Crotona Has Talent!

By Xylina Ortiz

Staff Writer

Crotona Academy’s students come in different colors, shades of hair, and different personalities, which makes the beauty of our diversity great. Due to our differences we come with amazing talents and originality that we can share and compare with others. Our school is loaded with talent that shines in almost everything we do. We have students who are promising writers, good athletes, dancers, singers, artists etc. With so many unique talents, we enjoy showing off what we can do! Therefore here is a sampling of students who have great talent

of their own.

Naiomi M., an 18-year-old student at Crotona, is an amazing singer and mentor to the people who surround her. She started singing at 16. Singing makes her feel physically, mentally, and emotionally good. Not only does her singing make her feel good, but she has been told that her voice touches many. “When I am mad, sad, or whatever, I sing,” she said, adding that singing has made a big impact in her life. She uses singing to keep her going. Naiomi isn’t your average singer either. She sings contemporary, gospel, and church songs. Since the age of 16, Naiomi involved herself in singing for a church named New Life Outreach International. That is where she takes the stage and sings her heart out.

Before Naiomi exposed her singing talents, “I was nervous but it’s for a good cause,” she said. Naiomi’s determination to sing for the people in church is what motivated her to become the confident singer that she is now. “I feel like singing inspires,” she said, hoping that singing in her church brings inspiration through the lyrics and her voice. Besides the church singing that Naiomi does, she also mentors kids and teens in her church. “Mentoring helps with problems, giving youth the encouragement they need,” she said. Being a mentor means a lot to her. She likes to help people and help to guide them through any situation. This in fact makes her feel even better about making a difference in her community. Naiomi is a talented student and we hope to hear more of her talents soon.

Another student at Crotona Academy also sings as well. Angel Luna, 19, has been singing for the past two years. “It makes me feel good,” he said, adding that singing, as Naiomi said, makes a person feel good and comfortable. Angel, on the other hand, doesn’t sing at church. Instead he joined a producing company called A.L.M., which stands for All Level Music. Angel has been with this company for over three and a half years, but it was only 2 years ago that he decided to let his talent shine. He doesn’t only sing and have his music produced but he also writes his own music and performs on stage. “Nervous” he said--that’s the feeling he and a million others get before performing in the spotlight, but it’s the reason behind it that gives them the courage to proceed. Before he started singing, he expressed his feelings by reciting poetry and rapping, he said.

Singing has made an impact on Angel’s life. “It made me want to be determined in my near future,” he said. Singing makes him more open-minded about his future and what he wants to do in his life, he added. It also impacted his views on people. He feels like somehow singing reflects on the people he is friends with and sings with. He’s very compassionate about singing and who he sings to. He said he not only sings to everyone but to a special someone as well. He believes singing attracts the opposite sex and also is a way to gain fame and attention. Angel’s passion for singing comes with dreams to become an artist.

Singing is just one talent Angel has. Drawing is another. “Born to draw” he said, is something he has been doing since childhood. He stated that he loves to color, sketch, and free draw anything. “I believe that you can express feelings through painting,” he said. Like singing, drawing helps express what he feels. Both of Angel’s talents lead him into becoming a better person and a soon-to-be-star.

Crotona is full of students with hidden talents that are ready to be exposed. This blog will continue to write about Crotona’s talented students. If you have a talent and have not yet been interviewed, contact me at Xylinamiracle@gmail.com. Thanks!

A Piercing Look at Piercings

By Lakia Anderson

Staff Writer

Did you know back in 1500 in most places around the world body piercings were a fashion trend? In Egypt body piercings were an indication of how much money you had. Only the higher class got to wear certain piercings.

When Caesar ruled, Romans would have piercings to show their strength and their patriotism was also mentioned in articles on the Internet.

A study by Rutgers University found that Gauntlet, an international chain of body piercing shops, reported 30,000 or more piercings per year in the U.S. They also found in the study that 63% of college-aged students (18-22) have some sort of body piercing.

Why do people pierce? That’s a question that can be answered in many interesting ways. One of the most popular reasons for body piercings, according to an article by Expert Body Piercing, is the way they look. Many people say it looks cool or it shows off their most beautiful features. Some do it for change

or a special event that has occurred or is occurring. Others may do it to hide their image. Studies also show that people will get piercings due to peer pressure or as a way of rebelling against parents. Most girls with piercings prefer to get their belly, nose, ears, and tongue pierced. Most boys get pretty much everything else done. Researchers found that women accounted for almost three fourths of the people around the world with body piercings, not including earlobes. Ear piercings apparently are popular with both genders. Ear piercings are known to be done on babies as young as 2.

To get teens’ opinions I did a series of interviews with my peers at Crotona Academy High School. Brittany C. a student with a total of three piercings said, “I just like them.” She said she plans to keep most of them. Actually, one of the positive things about piercings in this reporter’s mind is the fact that you can easily get rid of them by simply taking them out. This is unlike tattoos, which are more difficult to get rid of but can be removed.

I also got the chance to interview Leyla another student at Crotona. She said her reasoning for getting her four piercings was her mother. Since she had seen her mother with piercings, she thought they looked cool. She also said, “They express me.” She said she plans on keeping all of them and adding more to her collection.

I also had the privilege of interviewing Annisha H. who has 16 piercings! When asked why she has the piercings and their meaning she said, “ I love body art.” She also said there is a downside to her piercings because she attracts the opposite sex a lot and people ask her a lot of questions.

Brandon Morrison also had something to say about piercings. He has his ears and tongue pierced. “It’s cool for style,” he said. He also said it attracts the opposite sex.

In general according to my data and research, I have seen that piercings can be meaningful to some but just a fashion statement or fad to others. Everyone has a different reason for getting piercings whether it is for pleasure, beauty, or just to look or feel cool.