World Science Festival Dazzles at Lehman College

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

Families packed the APEX building at Lehman College on Saturday, May 7 to escape the dreary weather and get hands-on with science. Though the annual science festival has taken place in New York City since 2008, this is the first time the event, which demonstrates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in larger-than-life exhibits, has traveled to the Bronx. The visit comes at a time when the borough continues to lag in the number of its residents working in the tech sector. “What we wanted to do is take kids’ natural instinct to touch things and be curious, and use

S.A.F.E. Disposal Bring old medications, fluids (i.e. motor oil, paint) and e-waste (i.e. batteries, computers) to Orchard Beach on May 14 for the annual S.A.F.E. Disposal event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shred Fest Shred old, sensitive documents at Frank Siegel Park, Grand Concourse between 157th and 158th Streets, on May 21, and Triangle Plaza at Co-Op City Boulevard and Rom Bouts Avenue next to Municipal Credit Union on May 22. Both start at 10 a.m. Free Tenant Legal Advice State Senator Gustavo Rivera, 2432 Grand Concourse, suite 506, 5th floor, hosts tenant specialists on Tuesdays (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Editor’s Pick Bronx Week The public is invited to enjoy Bronx Week which takes place from May 5 to 15. Events include outdoor performances, health fairs, and more, culminating on May 15 in the free grand finale which includes Bronx Walk of Fame inductions at the steps of the Bronx County Building on the Grand Concourse at 161st Street (11 a.m.), followed by annual parade at noon (reviewing stand at Mosholu Parkway East at Van Cortlandt Avenue), and food & arts festival and concert on

The Spring 2016 edition of Bronx Youth Heard is out, with stories written by teens, geared for teens. This year we present seven stories crafted by these Bronx Youth Heard reporters, who spent twelve weeks learning the fundamentals of news reporting. They took those skills and crafted these stories we hope you enjoy! Bronx Youth Heard was made possible by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, which publishes the Norwood News. The stories appeared in the Vol. 29 No. 10 edition of the newspaper. The Norwood News wants to publicly thank instructor Matt Surrusco for leading the students towards the road of journalism.

Shorts, shirts, pants and tank tops; everyday pieces of clothing that serve the same purpose. But while one student is told to go home for wearing a certain item of clothing at school, another just skates by. The only difference between the two? Their gender. Dress codes, instituted in various forms, vary in scope and restriction within New York City’s public school system, though the general rule that appropriate attire must be worn applies to all schools. The New York City Education Department, which regulates the school dress code, states on its website that dress codes are intended to “provide

Bronx teenagers are getting hit by Cupid’s arrows. Many teens see being in a romantic relationship as beneficial because it offers them emotional support, care and security. Even though relationships have pros and cons, when speaking with Bronx teens, some dating factors resonate. Teenagers in relationships often develop a sort of dependence on their significant other. Anthony Garriga, a single 17-year-old with past dating experience, said he has developed an attachment to a former girlfriend. “She got to comfort me, and is actually there for me. That’s really all I need from a girl. When my friends aren’t there, she

Working while attending school, overcoming misplaced perceptions, and struggling to learn English often leaves young English language learners (ELLs) with the tough decision on whether or not to stay in school. It’s a decision that frequently hits children of foreign-born parents. “I didn’t know anyone here. Didn’t have any friends,” Lily Rivas, 18, a freshman attending Lehman College, told the Norwood News. “I couldn’t even talk to anyone because they wouldn’t understand [me] and I wouldn’t understand them either.” Rivas, a former English as a second language (ESL) student, graduated from the Leadership Institute High School in the Bronx last

Bronx teenagers crave what the borough has to offer in abundance: fast food. Often, teens prefer to eat a quick, affordable, and convenient meal and the Bronx is meeting that demand. However, many of these teens may be unaware of how various fast food restaurants often use ingredients that contain high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fat, to prepare a meal. The high presence of fast food eateries in the Bronx coincides with the borough’s dead last rank in healthy New York State counties. As of 2015, the Bronx “has the strongest growing rate of fast

The number of homeless people in the Bronx has increased since last year, with some of that number being teens, according to the Coalition for Homeless Youth, an advocacy and direct service organization based in New York City. Many of them do not have a place to lay their heads at night, an issue becoming more and more common. “As a former homeless young person, I know how hard it is to get by without a safe, affordable place to live,” said Jawanza Williams, a youth organizer at VOCAL-NY. The community organizing group took part in a January news