now are teaching to tests more than just education for learning's sake."

Alana Folsom, 16 years old, is writing a critical piece about the pressures on students to get into top colleges. "And about how us high schoolers were pressured too much to go into the "good" colleges, the brand-name colleges, and how it's hurting high schoolers now," she says.

Seventeen-year-old Katie Havard likes to work on a variety of stories. "You get to be an investigative journalist, and you also get to be a music reviewer and a book reviewer, and you can do any kind of journalism⁶ you're interested in, any kind of writing.  You can do it here.  They don't put you in boxes."

Associate editor Laura Lee says L.A. Youth is open to students who want to express themselves. "They don't even necessarily have to be writers. If they want to illustrate⁷ or do photography, we would welcome them here as well."

Los Angeles, the second-largest U.S. city, is a diverse city with wealthy areas where Hollywood stars live -- and desperately⁸ poor sections that have witnessed unrest in the past.

Students from these different neighborhoods and backgrounds come together at L.A. Youth, says editor Amanda Riddle⁹. "And so coming to L.A. Youth is one of the few chances they have to meet students form other parts of the city, and students from different backgrounds."

Editors say most of the student writers do not want to pursue a career in journalism, but want to communicate their ideas, and find someone to listen.

1 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

2 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

3 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

4 censoring   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Therefore, exhibitors shall not make use of these materials before censoring. 展商在审查前不可使用这些资料。
• The company then said it would end self-censoring search results, putting it at odds with Beijing. 随后该公司表示，将停止自我审查搜索结果，从而与中国政府发生对抗。

5 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

6 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

7 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

8 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

9 riddle   

n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜

参考例句：

• The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
• Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。