1. education
2. school

HOW TO
DRIVE A
DATE CRAZY,
P8
XPHORIA:
NATURALLY
DANGEROUS,
P22
-
BY K. E. WEISS
GOOD
FOR A FEW
ILLUSTRATION: HILBER NELSON
HAT DO
YOU DO
FOR AN ENCORE
WHEN EVERYONE
THINKS YOU'RE
AN UGLY LOSER?
over the washbasins, I see a wide
mouth and gleaming straight teeth
like a horse's, big brown eyes
behind glasses that remind me of a
bug, and freckles dotting a pug
nose that looks a little like a
squirrel's. It hurt to hear Darcy say
it, but "Funny Face" is pretty
accurate. I, too, wonder what
Mike sees in me.
I sit still as a mouse in the
In the anteroom a cluster of
toilet stall of the girls' locker
girls read an announcement of
room. Like a cornered animal,
tryouts to fill the opening on the
I'm super aware of everything;
cheerleading squad when Sue
graduates this spring. I ignore it.
the sticky fake pine smell of
I'm a total uncoordinated wimp
disinfectant combined with the
warm sweaty musk of our gym
when it comes to things like that.
clothes, the musty dampness of
I wouldn't dare try out, even
towels, and the sharply perfumed
though I often fantasize about
hair spray of the two girls talking
being a cheerleader. I start to slink
out of the locker room when
outside my stall.
Darcy's blaring voice assails me.
Darcy, her voice harsh and
"Yo, Karlin!" she hollers, "I
taunting, says, "I don't know what
thought you'd be working at the
that gorgeous hunk Mike sees in
carnival sideshow last weekend."
old Funny-Face Karlin, but once I
get on the cheerleading squad he'll The girls around her giggle but
look embarrassed. "Come try out
have to notice me 'cuz I'm gonna
for cheerleading with me," Darcy
be fantastic out there."
"The guys on the team don't
goes on. "Your goofing off would
pay much attention to us during
make everyone really notice how
games," remarked Sue. "They've
cool I am with those routines."
got more important things to
I want to go punch her out,
think about, like winning. But you but instead I just grin and throw a
probably will get my place on the
wet towel into her face as I leave.
squad. I doubt anyone else is as
The group's laughter blankets
Darcy's shrieked curses following
determined to try."
When I hear the door bump
me down the corridor.
shut after them, I zip up my jeans
At home I drag my big old
and stealthily exit my hiding place. mirror in its beat-up wood frame
Staring at my face in the mirror
into the laundry room and prop it
LISTEN/JANUARY-1997
am
3
against the washtub. The floor in
here is tile, so no one will hear me
practicing and there's lots of room
to move around. I start to jump
and stretch, all the time watching
my long legs and skinny torso in
the mirror. Prancing through a
simple cheer routine, I think I
look like a wounded antelope.
After a few days of secretly
practicing backbends, cartwheels,
splits, flips, and high jumps, I feel
like a wounded antelope too. I can
hardly walk. Still I gather courage
to start practicing the high school
pep chants along with the choreographed routines. I've got my
stereo cranked up extra-loud to
cover my voice.
"Gimme an A!" Arms spread
wide. "Gimme an L!" Down on
one knee. "Gimme me an H!"
Jump up again. "Gimme an Sr
Land in splits. "A-L-H-S! Go!
Fight! Win!" Jump up, bend backwards, flip over (ugh!). Land
smoothly upright (oof!). Then
jump high and bounce gleefully
off the field.
This is what I picture myself
doing. But I know I won't ever be
that graceful. Well, no one knows
I'm practicing. I can still cop out
of declaring my candidacy.
In the middle of a backbendto-flip maneuver, the door opens.
It's Mike, dropping by for a chat,
and I drop into a heap of embarrassed stammerings. His broad
shoulders fill the doorway, and I
can't tear my eyes off those biceps
rippling beneath his black T-shirt.
His voice always surprises me, it's
so gentle.
"So this is where you've been
hiding," he says. But he doesn't
laugh at how stupid I must look
all sprawled out on the laundry
room floor in my sweats. Instead
he says, "I've been hoping you'd
try out for the cheerleading squad.
That vamp Darcy is spreading ugly
rumors about you being a wimp."
"I know," I answer, "and that's
I
WANT TO PUNCH
HER OUT, BUT
INSTEAD I JUST
GRIN AND THROW A
WET TOWEL IN HER
FACE AS I LEAVE.
what finally got me to consider
trying out, but I'm just no good!"
And with that I crumple up
bawling right in front of him.
He comes and pats me on the
head like a puppy, saying, "All the
guys think you're great because
you're just plain fun to be with.
Most of us would rather have a
few laughs at a game than a bunch
of feral females panting around
our necks."
A couple weeks later comes
the moment of truth. A cacophony of noise echoes off the walls
and high ceiling of the gym as kids
shout to each other, pouring
through the doors to find places in
the bleachers among their various
cliques. I smile at a couple friends
I spot waving from the top row.
Mike and most of the basketball
team are up there too. He shows
me a thumbs-up and grins.
I'm seated in the front row
with seven other candidates, all
dressed in close-fitting V-neck tank
tops and bouncy miniskirts with
crew socks and Reeboks, clutching
pom-poms in orange and blue
school colors.
Old Darcy is sitting three girls
down from me. She's loudly
bragging to Sue and the cheerleading squad seated right behind us. I
turn and grin as Sue quietly
whispers to me, "She's loud, but
you're OK. Hang in there." Then I
see Darcy blow a kiss to Mike, and
my stomach lurches in anger. How
dare she openly flirt with my man.
I'll show her.
Sue, as captain of the squad,
steps out on the floor to introduce
us in groups of three and four.
Wouldn't you know, Darcy and I
end up on the first set together. As
I'm running out on the floor, she
purposely bumps into me. I lose
my balance and fall flat on my
fanny!
I feel as though I could die
right on the spot as the whole
student body howls with laughter.
Then I catch a glimpse of Darcy's
smug grin, and anger surges
through me like wildfire. She's not
going to beat me that easily. I roll
into a somersault and jump up
laughing.
In each routine I manage,
even without Darcy's assistance, to
trip over my own feet, jump out of
sync with the others, or just plain
goof up, so I do look more like a
clown than a cheerleader.
Somehow I keep smiling and
laughing through the ordeal,
trying to look like I'm having fun.
Suddenly I find I really am having
fun and don't even care that I
won't win.
By my solo number I'm
exhausted. I do a weak-kneed cartwheel, land in wobbly splits, and
roll rockily up into a high jump
that feels like a big goose taking
flight. At last I bounce off the floor
smiling and waving, just as I've
always envisioned in my fantasies.
The whole student body is
standing up shouting and
whooping and hollering and
clapping. Someone shouts,
"Hurray for the clown!" And
Darcy looks positively disgusted.
The next morning friends
hand me the bulletin announcing
that I've won the cheerleading
contest. Darcy's nowhere in sight,
but Sue comes over to give me a
big hug. With that I do a perfect
handstand, while Mike stands
nearby, laughing. g
LISTEN (ISSN 0024-435X) JANUARY 1997, VOLUME 50, NUMBER 1. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE HEALTH CONNECTION, 55 WEST OAK RIDGE DR., HAGERSTOWN, MD
21740. ONE YEAR $24.97 (US); OUTSIDE US $27.95 (US). PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT HAGERSTOWN, MD. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO LISTEN, P.O.
BOX 859, HAGERSTOWN, MD 21741. 1-800-548-8700, ALASKA OR CANADA, 1-301-790-9735. THIS PUBLICATION IS AVAILABLE IN MICROFILM FROM XEROX UNIVERSITY
MICROFILMS, 300 NORTH ZEEB ROAD, ANN ARBOR, MI 48106 (313) 761-4700. PRINTED IN U.S.A.
4
LISTEN/JANUARY.1997
SPRING INTO fiCTICIN
T4 D£f£flT
WINTER
BLS'
ired of the drolls of winter? Want to add a little spring to your
step? Doing something for someone else will put the zip back
in your attitude and love back in your heart. Here are 28 ideas
to set your brain in motion. That's about a month's worth taken
one a day. Talk with your friends. Try the ideas that fit your fancy
and excite your imagination.
ILLUSTRATION: RICKTHOM SON
T
Li 1. Create a latchkey club
for younger children in your
neighborhood. Share your
talents. A few activities you
might explore are afterschool classes in drama,
music, sports, arts, crafts,
story hour, and creative
writing.
B TIT
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
❑ 2. Organize a self-defense
workshop at your school.
❑ 3. Organize a pick-up
party. Pick up and clean up
the area surrounding your
school and/or neighborhood.
Alert the media to cover kids
doing something positive for
the community.
fl T1
❑ 4. Start a save-the-pets
campaign. Find homes for
abandoned pets. Volunteer
your time at your local
humane shelter.
❑ 5. Adopt a grand-friend
at your local retirement
center or nursing home.
Listen to their stories and
RIZ Z
5
ILLUSTRATION: RICKTHOMSON
learn about history firsthand.
❑ 6. Start a nutrition club
at your school to promote
healthier lifestyles.
❑ 7. Hold a walkathon for
a worthy cause in your community. For variation try a
skateathon, a bikeathon, or a
swimathon. The possibilities
are endless.
❑ 8. Hold a contest to
paint a school or community
mural on the differences and
appreciation of the nationalities represented in your area.
(Be sure to get permission
ahead of time for painting
the mural.)
❑ 9. Start a petition for
more police protection in
your neighborhood.
❑ 10. Volunteer to help at
your local soup kitchen.
❑ 11. Organize a "cans film
festival." Show old movies
from the public library or
your own stock of videos.
Make the admission a can of
food to restock your local
food banks.
❑ 12. Assemble "We Care"
kits for homeless people.
Include toothbrushes, soap,
combs, shampoo,
deodorant, etc.
❑ 13. Create and distribute
lists of emergency hot line
phone numbers for teens
who might need help.
Include numbers of services
who help with child abuse,
teen pregnancy, suicide prevention, AIDS awareness,
runaways, rape, drug abuse,
legal advice, food banks,
homeless shelters, etc.
❑ 14. Help elderly home6
owners by raking lawns,
shoveling snow, keeping ice
off the sidewalks in front of
their homes.
❑ 15. Organize a cleanup of
a local vacant lot. Plan to
plant trees, shrubs, and
flowers when the weather
breaks.
❑ 16. Set up a forum at
school during which kids can
discuss their similarities and
differences as cultures.
Include a moderator to
control the discussion.
DOING f9METHING
f9ME9NE ELSE WILL
PUT ZIP BUR IN
YOB fITTITLIDE DNB
BfiCli IN Y9UR HERRT.
❑ 17. Organize a campaign
to promote recycling at your
school.
❑ 18. Hold a mitten drive
or a blanket drive for your
local homeless shelter.
❑ 19. Hold a cookie bake
for your local soup kitchen.
❑ 20. Collect grocery
coupons and donate them to
your local food bank.
❑ 21. Volunteer to walk the
pets of elderly people in your
neighborhood who are afraid
of going out and slipping on
the ice.
❑ 22. Write and produce a
play on steering clear of drugs.
❑ 23. Start an information
campaign on keeping our
oceans, lakes, and rivers clean.
❑ 24. Hold a world peace
party to promote
understanding and awareness
of people different from you.
Come dressed in a costume
of some country or people
group in the world. Play
international music. Get
parents involved. Make the
food international as well.
Plan theme dances and skits
for the entertainment.
❑ 25. Volunteer time in the
children's ward at your local
hospital.
❑ 26. Take a bite out of
crime in your school by organizing a crimefighter's club.
Put a crimefighter's box in
the library so kids can drop
in notes anonymously.
❑ 27. Volunteer to tutor
another student in your area
of expertise.
❑ 28. Surprise your parents
with a "creative date" at
home. Plan and make the
meal and the evening's entertainment yourself. Make it
special.
At the end of the month
celebrate your accomplishment. Recognize the accomplishments of your team.
Hold a "yes" party: "Yes, we
did it!" Begin planning your
next great event. Chase away
the winter blahs, for making
the world a better place
always begins with you. KA
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
that she talk to some adult
(church leader, school counselor, or relative) about her
problems at home.
My name is Ashley. I want
to ask you how you got to
be Miss Texas Coed. What
kind of questions do you
get? Are the questions hard
to answer?
YO! JEN
Listen up, teens. Say Hi to Jennifer Acklam, a
Miss Texas Coed and America's Homecoming
Queen. Jenny wants to hear from you. Send
your letters to us at LISTEN magazine,
P.O. Box 859, Hagerstown, MD 21741, and
we'll pass them on to her for the column.
My name is David, and I
have a friend who has some
problems at home. Some of
the kids treat her bad. We
go to the office, and they
say that we should take it
day by day and talk to her.
Sometimes it's hard to do,
for when we try to help her
she takes off running, and
then we have to find her.
Please help.
You're really a good friend to
care so much about your
classmate and how people are
treating her. Caring about
others is a special gift. Don't
LISTEN/JANUARY-1997
ever lose it! When your friend
takes off running, she
probably just wants to get
away from the whole situation of being teased. That is
so nice of you to go after her
and show her that you're on
her side. Meanwhile, just
ignore the kids who are
teasing her. They are doing it
to get attention. If you don't
give them any attention, they
will soon get tired of wasting
their efforts and stop. The
most important thing is to
convince your friend that you
care about her and her
problems. You might suggest
The Miss Texas Coed Pageant
(like most teenage pageants)
looks for a teenage girl who is
a well-rounded, All-American
girl. Each girl selected must
act ladylike and be able to
express her thoughts and
ideas clearly. The judges really
get to know a contestant
during the interview where
they ask questions such as
"Name one place in the world
you'd really like to visit and
tell why." "What color best
describes you?" and "If you
could change anything about
you, what would it be and
why?" From questions like
these, the judges really get to
know you—and from there
they pick the most AllAmerican teenage girl.
I have a problem. My girlfriend broke up with me,
and I want her to come
back. What should I do?
Thanks for understanding.
Jason.
It sounds to me like your
girlfriend is the loser in this
breakup! She lost a good guy,
and someday she will realize
it. You didn't explain why the
breakup happened, so I don't
really know how to tell you to
try to get back with her.
However, it's a good idea to
be friendly toward her and to
try staying on good terms
with her. Maybe she just
wanted some space and
doesn't want to be in a relationship right at this time. If,
on the other hand, she broke
up with you to be with
another guy, then there's
really not much you can do
for right now. In either case,
just be patient and try to
focus on other things.
I have a problem with my
cousin. We go to the same
school now, and the
problem began when I got
my best friend and my
cousin together. It started
out fine when they first met.
Then he wouldn't call her at
all. Now he doesn't like her
anymore. I told her just to
get on with her life. The
point is that he won't talk to
her or me anymore. It really
hurts me, because we're first
cousins. He just walks by
me as if I'm not even there.
It's making me very mad. I
don't know what his
problem is. It's as if he's
ashamed of me or something. I'm a freshman and
he's a junior. My mom and
dad say that it's his age. I
don't think so, because he
used to say hi back nicely in
front of his friends. We used
to have a good relationship,
but now it's not good
anymore. Holly.
It's not likely that you've done
anything to cause this change
in the way your cousin treats
you at school. I know it can
really bug you when someone
changes drastically for no
apparent reason, but don't let
it get you down. Some guys
like to go on a power trip by
ignoring a girl when they
know it bothers her. (Oh,
yes—girls have been known
to do this too!) Maybe if you
can talk to him alone or call
him at home, it would help
to talk over the situation.
Explain how hurt you're
feeling. If this doesn't do any
good, don't waste any more
time wondering what you did
wrong. In time he'll probably
come around to being on
friendly terms again. gA
7
HHOrci
DRIVE
A DATE
C
L-3
1:11
❑ (b) your old flame.
❑ (c) your plans for college
and future career.
❑ (d) making out at
Inspiration Point.
2. You asked him/her about:
1:1 (a) his/her last flame.
❑ (b) last week's big game.
❑ (c) his/her college plans
and future career
interests.
3. When you referred to each
other's appearance:
U (a) you said he/she
looked great.
❑ (b) you asked him/her
how he/she liked your
appearance.
❑ (c) you made suggestions
on his/her appearance.
4. Throughout the date you:
U (a) relaxed and enjoyed
yourself.
❑ (b) remembered the
manners your mom
taught you.
❑ (c) tried to be entertaining
and clever.
❑ (d) made passes all
evening.
5. When one of your former
boyfriends/girlfriends walked by,
you:
❑ (a) pretended to not
know him/her.
You return home from a date. You
are on cloud nine, believing that
you've made a great connection,
only to have your date treat you like
shower slime the next time you
meet. What happened? What went
wrong? Take the following quiz and
find out if you're guilty of any of
the five major dating no-no's.
1. On your date you talked about:
U (a) school and last week's
big game.
8
❑ (b) talked about your
relationship with
him/her most of the
rest of the date.
1:1 (c) introduced him/her to
your date.
6. If you don't want to appear
"bad" on your first date with
someone, don't:
U (a) drink and drive.
❑ (b) swear and tell dirty
jokes.
❑ (c) check out your
appearance in every
reflecting surface.
❑ (d) flirt with other
guys/girls.
CORRECT ANSWERS:
1. (a) or (c) if you didn't overdo
either. An interesting conversation
takes at least two people. If one
talks about himself/herself all
evening without giving the other
person opportunities to contribute,
it's boring! Likely he/she won't be
excited about a second date.
(b) is guaranteed to turn
him/her off.
(d) You might feel that by
talking about past conquests you
sound cool and bad, but it can
lead to embarrassing complications
for both of you.
n interesting
conversation takes
at least two
people. Don't talk
about yourself all
evening.
2. (b) and (c) OK.
(a) is a no-no, especially on a
first date. Steer clear of the
personal stuff on a first date.
3. (a) is great. Everyone likes to
be complimented.
(b) is awkward. No matter
how badly you want to know how
he/she likes your new polo shirt,
to ask sounds as though you're
begging for a compliment.
(c) making suggestions on
how your date could improve
his/her appearance is a put-down
against how he/she looks now.
4. (b) is your best bet. You can't
go wrong being courteous and
considerate. Manners reveal the
quality of person you are.
(a) Relax is good, as long as
you don't forget to be a gentleman
or a lady, as the case may be. If
LISTEN/JANUARY-1997
you treat your date as you would
your "good buddy," he/she might
suggest you spend the evening
with someone else.
(c) Trying too hard to be the
life of the party often leads to
making a fool of yourself, especially if drinking or drugs are
involved. Nothing strips the
glamour from a date faster than an
inebriated date.
(d) is downright stupid.
Either your date will be turned off
by your passes or expect a whole
lot more from the date than you
planned. Both results could be
disastrous to your budding relationship.
5. (c) Dealing with ex-flames
can be tricky. The secret is to treat
your ex as you'd want him/her to
treat you, with dignity and grace.
To ignore him/her would be tasteless and immature. To talk about
him/her and about your relationship together to your new interest
would be crude and boring.
6. All of the answers are correct.
(a) Drinking and driving
never mix. Even without mixing
drinks with automobiles, a date
will be more fun and much more
memorable without the booze.
(b) If you want this date to
like you, foul jokes and swearing
will tarnish his/her view of you.
They will make you appear tasteless and classless.
(c) Admiring yourself in every
mirror you pass will say to your
date that you are shallow and conceited, hardly a person he/she would
enjoy getting to know better.
(d) When you're on a date,
your attention should be focused
on that date, no matter how
tempting the competition might
appear to be. Just plain good
manners! ri
rying too hard
to be the life of
the party often
leads to making a
fool of yourself.
1
WHY WAS SARAH CRYING?
LARSJUST INEN
WAS SOMEONE MISTREATING HER?
S arah, I can barely hear you,"
Lisa said a little louder than
normal, pressing the receiver
tightly to her ear.
"Can you meet me at the
bleachers before school?" was
the whispered reply.
"Sure, but what's going on?"
"I have to go."
The dial tone replaced Sarah's
voice, leaving Lisa to wonder why
Sarah was crying. Probably over
another fight with Richard, she
thought, determined to find Sarah
someone better.
Pulling into the student
parking lot, Lisa smiled at Tyler
and cruised into the parking space
he was about to fill. "Sorry," she
called, "but first come, first get."
"I wasn't aware it applied to
stealing someone's space when
they're about to pull in," he called
out. "Where's Sarah?"
"Probably at the bleachers. I'm
supposed to meet her there before
school."
"I bet she wants to talk about
me," he said, shielding his eyes
from the sun. "I'll give you a few
minutes, then I'll suddenly pop
in."
Lisa was about to object when
Tyler pulled forward, looking for
another vacant space. She started
walking to the bleachers, determined to tell Sarah that Tyler still
loved her.
Lisa gasped when she saw
Sarah. "What happened . . . did
someone hit you? Was it Richard?"
"No, we broke up last night."
"Don't protect him, Sarah. If
he's beating you, we have to . . ."
"It was my father," Lisa inter-
rupted. "He's never hit me before
where anyone could see the bruises
. . . until last night. I need to
borrow your makeup, Lisa."
"Oh, no, you have to go to
the hospital, then to the police to
report this. He has to be arrested
for what he's done to you."
"Lisa, let me handle this,"
Sarah mumbled. "I've been going
through it since my mother died.
But after graduation next week,
I'm leaving for good."
"How long has this been
going on, Sarah?"
"Too long," she replied. "My
mother used to take most of his
abuse. But after she died, there
was no one left to protect me."
"Why does he do it?"
"He's an alcoholic, and when
he has too much to drink he turns
violent. The least little thing will
set him off, and no one can stop
him."
"The police can."
"Lisa, you're my best friend,
and I expect you to keep my
secret. After next week I'll be gone,
and he'll never find me. We're
going to be late for class, so may I
use your makeup?"
Lisa was digging through her
purse looking for her makeup bag
when Tyler rounded the corner,
exclaiming, "Well, fancy meeting
you two here. What's going on, a
meeting of great minds?"
Lisa watched Sarah turn her
back on Tyler, keeping her face
hidden. "Tyler," chided Sarah,
"this isn't the best time to . . ."
But Tyler turned Sarah around
and exclaimed, "What in the . . ."
"It's nothing, Tyler," Sarah
said. "Just go to class and forget
what you saw."
"Sarah, who did this to you?"
he asked.
"Don't ask, because I won't tell
you. Just leave me alone; I know
what I'm doing."
"It doesn't look as though you
do," he argued, swallowing his
indignation. "You're letting
yourself be used as a punching
bag."
"It's going to stop."
"I'll bet," he mumbled. "What
did your father say about your
bruises?"
Lisa looked at Sarah, realizing
he thought the bruises had come
from Richard, and motioned with
her eyes for her to tell him the
truth.
"Tyler, leave me alone. I don't
want or need your help," Sarah
told him. "Why can't you stay out
of things that don't concern you?"
Before he could respond, she
grabbed the makeup bag and ran
into the building.
"Tyler, she didn't mean what
she said."
"Oh, I think she meant every
word, Lisa. I'll see you later."
As she headed to her first
class, Lisa couldn't shake the
memory of Tyler's eyes. Laced with
anger and pain, they were the eyes
of a man with too many feelings
inside. And she couldn't help wondering what a man in love would
do to protect his woman.
After school Lisa finally found
Sarah huddled in a corner of the
locker room. "Are you all right,
Sarah?" she asked.
"I don't think I can go home,"
BY SHERRY CLAYTON
LISTEN/JANUARY-1997
she stammered, wiping tears from
her cheeks.
"Come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"For a ride," she said, leading
her to the parking lot. While she
drove, Lisa remained silent, giving
Sarah time to think. Then she
remembered something Sarah said,
and turned at the next corner. Six
blocks later she parked and started
climbing out of the car.
"What are we doing here?"
Sarah asked, looking at the tombstones.
"We're going back to your
past," Lisa said, as they walked to
an unmarked grave. "You need
your mother now."
"She tried to make him stop,"
Sarah said, looking at the flowerless grave.
"Why didn't she turn him in?"
"She did once," Sarah
admitted. "But the end result of
that phone call landed her in the
hospital for two weeks with a
compound fracture to her left arm.
You can't imagine what the pain,
both emotional and physical, is
like."
"Why haven't you run away,
Sarah?"
"Because I want to graduate
with my friends, at our school.
When my mother died, I thought
things would change," she
admitted. "And for a while they
did. I only have a week to go
before I leave for good."
"Sarah, why are you staying
there?"
"Because of a promise I made
to my mother before she died. I
told her I'd stay with my dad until
I graduated. She hoped I could
change him. I can't break my
promise, and I'm determined to
stay, no matter what."
"Do you think you'll make it?"
"I have to," she said, looking
at her watch. "Lisa, I have to go. I
have to get my father's dinner on
the table before he gets home."
For the next week Lisa didn't
12
T'S NOTHING". •
SARAH SAID.
"JUST GO TO
CLASS AND
FORGET WHAT
YOU SAW."
Srisee or hear from Sarah. On graduation day she searched the familiar
faces of her classmates for her, but
Sarah was nowhere in the crowd.
Someone called her name, and
she turned to look into the red
eyes of Tyler McRay. "Why didn't
you tell me it was Sarah's father
who beat her up?"
"You'd better get in line,
Tyler," a classmate said.
"Graduation is ready to start."
"I just came from the
hospital," Tyler continued. "That's
where Sarah's father put her. She
has a broken arm and two broken
ribs, and her face looks like that of
a prize-fighter who lost a match."
"Where is her father?"
"In jail, but it's not doing
Sarah much good. All she's
thinking about is missing her
graduation. Oh . . . she wanted me
to tell you she almost made it. She
said you'd understand," he said,
slipping on his graduation gown.
"But I'll never understand your
silence. You, of all people, know
how much I care for Sarah. You
should have told me. I'll never
forgive you for remaining silent."
Lisa watched him walk to the
other end of the stage, knowing he
was right. As they lined up on
stage, she knew something had to
be done. It was too late to help
Sarah, but it might not be too late
for someone else. While the principal spoke, Lisa glanced at Tyler.
Before he looked away she saw the
anger and hurt in his eyes.
Just after the principal introduced their valedictorian, Lisa
stood up. Ignoring stares and
whispers from her fellow classmates, she stepped to the microphone, took a deep breath, and
started to speak.
"Something has happened to
mar our graduation, and it should
be brought to everyone's attention
before it's too late," she began.
"Sarah Mills has been hospitalized,
but not from an accident or
illness. Sarah's father used her as
his personal punching bag, and
she's in the hospital rather than
with her graduating class. Sarah
told me about the beatings a week
ago, but swore me to secrecy.
Instead of telling someone who
could have helped her, I honored
her request. By doing that, I
almost cost Sarah her life. I want
everyone to know that no one has
the right to hurt another human
being. I only hope if any here are
in the same position Sarah was,
they will tell someone before it's
too late. Because even fists have
the potential to kill."
A hush fell in the auditorium
as Lisa stepped away from the
microphone. Suddenly Tyler stood
and began clapping. Then all their
classmates stood and clapped with
him. After a long time the principal ordered silence and started
handing out the diplomas.
When he called Sarah's name,
everyone stood and applauded.
Lisa started forward to accept her
diploma, but stopped when she
saw Tyler pointing behind her.
Turning around, she saw Sarah in
a wheelchair being pushed onto
the stage by a nurse.
Lisa walked over and stood
behind her. Sarah tapped her arm,
and Lisa leaned down to hear her.
"Thanks for what you said. I
hope it helps someone."
Lisa squeezed her good hand,
then wheeled her to the center of
the stage. Stepping to the side, she
started clapping for Sarah, the girl
who had made it to her graduation
after all. FA
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
I
BR9THERI
"WHAT ARE YOU, A WIMP?" TAUNTED JACOB
ILLUSTRATION: RANDY JAMISON
FRIENDS
fter being in and out of
rehab for more than two
years, Ray started classes at
a new school. However, no
one at the new school
made any effort to talk to him. Oh,
he more or less knew a few guys who
used to hang out with his brother
Frankie when he was alive. But they
would only say hi to Ray in the halls.
They had other friends and could
care less about him.
Then one day in history class he
felt someone tap his shoulder. The
boy was dressed in torn jeans, concert
shirt, leather coat, and high tops. "I'm
Jacob," he said. "Why don't we hang
around together after school?"
"Sure," said Ray, trying not to act
anxious to have someone to talk to.
"Meet me by the front doors
after school." Jacob tapped his
shoulder with his pencil.
"OK," Ray said, giving him a
thumbs-up. He could have jumped
out of his seat, he was so happy to
have someone to hang out with. Even
if he did dress differently, it didn't
matter. Ray had seen Jacob a couple
times in town smoking a joint with
some friends. But Ray didn't want to
question him about it for fear of
losing his new friendship.
After school they met at the front
doors. "You got a car?" Jacob asked.
"No. You?" Ray kicked a rock.
"Nope. It looks like we're on
foot. As usual." Jacob lit up a cigarette. "You want one?"
"No, thanks." Ray noticed Jacob
held it the same way he held his
joints.
They wandered around town a
few hours; then Ray had to get home.
And that was pretty much the
pattern for about a month or so.
Once Jacob had offered Ray a joint.
Ray said no. And Jacob never hassled
him about smoking one afterward.
One day while they were
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
•
1 11
\N.
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY PAST, JACOB."
tramping around, Jacob said, "Hey.
I'm going over to a friend's house.
Why don't you come along?"
Ray hesitated before answering.
"Nah. I think I'll just stay home."
"You're always staying home
when I want you to go visit my
friends. Come on. You need to get
out and have some fun. What do you
say? The only time I see you out is
when you're with me. If you say no,
I'll come over and drag you out of the
house. You know I will." Jacob
grinned.
Ray thought, If I say no, that'll
probably be the end of our friendship.
If I say yes and go, will he expect me to
do what the rest will be doing? Surely
everyone doesn't do what he does. Do
they? And it would be a good way to
make some more friends. "OK, I'll go,"
he said at length.
"Great. I'll see ya tonight at 7:30.
I need to go, but I'll see ya later.
13
Seven-thirty; don't forget."
Ray looked at the joint in his
"All right," Ray said, watching
hand, then back at the others.
Jacob hurry off. He really didn't like
Suddenly he threw it on the floor and
stepped on it.
to go out much. He was always afraid
someone was going to pressure him
Brad looked at Ray. "What the ... ?
into doing drugs or something else he Do you know how much that stuff
chose not to do. He'd been in rehab
costs?"
long enough to know the danger
Ray turned and left quickly.
signs. He almost thought about not
"Hey, man. Wait up!" Jacob
meeting Jacob, but that wouldn't have yelled, running after Ray. "What's
been right.
your problem?"
He met Jacob at their usual spot,
"What's my problem? What's
the playground by the merry-goyours?" Ray shoved him. "If it had
round, between their houses. From
been just you and me, you wouldn't
there they moved on to Jacob's
have cared if I'd wanted a hit or not.
friend's house.
You get around your friends, and
"Ray, this is Bob, Steve, and
you're a totally different person.
Brad. Guys, this is Ray." Jacob
You're not at all like the person I
introduced them to each other.
know when it's just you and me. Go
"Hi," Ray said nervously.
on back to your friends.
"Hey." They all nodded
I'm going home."
HE HELD IT CLPIER T9
Rfilrf RICE. "DIME 9N.
THE fl HIT," 13913
laillialliftliallaM1111110111111111111111MMOIAMIIIIIIM
their heads.
Ray felt out of place. They all
dressed similar to Jacob and acted
like him.
"Come on in. The party's just
beginning," Bob said as they went
into his house.
There was a small party going
on. Ray, Jacob, Bob, Brad, and Steve
stood over in a corner next to a table.
Bob lit up a joint and began to pass it
around. Ray shook his head no when
Bob offered it to him.
Bob held it closer to Ray's face.
"Come on. Take a hit."
"No. I don't want to." Ray
looked at Bob.
"What's the matter? You afraid?"
Brad asked in a smart voice.
"No. I just don't want to." Ray
knew he should have never agreed to
come.
"You're making me look bad in
front of my friends," Jacob whispered.
"Come on. Take a hit. You'll like it."
Bob handed him a lit joint.
"Here, just try it."
14
"You could have at least taken
one hit, and they wouldn't have given
you any hassle." Jacob turned Ray
back around to face him.
"I didn't want to. If you were any
kind of friend, you would have
backed me up. Instead you were
afraid of looking bad." Ray stomped
away.
"One hit, that's all. It wasn't like
you were going to die from it. What
are you, a wimp? Are you a mommy's
boy?"
"You don't know anything about
me or my past." Ray began to do a
fast shuffle away from Jacob. "Go on
back to your party and smoke your
joints. You'll end up dead if you keep
doing what you're doing."
Jacob laughed. "I'm not going to
die. You can't die if you know what
you're doing."
"Tell that to my brother," Ray
said, turning to face Jacob. "He died
two years ago from a drug overdose.
We were in the basement with a
couple friends of his. We had some
beer, cocaine, and joints, and who
knows what else. My brother always
got it. He got me to doing drugs too.
I always looked up to him and always
wanted to do the things he did. He
popped a couple different pills and
sniffed some coke. Later he passed
out." Ray paused. "We thought he'd
just passed out, but he was really
dead."
Jacob's mouth hung open. He
didn't say a word.
"I loved my brother, and I didn't
want to end up like him. I tried to
quit cold turkey, but I kept going
back to drugs. I was half dead when I
finally admitted myself to a rehab
center. I vowed never to do drugs
again. Get the picture now?" Ray
stood with his hands on his hips.
"Hey, man, I'm sorry," Jacob
said. "I didn't know."
"I don't like to talk about it. I'm
not exactly proud of myself for what I
was." Ray paused. "I still want to be
your friend. Without you I wouldn't
have any friends at all. You're pretty
cool without drugs, you know." He
put his hand on Jacob's shoulder.
"I guess you're right." Jacob
smiled. "I'm pretty cool." Jacob took
a bag out of his coat pocket. It had
four or five joints in it. He hesitated
before he dropped it on the
pavement. He held his foot up and
just stared at the bag. Suddenly he
slammed his foot down and ground it
from side to side. "I can't believe I
just did that. Do you know how
much that stuff costs?" Jacob looked
at the smashed joints.
"It's a start, but it's going to
take more than that to quit. I'll be
right beside you if you need my
help." Ray placed his hand back on
Jacob's shoulder. He could tell Jacob
was really going to need a good
friend to stick beside him through
his rehab.
"Thanks, but I don't know if I
can do it. I've been smoking joints for
years. It's part of my life." Jacob was
already shaking with apprehension.
"What do you value more, drugs
or your life? If I can quit, you can
too." Ray remembered that line from
the rehab center pep talks.
"I hope you're right." Jacob put
his arm around Ray. "Come on. Let's
go get something to eat, friend." E
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
•
•
•
One day last week I happened to
find my best friend smoking marijuana with some other students
after school let out. She knows my
views against drugs and those who
use them. I hate the thought of
having to end our friendship over
this. What would be the best
thing to do? Kristine
I
admire your stand against
drugs and your decision to not
be a part of this growing and
dangerous trend. The best way to
handle this is to let your friend
know that you are aware of her use
of marijuana and how you feel about
it. Explain your fears about losing this
important relationship, and make a
point of how concerned you are for
her. Letting her know that you will
be there to support her may give her
the confidence needed to enjoy life,
as well as remain a trusted friend of
yours without the need of a moodor mind-altering substance.
PHOTO: EDGUTHERO
I'm worried about the huge drug
problem at my school. It seems to
get worse each year. I respect and
honor my school, but it makes me
sad to see it being used as some
type of a drug haven. Is there
anything that a teenager can do to
address this problem and put an
end to it? Michael
Hooray for you and your willingness
to be a part of the solution instead
of the problem! There are several
things you can do. One is to participate in your school's Student
Prevention Program. If there isn't
one, talk to a counselor or the prinLISTEN/JANUARY•1997
cipal about your desire to stamp out
the problem you see hurting your
school. Second, donate your time
and efforts to the local substance
abuse coalition, the PTSA, or other
community organizations that need
young people like you to offer fresh
and effective ideas. Third, speak out
publicly on the threat of drug use
on campus and elsewhere. Setting
an example and standing up for
what you believe in can generate
positive and miraculous changes.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
o ahead, ask
Gary his advice
Several girls in my high school
classes are involved in taking a
on some of those
•
drug they call "crank" to lose
big, serious, touchy
weight. What is crank and can it
• questions. This guy
do them any harm? Caroline
• enjoys the rough-andLosing a few pounds is the least of
• tumble of helping
one's worries when it comes to
ingesting a substance that could
teens with some
have dire consequences. "Crank" is •
serious problems. Gary
an illegal drug, classified as a
•
Somdahl is a dad who
methamphetamine. A powerful
stimulant, it has been used by many • puts his skills as a
to increase stamina and stay awake,
as well as decrease appetite. Healthy • licensed youth
ways to lose weight without the
chemical dependency
need to self-medicate include
•
counselor to the realexercise and eating nutritious and
•
balanced meals. All stimulants
world test all the
increase heart and respiratory rates, • time. His latest book
elevate blood pressure, and create
anxiety. They have the potential of • is Drugs and Kids.
causing irregular heartbeats, tremors, • '
loss of coordination, and even
physical collapse. At worst, they
•
have been known to result in strokes
or heart failure. Using crank to shed •
pounds in order to look and feel
•
better is a lot like drinking battery
acid to soothe an upset stomach.
•
Send your questions to:
ASK GARY,
Listen magazine,
55 West Oak Ridge Drive,
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740.
15
fIGIIRFSKATING CHAMPION
TONIA
KWIATKOWSKI
c..
7"
.
wenty-five-year-old Tonia
Kwiatkowski came to the
1996 World Figure Skating
Championships in Edmonton,
Alberta, with something to prove.
Something to prove to the judges, to the
other skaters, but most important, to
herself.
Tonia started figure skating at the
age of 5. By 9 she was taking private
lessons from Carol Heiss Jenkins, the
1960 Olympic Gold Medalist, and
dreaming of the day she too would be
chosen to represent the United States in
international competition.
She got her chance in 1993.
Finishing third at the United States
Figure Skating Championships, Tonia
BY ALINA SIVORINOVSKY
16
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
17
qualified to compete at her first
world championship in
Czechoslovakia.
But she left for Prague,
Czechoslovakia, with a very real
concern for the health of her
father, Phil. He was recovering
from bypass surgery, and couldn't
come watch his daughter compete.
Maybe it was worrying about
her dad's health, maybe it was
first-time-at-world nerves;
whatever the cause, Tonia failed to
make it out of her qualifying
round. She was eliminated from
the competition before the
opening ceremonies.
Tonia remembers that
moment of her heartbreak. "It was
very hard. It was hard to sit there
and watch everybody else
compete, knowing that I should be
there. I don't mean to sound conceited, but I'm sitting in the stands
and thinking, Wait a minute; I
should be out there doing that. I
know I skate to the caliber of those
other people. It was frustrating. But
I think it has made me a stronger
person."
Although she considers the
1993 world competition one of
the greatest disappointments of
her career, Tonia didn't let sorrow
keep her from becoming the
United States team's unofficial
cheerleader. Ask her fellow skaters
what they remember best about
Prague, and the answer comes
back, "Tonia's cheering."
When she missed making the
world and Olympic teams in
1994, skating experts whispered
that maybe it was time for Tonia
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE
THINK? YOU HAVE
TO LOOK AT WHAT'S
BEST FOR YOU AND
WHAT'S BEST FOR
YOUR BODY.
18
LISTEN/JANUARY-1997
to quit. After all, how could she
ONIA PROMISES:
expect to succeed if she insisted on
"I'M GOING TO
combining training with being a
full-time student at BaldwinSHOW YOU
Wallace College?
WHAT I CAN DO!"
True, Tonia's course load did
1
cut into practice time. But as her
■
•
own coach insisted, "education is
The 1996 U.S. Nationals
more important than skating. You
marked Tonia's ninth time comcan't skate all your life."
peting in the senior women's
Tonia remembers college as
division. After a second-place
lots of fun. But that fun never
finish in the short program, Tonia
extended to drugs. She explains, "I
drew to skate last in the long
wasn't really interested in all that.
program. No matter what the final
Having so many things to do, I
scores might turn out to be, she
didn't have time to think about it.
wanted to perform a perfect
Sure, there were times when
program—as a birthday gift to her
maybe I wanted to go out and
coach.
party on a Wednesday night.
And so she did.
Everyone else did. They'd say,
"It was one of those things,"
"Come with us." But I had to get
Tonia says. "You're the last one,
up and skate the next morning. If
you're standing backstage, and it's
I went out partying I knew I
so hard to wait that long. To have
would feel rotten, and it would be
a wasted day." As for peer pressure, been able to skate the way I
skated, and having it be on Carol's
Tonia asserts, "Who cares what
birthday, was just amazing. There
other people think? You have to
was the satisfaction of knowing
look at what's best for you and
that I'd worked hard, and this was
what's best for your body. Being
something I accomplished. It was
an athlete, I know that drugs and
one of the greatest feelings I've
alcohol are not best for me. The
ever had in skating."
most important thing is to feel
Finally after two years Tonia
comfortable with your decision,
had a national silver medal and a
and be confident in your choices."
chance to return to world compeTonia felt quite confident in
tition. But first she needed once
her choice to combine skating
again to face the dreaded qualifywith school, and ignoring suggesing round.
tions to pick one or the other, she
Naturally the disappointment
graduated from college in June of
of
1993
was still in the back of her
1994 with a degree in communimind. "Sure, I think about it," she
cations and psychology. She also
says. "It was very hard to get over.
found time to win a silver medal
But I'm excited to be here, and I
at a competition in France.
know what to do not to make it
Then in 1995 she missed
happen again. I'm a completely
making the world team by only
different person from whom I was
one spot. Once again, instead of
in 1993. I've graduated from
feeling sorry for herself, Tonia
college, and I'm more mature in
accepted an invitation to compete
that I know what I want, and I
at World University Games, an
know how to achieve it better now
exclusive event open to that rare
than I did then. I know life isn't
student/athlete. She executed a
always going to be easy."
pair of error-free programs and
For the 1996 season Tonia
won the gold medal. That victory
choreographed a new long
gave her a boost of confidence,
program, adding a difficult, second
plus motivation to keep skating.
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
triple lutz jump. But her biggest
change was a change in attitude.
In 1996 she decided to have fun.
"I'm doing something I love,
so I might as well make the best of
it. No one makes me go out there
and skate. No one tells me that I
have to train. I want to do it. As
far as psyching myself, the key is
to focus on what I need to do. I
do visualizations of the program
the night before. I visualize a clean
program over and over. Being at
world is exciting, but you still have
to skate. You still have a job to do."
Although shaky on a few
jumps, Tonia survived the qualifying round. Next she skated a
perfect short program, followed by
an equally flawless long. In her
first formal appearance at the
world championships, Tonia
Kwiatkowski finished in eighth
place.
Her joy as she got off the ice
lit up the Edmonton arena. And
her popular status as the sport's
"Miss Congeniality" was evidenced
by the number of skaters from all
different countries running up to
offer their congratulations.
Tonia plans to stay competitive through 1998. She's already
missed one Olympics. She has no
intention of sitting out another
one. "I learned that if you work
hard and train hard, it makes it
easier to perform well. There's a
mental toughness. Having that has
made me a much stronger person.
It builds character."
It has also convinced Tonia
that she is more than capable of
competing against the strongest
skaters in the world.
Going into the next U.S.
championship scheduled for
February, she promises, "I'm going
to show you what I can do!"
Of course, with her winning
attitude and never-say-die spirit,
Tonia Kwiatkowski has already
proved what she can do. And by
her example she has inspired
others to do the same. ri
19
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A_Ail
I push things from here to there—
I've been almost everywhere.
I can get through a tiny little crack,
When people try to keep me back.
People hate me in the winter,
Just because I make it bitter.
I can dance on the top of trees,
For I am but a little breeze.
Brooke Scurry, 16
Fayetteville, Georgia
MT-ENING
FEEDBACK FROM READERS •
*************
I Wish I Had a Pen
I wish I had a pen
like the ones in cartoons.
Then I could draw a black hole
and make summer come soon.
A pen that's truly mightier than the sword;
then I could fight the evil horde.
I wish I had a pen
that would finish my homework, whether I'm
there or not,
and would make the needle smaller when I have
to get a shot.
A cartoon pen—
one of these would be just fine,
just not a pen that always runs out of ink . . .
like mine!
Andy Rappe, 16
Fayetteville, Georgia
•
•
•
• l is
the season for snow and ice.
• Christmas and New Year's are very nice,
• But I like this time of year best of all,
•
Because it's time to play basketball.
Basketball is fun and quick.
•
You have to be fast and slick.
•
It takes five players to make a team;
•
Up and down the court we run and scream.
• We dribble and pass on the hardwood floor,
•
ILLUSTRATIONS: DARRELTANK
BALL
Looking for a chance to shoot and score.
HEY, MAN
• The ball goes up and around the rim,
You are one ugly fellow.
You're always running after something,
and you're hardly ever home.
But when you are,
You're always making noise.
Can't you just shut up and sit still for one minute?
Drooling, barking—what more can you expect
when you have a dumb old dog!
Aaron Vacek, 18
• Then down through the net in the noisy gym.
• The score is tied; the coach hasn't said a word.
Hutchinson, Minnesota
20
•
•
•
•
•
Our defense is dying; we need Larry Bird.
I dribble down the court hoping to win
the game.
The ball goes in the hoop, and I get all the fame!
Kevin McElwee, 14
Syracuse, New York
LISTEN/JANUARY-1997
CRIES OF THE •
HOLOCAUST:
Families were ripped apart
While gunshots rang through towns.
We say we will remember,
Yet the cries of the Holocaust still sound.
•
•
•
•
Graves were dug for the dead,
Note to Myself
But their spirit never died.
None who entered death camps were spared;
Memories were the only thing that survived.
The voices of the children were seldom heard,
And to their captors each was just a number.
The tortures they faced were worse than death;
All their hopes were torn asunder.
The faces of many were stained by hunger and pain;
And the dreams of all were shattered.
Staying alive was a slight part of living,
• Take a look inside yourself—
• What is really there?
• Lonely life,
• Lonely girl,
• Not going anywhere.
• Maybe you grew up too fast
•
But believing in God was all that really mattered. •
Families were ripped apart,
•
While gunshots rang through towns.
•
We say we will remember,
•
Yet the cries of the Holocaust still sound.
•
Adrienne Schneier, 15
•
Short Hills, New Jersey
To take the time to see
That being on your own is not
What it's cracked up to be.
So now you take a look inside
A life you thought you knew.
Where have all the fun and games
Ever gotten you?
Settle down,
• Relax,
PHOTO: ED GUTHERO
I WONDER
I know I waste a lot of time
striving to be free.
I spend a lot of time as well
second-guessing me.
But I often wonder if the score
would even in the end
If I could just allow myself
to be my own best friend.
Marcia Leaser
Fremont, Ohio
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
• Stay home once in a while.
• Change your ways;
• Change your friends;
• Try to change your style.
• Hold on to your love of you.
• Wash away your fear.
• Your past is part of yesterday;
• Your future is so near.
•
•
Elizabeth Robinson, 18
Toronto, Ontario
21
XP OR
A
"NATURALLY" DANGEROUS
If it's advertised in magazines and sold in stores, it has to be
safe, right? Unfortunately, wrong!
eventeen-year-old high
school student Evan
Toussiant nearly checked
out by accident a few
weeks ago. He bought
some Ultimate Xphoria
in a health food store and took
eight pills double the recommended
dose. If four worked, he figured,
eight would work even quicker and
better, wouldn't they? He was looking
for a "high," and the product's ads
said it was legal and natural.
When Evan woke up early the
following morning, he felt as though
"acid was burning through his
intestines." Because his mother
rushed him to an emergency room,
he lived to know better than mess
with the "Ultimate."
Peter Schlendorf was not so
lucky. The 20-year-old college
student died after taking the same
dosage of the same herbal product.
His friends found his body in his
Florida motel room during spring
break.
Both these young men thought
the product was legal and safe.
Legal. Safe. Natural—yes, but
then so is death.
The herbal supplements are
legal, and that's one big reason for
their popularity—especially with
teens. As for safe, according to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Peter's death is just one of 15
recently linked to herbal products
that contain ephedrine. And there
have also been 400 less serious
reactions during the past three
S
22
RECENTLY 15 DEATHS
HAVE BEEN LINKED
TO PRODUCTS THAT
CONTAIN EPHEDRINE.
years involving these same
products.
Called Ultimate Xphoria or
Herbal Ecstacy, Ripped Fuel or
Metabolift, they can be ordered
through the mail or bought off the
shelf. They promise things like
increased energy, a legal "high,"
weight control, and enhanced
athletic performance. Mahuang, a
Chinese herb, is their main ingredient, and it contains ephedrine, a
stimulant. Some of these products
also contain caffeine for a double
whammy.
Ephedrine is found in asthma
drugs and decongestants. According
to experts it can raise blood
pressure, cause palpitations, nerve
damage, muscle injury, psychosis,
stroke, and memory loss. Taking
these pills has been compared to
running a marathon. A few can do
it; most can't.
If it's advertised in magazines
and sold in stores, it has to be safe,
right? Unfortunately, wrong!
Congress loosened regulations
for traditional herbs after a massive
"write-in" from herb enthusiasts.
The result is a big loophole that
allows anyone with a pill-making
machine and an eye for a buck to
go into business. For years the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
didn't know what to do about
products like these. While prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs
had to be proven safe and effective,
and foods had to meet manufacturing standards and be safe to eat,
there was no place for plant
products that claimed to heal. Now
companies don't have to prove their
products are safe. The FDA has to
prove that they are unsafe!
A spokesperson for the Center
for Science in the Public Interest
says that in 1994 a law pushed by
the dietary supplement industry
prevents the FDA from regulating
herbal remedies as drugs. As drugs,
they would force the FDA to show
that a product is not safe if used as
directed before it can be pulled
from the shelves. Let the buyer
beware!
The number of dangerous
reactions is actually much larger
than reported, according to many
experts. Often young people may
fail to see a connection between a
product they take and an illness or
injury that follows. But clear-cut
cases of harm are not hard to come
by. An amateur weight lifter
suffered a heart attack after taking
five capsules of Metabolift.
It's true that the manufacturers
print proper dosage and warnings
on their labels. Unfortunately,
labels may not be backed up with
evidence, and most people still
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
e3
• Looking for "increased energy," an amateur
weightlifter suffered a heart attack
after taking five capsules ofMetabolift
believe that any pill sold is a safe
pill approved by the government.
Partly because of the teenager
who died after having used an
ephedrine-based pep pill, the state
of Ohio has declared all these
products "controlled substances
that can be sold only by a pharmacist." Texas and other states are
considering similar laws.
One Chinese-born scientist
says that in traditional Chinese folk
medicine mahuang was used only
for the treatment of colds, fever,
and restricted breathing. Promises
of enhanced energy, weight control,
etc., were never made.
Many of the modern products
sold today also contain kola nut
and guarana, additional sources of
caffeine. The Herbal Research
Foundation says the typical mahuang
herb capsule has two to 15 milligrams of ephedrine (in a 500milligram capsule). If the capsules
have concentrated extracts of the
plant or are spiked with synthetic
ephedrine, the amounts can be
much higher. In fact, FDA analysis
found capsules with as much as 55
milligrams of ephedrine. That is
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
DANGER ...DA
double the amount in a prescription
asthma tablet.
Within 20 minutes of taking
an ephedrine-based stimulant, users
feel a jump in heart rate and blood
pressure. In some people, that can
bring on a heart attack, seizure, or
stroke.
Concerned by the deaths and
sicknesses that have occurred, the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has warned people not to use
products with ephedrine that
promise euphoria. Some of them
are clearly just recreational drugs
masquerading as dietary supplements.
Of course, the supplement
craze itself is not confined to teens.
People who want to lose weight,
bulk up, soothe nerves, or stave off
the AIDS virus are turning to
natural remedies as never before.
Americans spend $6 billion every
year on nutritional products—
everything from vitamins and
minerals to herbs, seeds, pollens,
oils, and enzymes. The truth is that
many of them are drugs.
According to health experts, a
number of other commonly used
herbs can be dangerous: chaparral,
an evergreen desert shrub, may
cause liver damage. Comfrey, a
coarse, hairy perennial whose leaves
and roots are used in folk medicine,
may be safe to treat a wound, but if
swallowed, the chemicals it
contains could "gum" up the liver,
cutting off its blood supply. Canada
has banned it, and most European
countries regulate the concentrations in which it is sold, but in the
U.S. it is still readily available.
Pennyroyal, a member of the mint
family, in amounts of less than a
teaspoon can cause liver damage,
coma, convulsions, and death.
Herbal supplements like
Xphoria have become big business.
They can be expensive to us, and
even worse, mislead you with false
promises. There are no guarantees
that what you read on a label is
what you get! It's far better and
much safer to stick to these triedand-true rules for optimum health
IJ Eat a variety of foods.
r:11 Exercise.
I:I Get enough rest.
And these rules will work. I
guarantee it. ri
23
13a
OPPOSITE)
PHOTO: ALBELLO/ALLSPORT (
However you spell it, water polo is FUN
t's like hockey—sort of.
Except you don't use a
stick, and you play in a
pool. So it's actually like
soccer, except you can use
your hands but not your
feet. So maybe it's more like basketball, but with six players
instead of nine, and most of the
real action takes place under water.
We're talking about water
polo—a sport all its own, unique
to the world of competition and
physical fitness. Like many sports,
it's a game of strength, quickness,
and endurance. But water polo
requires players to be all of this
while constantly treading water.
Which accounts for their incredible stamina and near-perfect
bodies. More on that later.
BY
Interestingly enough, water
polo was first played on the rivers
and lakes of eleventh-century
England as an aquatic version of
the equally unique sport of rugby.
Early games used inflated, vulcanized rubber balls imported from
India, and known as pulu (the
Indian word for "ball").
Pronounced "polo" by the English,
both the ball and the game
became better known as "water
polo."
In 1870 the London
Swimming Association developed
a set of water polo rules for indoor
swimming pools, hoping to attract
spectators. At first players scored
by planting the ball on the end of
the pool with both hands. A
typical trick of the players was to
SHE LLIE
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
M
place the five-to-nine-inch ball
inside their swimsuit and dive
under the murky water, then
appear again as near the goal as
possible. A player who came up
too near the goal was promptly set
upon by the goalie, who was permitted to stand on the pool deck.
Games were sometimes more like
aqua gang warfare, with players
ignoring the ball in preference of
underwater wrestling matches.
Such battles sometimes ended with
one contestant floating to the
surface unconscious!
(Continued on p. 28)
• (Opposite): U. S.A. Water Polo Team
member Cohn Keely says, "Fortunately,
there are not a lot of drugs in this
sport." (Above): 1995 U.S.A. Pan
American Games Team.
FREY
25
Prime
REAL PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST DRUGS
EXCHANGING THE WORLD
BY KRISTEN J . GHESQUIERE
ecky Bertrand was having
lunch with some friends when
someone mentioned a Youth for
Understanding presentation scheduled
for that afternoon. Thinking it
sounded like a good excuse to miss
her last class, she signed up. Big
things followed, and a few months
later Becky boarded a plane to
Belgium, where she spent a year living
with another family, making new
friends and learning to speak Dutch.
Youth for Understanding (YFU)
is an international nonprofit student
exchange organization. With offices in
40 countries around the world, YFU
is dedicated to "creating a more
PHOTOS: C/O THE AUTHOR
B
Youth for Understanding (YFU)
offers exchange students a new
perspective.
"THE WORLD IS SO
MUCH BIGGER
THAN NORTH
AMERICA."
Becky Bertrand,
Exchange Student,
Belgium
26
peaceful, cooperative world through
greater understanding and friendship."
Since 1951 more than 175,000
students have taken part in YFU
exchanges. An international network
of volunteers helps to organize and
support these students and their host
families.
"I am having the time of my
life," Becky writes from Belgium. "I
am really finding out who I am by
how I handle and react to everything,
and by being on my own and seeing
how I pull through." This growing
self-confidence is typical for teens who
take part in the program. American
overseas recruitment manager Manjula
Pindiprolu says, 'A lot of them feel
more confident. If they can go to a
new country where they don't even
know the language, and they can do
well there for a summer, or a semester
or a year, then they feel as though
they can do anything."
Living in another country has
also given Becky a new perspective on
international issues. "I've really
learned a lot about other countries
and cultures: Kazakhstan, Finland,
Australia, Brazil, Slovakia. It's been a
point of immense growing, to learn
about these cultures and be open to
them," she says. Bob Poel, the
regional director in Seattle who spent
several years working with YFU in
Belgium, feels that this cultural perspective is one of the most important
things that YFU offers students. "The
differences between countries and
cultures are becoming more important
as we have more contact with each
other. Our young people need to be
aware of these differences without
making judgments," he maintains.
Youth for Understanding offers
educational opportunities that simply
aren't available at home. National
director Doug Soffer points out that
for teens today much learning is
passive: sitting in a classroom,
watching videos and television. Youth
for Understanding allows them to
learn about themselves in a completely
new environment. "It's very experiential, and it's not something that's
available in our everyday life," says
Doug. Many colleges and universities
recognize the value of these unique
learning opportunities, and give preference to YFU alumni.
Despite the tremendous benefits,
LISTEN/JANUARY1997
an overseas exchange experience is not
always easy. Adjusting to a new
country, new friends, a new school,
and a new language is very challenging. "I've learned what it's like to be
the new kid," Becky says. Things like
"not knowing anybody, and not being
able to read signs and food labels."
Living with a new family can be
challenging too. "I live with a young
couple," says Becky. "They have no
children, so it's been more of an
adjustment for them than for me—
I've had parents!" She continues, "You
have to be careful not to compare
your host family with your biological
family. They have different rules and
expectations, and different ways of
doing things."
Students attend a number of
orientation sessions to help them cope
with these family challenges. "My
second week here we all met in
Holland for a weeklong language and
orientation camp," says Becky. "Then
in March we went to London for five
days. Youth for Understanding organizes some kind of get-together almost
once a month. Meeting other
exchange students is a real highlight...
I've made friends from all over the
world."
Another challenge for many
students begins before they ever leave
home. They have to raise the money
to pay the Youth for Understanding
program fees and other living
expenses. "Fund-raising can be part of
the whole experience," says Brenda
Potter at the YFU office in Canada.
"Whole families get involved." To
make it easier, YFU provides information about fund-raising and also offers
some financial aid to students who
need it. "It's our goal to provide the
opportunity for this program to as
many teens as possible who qualify,"
says national director Soifer.
So who qualifies? You must be
between 15 and 18 years old, in good
health, and meet minimum GPA
requirements. Once you meet the
basic requirements and pass through
the interview process, the programs
are filled on a first-come, first-served
basis. It's best to apply in the fall
when Youth for Understanding begins
distributing information about
programs for that year. The deadline
for most programs is April 1, but
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
popular programs will be filled much
earlier. You can find out more about
upcoming programs by calling their
toll-free number: 1-800-TEENAGE
(1-800-833-6243).
"Going overseas for an extended
period of time seems daunting," says
Manjula Pindiprolu. "It may seem like
something you cannot do, but it isn't.
•
• • • • • • • • • •
We've had 175,000 teenagers do this.
If nothing else, you will go overseas,
make new friends, and expand your
horizons. It's the kind of experience
you'll never have if you stay home."
"This experience has changed the
way I look at things," says Becky.
"The world is so much bigger than
North America."
E
OOOOO • • • • •
PLAN FOR SUCCESS
BY BOB SPARENBERG
Speaker for Concepts in Prevention, U.S.A.
A self-motivated adolescent with a
n. plan for life is far less a candidate
for drug use than a youngster with no
motivation plans. A typical teen
watches 40 hours of TV a week. That
is why Concepts in Prevention (CIP),
U.S.A. seeks constantly to motivate
and encourage youngsters to get
involved in some worthwhile challenge, teaching them how to rely
upon the potential within themselves
to get it done. "If it's going to be, it's
up to me!" Whatever that "be" is—
lawyer, doctor, athlete, you name it—
start early.
Encouragement can be a great
motivator. I was surprised after one of
our assembly programs when a teacher
came up and said, "We never hear this
kind of drug prevention lecture. This is
good stuff There are many good kids
out there in your audience who just
don't understand the potential they
possess to excel and achieve."
If we can positively change
thinking, we can change a teen's
world. The Listen-Suzuki Dream
Team's "Operation VOICE" motivation program gives kids a new insight
into their potential. The goal is to
instill vision, optimism, idealism,
commitment, and enthusiasm as a
formula for achieving one's goals and
dreams. The use of alcohol, drugs,
and tobacco can quickly turn goals
and dreams into an illusion, and
staying drug-free is an essential part in
their future.
Adults can teach and encourage,
but in the final analysis young
people's own decision-making ability
in this important area will determine
their future. We tell them that "if you
fail to plan, you'd better plan to fail."
We give them the ability to achieve
their goals and dreams and become
model community citizens.
In my motivational presentations
I have relied upon life experiences,
biographical stories, and Listen
magazine. Listen provides the
necessary role models and positive
motivation that can guide an
adolescent through those troubling
years. Distributing Listen magazine
through our drug-education trailer
has given us an extra weapon in the
continuing education of the young
people we contact throughout the
United States.
A few weeks ago the ListenSuzuki Dream Team released its first
video, entitled A Day With the Dream
Team. It presents the work of the
drug-education trailer, and its motivational concept featuring the VOICE
formula for success. We begin with an
assembly program and end with one
of our outside motivational programs.
I share with a school audience the
dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other
drugs. It's all underscored by a performance by the Dream Team. The video
features actual race footage used to
illustrate the importance of a commitment to a drug-free lifestyle. Look for
more on the video in Listen magazine,
along with a special promotional
poster featuring the Listen-Suzuki
Dream Team, the Listen drug-education trailer, and members of the
Seminole County, Florida, Sheriff's,
Department. You'll see the Suzuki
"fighter pilots" in aerial combat
leaping over $90.1,000 worth of
police cruisers.
A
27
WATERPOLO
(Continued from p.25)
Fortunately in recent years the
water polo world has become some
much more civilized. The introduction of the trudgen stroke by
Scottish players tamed the wild
nature of water polo into a game
that emphasized swimming, speed,
and passing. Scottish rules moved
water polo from a rugby variant to
a soccer style of play. The goals
became a cage of 10' x 13', and a
goal could be scored by throwing
the ball. Players could be tackled
only when they "held" the ball,
and the ball could no longer be
taken under the water. The small
rubber ball was also replaced by a
larger leather soccer ball.
Water polo came to the
United States in 1888 and developed its own peculiar variation
resembling American football in
the water. It was generally regarded
as the "roughest game in the
world." By the late 1890s it was
one of the nation's most popular
spectator sports.
Meanwhile, the rest of the
world adopted the Scottish rules:
Hungary in 1889, Austria and
Germany in 1894, France in 1895,
and Belgium in 1900. By the turn
of the century water polo was so
popular that it became the first
team sport added to the Olympic
program. At the 1904 St. Louis
Olympics, only U.S. teams were
willing to compete under the
American rules, and a team from
the New York Athletic Club
defeated the Chicago Athletic
Association for the gold medal.
Then in 1911 the Federation
International De Natacion
Amateur (FINA), the international
governing body for all amateur
aquatic sports, adopted the
Scottish rules for all international
events.
Americans continued to play
by their own rules until 1912,
when instead of playing their
28
BY THE TURN OF
THE CENTURY
WATER POLO WAS
SO POPULAR THAT
IT BECAME THE FIRST
TEAM SPORT ADDED
TO THE OLYMPICS.
semi-final match in the National
Championships tournament, the
New York AC and the Chicago AA
chose to brawl. The Amateur
Athletic Union (AAU) canceled its
sponsorship of the sport until
1914, when American clubs finally
agreed to play under the more
civilized international rules.
Internationally, European
teams have dominated water polo
from the beginning. The United
States is the only non-European
team to medal in international
competition, winning a gold
medal in 1904, silver medals in
1984 and 1988, and bronze
medals in 1924, 1932, and 1972.
As hosts of the just-held 1996
Atlanta Olympic Games, the
United States team automatically
qualified for the Olympics. Top
teams included Spain, Russia,
Hungary, Croatia, Yugoslavia, and
Australia, as well as Germany,
Greece, and Holland.
From the beginning water
polo athletes worldwide have also
gained the reputation of being
among the best-looking competitors in the Olympic Games. They
grace pool decks all over the world
with finely tuned physiques, distinguishing themselves in a sport
that requires the highest levels of
anaerobic and aerobic challenges.
When the Sports Illustrated "30th
Anniversary Swimsuit Issue" hit
the newsstands in February 1994
it featured five U.S. water polo
senior men's national team players.
Troy Barnhart, Chris Duplanty,
Kirk Everist, Rick McNair, and
Alex Rousseau were photographed
with some of the world's female
supermodels, like Kathy Ireland
and Elle Macpherson.
"The toughest decision was
the selection of the five players,"
explained U.S. water polo executive director Bruce Wigo. "Our
entire men's national team is a fine
bunch of men blessed with good
looks. The sport seems to attract
fine-looking athletes who are
extremely bright." Certainly bright
enough to stay away from drugs.
"Fortunately there are not a lot of
drugs in this sport of water polo
and swimming," explains U.S.
national team member Colin
Keely.
Still, in or out of the pool, the
pressures are still out there. "I
think high school is a tough time
for a lot of people," explains the
Stanford All-American. "I've had
friends who have experimented
with alcohol and other drugs who
regretted it either the next day or
ultimately down the road. It's just
not worth it." Colin explains that
the fears of not performing well
and damaging his body helped
keep him away from drugs. But
the important thing to remember,
according to Colin, is that "you're
not alone. The feelings you're
having are the same as I experienced and the same as thousands
of other people during high school
and college. But even though
saying no may be hard at the time,
remember that that time is only
temporary and will go away. The
pressures do get easier as you get
older, because you become more
self-assured and more confident
about your decisions."
No wonder water-ball players
have earned so much well-deserved
respect. And if you haven't yet
developed the appreciation for
water polo, just dive into the nearest
pool and give this hockey/soccer/
basketball-like sport a shot. If you
can tread water for more than the
first minutes, chances are you just
might stay afloat in this sport! ri
LISTEN/JANUARY• 1997
made three consecutive medal round
appearances.
AQUA BALL
OLYMPIC
LI Water polo was the only U.S. men's
team sport to win the gold medal at the
1995 Pan American Games.
TRIVIA
CI U.S. men's teams have won seven
gold, four silver, and one bronze medals
in the Pan American Games.
CI In 1900 water polo was the first team
sport added to the Olympic program.
Today it is widely practiced in more
than 100 countries.
CI The U.S.A. Olympic record:
1904—gold
1920—fourth
1924—bronze
1932—bronze
1952—fourth
1972—bronze
1984—silver
1988—silver
1992—fourth
CI Since the 1980 U.S. Olympic
boycott when U.S. water polo ranked
number one in the world, the team has
TODAY
WATER POLO
IS WIDELY
PRACTICED
IN MORE THAN
100 COUNTRIES
LI The U.S. women's water polo team
won four consecutive bronze medals at
the world championships from 1990 to
1993. Women's water polo is one of
America's fastest-growing sports, and is
bidding, 100 years after the men, for
addition to the Olympic program in
2000.
1:1 Famous water polo players include:
Peter Ueberroth, entrepreneur; Steve
Smith, astronaut; Alexander Fleming,
discoverer of penicillin; Johnny
Weissmuller, "Tarzan."
Li With six gold medals before Atlanta,
Hungary has won the most Olympic
victories of any country.
The Well-sculpted Bodies of the Water Polo World.
"Talk about physically fit!
ILLUSTRATION: RICK THOMSON
These players are the Greek gods
of the modern Olympics, ranking in
the top percentile of aerobic and
anaerobic conditioning among all the
athletes."—Southern Living.
CI Standing at east high above the
crowds that passed beneath the 1984
Olympic gateway on their way to the
Los Angeles Coliseum was the bronze
Goliath representing the ideal male
body of water polo Olympian Terry
Schroeder. Schroeder was selected to
model for Robert Graham's statue
from the pool of all the other 1984
male Olympians. Teammate and twotime Olympian Jody Campbell was
the alternate model if Schroeder had
declined.
I:1A poster of 1984 U.S. men's water
polo team was declared by the Los
Angeles Times as the "unofficial pinup poster" of the XXIII Olympiad.
LISTEN/JANUARY•1997
The 15-man picture turned out to be
the hottest poster of the Summer
Games. So popular that a 1-800
number was quickly established to
handle the demand.
CI USA Today (Sept. 23, 1988), in the
article "Bod-watching: A Sport Unto
Itself," recognized Schroeder as a top
athlete to watch in the Seoul Olympic
Games for his perfect form.
LI 1995 U.S. national team members
Steve Gill and Rick McNair were
selected to appear on the hit TV series
Baywatch.
Li U.S. men's national water polo
players are scheduled to appear in a
1996 Lift magazine pictorial featuring
outstanding musculatures.
1:1 Several water polo Olympians have
modeled in GQ Men's Fitness, Muscle
& Fitness, U Man, Orange Coast
Magazine, and national TV commer-
cials for the Milk Council, Wheaties,
and the Atlantic Committee for the
Olympic Games.
Tips for
Top Water Polo
U.S. national team member Colin
Keely gives aspiring water polo players
the following advice:
❑ "Keep up with your swimming and
build upon that. So much of the game is
based upon swimming. Physical experience can be gained during high school
and college and as you grow physically.
But really concentrating on your
swimming skills will help you a lot."
CI "Water polo is different from other
sports in that you can't just go down
to a basketball court or tennis court
and pick it up. So try to get involved
in summer leagues, or watch and ask
other water polo players for tips and
advice." FA
29
EDITORIAL
JUST BETWEEN US
AM I COOL OR WHAT?
Hold that thought and let me remind you about our famous 'n' fun
Listen T-shirts. We have three great designs. Teens love them. (A certain
teen nephew of mine in Orlando has worn out several already.) We sell
them for only $12.95, and they're a good value at twice the price. And
if you didn't know it, you need to be aware that every published contributor to our Listening column gets a T-shirt as a reward.
And yes, even the editor of Listen magazine wears a T-shirt from
time to time. I've been doing a bit of work recently on our new home,
and you won't believe the questions that I've gotten from builders and
subcontractors. They all want to know more about Listen magazine.
Enough of a buildup. Here's my point for this issue.
Driving to work today, I picked up the tail end of a very interesting
news report from San Francisco. It seems that San Francisco area schools
have banned hats, T-shirts, and sunglasses bearing cigarette logos. You
know the sort of thing I'm talking about—gear promoting "Larry
Llama" or "Joe Camel."
The actual news release from U.S.A. Radio Network says, "The San
Francisco School Board voted 5 to 1 Tuesday night to prohibit students
from wearing clothing or accessories with tobacco logos." The ban was
the result of initiatives by quite a number of community action groups.
What really got things moving was a survey of 1,000 students. Ninetyseven percent of the students who smoke and 73 percent of nonsmoking students said that they knew someone who had bought or received
tobacco-related promotional items. And the tobacco manufacturers still
try to claim that this promotional gear is aimed at adults!
Facts are, advertising pays. Facts are, every time you wear a T-shirt
or some other item of clothing with a specific logo or advertisement on
it you are promoting that product. Advertisers know this. That's why
they pay beaucoup bucks to get their logo on everything from speedboats to motorcars to sports ovals.
Moral of the story: You don't need the sort of stuff bearing tobacco
logos. Show a little individuality and say no to exploitive promotion and yes
to positive choices. And if you must wear a T-shirt, wear a Listen T-shirt!
LINCOLN
Editor Lincoln E. Steed
Editorial Assistant Anita L. Jacobs
ATHLETES
AGAINST
DRUGS
ft.4
,
040)
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR TIM
PREVENTION OF 4COICTiON
TARG ET
o
Oismadlon lisdomo-unror•
MADI
N
YOUTH TO YOUTH
mow
=rEEN to
I
TrEnt)
Irratt,IFt.
STEED
Designer Ed Guthero
Sales Director Ginger Church
Editorial Consultants: Winton Beaven, Ph.D.; Hans Diehl, Dr.H.Sc., M.P.H.; Winston Ferris;
Patricia Mutch, Ph.D.; Thomas R. Neslund; Stoy Proctor, M.P.H.; Francis A. Soper, Litt.D.; Jennifer Acklam;
DeWitt Williams, Ph.D.; Lars Justinen; Ed Guthero.
30
LISTEN/JAN UARY•1997
B
Y
GERTRUDE
KNABBE
Look forward, backward, up, down,
and diagnally to find the words listed below.
ALL ABOUT
BUCKSK INEIGHOOF T
LAKRIHPMCLLATSER
APRSEHOOHFDBITLO
NC lEA I L E ELK I HT ZO
KRELBTNKSAQERPZN
EQTBLACKTNRYABUI
0
2
TEXRNECKNKCABIMM
R T SEHC AK UKRE YMCO
AIPEDEXNTEKRHNEL
IHMDRIOTDGRAINOA
NWUBIIRISUNNPECP
WARQOUACTAILMO
L
OLOLTODMRCXEDUBL
RK AJHDFOALLRJLML
BTNSLEMI CSTAOCEA
SPLEASURENAMOORG
BACK
BAREBACK
BAY
BREAK
BREED
BRIDLE
BIT
BLACK
BLANKET
YE
BROWN
BUCKSKIN
CHEST
CHESTNUT
COLT
CURRY
FLANK
FOAL
GAIT
GALLOP
GELDING
GRAIN
GROOM
HALTER
HIP
HOOF
JUMP
MANE
MARE
MUZZLE
NECK
NEIGH
OATS
PALOMINO
PLEASURE
PONY
RACE
' , want to get with the action. Sign me up. Here's
• $24.97 for a one-year subscription to LISTEN.
Payment enclosed; check or money order
REIN
RIDE
ROAN
RUMP
SADDLE
SHOES
SHOULDER
SIRE
STALL
STALLION
TAIL
TETHER
TRAIN
TROT
WALK
ANSWERS
MAGAZINE
LISTEN MAGAZINE
LISTEN personality features are just one part
P.O. BOX 859, HAGERSTOWN, MD 21741
of a fast-paced, totally relevant magazine that
Name
celebrates positive alternatives for today's teen.
Address
There's a whole year of features, news, stories,
City
Phone(
State
Zip
and just good times ahead for you in a subscription to LISTEN. Why not treat yourself
or a friend to one of life's natural highs!
s
Friends and Brothers
by Becky Geiselman 13
"What are you, a wimp?" taunted Jacob.
LISTEN MAGAZINE.JANUARY 1997. VOLUME 50-NUMBER 1
The Heart of a Winner
by Alina Sivorinovsky 16
Good for a Few Laughs
by K. E. Weiss 2
"Naturally" Dangerous
What do you do for an encore when everyone thinks
you're an ugly loser?
by Jane Scherer 22
Spring Into Action
If it's advertised in magazines and sold 'n
has to be safe, right? Unfortunately, w
by Kay D. Rizzo 5
Twenty-eight ways to defeat the winter blahs.
Secret Silence
by Sherry Clayton 10
Why was Sarah crying? Was someone
mistreating her?
PHOTOS: (TOP): EDGUTHERO, ( RIGHT): ALBELLO/ ALL SPORT ( COVER): C/O A
Figure-skating champion Tonia Kwiatkowski
H2O Ball
by Shellie M. Frey 24
0
However you spell it, water polo is FU
•
•
'beCho\c5
YO! JENNY I Want My Girlfriend Back
CHOICES How to Drive a Date Crazy 8
ASK GARY Best Friend Smoking Marijuana 15
LISTENING 20
PRIME TIMES Exchanging the World 26
JUST BETWEEN US Am I Cool or What? 30
PUZZLE All About Horses 31
ext Month
■ ACTOR ROBERT TOWNSEND
In control of his career.
■ DRUG-PROOF YOURSELF
■ DIVING
Take the plunge into a great sport.
II HONEST
Twelve reasons to tell the truth.
LISTEN/JANUARY1 997