A Japanese Heart

As a sports fan, the hopeful outcome of this story about Scott Fujita is to effect change - not just in the world, in general, but more immediately in the world of sports.

Scott Fujita is a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL and will be playing in the Super Bowl this weekend. His life story is compelling, but it is his decision to take a public stance on a divisive social/political topic that has brought him to us today. Fujita is showing his full support for gay rights - specifically, gay marriage.

That an athlete has chosen to take a stance on a controversial topic is not huge news. That he is a professional athlete is. Many of our most famous athletes are constantly criticized for not taking political stances. Their fear is that they will lose support among fans, and more importantly, endorsement money. When approached to endorse a Democratic candidate, Michael Jordan famously declined by saying, "Republicans buy sneakers, too." LeBron James was brought to task when he hesitated to lend his name to a petition against genocide in Darfur. And, legendary NFL running back Jim Brown has been known to speak out on today's athlete and their lack of activism - most recently challenging Tiger Woods.

Scott Fujita doesn't see this decision as courageous. In fact, he doesn't seem to see it as much of a decision at all - just the right thing to do. But, standing alone when others are afraid to join you is indeed courageous.

"Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."

- Raymond Lindquist

Let's hope more professional athletes have the courage to let go of what has been familiar for far too long.

What Is That SMELL?!

Grooming has become somewhat of a necessity in young boys - and, no, we can't blame this on the cast of Jersey Shore...

In "Masculinity in a Can," The Times depicts this trend as growing at an alarming rate - not among teens, but among preteens. Boys 10 and 12 years old are spending their (and their parents') money on deodorant, body sprays, and hair care products. And, the biggest product winners appear to be TAG and AXE, whose edgy marketing ads are aimed at the highly sought-after 18-24 demographic. But, in trying to keep up with the trendy older boys, the article asserts, pre-teenage boys have caught on.

The trend seems to be a result of a perfect storm of factors:

• Boys' bodies are changing at that age. With hormones raging and odors emanating, it's when they begin to use deodorant, in general.
• Girls of the same age are maturing at a faster rate. They are influencing the boys of the same age to take matters into their own hands, which means styling your hair and refining your overall presentation.
• Marketing campaigns are being targeted in different arenas, such as video games and youtube, which will invariably reach younger and younger audiences.
• And, it's the perfect age to catch these boys. Between the ages of 10-14, boys are trying to establish their identities. They become conscious of their appearance, their smell, their social group. Given the notion that a small change like applying body spray can dictate how cool or desirable you will be makes the answer simple - get me some product!

The short answer is, of course, peer pressure. Whether it is from older boys, boys of the same age, or girls the influence of the peer group is still the strongest motivating factor. This much has not really changed over the years, except that the message is coming in stronger and faster than ever. A market consultant is quoted in the piece as saying, "The peer pressure is starting from the girls, who are discussing how much someone smells or what they look like, and it’s being recorded in real time by e-mail and texting."

Can you imagine being 11 and having an off day in the body odor department? Except, by the time you leave homeroom, every kid in your grade with a cell phone has gotten an alert that you stink today? It's not hard to see why these companies are making a killing...

(Didn't really need this ad . . . but can you believe that's LL Cool J??)

Would've Written This Sooner

But, had to reply to a few hundred text messages...

This scenario is probably not as far-fetched as it might sound. In fact, it's probably what teachers and parents are hearing from kids failing to do their schoolwork (or rather not hearing - who's going to admit the real reason?). The Kaiser Family Foundation has a study to prove it.

We've known for quite a while that kids are spending more and more time with their digital media - laptops, pda's, cell phones. What we didn't know was how much time. The results are startling to say the least: seven and a half hours a day! And, even that is not an accurate calculation as kids are multitasking and therefore combining about eleven hours of media usage into that time. It's scary...

But, what's even more surprising on the surface is that not all of these kids are happy doing it. One would assume that keeping in touch with friends or the latest song would provide hours of happiness. But, as reported in this NYTimes' article, "The heaviest media users were also more likely than the lightest users to report that they were bored or sad, or that they got into trouble, did not get along well with their parents and were not happy at school."

It is only surprising on the surface, because when you stop to think about it, it makes a lot of sense. In fact, it's what the older generations have been worried about. All of the concern for the lack of outdoor time or the loss of human contact, the physical pains from playing video games or the emotional tolls of constantly needing to be "up-to-speed" with all that is happening in the world are not just old folks who don't understand. These voices should serve to remind us that these devices and ways of communicating should never become our way of life, just add to it.

These technologies have become so intertwined in our lives, it's hard to see life without them. But, it's important to take a break from anything that is consuming our days to reconnect with people or just to reflect. And, technology is no different.

How Can I Help?

Natural disasters of any kind with human casualties always lead to heart-wrenching stories. The earthquake in Haiti is no exception. Whether it is the sheer number of displaced, injured, or deceased, the schools and orphanages destroyed, the volunteers working tirelessly to save lives, or any other story to come out of this catastrophic event, you would have to be heartless to not be moved in some way.

People everywhere are wondering what they can do to help. Some want to donate money to the "right" charity, others want to donate items, some wish to volunteer there or in places like Miami receiving Haitians being flown out of the country, and still others are coming up with creative ways to keep the situation in their hearts and minds without getting overwhelmed by the media coverage. How is your school covering Haiti and the earthquake? We would love to know and pass on ideas to other teachers...

As for donating to disaster relief efforts, please visit Charity Navigator if you are trying to figure out where best to send your donations. You can review and follow the charities of your choice, and as you can imagine, there is a wealth of knowledge regarding this most recent tragedy.

Public Action has always been a central theme to The Girls & Boys Projects. Thanks to all of you who instill this message in your students and those around you. Stay involved...

*Note: These images were taken from The NY Times' site. They have posted some fantastic multimedia online...

Forgive The Tardiness

But, we thought this story is too important to go unnoticed by us. The Obama administration recently appointed Amanda Simpson to the role of technical advisor to The Department of Commerce. Why is this significant? She is the first openly transgender appointment from The White House.

In an article from Sphere, Mara Keisling, executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality, is quoted as saying: "What's significant about it is that we finally have an administration in which being transgender isn't a disqualifying factor for a job." That's a reassuring thought. So many hires are questioned for potentially only filling an affirmative action need. This does not appear to be such an appointment, and furthermore, could lessen the misunderstandings or fears potential employers might have in making a similar hire.

Simpson understands the importance of her role: "...as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others." Hear hear!

You Be The Judge

Humorous? Racist? Just good fun? Hard to say...

The line between when to laugh at ourselves and when to be offended is sometimes unclear and often inconsistent. Either way, it's hard to be mad at those who find this funny... But, it's also ok to hope they understand the damaging effects stereotypes can have...

Making Their Voices Heard

We thought it would be a good idea to post this video today. It is entitled "Voices" and was first aired publicly at our benefit dinner in 2008. We can talk about the benefit of our programs to no end, but it sometimes just makes more sense to hear it from those who are most directly affected by them: your students.

The video always reminds us of why we do the work we do. Hopefully, it will do the same for you. Enjoy!

Happy New Year, Unhappy New York!

Huh?

You may have seen the CDC's study on overall happiness in every state in America. The study, started in 1984, collected data surrounding individual health and satisfaction with life. The results were recently released... Guess where New York ranked?

Yep, dead last. (Did they interview Knicks fans, or something?)

How could you not love the city that never sleeps?! Except, of course, if you are looking for a city that sleeps... The Top 10 states on the happiness scale: 1. Louisiana, 2. Hawaii, 3. Florida, 4. Tennessee, 5. Arizona, 6. Mississippi, 7. Montana, 8. South Carolina, 9. Alabama and 10. Maine. Bottom 3? 49. New Jersey, 50. Connecticut and 51. New York (D.C. was included in the study). For the complete list, click here.

Regardless of where you are, The Girls & Boys Projects hopes you find happiness in 2010! And, we should note... We LOVE being in New York!

Happy Holidays From Us To You!

Saw their performance this week on The Jay Leno Show and thought, "These are the cutest kids..." And, they sound angelic: The African Children's Choir - perfect for the holidays. (The video was removed, but here they are in another performance)

Thank you for reading our blogs, for being friends of The Girls & Boys Projects, and for taking interest in the many issues we address here. Happy Holidays, and keep doing the great work!

Makes ME Wanna Holler.

Did you ever read Nathan McCall's 1994 book Makes Me Wanna Holler? If so, you might recall a graphic and honest recount of McCall as a young boy participating in an abhorrible act - the gang rape of a young, unsuspecting girl. The section is entitled "Trains" - the nickname given to the act of one boy after another participating in this group rape. And, it makes you sick to your stomach reading it...


It's hard to get the image out of your head. The questions that arise about the attackers are endless, the answers unsatisfying. Why? How could you take part in this? What makes you think it's acceptable? How could you not care about another human being like this? There is hardly a response that will lessen the anger you feel as an outsider looking in.


And, you should know that as you read this story that came out of the Bay Area in October. On the school grounds of Richmond High School, during a homecoming dance, a 15-year old girl was brutally beaten and raped by 10 young men, while at least 20 people watched and did nothing. As with so many of these gang rapes, the victim went voluntarily to the destination - in this case, an alley near the school - but, what began as hanging out turned quickly to an attack.

The details of the story can be found in the article link above and won't be revisited here, but so many phrases from the article pop out at you: "macho," "bravado," "degradation of women." We've heard these terms associated with boys and young men for far too long. But, they are important to remind us what we're up against in raising young boys to make smart choices in becoming positive young men.

A teacher at Richmond's quotation in the article speaks volumes: "Those boys who did what they did weren't picturing that girl as a human. I think you see these kinds of boys at a lot of high schools - so desensitized it was like they saw her as a toy. Boys like that - there aren't many like them, but they can be so hard. All they needed was something to set them off."

Here's to hoping there really aren't "that many like them."