Kick It Up L.A. Blog Digest - 7/1

Today on June 15, 2010 we interviewed Arlene Inouye about C.A.M.S. (Coalition for Alternatives to Militarism in our Schools). We started recording the moment that we got out of the car. Arlene opened the door with this warm, welcoming smile. It was really nice to see how happy she was that we were there to film her and allow her to express her side of what she thinks about the JROTC in schools.Arlene started to describe to us the different factors that play a role in a student's decision to sign up to join the JROTC. Some shocking facts that we learned from Arlene was that the marines and other programs use certain methods, pictures and sayings to attract people from specific ethnic groups. We also found out that they spend a lot of money on these programs, when supposedly these programs are free. The one fact that shocked us the most was that these programs don't really give options, sometimes forcefully enrolling the kids in the JROTC program and telling them that they have to join. Arlene also told us that some of these programs even have recruiters that harass the students to join. Edith was in shock when Arlene shared a story of a female student that was harassed by being followed to her classes. [more]

It's amazing how a few houses on a tiny street, which is now known as Olvera street, started it all for the beautiful city of Los Angeles. This historic district has become the roots for many families and overall the roots of Los Angeles. When you're there you see how the city began; so losing Olvera St. would be like losing a glimpse into Los Angeles' past.When we arrived at the famous cobblestone street lined with Mexican shops and restaurants, we were in the middle of all the tourists and employees of the various businesses. What stood out the most were the posters posted everywhere that read "Save Olvera St." As we began asking information about whether the rumors were true -- was Olvera Street going to be closed down? We discovered quickly that employees were not allowed to speak about the issue and simply just cut us in our tracks. We immediately had to change the angle in which we approached employers because we were being denied interviews by almost everyone. We ran into some tourists from Arkansas that were completely clueless about the issue of the possible loss of the street and in fact they were quite shocked because they had enjoyed their visit there.

"Soccer is an easy sport to play, all you need is some type of circular object, most preferably a ball, two trash cans as goal posts, and a bunch of people who can kick a ball." Those were the worlds of a Garfield High School teacher. Soccer is such an easy sport many people play it and enjoy it. But what happens when you get hurt... now is it as easy as they say?Many soccer players through the years have suffered from painful injuries such as: ankle sprains and achilles tendonitis.

As a Global Girl Media reporter there are many things that are still unclear to me. As a journalist, I make sure all my reports are well researched and can be understood. But unfortunately not all things can be searched for on the Web - some things have to be looked for inside of oneself.As a growing teen and in my rebel years, I question my religion. In fact, I just question what the heck religion is? Whatever it is, it plays a vital role in our lives and that's why I decided to write about it and how it shapes us.