Cover Story: Pepita Reloaded p.8

Contents

Movie review: John Carter p.4Let us protect our future p.3

15CHOICES Career & Education Expo set for April 3 p.11Who will win Champs 2012? p.12

Tips to stay safe at Champs p.13

Real winners Play True p.7

Champs-inspired shamballas p.6

Top three benefits of Twitter p.14Five BB apps you should install p.15 4

6

From the Editor

ur future is at risk. With the number of children go-ing missing every day as well as those who are mur-

dered or abused, it is clear that the society isn’t doing a very good job of protecting society’s most vulnerable citizens. Ma-jor shame on us as a society.

Children depend on adults to provide, protect and meet their needs; however, it seems society has failed in that re-gard. Something needs to be done about that. Everyone has a personal responsibility to ensure that children in their care are given the best possible chance to grow into the promising young men and women we know they can be. I call on parents, guardians and the government to put policies in place that will protect our children. Whether it is funding programmes, sup-

porting organisations who assist kids or establishing social out-reach initiatives, there is an urgent need for action.

The fact is, we cannot continue to sit by while our future dwindles before our eyes. As clichéd as this might sound, our children really are the ones who will bear the responsibility for helping our beloved country reach its full potential. How can that happen when we continue to rob them of their right to life? It is crucial that we honour our obligation to them by creating a safe environment. We need to do that now!

Have a stress-free day!Keresa

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Let us protect our future!

3T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

ey guys! So Champs starts tomorrow and many of you are busy preparing to support your schools or your favourite athletes. I don’t really care for track and field, except for

every four years at the Olympics, and I’m hoping that Jamaica will dominate the competition in London like they did in 2008 in Beijing.

Nevertheless, this week I went to see Disney’s John Carter. What immediately attracted me to this movie was the science fiction. I love a good sci-fi film, especially one that never gets old, no matter

how many years go by and how many times you watch it. I’m talking about films like The Matrix Trilogy and The Fifth Element.

John Carter tells the story of a former military captain (Taylor Kitsch), who finds himself transported from Earth to Mars. There, he falls in the midst of a conflict among those who live on the planet. As he gets a bearing on what’s happening, he soon realises that he must do what he can to ensure the survival of the inhabitants.

Movie Reviewby Alana Gardner

John CartEr PG-13

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Entertainment

4T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

Lynn Collins

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John Carter was pure Disney magic, which is no surprise since it was directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton, who took the brilliant imagination of author Edgar Burroughs, and transformed the story that fans not only loved on the pages of the book but now to the big screen. John Carter tells the story that we all can relate to, of course minus being transported to a distant planet.

Kitsch depicted the character beautifully and shows a man, who after suffering a great loss, finds it within himself to not only be the person he really is, but to find the will to save himself and others.

My only issue was the complete lack of 3D, which the filmmakers should really fix. Trust when I say the only 3D that existed in that cinema was the trailer for Wrath of The Titans, which like John Carter is in ‘3D’ and hopefully will not disappoint. It’s not fair to the viewers that filmmakers make a movie in ‘3D’, which in turn causes the cinemas to charge us more in admission only for the 3D to be completely and totally non-existent.

But looking past that, John Carter is definitely something I look forward to seeing again, although I’ll probably wait for it to come out on cable.

John Carter is an action-adventure film from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and is directed by Andrew Stanton, and stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Hayden Church and Willem Dafoe.

T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

Taylor Kitsch as John Carter

5

Fashion

by Ava Gardner

EChamps-inspired Shamballas

ven though you only have a short time before Champs to plan your outfit, you can still make a fashion statement and represent your favourite school. Here are some ‘Champs-

ballas’ to add that extra zest to your look.

‘ChaMpSbaLLaS’ CoST $3,000 eaCh and diSCounTS aRe offeRed wiTh buLk oRdeRS.e-mail: daelandre@live.com or chariteens@hotmail.comTel: 897-6919/560-3031

have Your Say

7T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

ReaL winneRS pLay TRue

o, the flags are sown, the jerseys are on sale, even the pot covers have been pulled from the kitchen. Yes, you’ve guessed it: it’s time for the 2012 Boys

and Girls Championships. While we wait in long lines for tick-ets or prepare that colourful “patriotic” outfit, let’s talk a little about anti-doping and why it is important to Play True.

Doping is defined as the breach of any of the rules estab-lished by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The most pop-ular form of doping is the presence of a prohibited substance in an athlete’s sample (urine or blood). In anti-doping, substances are banned if they are enhance performance, are harmful to health or contrary to the spirit of sport

Why Anti-Doping? Simple. Doping is cheating, but if that doesn’t bother your con-science enough, consider this: doping is harmful to your health. This is in no way a scare tactic, but doping can damage your body, causing heart disease, high blood pressure and - wait for it - shrinking of the testicles in men and growth of chest hair in women. And the list doesn’t stop there. It only makes sense to Play True.

We say Play True simply because it is about accepting your natural ability, honesty and purity of competition. It is accepting and coupling your God-given talent with hard work and proper nutrition to reach your athletic goals.

Sport is increasingly becoming highly competitive and the use of doping methods is becoming even more popular, but equally impressive methods have been formed to fight doping in sport. The reality is that if you dope, you will be caught and you will face consequences. Don’t be the face of shame. Instead, “tun up” your athletic swag by using your natural ability and the right training methods.

Doping is not Worth itThe Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission ( JADCO) suggests you listen to your mother and “eat a rainbow every day.” Ensure that your diet is balanced. Poor food choices and an inadequate diet are recipes for disaster for any athlete. Ensure you have your carbohydrates, protein, potassium and the other neces-sary vitamins and minerals. The temptation will come to use energy drinks and supplements, but JADCO suggests you leave them alone, eat right, train hard and do your best.

Play True and remember, “ano everything you ago always win but at least when you win you know you win it fair and your conscience clear.” Always have confidence in your own abilities and if you have friends who are are athletes, support them by telling them they are naturally good and don’t need any dope to cope.

All the best to the athletes participating. Do your best and re-member you don’t need dope to cope. #thatisall

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Contributed by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission

rowing up, Pepita Little lived a sheltered life, but it was one that has taught her many important les-sons. At age nine, after her mother died, she went

to live with her aunts. “I guess that’s why I am the way I am to-day, I’m not a fussy person…I wasn’t a saint, but I was a good girl. I got straight As, never gave trouble or anything like that,” she said. A past student of Wolmer’s Prep and a proud alum of Holy Childhood High, where she graduated with honours, Pepita knew from early the career path she wanted to pursue.

“When I was younger, I used to sit in front of the mirror and read the newspaper and pretend it was the news,” she said. “Media was always one of my passions along with music and acting; anything entertainment and artsy.” It is this interest in the arts that propelled Pepita into the spotlight as host of the entertainment show Intense. She was 16 at the time. Here, she honed her skills and charmed many with her infectious laugh and larger than life personality.

There’s no stopping this native of Port Royal, who has now moved on from Intense, pursuing a career in the music indus-try. Pepita recently released her first single Luv Luv Me, pro-duced by Colin ‘Bulby’ York. The song, she said, is not based on personal experiences. “This song is for all the love-struck people out there. It’s for everyone out there who is in love... Maybe later down in life I will find someone to dedicate it to.”

‘My Style iS iSland pOp’This is just the tip of the iceberg as Pepita continues to hone her craft. She’s already made a statement with her first single, so people will just have to wait and see what else she has up her sleeves. “Mi have supm fi dem yuh see,” she teased, while also describing her style of music. “I think I would call it island pop, a little reggae, little dancehall.” It is this mixed-genre feel that has her mentioning names such as Mavado and Sizzla as persons she would want to collaborate with. “I would say Ma-vado because I love his melody. And I love the way he speaks. Weird, I know,” she said. “I don’t know, I have a thing for Rastafarians,” she joked when asked about Sizzla. Singing has always come naturally for Pepita, who was a member of her high school choir and is known for sometimes singing random songs while hosting Intense.

Of course, everyone has someone who motivates them, and Pepita is motivated by her aunt Joan Reid, Intense producer Sharon Schroeter and Bulby, her producer. Recognising the contributions Jamaican women have made to the society, Pepi-ta spoke with great zeal about media personality Emily Crooks and dancehall artiste Tanya Stephens, describing the former as a classy lady and a wonderful presenter. “Tanya Stephens is a beautiful lyricist. I like the way she puts her words together. She lets you see what she sings and I love that. I’ve always wanted to master that craft of writing,” she said.

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pepitaReloaded by Dervin Osbourne

Photos by FernEliseNails & makeup by Revlon Wardrobe by STUSH

Cover Story

8T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

What she has seemingly mastered, however, is becom-ing a fashion symbol. “You know I don’t usually dress myself but I will wear anything as long as I feel good in it. You can wear anything and make it look good as long as you feel comfortable.”

publiC life, pRivate feelinGSWho says public figures don’t have feelings too? Pepita admitted that the negative comments she received as host of Intense sometimes took a toll on her. “When I just started Intense, I didn’t deal with negative com-ments well. I used to get emotional but I continued do-ing the show,” she revealed. However, she got advice from former host Kerie-Ann “Kiki” Lewis, who told her: ‘You’re not perfect. None of us are perfect, so you need to just take them constructively and don’t let them get to you.’ It’s advice worth heeding and perhaps it’s this experience that caused her to advise teens who want to enter the music and media indus-tries to keep focused: “Surround yourself with positive people. There are times when we have to take nega-tive criticisms, but it’s how you deal with it. You don’t have to beat yourself up about it because nobody is perfect.”

Just what’s in store for your Chica Pepita? Next on her list is acting. “I wanna go to the big screen. I’ve done the others and I want to make Jamaica proud. Mi wah dem say, ‘Yea, a Jamaica she come from, she never gave up her dreams and she advises other teens to do the same’,” she said. “Go for your dreams. Always be-lieve that you can, because you can be anything you want to be.”

9T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

“When i just started intense,

i didn’t deal with negative

comments well. i used to get

emotional.”

I don’t like drinking water… People always telling me that I need

to drink water, but Jah know dawg… FIJI water is the only water

that I actually like.

I love to Google things and cook. I would be at home, bored

and decide to look up some recipes to cook. Like, what can I do

with bread or eggs?

Top 5 faves:Colour: Red ’cause it’s so fierce and it’s bright and dominant. I

just like it and I think that’s how I am.

Food: Oh, I love quesadillas! They are the boom and my favou-

rite, favourite food of all time is stewed peas.

Jamaican location: I haven’t been all over, but right now, I would

say Somerset Falls.

Song: Only Wanna Give It To You by Elle Varner ft. J. Cole

Quote: “It’s only when we truly know and understand that

we have a limited time on earth, and that we have no way of

knowing when our time is up, that we will begin to live each

day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we have.” – Elisabeth

Kubler-Ros

Teen Spirit brawta: in her own words

ind A Path To Your Success” will be the main theme of this year’s annual CHOICES Career &

Education Expo set for Tuesday April 3 from 9a.m. – 5p.m. at The Alfred Sangster Auditorium at the University of Technology (UTECH) in Kingston

On that day, secondary-level students, counsellors, teachers and parents from across the island will converge on the venue in order to get information on career, education and life issues and to view an exhibition featuring relevant information to help them in making wise career decisions.

At this 12th staging of this event in Kingston, visitors will be able to have one-on-one discussions with representatives from the many tertiary institutions present, including the University of the West Indies (UWI), The University of Technology (UTECH), B & B University College, The University College of the Carib-bean (UCC), International University of the Caribbean (IUC), Edna Manley College and many others.

An on-going stage programme will focus on career talks high-lighting the importance of the academic, professional and voca-tional skills mixture, as well as short presentations and quizzes. For anyone who needs it, one-to-one counselling by trained ca-reer facilitators will also be available.

According to Angela deFreitas, General Manager of CHOICES Career Advice, organisers of the show, “Career planning is the sure-fire route to life success and we want as many people as possible to realise this. This expo is a once-a-year opportunity which gives visitors a one-stop shop for all of the available edu-cational and career options out there for them.” She added, “We are riding on a wave of interest in career development and encourage all Jamaicans to understand how to prepare them-selves for life by finding the right career path.”

For more information contact:969-5741/924-7473/782-1644Email – info@choicesonlinejm.com

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news

11T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

CHOiCeS Career & education expo set for april 3

Students get career information at last year’s expo.

who will win Champs 2012?

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Sports

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by Najique Gayle

T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

ith the 102nd Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) starting tomorrow, it is only fitting that I share my views on who I think will be this year’s win-

ners. At first, I started by looking at previous meet performances, along with last year’s Champs results so that I could make fair and unbiased picks. This was really difficult, so I turned to avid track and field fans to share some of their views.

Most of the responses I received were from diehard fans and the stench of bias was all over their statements, but one response stood out to me. When I asked which teams would win this year’s Champs, a very patriotic past Wolmerian and lover of track and field said, “I think [Kingston College] will win this year for the boys. For the girls, I’m not sure, maybe Holmwood or Edwin Al-len.” Let’s be real, these are pretty obvious picks to say the least. Anyone with a little knowledge of Jamaican high school track and field would maybe include those schools on their list. However, we cannot forget defending champions Jamaica College ( JC) who showed their class last year in defeating Kingston College (KC).

the boys’ teamsLet’s look at the male teams. The obvious favourites are JC, KC, Calabar High and Wolmer’s Boys School. Overall talent is a huge factor in determining who wins, but as we have seen in the past, squad depth, fitness and luck have played important roles as well. The favourites have all showed why they are top schools time and time again, and the winner will be determined by who shows up on the day and gets maximum points in the different events,

capitalising on their strengths and exploiting their opponents’ weaknesses.

KC vs JC?The KC team seems fit, confident and full of depth heading into this year’s Championships and they are probably seeking revenge after losing to JC by only 11 points last year. If they are to win however, they have to first get past JC, who won’t go down with-out a fight. They recorded a convincing win last year and are de-termined to once again take the title. We anticipate an intense battle between the boys from North Street and those from Hope Road. However, with the unpredictability of sports, we might just see Calabar surprising everyone and joining the combat as well.

the girls’ teamsMaking my prediction for the girls was a little harder. Holmwood Technical, Edwin Allen High, Vere Technical and St. Jago High are the clear favourites for the girls’ competition. Holmwood are known for producing top class athletes over the years and this year is no exception. The performance from the class two and three 4x100 metre girls at this year’s Gibson Relays showed that they have determination and the talent to win. The overall per-formance of the team was not good enough for me to call them my out and out favourites to win, but I think they have the edge over Edwin Allen and Vere. So if the Holmwood girls remain fo-cused and have a near perfect performance, they should go home with the bragging rights again.

Photo by Daive Richards

tipS tO Stay Safe at CHaMpS

t’s that time of year again: Boy’s and Girl’s Champion-ships (Champs), a time when tradition and talent collide, oftentimes with results that leave those watching in total

dismay, surprise or unexplainable ecstasy. But let’s be real, even though we go to Champs to have a good time, that isn’t the motive of everyone there. Here are some tips to potentially keep you safe and make this Champs season a success.

no mAn is An islAnD, nor Are you the lone rAngerThere is always safety in numbers. It’s highly unlikely that you will go to Champs and not know anyone there. No matter what school you attend, you must have at least one friend at the sta-dium. Travel together and keep an eye on each other to ensure safety.

remember thAt filter betWeen your brAin AnD mouthThe worst thing you can do is bring a lot of attention to your-self simply because you have a big mouth, an even bigger ego or you are just all around stupid. It leaves a bad impression on others about you and the school you represent and can lead to unnecessary and stupid conflicts. Be respectful and walk away from confrontations if you can.

leAve your expensive items At homeYou’re at Champs, not a session. Keep the jewellery swag to a minimum, OK? A watch is all you really need. Your $2 million

pendant is only going to weigh you down when you are ready to cheer for your favourite team. Oh, and leave the BlackBerries at home. Borrow, rent, trade, buy or whatever, just walk with a cheaper phone you can afford to lose. The stadium actually becomes a dead zone because everyone is on their phone at once, especially around the end of the evening. You probably won’t be able to use BlackBerry Messenger anyway. I know it’s going to be hard, but separate your thumbs from your Crack-berry for a few hours. You’ll live, trust me.

ChAmps vs fAshion night outThe urge to turn your swag up will be strong, but Champs is one time you can make an exception. Why do you feel it nec-essary to be in heels though ladies? And gentlemen, leave the skinny jeans in the closet. Should something occur and you need to move quickly, you will just limit your range of mobility by dressing unwisely.

Just remember a smart person is a safe person and this is no different for Champs. Be safe, keep your wits about you and remember that above all, you are there to enjoy yourself and show your school pride. .

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by Micheal Farquharson

13T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

Safety

Photo by Daive Richards

Top ThRee benefiTS

of TwiTTeR

e all may have different reasons for being on Twitter, but we have the same goal (for the most part), which is to see and be seen, as well as meeting the challenge

of being seen in 140 characters or less. Sorry Facebook.

exposure to different peopleI don’t know about you, but having been on Twitter for three years, I’m exposed to all sorts of people; a bit more far-reach-ing than in real life. In high school I was surrounded by the same people every day, many of whom thought alike. Outside of high school, you rarely find a person who would outwardly admit that they’re atheist or something like that, you catch my drift? However, on Twitter, where people have the shield of anonym-ity, individuals are more expressive. This exposure can help you in the long run. Summer is coming up and many of teens are searching for jobs. What if you meet an employer on Twitter or you’re asked you if you’re a people person? I would say yes, three years of experience on Twitter is good enough as any.

twitter spelling beeBeing on twitter has taught me that I really need to get my spell-ing problem fixed. If you’re an avid tweeter like I am, you would know exactly what I’m talking about. One tiny error and the grammar police attacks, followed by retweet after retweet and your mentions are tortured. I, sadly, have fallen into the trap of

misguided typos. I now refrain from using words that don’t look correct, even if it’s spelt correctly like ‘rhythm’. Let me take this opportunity to say that I think it’s unfair that we are expected to automatically know that a letter should be in a word if the letter is silent. The word ‘pneumonia’ upsets me so much.

positive peer pressure?‘Twer Pressure’ (peer pressure from Twitter) isn’t always so bad if you think about it. I must admit that Twitter is the rea-son I became so interested in politics during the frenzy a few months ago. I found myself being engaged in things that I nor-mally would have no interest in. Plus, events are much more en-ticing when Twitter is incorporated. For example, award shows. It’s absolutely impossible for you not to join in the red carpet commentary, so kudos to Twitter for keeping young lads up to date.

If only twitter was around long ago, we would have prevented World War One and Two, because the heads of states would then tweet their grievances instead of acting on it, or sublimi-nally passing a remark about another country and covering it up with “LOL”, right?

Thanks a lot Twitter for being there for us when we need you. And peeps remember to follow us at @teenspiriteZine.

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Social Media

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by Dervin Osbourne

T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

five bb appS you ShouLd inSTaLL

pps can help to improve your mobile experience. Here are some apps for Blackberry that are useful, entertaining and downright must-haves:

blackberry protectEnsure that this is on your device and up to date. If it isn’t, go get it and then come back. BlackBerry Protect allows the phone to be tethered to the Blackberry external server, thus allowing for its location to be available for tracking across the world. It also backs up your important data, allowing you to transfer files and information from one BlackBerry to another.

Social Scope LiteIf you are a social butterfly, this app is just for you. It streams your Facebook, two Twitter accounts, foursquare and flickster into one handy feed. It’s more efficient that way. Instead of hav-ing to skip through app after app, everything is easily found.

foursquareI encourage everyone to use foursquare, but use it responsi-bly. It has been described as the “stalker app” because it posts your location on your BBM status and Twitter. But it can be disabled, and the app doesn’t track your location automatically. How foursquare works is simple. You go somewhere, “check in” and get points. That’s it. Look at it as a competition between you and your friends to see who can go to the most places and rack up the most points. As an added benefit, local participating establishments actually give discounts and rewards for being a member of foursquare, and who doesn’t like freebies?

nobex Radio:I came across the app when RIM was doing damage control af-ter the three day black out of its systems. Nobex Radio allows you to listen to the radio on your phone. Any station within the app’s range can be heard, and that includes international radio programmes. That may be a welcomed change as our stations tend to be filled with political diatribe that’s rather monoto-nous.

Score MobileFor the football fan, there is no other application that is as rec-ommended. Score Mobile covers every major football league and tournament in every major footballing region, giving you up to date, live feeds from the matches. It covers a wide cross section of different sports such as hockey, basketball, rugby and American football, making it a quick and effective way to stay in the know.

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tech

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by Micheal Farquharson

T e e n S p i r i tw w w . e z i n e s l i m i t e d . c o m

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