The Dangers of Online Teen Dating

By ANGELICA SANCHEZ Maryanne DeJesus started dating at age 11. That was five years ago. But Maryanne, now 16, learned a lesson: “Don’t start dating online,” she said. “Online dating is dangerous because the person you’re actually talking to can actually be way older than you. In many cases, the start of teen dating comes somewhat with a learning curve–teens may simply not know what they are getting themselves into. Statistics show five percent of online sex predators pretend to be teenagers, according to Online Safety Site, a group that offers outreach in how to protect oneself from the Internet.

Questioning One’s Faith Often Leads With Tough Decisions

By ANGELINNA VERAS Jada Cuveras is a teen attending the Academy of Mount St. Ursula High School, an all-girls Catholic school in Bedford Park, who doesn’t believe that God truly loves us all. “I think He has favorites and chooses who to care for and love,” Jada said when asked about her faith, which she admits is at an all-time low. It seems that attending a Catholic school has not helped her faith at all. “I’m grateful, but I also think He has favorites like the people who are wealthy and are in good health,” Jada said. And in some cases, the loss of faith, or

Fighting With Parents: a Phase Marking the Start of Adolescence

By PAMELA VENTURA About three years ago, Rubi Ventura, 13, went out with her friends. She claims her curfew was set for 10 p.m., though she arrived home at midnight. According to her, the trains were delayed. As soon as she gets home her mother is up waiting for her. That’s when it started. Soon a war of words ignited. They could not agree on anything and it only got worse. “We don’t have a close connection,” said Rubi. “We’re always fighting. She doesn’t understand me.” The kind of argument that is commonplace in Bronx households–adolescents reaching an age of

Bronx School Students Turn Down School Lunch for Junk Food

By LIZIE MENSAH They starve. They eat chips. They drink soda and embrace the sweet life of junk food. It is all they want. But, for some students, it’s their only option since they’re exposed to, in their opinion, the unappealing school lunch that they couldn’t help but turn down. This often creates the un-nutritious cycle that can follow a teen to adulthood. For some students, school lunch isn’t that bad. But for others, the disgust for school lunch is real. That’s the case for Jada Colon, 15, a current freshman at the Academy of Mount St. Ursula (AMSU) High

Even at All-Girls Schools, Females Become Foes and Abandon Sisterhood

By IMANI MALITI Last year, Nyasha Francis, 14, attending the Academy of Mount St. Ursula High School, an all-girls school, was in a school-wide spelling bee. She ultimately won against all her peers from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. When she returned to class, her female teacher exclaimed, “Wow! You’re the top girl in the school.” But the compliment drew aggression from her friend, a female student who went to the same school. It dragged her down, particularly since the hostility came from a friend she admired. This ongoing problem often can play out among rivaling female teens, particularly

By DAVID GREENE This week we asked readers to rate the performance of Mayor Bill de Blasio after a year and a half in office.

Briggs Avenue Wall Gets Mural Makeover Courtesy of Grant

By KIMBERLY JACOBS In May, Samelys Lopez and the Bedford Mosholu Community Association received a $1,250 grant to paint a graffiti mural on a blank wall across from PS 8 on Briggs Avenue at 202nd Street.

As Albany Talks Rent, Tenants Talk Rent Freeze with RGB

By IMANI HALL At the latest Rent Guidelines Board hearing, landlord Al Versace, who has owned buildings in the city for years, fears he will no longer be able to afford to maintain one of his buildings.