My past two articles for my class:
This was my first article I wrote for my opinion writing class:
Just Say No More Lectures!
Editorial By: Christina Fiorino
You have heard it in elementary school, middle school, high school, and for some, maybe even college. You may have even heard it from your parents or guardians while growing up. And if you live in North America, there is no question that you have seen it on television. I'm talking about substance abuse campaigns. At some point in your life (if not every day between your favorite television programs) you have heard those three famous words that are (or at least attempted to be) drilled into the heads of yesterday, today, and tomorrow's youth. "Just Say No!" But the question is how much influence do they really have?
Statistics show that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug and more than five million high schoolers binge drink at least once a month. So is this proof that parents are wasting their breath by lecturing their children to stay off drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes? "My parents never gave me the talk," Says Danielle, 19, a Sophomore at Molloy College. "I knew that my brother was doing [drugs] and it kind of made me want to try also, but I played sports and basically didn't want to mess up any chances that I could earn through scholarships and such." Are campaigns like Truth wasting millions of dollars to do the same? "I don't think they have an overwhelming impact on youth- either positive or negative. Most kids, if so inclined, are going to experiment with what ever they feel like." Says Tom, 25, of Franklin Square who is finishing his masters degree at Queens College. Sara, 20, of Briarcliffe College adds, "The substance abuse campaigns didn't do anything for me. I understand them and I agree with everything I've read or seen but it hasn't stopped me. Everything I have chosen to do or not do was all from experience."
Personally, my parents never gave me the trite lecture and the campaigns never phased me, yet I believe I made some amenable decisions in my life. At the tender age of 16 I swore off drugs and alcohol by becoming straight-edge, which is hard to do at an age where influence and peer pressure come into play often. Of course, once I turned 21-years-old (and realized my licence read "over 21" for a reason) I broke my so-called "edge" ways and endured into a lifestyle of occasional alcoholic beverages. Drugs and cigarettes are still not my thing and probably never will be. So, to stick to my point, I do not believe substance abuse campaigns and parental advisory direct youth in any certain direction. All kids, teens and young adults are persued to make decisions that could alter their lives in some drastic way- but who is to say that these decisions are only bad ones?
And this is my second one...WHICH ISN'T COMPLETE!
Fashion Vs. Passion
What it Really Takes To Get Signed
Editorial by: Christina Fiorino
Sure they're flawless: perfect hair, perfect skin, trendy coordinating outfits...No, I'm not talking about the heart-stopping hunky boy bands of yesteryear. I'm talking about the music that's hitting today's popular radio stations and television channels such as MTV and Fuse. It leaves the listener (or viewer in some cases) wondering what it really takes to make it big- fashion or passion?
Don't get me wrong, I am not pushing the fact that all bands today are all beauty and no brains (or talent in this senerio), I for one have zero talent with instruments. However, how many bands are actually getting signed to labels loosely on the fact that they are young, hip and good looking? Are labels really looking for talent or are they only seeing the big dollar signs flash before their eyes? If you go back to circa 1962, when music had a meaning, respectively, a band emerged into the music scene- Perhaps you have heard of them: The Rolling Stones. They had many hits over the past forty-something years and have become a legend (and definetly not based on their pretty boy looks!) Now fast foward to the 2000's where labels such as Drive-Thru Records, Victory Records and Atlantic Records are spitting out bands left and right. Within the past few years bands such as HelloGoodbye, Panic! At The Disco, and Hawthorne Heights have made millions (or at least a lot more than at the typical 9-to-5 job average working Americans make) to look pretty while the people behind the scenes write hit after hit. "I think anyone can get tattoos and get a stylist and someone to set up their image," says Teri, 21, a communications major at Adelphi University. "But I would assume that the record companies would go by talent first."
"I think to a degree that talent helps in certain genres," says Rich, 23, an intern at Doghouse Records. "Such as Brit pop indie music like Wilco or The Flaming lips. But in mainstream music, such as My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco, image is way more important." Face it, these bands are nothing more than what the Backstreet Boys and N'sync were in the late 1990's- except these guys play instruments.
Just Say No More Lectures!
Editorial By: Christina Fiorino
You have heard it in elementary school, middle school, high school, and for some, maybe even college. You may have even heard it from your parents or guardians while growing up. And if you live in North America, there is no question that you have seen it on television. I'm talking about substance abuse campaigns. At some point in your life (if not every day between your favorite television programs) you have heard those three famous words that are (or at least attempted to be) drilled into the heads of yesterday, today, and tomorrow's youth. "Just Say No!" But the question is how much influence do they really have?
Statistics show that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug and more than five million high schoolers binge drink at least once a month. So is this proof that parents are wasting their breath by lecturing their children to stay off drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes? "My parents never gave me the talk," Says Danielle, 19, a Sophomore at Molloy College. "I knew that my brother was doing [drugs] and it kind of made me want to try also, but I played sports and basically didn't want to mess up any chances that I could earn through scholarships and such." Are campaigns like Truth wasting millions of dollars to do the same? "I don't think they have an overwhelming impact on youth- either positive or negative. Most kids, if so inclined, are going to experiment with what ever they feel like." Says Tom, 25, of Franklin Square who is finishing his masters degree at Queens College. Sara, 20, of Briarcliffe College adds, "The substance abuse campaigns didn't do anything for me. I understand them and I agree with everything I've read or seen but it hasn't stopped me. Everything I have chosen to do or not do was all from experience."
Personally, my parents never gave me the trite lecture and the campaigns never phased me, yet I believe I made some amenable decisions in my life. At the tender age of 16 I swore off drugs and alcohol by becoming straight-edge, which is hard to do at an age where influence and peer pressure come into play often. Of course, once I turned 21-years-old (and realized my licence read "over 21" for a reason) I broke my so-called "edge" ways and endured into a lifestyle of occasional alcoholic beverages. Drugs and cigarettes are still not my thing and probably never will be. So, to stick to my point, I do not believe substance abuse campaigns and parental advisory direct youth in any certain direction. All kids, teens and young adults are persued to make decisions that could alter their lives in some drastic way- but who is to say that these decisions are only bad ones?
And this is my second one...WHICH ISN'T COMPLETE!
Fashion Vs. Passion
What it Really Takes To Get Signed
Editorial by: Christina Fiorino
Sure they're flawless: perfect hair, perfect skin, trendy coordinating outfits...No, I'm not talking about the heart-stopping hunky boy bands of yesteryear. I'm talking about the music that's hitting today's popular radio stations and television channels such as MTV and Fuse. It leaves the listener (or viewer in some cases) wondering what it really takes to make it big- fashion or passion?
Don't get me wrong, I am not pushing the fact that all bands today are all beauty and no brains (or talent in this senerio), I for one have zero talent with instruments. However, how many bands are actually getting signed to labels loosely on the fact that they are young, hip and good looking? Are labels really looking for talent or are they only seeing the big dollar signs flash before their eyes? If you go back to circa 1962, when music had a meaning, respectively, a band emerged into the music scene- Perhaps you have heard of them: The Rolling Stones. They had many hits over the past forty-something years and have become a legend (and definetly not based on their pretty boy looks!) Now fast foward to the 2000's where labels such as Drive-Thru Records, Victory Records and Atlantic Records are spitting out bands left and right. Within the past few years bands such as HelloGoodbye, Panic! At The Disco, and Hawthorne Heights have made millions (or at least a lot more than at the typical 9-to-5 job average working Americans make) to look pretty while the people behind the scenes write hit after hit. "I think anyone can get tattoos and get a stylist and someone to set up their image," says Teri, 21, a communications major at Adelphi University. "But I would assume that the record companies would go by talent first."
"I think to a degree that talent helps in certain genres," says Rich, 23, an intern at Doghouse Records. "Such as Brit pop indie music like Wilco or The Flaming lips. But in mainstream music, such as My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco, image is way more important." Face it, these bands are nothing more than what the Backstreet Boys and N'sync were in the late 1990's- except these guys play instruments.