Visual trimmer, Donna Hill from Forever 21 on State Street, gave advice for teens on a budget who still want to look good this spring.
Saying, They should buy exactly what they want, instead of going on random shopping trips and buying whatever they see.
Getting the basics is popular for the season; Hill suggested buying the essential basic denim and Ts. Then, adding your own crazy piece to make it your own style, like white denim or leopard print.
Another money saving tip Hill gave, was to look at different fashion magazines that give tips on how to reorganize your wardrobe to look stylish with the clothes already in teens closets. They can also find drastically discounted prices on clearance items to add to a wardrobe.
Hill mentioned what everybody will wear for this spring season, for the hipsters, neon is in, as well as skirts and dresses for girly-girls and distressed jeans and tribal scarves for the guys. The bohemian style is also very popular, like light straw hats, big hobo purses and funky accessories.
Miguel Cervantes from Big Picture High School says hes planning on wearing lots of pastels for the spring and comments that neon colors are ageless. He plans on shopping at H&M and AA to update his spring look.
I'm trying to keep it simple lot of acrylic and polyester; I don't want to get wet. He says.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Orozco Workshops
Orozco Parents Get Facts About Immigration
By Maureen Kelleher on Thursday, January 15, 2009
Address: Orozco Community Academy, 1940 W 18th St., Chicago, IL
Nobody likes paperwork. But filling out applications for Food Stamps or state health insurance for children gets even harder when you fear that putting your home address on a form could bring agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) knocking on your door to arrest and deport you.
Although the state's All Kids health insurance program is available to families in Illinois regardless of their immigration status, undocumented immigrants are often unaware they can take advantage of benefits like this. Many are afraid to work with any government agency for fear of deportation.
"The biggest fear is giving out your information, giving out your address," said Teresa Fraga, home-school coordinator for Orozco Academy.
Presenters and participants in Elev8 Orozco's first parent workshop, on money matters, celebrate the event with a photo. More workshops will be held through 2009.
To help dispel the many myths about public benefits and immigration law, Elev8 Orozco – a partnership among the school, The Resurrection Project, Alivio Medical Center and Instituto del Progreso Latino – held a parent workshop on December 13. More than a dozen parents turned out to get the facts about a variety of public benefits, who is eligible for them, and how to apply. They also heard tips for getting a job, buying a home, and eating healthy without breaking the bank.
During the workshop, Mayra Diaz of Instituto del Progreso Latino explained who is and isn't eligible for Food Stamps. U.S. citizens and immigrants with five years of legal permanent residence are eligible; undocumented immigrants are not.
Many families have members in more than one of these categories. For example, all children born in the United States are citizens, so a family may have children who are eligible for Food Stamps even if the parents have less than five years of legal permanent residence or are undocumented.
Diaz also made the point that applying for Food Stamps does not hurt an immigrant's ability to reside in the U.S. or apply for citizenship. Undocumented parents applying for Food Stamps for eligible children will not be asked for immigration papers for themselves. Eligible immigrants may apply for Food Stamps without affecting their chances for citizenship.
Mayra Diaz of Instituto del Progreso Latino dispelled myths about public benefits and immigration and laid out the facts about which benefits people may take advantage of regardless of their immigration status, including Food Stamps and All Kids, Illinois' health insurance plan for children.
Diaz discussed other benefits, too. While the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program requires applicants to have a Social Security number, AllKids, the state's health insurance program for children, is available to all children and pregnant women regardless of their immigration status.
Diaz's presentation sparked questions that revealed the depth of misinformation regarding benefits. One woman explained that she and her family have been legal residents "for a while now," and that she recently received a letter about welfare. "I asked my husband about it and he told me not to get the help, because if we get the help, they'll send our kids to the war. Is this true?"
"No, it's not true," Diaz assured her. However, if legal permanent residents use TANF (welfare) cash benefits and then apply for citizenship, it could hurt their applications. Diaz invited her to come to her office for further conversation if she wanted to know more.
Afterward, parents said the workshop was helpful. One undocumented parent said it had helped overcome fears. "I didn't know about the benefits that were available. People who are undocumented are sometimes scared to get help and ask questions. That was my fear. I thought, 'Oh, what if they ask me and I don't have any documents?' I will use the suggestions they gave me."
More workshops will be held through 2009. "I promise to bring in more people to be a part of this, so they can come and see the benefits they can use," said parent Lourdes Sanchez.
Ana Saldana contributed to this report.
By Maureen Kelleher on Thursday, January 15, 2009
Address: Orozco Community Academy, 1940 W 18th St., Chicago, IL
Nobody likes paperwork. But filling out applications for Food Stamps or state health insurance for children gets even harder when you fear that putting your home address on a form could bring agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) knocking on your door to arrest and deport you.
Although the state's All Kids health insurance program is available to families in Illinois regardless of their immigration status, undocumented immigrants are often unaware they can take advantage of benefits like this. Many are afraid to work with any government agency for fear of deportation.
"The biggest fear is giving out your information, giving out your address," said Teresa Fraga, home-school coordinator for Orozco Academy.
Presenters and participants in Elev8 Orozco's first parent workshop, on money matters, celebrate the event with a photo. More workshops will be held through 2009.
To help dispel the many myths about public benefits and immigration law, Elev8 Orozco – a partnership among the school, The Resurrection Project, Alivio Medical Center and Instituto del Progreso Latino – held a parent workshop on December 13. More than a dozen parents turned out to get the facts about a variety of public benefits, who is eligible for them, and how to apply. They also heard tips for getting a job, buying a home, and eating healthy without breaking the bank.
During the workshop, Mayra Diaz of Instituto del Progreso Latino explained who is and isn't eligible for Food Stamps. U.S. citizens and immigrants with five years of legal permanent residence are eligible; undocumented immigrants are not.
Many families have members in more than one of these categories. For example, all children born in the United States are citizens, so a family may have children who are eligible for Food Stamps even if the parents have less than five years of legal permanent residence or are undocumented.
Diaz also made the point that applying for Food Stamps does not hurt an immigrant's ability to reside in the U.S. or apply for citizenship. Undocumented parents applying for Food Stamps for eligible children will not be asked for immigration papers for themselves. Eligible immigrants may apply for Food Stamps without affecting their chances for citizenship.
Mayra Diaz of Instituto del Progreso Latino dispelled myths about public benefits and immigration and laid out the facts about which benefits people may take advantage of regardless of their immigration status, including Food Stamps and All Kids, Illinois' health insurance plan for children.
Diaz discussed other benefits, too. While the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program requires applicants to have a Social Security number, AllKids, the state's health insurance program for children, is available to all children and pregnant women regardless of their immigration status.
Diaz's presentation sparked questions that revealed the depth of misinformation regarding benefits. One woman explained that she and her family have been legal residents "for a while now," and that she recently received a letter about welfare. "I asked my husband about it and he told me not to get the help, because if we get the help, they'll send our kids to the war. Is this true?"
"No, it's not true," Diaz assured her. However, if legal permanent residents use TANF (welfare) cash benefits and then apply for citizenship, it could hurt their applications. Diaz invited her to come to her office for further conversation if she wanted to know more.
Afterward, parents said the workshop was helpful. One undocumented parent said it had helped overcome fears. "I didn't know about the benefits that were available. People who are undocumented are sometimes scared to get help and ask questions. That was my fear. I thought, 'Oh, what if they ask me and I don't have any documents?' I will use the suggestions they gave me."
More workshops will be held through 2009. "I promise to bring in more people to be a part of this, so they can come and see the benefits they can use," said parent Lourdes Sanchez.
Ana Saldana contributed to this report.
Big Picture Phase-Out for RWurd Magazine
As an average student during grammar school, 18-year-old Guadalupe Ramirez never thought he would be able to simultaneously attend a class at
Big
Ever since being put on Probation near its first year in 2005, he senior said he felt “worried” and “uncomfortable” about the school being phased out throughout his three years at Big Picture. This year is the last for Ramirez, the less than 30 seniors and the school. The building is now being turned into an alternative school, says Big Picture High School Principal Alfredo Nambo.
It is being turned from a small high school with a low drop out rate of about 5 percent from 2005 to 2007, into an alternative school for older students who have already dropped out and are looking for their second chances. Chicago Public Schools is installing expensive add-ons not usually seen in public neighborhood schools, like Wi-Fi high speed internet, this summer and all throughout the final school year of Big Picture students.
CPS gave reasons for closing the school down; it is expensive, allotting $1,916,530 for just 81 students in 2008.
“Practically speaking, though, they can make a good case. The school is
very small. That does cost more money, and CPS is supposed to use their
budget in the most cost-effective way possible. Also…data showed that it is not one of the better-performing schools,” says Julie Woestehoff, Executive Director of Parents United for Responsible Education.
Students have an average ACT score of about 14 compared to the
“Our Area Instructional Officer has not seen enough gains in test scores and in academic performance during the time we have been opened,” says Krista Lewandowski a teacher at the school.
She adds, the school has been having trouble balancing CPS requirements and the Big Picture model, which is a small teacher to student ratio and taking two whole school days off for internships. CPS wanted more student enrollment and traditional classroom curriculum. If requirements aren’t met, Big Picture would have to look for its own funding by turning into and independent charter school.
“I wish it would stay open and be more true to the Big Picture model and not have to juggle both CPS and Big Picture expectations,” Lewandowski says.
Nambo says CPS isn’t being honest. The decision was premature because ACT scores were taken into account only after the first graduating class and have made a 2-point gain since then.
Don Moore from Designs for change, a school reform group, says CPS’s real reasons for closing schools down are usually because they want to take the space or there is a hostile relationship between the school and public school officials.
“I think CPS shuts down schools when it's in their interest to do so ... CPS keeps open schools that are smaller, that cost a lot more, and where test scores
are worse than Big Picture. CPS has a school closing policy … but they use it
unevenly and change it when it suits them,” Woestehoff said.
Nambo says he should have done more, by pushing the students and teachers to do better academically. He could have gathered a strong group with political and financial power. The school might have been able to become a charter school with that kind of support, or at least comply with CPS and add more students and teachers.
Instead, what he tried to do was to become a Renaissance 2010 school (Mayor Daley’s program to make large schools into smaller more independent schools). But to do that, he needed to completely shut down the school and open it back up. He couldn’t do that to his students and their parents. It would be a long process and the students would have to go to traditional large neighborhood schools, where their success is uncertain.
However the decision has been made. Starting this September, this will be the last school year for the soon graduating students left in the school. Staff is working on finding new jobs.
Nambo says the situation has been tough on the staff but has made those who stay despite the lack of job security, closer and more committed. Reactions from parents, students and teachers have been disappointment, anger and sadness.
“I think the action we needed to take to try to save BP distracted me and took up time that I could have been working on other things. I also think students became less motivated and then there seemed to be this attitude from students and staff that BP was a sinking ship and that depressed me a little,” Lewandowski says.
Mancow on Radio
Mancow’s got beef
POSTED BY THEMASH 12/03/08 
71 hits
71 hits ANA SALDANA,
BIG PICTURE
BIG PICTURE
Erich “Mancow” Muller is best known for his show “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse” on Q101 FM. Muller, a Libertarian, talked about his views on politics, the future of radio and getting fired from Q101 during a recent question-and-answer session with reporters from TheMash.
He said he sometimes went too far on his show. He got fired for saying a common but prohibited word in a parody, “Rudolph the Brown-Nosed Reindeer.” More than two years later, he’s back in Chicago on WLS-AM. Muller, 42, said that what his industry needs is more younger, original voices in talk radio, not more hit music radio stations hosted by older, out-of-touch DJs. He added that few stations will risk bringing in newer people because, with the shape the economy is in, they might not get enough ratings.
Muller also talked about his meager beginnings, when he made just $5,ooo one year and went to parties for the free food.
http://themash.com/detail/81189.html
Thoughts on the inaguration.
Considering the shape the U.S. is in with unfinished wars and a bad economy, I constantly worry about my future in this country. If all the hard work I’m doing will pay off. President Obama, however, gives me a sense of security. Watching the inauguration gives me hope. I know all of the country’s problems won’t get fixed in due time, and there will probably be more problems on the way before fixing the ones we already have. But I like to think President Obama is here to take care of all the unfinished business so I can relax in college for four years and when I’m ready for the world, everything will be back to normal. I also never thought I would get to see the first African-American president get elected. It’s an amazing experience for me as a minority. Race now seems like a diminishing barrier to success. I see Obama as one of the greatest examples of what one can accomplished through words—considering his moving speeches—and through hard work and dedication. This all makes this an inspiring day.
—Ana Saldana, Big Picture
http://themash.com/detail/81383.html
—Ana Saldana, Big Picture
http://themash.com/detail/81383.html
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