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Dezarae Beaman

World of Speed gets teens' hearts racing

Last updated Friday, October 29, 2010 - 7:27pm

Engines roar as people mull around, taking pictures and perhaps pausing in a spot of rare shade. The salt, white and packed hard, sparkles in the sunlight. I see a Corvette, tricked out for racing, and snap a picture.

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(Illustration by SHADE LEEDS/Roy High School/shadeyday@hotmail.com)

U did what? ROFL! TTYL

Dezarae Beaman, TX. correspondent

Last updated Friday, October 1, 2010 - 7:16pm

I remember the first time I ever heard the acronym "LOL" spoken aloud.

I was in seventh grade, and I honestly thought this girl had a stuttering problem or something similar. My confusion must have shown on my face, because one of my friends quickly explained "It stands for 'laugh out loud.' "

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Auto class woes reinforce Dr. Seuss lessons

Dezarae Beaman, TX correspondent

Last updated Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 8:49pm

I'm sure everyone in the world has had the feeling that they are the one person who doesn't quite belong. Being a proud band geek, theater enthusiast (quoting musicals much?) and choir member, I had just such a feeling every auto class period.

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Just how old is 'old enough?'

Dezarae Beaman TX. Syracuse High

Last updated Sunday, April 18, 2010 - 9:41pm

Have you ever been told you aren't "old enough" for something? Maybe it's dating or getting a job, or maybe it's choosing your own curfew or bedtime. We've all been told at one point that we aren't old enough for something, but what exactly is "old enough"?

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Have yourself a merry little 'Chicken Lady' or 'Pie' day

Dezarae Beaman TX. Syracuse High

Last updated Sunday, December 27, 2009 - 11:15pm

With December here, many people are caught up in a whirl of Christmas, Yule, Chanukah, Kwanza and then the New Year's rush, but I'm the type of person who gets bored with tradition after too much exposure or commercialism. I'm not exactly the type to conform to the norms of society, and I've often questioned why holidays are so over-publicized.

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Illustration by TAYLOR LOPAZ/Bonneville High School

Pulling the plug on TV

Dezarae Beaman TX. Correspondent

Last updated Sunday, August 23, 2009 - 10:47pm

Some teens are obsessed with TV programs, but others of us couldn't really care less who wins "American Idol" or who can dance with the stars. To prove this, I decided to take a month off of TV of any sort, including movies and video games.
I didn't think it would be too hard; after all, the most I ever do is watch "NCIS" or "CSI" with my family, anyway, and never for more than a couple hours in a row. But I did think it would be a lot harder than it was not to "cheat," especially when I was invited to movies and movie nights with my friends. Once I told them what I was doing, they helped more than I can say. We went to the park, or bowling, or just hung out at someone's house talking, and it was totally fun.
My "month" began in the middle of July, and ended around the middle of August, so I didn't have TV to keep me from all my summer dreams, just my own laziness. The rules were fairly simple -- anything involving a TV screen (computer monitors didn't count) was strictly off limits. That included even movies and video games, and wasn't just limited to my house. Sounds simple, but then I realized just how many TVs there are in the world. Honestly, try going to Applebee's or Winger's without glancing up to check the score of whatever game is on! I was good, though; I avoided restaurants with TVs in them, just to be on the safe side -- I didn't want to mess up.

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