Recent Stories with tag franklin

Locally, Franklin, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle high schools are participating in the Get MotivatED Challenge, in collaboration with Def Jam Rapstar. The grand prize is a trip to New York City to meet with Def Jam executives like Russell Simmons and Kevin Liles, and the chance to perform a rap live on BET’s 106 & Park. 

The idea is that entrants will come up with a short rap or spoken word video about how education influences their life: "You can rhyme about your goals, going to college, school pride, hard work, dedication--it’s up to you!" You have to get your video entry up by March 18, and the earlier, the better. West Seattle's got one up already:

I do not know a lot about rap, but some of these suggested topics don't sound very gangsta to me. School pride sounds especially soul-killing. Look what "Be True to Your School" did to the Beach Boys, and they really had no rep to lose to begin with. I don't know if this contest is "Blue Scholars Approved," like the Hip Hop Word Count project, but I think it could use a Blue Scholars take. You want something on the influence of education? Listen to this:... (more)

Teens today have so much more stress than I remember. A week ago, there weren't eight pages of YouTube results for "Seattle cop punches jaywalker," and now there are.

It's become an international story--though Al Jazeera has yet to take note. Slackers. But thank you, Paris Match: "Un agent de police frappe une jeune femme."

A week ago, 17-year-old Angel Rosenthal didn't have a legal team, per se, just acquaintances with public defenders. It seems safe to assume that she wasn't on speed dial for Urban League President James Kelly, or Rev. Reggie Witherspoon, Pastor of Mount Calvary Christian Center.

But that's life: One moment you're blithely ignoring a pedestrian overpass to jaywalk across a 4-lane boulevard, with cars routinely hitting 45 mph, and the next you're pushing around a Seattle police officer and getting punched in the face. Could happen to anyone--as luck would have it, it was someone previously charged with second-degree robbery and third-degree theft.

Finally comes the media event with Interim SPD Chief John Diaz, Deputy Chief Nick Metz, and Rich O'Neill, President of the Seattle Police Officer's Guild, where you apologize to Officer Walsh, while facing charges of third-degree assault. If you have always wanted to be in a drama, this is pure political theatre. Listen as the Chief speaks:... (more)