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I couldn’t take being harassed anymore

I know a lot of kids at my school who are homosexual or bisexual and I always see them being teased and being made fun of. Sometimes I’m the one making fun of them. Before, I never thought they would get so angry and upset about being teased because of their sexuality. We should respect them and treat them the way we want to be treated. Now that I know that they get hurt by the jokes I make, I have stopped teasing them and started treating them like normal human beings.
Nilou Jafari, Wilson MS (Glendale)

I agree with Trayvione that people shouldn’t harass others like that. It’s not fair. It was really cool for the cops to come [to his school] and say that you can report harassment and that gays can report it too. It was also cool that they all got along after that.
Anthony Perez, Excel Charter Academy

This article is sadly true. I don’t think it’s right for someone to be judged for being who they are. I have many gay friends and I see when they are being harassed by immature students around campus. I often stand up for them, but I can’t always fight their battles. It’s good that they have rights so they can stand standup for themselves.
Ledy Lopez, East Valley HS (North Hollywood)

I believe that every teenager should read this article because we have to learn to accept the fact that there are gay people in this world. We have to learn to respect people for who they want to be and how they feel about certain things. As I was reading this article I pictured myself in Trayvione’s shoes and how awful he must have felt. I wouldn’t like to be treated like that either. It was very emotional to read. What was really important was that he was brave enough to step up and write about his struggles with being gay. I hope that this article influenced many teenagers because it influenced me.
Izabel Kurtoglanyan, Wilson MS

Harassing someone in any way is wrong. If I was in Trayvione’s situation, I would feel very angry and probably react the same way he did. What I don’t understand is why people harass others. I don’t think they would like it if they were being harassed. I think the schools should enforce rules against any kind of harassment.
Oscar Amezcua, East Valley HS

I don’t think those kids calling Trayvione names were right. They have to put themselves in his shoes and think about what they say before they do it. They have to imagine themselves being called names. I don’t think they would like being called all those names.
Juan Juarez, East Valley HS

Having to step up for your rights shows that you have courage and confidence in yourself. That is what Trayvione showed me in his article. Just because you are different from someone else doesn’t make you any less of a person.
Xiomara Gonzalez, East Valley HS



I don’t like your dog, OK?

When I read this article I was shocked. I love all animals, especially dogs, and I couldn’t understand why Shannon despised them so much. I then realized that everyone is different and that everyone has their own likes and dislikes. You can’t just force someone to do something they aren’t comfortable doing. I still don’t understand why she doesn’t like dogs, but I do respect her fear. Sometimes you have to put yourself in the other person’s shoes to understand and relate to their problem. I hope Shannon will grow to like dogs. In the meantime however, I hope that people will stop harassing her to pet their animals.
Talia Avedisian, Wilson MS

This article reminded me of myself except I don’t like cats. The reason why I don’t like cats isn’t from a childhood memory, I just don’t like them. Many of my friends try to get me to hold their cats, but I just say no. I really hope my friends understand that I just don’t like cats.
Katherine Salvari, East Valley HS

I really related to “I don’t like your dog, OK?” I can’t stand it when people force me to get close to their dogs. When I do get the courage to actually pet a dog, it never turns out the way I thought it would. Dog-lovers make their pets look so fluffy and soft, but I can only concentrate on the disgusting feeling of its bones and muscles. I get grossed out just thinking about it!
Erica Barin, Wilson MS



I love to watch wrestling

I loved the article “I love to watch wrestling,” because it’s about time that a girl says she loves to watch wrestling. I am a girl and like Nidia, I love to watch the WWE. It helps relieve stress just by watching. My favorite is RAW because it has my favorite wrestlers, John Cena and Jeff Hardy. Reading this article made me feel better because Nidia isn’t afraid to say that she likes to watch wrestling.
Tiffany Orrego, East Valley HS



My mom rules at home and school

Samantha seems so calm about her mom checking in on her at school. I don’t think I would survive. I wouldn’t like my mom knowing every little step I take or every little breath I breathe.
Ashley Barrientos, East Valley HS



Driving on sunshine

I am pleased knowing young people my age are trying to save our planet. If everyone tried to make environmental advancements such as solar-powered cars, global warming wouldn’t be a threat. I can’t make a solar-powered car, but this article has inspired me to try and do things that can save our planet one step at a time.
Brennan Boyack, Wilson MS



Embracing diversity

The article “Embracing diversity” is interesting to read and learn from. Many people use stereotypes, but they’re not true. One of my classmates says, “All Asian people cannot drive correctly.” That isn’t really true. Some Asian people are excellent drivers. The more we think and say stereotypes the more it affects the way we think. I hope that we stop using stereotypes because they are the wrong things to believe.
Matthew Murillo, Excel Charter Academy

I liked Victoria’s article and have a similar connection. When I was in school in the second grade I thought all Asians were from the same culture and they were all Chinese. But I was wrong because there were students who were Korean, Japanese and Chinese. The stereotype is that they act smart and get perfect grades, but one of my friends didn’t get good grades and wasn’t very calm. That’s when I realized everyone has a unique personality and doesn’t act the same.
Enrique Rosales, Excel Charter Academy

I have heard stereotypes too. When I was in fifth grade this Japanese girl was really quiet. So I said all Asian people are smart and quiet. This was wrong because later I met an Asian girl who was wild and talkative. I think this article will help people understand that stereotypes are wrong.
David Ortiz, Excel Charter Academy