Just Juniors Journal
See you in September.
Issue #9
Series 2
September 2000
"We're the first group of this type. Everything we do makes history."
-John Mayes
THE COLLEGE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Planning on going to college? Need help on deciding where to go? Need financial help in dealing with it? That's where the Lost Solace College Assistance Program comes in.
What is the College Assistance Program? A program where members of the Lost Solace kids planning on attending college can get help. All you have to do is be a member of the LS Kids for a year or more. Then what? Go to Lou. Tell him you're interested, and he'll talk to BiPagan.
BiPagan. She's who we have in control of doing research for Lost Solace. All you have to do is talk to her and tell her all about yourself. Then she'll help you find some good colleges depending on several factors, such as your course, whether you want to be close to home or not, and the climate.
When you're applying to colleges, or thinking about it, you more or less have to think climate. You don't want to go to a college if you don't like the weather there. For example, if you're afraid of earthquakes, don't apply to colleges in California. Once you're eliminated colleges you don't want, you can more closely consider the ones you might want.
I asked BiPagan what she does, and she said she goes to the library and gets a public handout with a bunch of information on it. The she distributes the information. And that can be looked into.
"It's not that hard," said BiPagan. "It's funny what's all out there. There are so many grants available."
She says to check websites to get it more narrowed down to what you want. Then when you know what you want, check it out.
"It's frustrating to apply for a grant and not get it. There's tons of money in grants out there....The hard part is getting it," stated BiPagan.
So gather all the info on yourself and send it to those colleges you have decided on, on their applications. And if they have a suggestion for a good college for you, they'll send your info to other colleges. But from there on, it is up to the colleges and their acceptance. But the Lost Solace team will be there to help.
But for now, it all starts with planning. So get planning and thinking about your life, education, and what's ahead. You deserve it.
-Brenda Geyer
-I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....
THE FLAME STILL BURNS
Once again, the LS Kids are having a fundraiser. And once again, it is selling candles.
Shelly's famous Heavenly Scents Candles. We're selling them to raise money for the donations we make to local charities like the SPCA and our local homeless shelter, the Horizon House.
Shelly makes the candles in forty or so scents, and soaps in approximately thirty-two. Some of the scents include blueberry muffin (My favorite), Juniper breeze, lavender, and strawberry shortcake. For a full list of the scents, or to order, log on to Heavenly Scents.
The candles come in three sizes: the small four-ounce jar for three dollars, the medium eight-ounce jar for seven dollars, and the large sixteen-ounce jar for five dollars. Soaps are five dollars. Don't forget to include the six percent Pennsylvania sales tax.
-Vesta Jones
-Angel with a pitchfork
BALANCE
On July 26th, it was a nervous day for Joyce Rafter, the mother of Warren Titus, who was killed in a bicycle accident two years ago. Joyce was one her way to the McDonald's in Lamar, PA, to meet Chuck, the man who had received her deceased son's liver. As she found out, he was also as nervous.
But they talked for a while. And Joyce surprised Chuck with a videotape she had made with photos of Warren and the family on it. She had two made, with thirty dollars the LS Kids had given to her. The other tape, she kept for herself.
She said she was really glad that Chuck got Warren's liver. "I was really sad about Warren's death," she stated,"But something good came out of it, and that really balanced it out." Joyce would like to meet some of the others who receieved Warren's other organs. Because it's a great thing....Saving someone's life.
-Brenda Geyer
-Life is great. Make the best of it.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE
A "Balance" Sidebar
Every day, about sixty people receive lifesaving organ transplants, and every day, sixteen people on the waiting list die. This is because there are not enough available organs for medical use. Organ transplantation saves lives, but only if you help. It's tragic when people die, but some good can come out of it with the selfless act of becoming an organ donor. You could save someone's life.
Becoming an organ donor is a simple process. All that needs to be done is to discuss your wishes with your family. You can then obtain your organ donor's card by calling 1-800-24-DONOR. You can also obtain the card or other valuable information on the web at http://www.esinteractive.com/ripp/donation.html.
Remember that you have the chance to save more than fifty people through the donation of your organs. Give the gift of life and become a donor.
-Michelle L. Archibald
-Assistant Editor
WHITE FLAG OVER: Sandra Dee
"Look at me---I'm Sandra Dee!"
From Tuscon, Arizona, nineteen years old, Sandra Dee is the "little sister" of the Lost Solace Team. This charming, kind little redhead is always there to lend a hand to any of the members or outsiders who need it.
Before she joined the group, she was suffering from some tough times. "A lot of the stuff from my past was suddenly someing back to haunt me," she says. "I flunked out of college, and was basically homeless for a while. And then I got to be friends with Claymore and Angel, and Claymore was starting the group at the time."
After a while, she was talked into joining in.
"I love helping people," comments Sandra. "The first person I ever counseled was a girl named Kelli. We got close....We still talk, and correspond through letters. I got to go visit her last summer. I love it....People are sharing with me, and it's really good."
Among many other things, the perky Sandra has worked as a waitress. In her spare time, she likes to drive, to blow off stress.
"I sing and drive, drive and sing," she says. "I like it. Take my car and just drive. Going nowhere, anywhere, just driving. I feel good, doing that. And I put a CD in, and I sing along....Yeah. It's a good thing."
-Ginger White
-Staff
The Just Juniors Journal Is:
Editor: Lou
Assistants: Michelle L. Archibald, Lauren Manning
President, Ethical Advisor: Vesta Jones
Sergeant-At-Arms: John Mayes
Internal Vice-President: Erica Elliott
External Vice-President: Brenda Geyer
Quarternaster: Destini Geraty
Staff: Meghan Wilson, Sarah Wilson, Eddie Maiolo, Staci Wyland, Ginger White
ENDNOTE
By Lou
Fall is here. Back to school. I remember those days.
My kids are currently heading back to the schools, and they're doing it with the same enthusiasm I did when I was their age. (Which is to say, they'd just as soon have the school demolished and sleep in the rest of the year.)
Lately, I been thinking about one certain person I knew in school. I haven't seen her in probably twelve years, but she's been on my mind a little....
Mary Connors. (That's not her real name, but if she reads this, she'll recognize the descriptions.) Mary was a straight-A student, always perfect, always respectful. I was a rebellious, flaky punk with an attitude. To say that we came into conflict occasionally is drastically downgrading the situation.
My relationship with Mary was sort of a school-hallway version of the Hundred-Years War. We were constantly at each other's throats. She would lecture me for not doing my assignments or whatever, I would pick on her and call her nasty names. Mary and I hated each other.
Except....We didn't....Not me, anyway. As you have probably guessed right now, the truth is, I had a major league crush on Mary. I thought she was absolutely wonderful; I thought she hung the moon and the stars. And so, in the time-honored method of teenaged boys everywhere, I annoyed the hell out of her from the fourth grade on.
It was all an act. (You hear that, Mary? You getting this? Confession time.) Every single time I picked on her, I was really begging to be noticed. That time I lit the school stage curtain on fire during the play, I was trying to impress Mary. (Why I thought this would be impressive now escapes me.) You wouldn't think it would be that easy to overlook a guy in a Hawaiian shirt lighting things on fire, but somehow Mary managed.
I see these trends in my own kids now. The way some of them pick on one another, I see shades of the way I treated Mary. (Some of them genuinely want to kill each other, too, and I feel it's important for me to recognize the difference.) I feel a bit bad, these days, for the way I treated Mary, and I would like to apologize if I could. If I had it to do all over again....Hell, I'd probably do it the same way, but I'd still feel bad.
Mary, if you're out there reading this, it was all just a play for your attention. You had someone in school who adored you, but wasn't brave enough to admit it. And if you're out there somewhere....I hope you're doing well.
-Lou
-When I was your age....
Email: lskids@hotmail.com
