ThreeSixty -

Teens and sex: What do you think?

Teens receive conflicting pressures and messages about sex. ThreeSixty wants to hear about your personal struggles with sexual choices. Do you have sex or stay abstinent? What pressures do you feel? What resources — parents, clinics, teachers, friends, churches, etc. — help you decide what to do? In 300 words or less, tell us your story.

To encourage you to get as personal as you want, we will not publish the name of the writer if they wish to keep their identity secret.

Deadline for submissions: Saturday, November 8.

First-place winner receives $100. Runners-up will receive $25 Target gift certificates. And the first five submissions receive a cool, ThreeSixty t-shirt.

Teens at Central talk about their clinic

By ThreeSixty staff

Central Senior High School in Saint Paul has had a sexual reproductive clinic, Health Start, since 1976, said Tonja Schuster, a medical assistant at the clinic. Last year, out of a student body of 2,100 teens, about 1,000 of them visited the clinic, she said. Students at Central share their thoughts on how the clinic at their school affects the student body and the controversy in general about housing clinics in public schools.... Read more >>

Clinic needed to protect students

By Katy Combs, a senior at Hopkins High School and co-editor-in-chief of "The Royal Page"

For the first time in recorded history at Hopkins High School, more than of the twelfth grade students reported being sexually active, according to the 2007 Minnesota Student Survey. ... Read more >>

Hopkins puts clinic on hold

Opponents say a reproductive-health clinic causes promiscuity, proponents say clinics help students stay healthy

By Jeffrey Cartwright, a senior at Hopkins High School and co-editor-in-chief of "The Royal Page"

Tension is building at Hopkins High School after the recent postponement of a decision by the school board on whether or not to house a satellite of a reproductive health clinic at the school.

“Last winter, I worked closely with West Suburban Teen Clinic and would refer students to them. They did a survey about wanting the clinic to be more accessible and that’s when the light bulb popped into my head. If you can’t get the kids to the service why not bring the service to the kids,” said Bobbi Pointer, a registered nurse and the licensed school nurse of Hopkins High School.

In May, the school board received a proposal from Pointer along with other district staff to implement a teen clinic in the high school. This proposal came shortly after the results of the 2007 Minnesota Student Survey showed 53 percent of male seniors and 50 percent of female seniors reported being sexually active.

But, in August, the Hopkins school board was confronted by a handful of people who protested against the installation of a clinic in the high school and shortly after these meetings the clinic was suspended. Read more >>

HOT TOPIC SIDEBARS:

Clinic would be message of low expectations for teens

By Rebekah Cornish, a senior at Hopkins High School

Allowing a teen clinic to operate inside a school only promotes sex to teenagers, and it becomes almost expected that women in school will be sexually active. Allowing a teen clinic to operate inside a school only promotes sex to teenagers, and it becomes almost expected that women in school will be sexually active.... Read more >>

Bike sharing at RNC a success

By Alex Heegaard

As the RNC packed its banners, balloons and giant TV screen and headed out of town, the Freewheelin bike-sharing program piloted at the political conventions in Denver and St. Paul reported terrific success.

The program is a joint operation between Humana, one of the nation’s largest public health benefits companies, and Bikes Belong, a bike advocacy organization that works to help programs that get people on bikes.

Freewheelin aims to cut down American obesity levels and the nation’s carbon foot print, according to a press release.
With a total of 7,523 rentals, riders pedaled 41,724 miles — 15,141 of these miles in the Twin Cities — burned a total of almost 1.3 million calories, and reduced their carbon footprint by 14.6 metric tons.Read more >>

Catalyst mobilizes teens against tobacco

ThreeSixty reporter Ariel Kendall interviewed Andy Berndt, program director of Catalyst — a Minnesota program that encourages teens to become activists in the fight against tobacco. Here’s an excerpt from their e-mail interview.... Read more >>

Smoking ambushes my brother

By Ariel Kendall

I looked outside the fogged window one cold winter afternoon to see my 15-year-old brother smoking a cigarette. I couldn’t believe it. Was this the same kid who got upset when our father smoked, who told Mom “I don’t want to be around that”?

My Dad started smoking when he was seven. It was his way to relax and rebel. Now he’s so dependent he’d rather have cigarettes than food. And you can tell. His voice is deep and raspy and he coughs a lot. The smell, ashes and burn marks are everywhere.

I don’t want my brother to turn out like that. Then I noticed that all his friends were smoking, too. In fact, when they’re skateboarding in the street, rolling past one another with ease and showing off their new tricks, they also pass along a cigarette.... Read more >>