Teenage dream

Once a year we reach out to teenagers in the Reno community to give them a chance to share their work in an issue of the RN&R. This year, we collaborated with The Holland Project, who helped us seek out teens willing to contribute their original art and writing. As a result, teens from schools around the area, including Galena, McQueen, Hug and Rainshadow Community Charter high schools, heeded our call and sent in poems, photographs, essays and visual art.

These teens aren’t afraid to give it to us straight, whether it be their opinions on the election season or eating meat. But some also have an affinity for bright colors and snapshots of everyday life, and it seems that even with the struggles of youth—identity, relationships, school and wondering about the future—they still have a sense of optimism and beauty. Maybe it’s time we adults took a leaf out of their book.

We’n De Ya Ho (And the sun will rise)

You hear it in the background,

Humming like the drums.

You see the figures dancing

Before the rising sun.

You approach and hear the chanting

Growing louder in your ears,

And as the rhythm takes you,

The drums beat our your fears.

We’n De Ya Ho!

It won’t be long now,

We’n De Ya Ho!

Then your head begins to bow.

We’n De Ya Ho!

Not sure how long it’s been,

We’n De Ya Ho!

As your body sways in the wind.

We’n De Ya Ho!

You look up to the skies,

We’n De Ya Ho!

And the sun will rise.

A case against eating meat

We all love the glorious taste of Kentucky Fried Chicken melting in our mouth and those ever-so-satisfying cheesy, beefy burritos from Taco Bell. We can’t resist having only one single Doritos’s chip—the craving warps our minds to munch the whole bag. We wouldn’t dare abandon the leftover cheese on our finger tips, licking them clean. These processed foods give us a comforting sensation to our taste buds.

Have you ever noticed how, after eating a Big Mac from McDonald’s, you feel lethargic and sick? I know I have. The meat in the fast food industry has no nutritional value. The dangers of processed meat cannot be underestimated, not just in fast food or processed products, but also supermarket cuts. America’s population is increasingly becoming over weight. Most frozen microwavable food you pop in the microwave is extremely unhealthy. These foods will cause high blood pressure, increase the level of bad (LDL) cholesterol, mess up your metabolic rate (the rate at which you digest, process, and eliminate food), weaken your immune system, destabilize your blood sugar levels, and reduce the ability of your colon to function properly. This increases the fat stores in your body. It places you at risk of strokes, cancer of the colon because it cannot process the waste.

It’s never too late to change your eating habits. You need to cut out the fast food from your diet and replace it with organic fruits and vegetables. If you are trying to lose weight, cutting out meat and switching to fruits and vegetables will show incredible results. Not only will your physical appearance will improve but you’ll have more energy and feel better. There are many of locally owned restaurants and grocery stores featuring wholesome organic food.

Meat and dairy products are not only horrible for you, but how the animals are treated is repulsive. These animals aren’t treated as living creatures—they are viewed as units of production. Animals such as pigs, cows and chickens are kept inside and close together, not grazing on open land. They are exposed to high levels of toxins from decomposing manure. Animals are able to survive in these deadly environments because they are pumped with daily doses of antibiotics, and are pumped with hormones to increase production. Chickens get debeaked, and cows lose their tails, which causes pain and discomfort for the animals. The meat and dairy industry keeps the harmful living environments and health defects swept under the rug. They make millions of dollars and don’t care how it’s causing cancer and other major health problems to humans.

Many of today’s young have progressed beyond mainstream mass produced poison, and have chosen to become vegetarian and or vegan for various reasons. Local teenager Amanda Kwok says, “I chose to be vegetarian because ever since I was little, I was raised vegetarian because meat made my grandma sick. When I got a little bit older I tried eating meat and it made my stomach upset, then I got used to it, but I didn’t realize that’s why my stomach hurt all the time.

Just recently I told my doctor and she mentioned to cut out all dark meat, so I cut out meat all together. My stomach feels great as well as the rest of my body. I did research and found out how harmful meat is for you, and the harmful life conditions it makes me sick. I don’t care if other people eat meat. It’s a personal choice. This is how I choose to live my life.”

Election Cycles

My brain waves are waving …

The wrong direction

My whole mind is blazing

I’m feeling perfection

I’m feeling amazing

But fearing election

I feel like I’m grazing

I’m full of infection

The shit that I’m craving

It’s not an addiction

Just stimulation

To heighten my diction

It’s like a mutation

That clears out my kitchen

In a state of elation

So the state can quit bitchin’