Teen Spirit eZine

pring calls for all things new, so how about some colourful art for your nails? Check out these cool, bright designs suitable for both short and long nails. Sug-

gest these ideas to your nail technician on your next visit or, try them for yourself at home with helpful guidelines from these Youtube tutorials.

Checkered NailsTutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watc

h?v=Q3LKar6oJis&feature=related

Hello KittyNailsTutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXVoWTqC6C8&feature=fvwrel

Flower NailsTutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoobvMBA9hI&feature=related

Gradient Nails Tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUErTfVziC0

Multi-colour Zebra NailsTutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao6XlkLJ8Gc

S

Nail Designs

For Spring

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

by Ava Gardner

23 4

56

Strawberry NailsTutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq-u3NlzMuU 1

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

‘True Blue’Renaissance

t is a good time to be a Jamaica College student. The school has been on an enviable winning streak since the start of the 2010-2011 academic year, claiming a total of seven sporting titles, including a clean sweep of the urban area and all-island foot-

ball competitions as well as the prestigious Boys’ Champs. Its success comes as part of an overall drive to improve the school and make it the top institution in the country. Natu-rally, spirits are high at 189 Old Hope Road.

“This year is ‘mission accomplished’. Everybody is so happy, the feeling is fantastic. This year was the best year for most of us in our entire school life. You can see it in the mood, the atmosphere,” said Head Boy, Jermaine Chatterpaul, his own pride and excitement evident.

His enthusiasm is shared by Shaquille Lewis, captain of the victorious Champs team and Ashani Walker, captain of the successful Manning Cup/Olivier Shield football squad. Lewis, who throws the discus and shotput, is particularly thrilled be-cause he had big shoes to fill – the last time JC won Champs was in 2000 and his brother Yolando, still esteemed on cam-pus, captained the team. Ironically, the coaches’ advice to the team was to relax, even though there were two new events on the programme, javelin and steeplechase. The advice worked, because JC took both events. “The vibes, everything was there. Adrenalin was rushing, the crowd was pumping us. We just went out there, accomplished what we had to ac-complish and came out with the victory and we were happy to have beaten Kingston College.”

Walker added that the school’s football success also moti-vated the entire school community. “When we won the triple crown (Manning Cup, Walker Cup and Olivier Shield), the tracks team wanted to take Boys’ Champs and they did,” he said.

The young men all credit JC’s turn-around to the efforts of principal, Ruel Reid. “Entering the school, the principal put up a sign that says ‘Jamaica College, the number one school for champions’,” Walker said. “He has done all he can to moti-vate us and the students are responding well.”

The administration has been working to create a holistic learning environment, including sports and other extra-cur-ricular activities, upgraded lab and classroom facilities and

mentorship and leadership programmes. The senior students are also taking an active role in encouraging the younger ones to excel.

Chatterpaul, Lewis and Walker are looking forward to life after high school, feeling fully prepared by their experiences at JC. Lewis will be moving on to upper sixth form, aiming to secure a scholarship to further his education. Walker is also looking at a number of scholarship offers both locally and overseas. Chatterpaul plans to join the army as an officer and then move on to further studies.

“For students doing GSAT coming into the secondary level, I would definitely tell them to put JC as their first choice, not because I attend JC, but because of the benefits they are go-ing to receive,” Chatterpaul declared.

Iby Tracey-Ann Wisdom

Tanto Blacks

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

by Ava Gardner

fter repeated entries into the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall competition, new dancehall artiste Tanto Blacks has captivated the streets with

his first single, “Anything”, his gimmicks and exuberant, warm personality. While he may be praised by his fans and ridiculed by others, it is unquestionable that Tanto Blacks is unlike any who have preceded him in the dancehall music industry. Teen Spirit got to speak to the upcoming artiste about his inception. TS: What inspired you to enter the music industry?TB: It was something I loved from birth. You know, as a little youth growing up.

TS: What does Tanto Blacks mean to you?TB: It means young future. TS: Being a new artiste to the music industry, which other artistes do you look up to?TB: Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man. Beenie Man a di boss!

TS: What was the inspiration behind your hit, “Anything”?TB: “Anything” is what buss me and made the people love me. What inspired me to write that song was a female I knew that took money from me. Anything she’d want I’d give her once she’d come to my yard to see me.

TS: What type of girls are you inter-ested in?TB: Respectful girls that have their head high. Those that have their head on their neck, you understand.

TS: With all the attention you’re re-ceiving how do you cope with it all?

TB: It’s alright. It has built me and has given me more cour-age to shock them more. TS: You’re famous for your terms, but other than “spectacular” and “acrimo-nious”, how would you describe your music?TB: Another word that describes my music would be “ener-getic”. It has the swagger.

TS: What plans do you have for the rest of the year?TB: I’m going to pursue my career. I’m working hard towards it. I’m going to be working with some people overseas. All of this, to pursue my career because I’m hungry and determined for it. I coming from nowhere, you understand. I can’t relax now.

TS: Being an individualistic person, what advice do you have for teens? TB: I would tell them to just be themselves. They shouldn’t watch people’s style and follow it. A so Father God mek you, a so you fi roll! For a long time people have been saying that I’m mad and I love it! The people love my madness! So they need to keep their heads high, keep focus and carry on.

The Most Colourful

A

The Cover Letter:How to Get it Right

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

he cover letter which you create is a vital part of your job application. Do not treat it casually. Put the same amount of thought and emphasis into it

as you do your resume. Remember, it is what a prospective employer sees when your mail is opened, whether it’s an email or posted by regular mail. Such employers routinely discard many applications based solely on poorly written cover let-ters. Therefore, one which is well-written will give you a bet-ter chance of opening that door to an interview.

When writing your cover letter, remember that it is in reality a sales letter and the product which you are offering is YOU. At this particular time when there are more sellers than buy-ers, your marketing has to be outstanding in the eyes of your reader and your packaging has to be attractive and perfect – no typos and no poor grammar and presentation.

The goal of your cover letter is to both introduce and sell yourself to the company. Do this in a business-like and pro-fessional way. State the reason for your letter – i.e. the job you are applying for. Summarise the most important details contained in your resume which follows the letter.

• Your cover letter should be short and defi-nitely no more than one page. This might be three brief paragraphs.

• Be professional and concise. Keep your tone business-like. Never try to be humorous or include anything of a personal nature.

• Know the job you are applying for. Be specific and name a job title.

• State why you want to work for the compa-ny and include this information in the first paragraph

• State the contributions you will make to the company based on previous skills and experiences gained elsewhere.

• Never mention any work experience in the cover letter that isn’t included on your resume. That is a definite no-no which will confuse and annoy the reader and may even make you look like a liar.

• Have someone proofread your letter before mailing it to make sure it contains no typos or grammatical errors.

• Always specify a date on which you will follow-up with the company and say how you will do so - whether in person, by phone, e-mail etc.

Since your goal is to get in the door for an interview, taking the time to create a winning cover letter is a tactic you really cannot afford to skip!

T

Contributed by Angela deFreitas, general manager, CHOICES Career Advice,

and publisher/editor of “CHOICES Career & Education Magazine” and “The

Career Key”. CHOICES can be contacted at [email protected] and

www.choicesonlinejm.com.

These tips will make your resume easier to read:

• Use white or off-white 8-1/2- x 11 inch pa-per

• Print on one side of the paper only

• Choose one non-decorative typeface and stick to it. Use a readable font size, 11-12 point,

possibly Arial or Times New Roman

• If you must mail your resume, send it in an 8-1/2- x 11 inch envelope

by Dervin Osbourne

Peer Pressure and the Wrong Crowd

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

eer pressure occurs in all age groups but the pres-sure increases and becomes more intense when we enter our teenage years. Begging mom to buy the latest remote control car or Barbie so you can

impress your friends is nothing compared to the initiation pro-cess that teenagers have to go through. Drug abuse and violence and other deviant acts are trending results of teenage peer pres-sure.

Peer pressure is at a peak in high schools where students are ex-tremely vulnerable and the notion that acceptance is key is the main priority. The race towards popularity begins. In Jamaica, the footballers are at the top of the popularity pyramid, then the “tracks man dem” and in between the two you have the hot girls or the “pretty dunces” and the “tugs dem”. Once we enter the gates of high school we become parasites, latching on to these groups for survival.

Education is the least, sex is abundant, lewd musicians are idol-ized, the book is burned and poor defenseless you, tired of be-ing tormented every day, succumb and become one of them. To show loyalty to your new posse, your former friends become your enemies. You are now popular. You have an army at your command. You’re the go-to person for everything. You decide the next move for everyone. Life is great.

Then your grades begin to fall. Your name is plastered across bathroom walls about what you did last week and with whom. Nine months later you become a teenage parent. In the worst case scenario, you can become permanently hooked on drugs. Life isn’t so peachy when you’re a high school drop-out who can’t get a job.

This is the reality of what happens in many high schools because of peer pressure. But it’s not always bad. What if the total op-posite occurred? Choosing the right crowd to hang with says a lot and also does a lot for you. What if you hung out with “those guys”, the ones who get straight A’s, the teacher’s pets, the ones who are always early even on a rainy day? You’ll feel good about yourself at the end knowing that you have passed all your exams with a clean result and have been selected to be on the honor roll.

Or why not prove everyone wrong and skip the ‘crowds’? There’s nothing more attractive than a hot girl who’s really bright. Why not be a footballer who’s scoring 1s and 2s? Choose your friends wisely and be strong, don’t yield to what’s ‘in’. Create your own path. High school is not for the weak-hearted. It’s more than just exams – it prepares you for the real world. How you do in high school reflects how your life will be in 10 years. Be smart!

P

eventeen-year-old Yanique DaCosta isn’t your ordinary teenage girl. Since the age of seven, she has amassed

a myriad of awards, including her most recent and prestigious: the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in the field of Youth in Service.

After winning the Mini Miss Jamaica pageant in 2000, she adopt-ed the Chevannes Basic School. She is currently on the school board. Yanique helped to significantly improve the facilities at the school as well as establish a scholarship program in her name.The Yanique DaCosta Scholarship awards students of the Chevannes Basic School with money for school fees, books, uniforms and other necessities to ensure their academic success and comfort. Yanique collects the money herself, with help from family members and sponsors.

Service and charity work have always been an integral part of her life. She was an active member of the Key Club of the Im-maculate Conception High School, serving as Secretary in 2008 and President in 2009. She hopes to continue with bigger and better projects in the future as she will be studying International Relations to help make our world a better place to live in.

When Yanique received word that she was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Award, she was speechless. She had been nom-inated in the past, but never shortlisted. She recalls a great inter-view with the panel and a thrilling night at the award show.

The moment she heard her name being called to receive the award was one of shock and ecstasy. She was so excited that she even tripped on her way up to the stage!

Yanique is a prime example of a great, young Jamaican whose in-telligence, kindheartedness and dedication serves to better the lives of her fellow citizens.

Stay tuned for more impressive Jamaican teens. The future is looking bright!

Yanique DaCosta

Philanthropy in Action

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

Sby Francine Derby

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

oung Darrick Foster, CEO of Dacx Photography- Da’Bri Designz sat with the Teen Spirit crew and dished every-thing. The young talent has been doing photography since

the age of 6 but did not start taking it seriously until last year No-vember. His interest in cameras was as a result of constantly being exposed to cameras in his home.

“When I’m taking pictures, I imagine myself freezing time. I feel like I have control over visuals,” he said passionately. His motivation to continue this business and hobby comes from the commendations he receives daily from persons who are exposed to his work. How-ever, Darrick doesn’t plan to make this his ultimate profession since he is very interested in a career in the computing field. In light of this, he is currently studying Computer Science, Economics and Physics at the CAPE level at Ardenne High School.

Darrick was the youth photographer at the recent 2011 Youth View Awards and has photographed other events such as Illusive and Mix. He is booked for a few graduation balls and parties for the upcoming summer. He also does birthday parties and is awaiting the opportu-nity to shoot a wedding.

You may wonder what inspires some of the photos he takes. “It’s this word that I really like – serendipity finding out really cool discov-eries by accident. I like messing around with the camera to see what I can get from doing so,” he explained. Dacx admires the artistic style behind America’s Next Top Model’s photographer Nigel Barker but

doesn’t idolize anyone because he has his own style. He loves pho-tographing people more than anything but he doesn’t limit himself and when he is not with his camera, he does hand movements and takes snapshots with his eyes and mind of a potential photograph. The artistic 18-year-old told Teen Spirit that when he looks at things, he sees beyond the bigger picture. However, Dacx doesn’t take all the credit for his success since he owes some of it to his graphic designer, Brian ‘Da’Bri’ Ricketts, and his Public Relations officer Jon ‘JC’ Thompson.

For events, Dacx Photography-Da’Bri Designz charges $1500 per hour. For model packages the going rates are: 10 for $1500, 20 for $2300 and 30 (with 10 pre-edits) for $3000.

Check out his work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dacxphotography/ and http://www.facebook.com/DacxPhotography

An Eye onDacx Photography

Yby Justine Powell

behind the

Scenes

teen spirit eZinewww.ezineslimited.com

© 2011 eZines Limited. All Rights Reserved