Seasons Greetings from the OTT!

Just last week, 10,000 copies of our first issue of the year went out to students in more than 25 Oakland schools. The paper featured more than two dozen stories for, by and about teens. Highlights included:

* An article on the California Dream Act by Media Academy senior Aleanna Santos. The story explained the new law and its impact on undocumented students, including "Jessica," an honor student at Fremont Federation of High Schools who was carried over the border as an infant and dreams of majoring in child development at UC Davis or Berkeley.

* Silver Bowl football championship photos and coverage by Silvia Tapia-Cardona and Ashley Stills of McClymonds High. (Tapia-Cardona was named "contributor of the issue" for her Silver Bowl coverage and a witty piece on a dance class she's been forced to take instead of P.E.)

* A set of five book reviews by Skyline High School reporter Reyna Colt-Lacoya and a set of four film reviews by a pair of students at East Oakland School of the Arts.

Check out the newspaper at www.oaktownteentimes.org.

Up Close with Michael Pollan, Michael Lewis

Three Oaktown Teen Times writers and the paper's managing editors heard two of America's most celebrated journalists tell stories and speak on the craft of journalism during a fundraiser event in Berkeley on Sept. 23.

Juan Ramos of Media Academy and Kimberly Guzman and Julio Madrigal of Mandela Academy said they enjoyed listening to Michael Pollan and Michael Lewis during a 90-minute program that was designed to raise money for the Graduate School of Journalism at University of California, Berkeley. Pollan wrote "The Omnivore's Dilemma" along with other best-selling books, while Lewis authored "The Blind Side," "Moneyball" and "The Big Short."

During "Michael x Michael," which took place at Berkeley Reperatory Theatre, the two authors chatted on stage with each other about how they write and what future they believe is in store for journalism, especially long-form narrative journalism. After about 45 minutes of conversation, the two writers took questions from the audience.

Although the students did not pose questions during the event, Ramos caught up with Pollan and Lewis as they exited the theater, before the two writers dashed to a dinner honoring them.

"What advice would you give to students to improve their eating," Ramos asked Pollan, who has written extensively about food and the food industry.

"Visit a farmers' market," answered Pollan.

The UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism donated tickets to the Oaktown Teen Times so that the three students and their editors, Beatrice Motamedi and Lisa Shafer, could attend the event.

"We are grateful for the support of the Berkeley J-School," said Shafer. "I would not be surprised if they see some of our OTT writers enrolling in their prestigious program down the road."

Eleven OTT writers win state awards

Eleven Oaktown Teen Times students picked up awards at a ceremony for California high school journalists at San Francisco's Conservartory of Flowers on May 17.

This year's contest, sponsored by the Northern California Press Women, included entries from all over California because the director of the southern chapter reportedly fell ill and could not run the regional contest.

Taking home second place prizes were Jose Alvarenga and Fuey Saechao of Fremont Federation's Media Academy and Monica Floyd of Skyline High. A judge called Alvarenga and Saechao's feature story "Teens Warm Up Laborer’s Days” one of the top stories in the contest. Judge Jim Finefrock wrote that Floyd's opinion piece "Generation Ignorant Misuses Tech Tools" was "classic."

Judges also were impressed with work done by students at Oakland High and Castlemont Business, Information and Technology School (CBITS) for the news story "Two students fatally shot in 16-day span" and awarded them a third-place prize. Writers were Onisha Barham, Thao Tran and Rosey Uribe of Oakland High and Devonna Atkins and Ameriah Hayes of CBITS.

Jack Mejia, another Media Academy student, won a third prize for her feature story "Can vampires build your SAT vocab?" and Oakland Unity High students Karina Gonzalez and Jessica Ortega won an honorable mention in features for "The Quinceanera – pricey rite of passage."

Before the awards, students, advisers and family members received a tour of the Conservatory of Flowers, part of the Golden Gate Park that needed to be rebuilt when strong winds blew out the structure's glass windows in 1995

Nine OTT writers win Bay Area journalism awards

Nine Oaktown Teen Times reporters from four Oakland high schools are on a list of winners in a prestigious Bay Area journalism contest.

The students will find out just what they've won in the National Federation of Press Women's annual contest during a May 17 ceremony at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco.

The NFPW released its list of 142 winners on May 7. OTT winners are Ameriah Hayes and DeVonna Atkins of Castlemont Business and Information Technology School, Jose Alvarenga, Jack Mejia and Fuey Saechao of Fremont Federation's Media Academy, Onisha Barham, Thao Tran and Rosey Uribe of Oakland High and Monica Floyd of Skyline High.

The awards will follow a press conference and tour in the renovated Conservatory of Flowers, located in Golden Gate Park.

OTT students win NFPW writing awards

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF PRESS WOMEN -- Bay Area winners

OTT writer Ronald Johnson of Media Academy won first place in features writing for "Oakland develops 'Great Debaters,'" a story on the inaugural year of the Bay Area Urban Debate League.

Another first place for OTT work went to the editorial board of the Skyline Oracle. Their editorial, "Blocking the web limits free speech," was reprinted in the February issue of the OTT. Students contributing to the editorial were Javier Panzar, Diamond Broussard, Sam Lubin and Isabel Rodriguez-Vega.

The Oaktown Teen Times also picked up a pair of third place prizes from NFPW. Emely Srimoukda of Media Academy won third for her news story, "Define Google: learning tool or off-limits?" And Alenna So of Oakland High won third for her column "Sadness, sorrow facts of life in Darfur."

Congratulations to all!